Ghazai photo courtesy of www.alamy.com
Sensation is Ghazal
BEIJING (CHN. May 18): Highlight of the IAAF World Challenge meeting was a terrific performance in the high jump by Majed El Dein Ghazal who set three Syrian records. The 29-year-old improved his record by one centimetre with a first-time clearance at 2.32m before second time clearances at 2.34m and 2.36m respectively. Sam Kendricks also cleared a world-leading height outdoors of 5.92m in the pole vault (world champion Shawn Barber was sixth with 5.60m) while world indoor champion Dong Bin went out to 17.24m in the triple jump. On the women’s side, there was also a world-leading mark from Zhang Wenxiu in the hammer with 75.58m. As expected there were fast times in the sprints in the Bird’s Nest: Justin Gatlin 9.94 and Mike Rodgers 9.97 in the 100m, Murielle Ahoure 11.06 and Ivet Lalova 11.11 in the women’s 100m while Veronica Campbell-Brown returned to form with victory in the 200m in 22.29. Aries Merritt set a season’s best of 13.24 to win the 110m hurdles while world champion Danielle Williams won the 100m hurdles in 12.80. Middle distance highlight was Hellen Obiri’s 4:02.11 victory in the 1500m ahead of a national record of 4:03.70 from UAE’s Betlhem Desalegn, 18-year-old Kipyegon Bett won the 800m in a photo-finish over Erik Sowinski in 1:45.80 while championship master Ezekiel Kemboi won the 3000m steeplechase in 8:14.19 after a heavy defeat in Doha. Elsewhere, Gao Xinglong 8.23m in the long jump, Mirela Demireva 1.93m in the high jump (Levern Spencer just fifth with 1.90m) and Yulia Leantsiuk 18.76m in the shot put ahead of Anita Marton 18.60m. Chinese sprint quartets won both relays in fast times: 38.21 for the men and 42.65 for the women.
