by Alfonz JuckAsian record in javelin
KAWASAKI (JPN, May 21): Good javelin performances highlighted the Golden Grand Prix in Kawasaki (IAAF World Challenge). Liu Shiying set an Asian record of 66.47m to win the women’s competition (2nd Australian Kathryn Mitchell 63.23) while Olympic winner Thomas Rohler went out to 86.55m in his first international competition since moving to second on the world lists with 93.90m. There was also good throwing in the women’s hammer (opening meet of IAAF Hammer Challenge) with in-form American Gwen Berry winning with 74.13m ahead of Olympic bronze medallist Sophie Hitchon (73.97m) and Joanna Fiodorow (71.46m) while teammate Jeneva Stevens won the shot put with 18.48m. Jairus Birech won the steeplechase on his season’s debut in 8:19.54 World lead 2017 while there were other Kenyan wins for Timothy Kitum in the 800m (1:47.03), Paul Tanui in the 3000m (7:52.67) and Nelly Jepkosgei the women’s 1500m (4:06.86). Also on the in-field, Olympic long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta won with 6.79 (+0.8, was also 3rd in 100 m 11.47, second Shara Proctor 665 +1.0), Chinese jumpers Wang Jianen (8.14 +0.5) and Wu Ruiting (17.18 +1.7 PB) won the long jump and triple jump respectively, Canada’s Mike Mason cleared 2.30m in the high jump (second Takashi Eto 230 PB) and Hiroki Ogita cleared 5.60m in the pole vault (second Masaki Ejima equaled Japanese U20 record 550). On the track, Ivet Lalova-Collio scored a 11.40/22.98 (-1.0, +0.6) sprint double, Justin Gatlin won the 100m in 10.28 (-1.2) from Asuka Cambridge (10.31), Canada’s Aaron Brown won the 200m in 20.62 (-2.0) and US Quincy Downing won the 400m hurdles in 48.96. There were also sprint hurdles wins for China’s Xie Wenjun (13.51, -1.8) and Queen Harrison (12.65, 0.0).
