by Alfonz Juck
Dafne Schippers prevails in the 200 meters in Lausanne, Photo by PhotoRun.net
ATHLETISSIMA FLASH BACK
LAUSANNE (SUI): Shawn Barber’s coach and agent Jeff Hartwig has said he is still lacking consistency through the take off, informs CBC. “His consistency in the run was better today than Paris, but he was not very consistent through the takeoff, so he had some problems in the middle of the jump. Each competition has to serve as a stepping stone where he learns and improves,” he said. Barber will compete in the Rabat and Monaco Diamond League meetings on the road to the World Championships where he will defend his title. Barber’s season’s best stands at 5.71m.
LAUSANNE (SUI): Ivana Spanovic has said she is still not in peak shape after opening her outdoor season with a 6.79m victory in the Lausanne Diamond League. “My level of fitness is not yet to its best but I feel good overall. There are five more weeks now to the World Championships in London and I will fully focus on my training. You know, at home, they only expect gold from me at these World Championships. That is the one medal I miss also so clearly that is the objective!” she said. Spanovic will compete in the London Diamond League on Sunday.
LAUSANNE (SUI): After finishing second to Dafne Schippers in Lausanne, Marie-Josee Ta Lou is aiming to break the African 200m record ahead of the World Championships in London. “I did not expect this performance, my start was not great – but I am delighted with my result. I am next going to Rabat and Monaco, I hope to do an African record there,” she said. The African record stands to Nigeria’s Mary Onyali at 22.07 set in 1996.
LAUSANNE (SUI): Selemon Barega is aiming to win the 5000m at the World Championships a year after winning the world U20 title in Bydgoszcz. “I will go to the World Championship with the aim of a medal, hopefully gold,” he said.
LAUSANNE (SUI): Baboloki Thebe has said one of his career goals is to break Isaac Makwala’s national 400m record of 43.72. “Now, I have one more Diamond League race in Monaco. One of my ultimate goals would be to break the national record of Botswana,” he said.
LAUSANNE (SUI): Renaud Lavillenie was pleased to set a season’s best of 5.87m in Lausanne. “I am really happy to have jumped for the first time this year on a full run-up and importantly with conditions that were great. I had top fight today and had good feelings. The fact that it’s my seasons best clearly pleases me,” he said.
