byAlfonz JuckNorman 19.84, Gatlin 10.00, Japan 38.00 WL
OSAKA (JPN, May 19): US sensation Mike Norman was one of the outstanding performers at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Osaka (17 000 spectators), winning the 200m in an equal lifetime best of 19.84 (-0.4) by more than half-a-second from Chinese Taipei’s Chun-Han Yang in 20.50. Bulgaria’s Ivet Lalova-Collio was another impressive winner of the 200m, clocking 22.55 (+0.5) for her fastest time since the 2016 Olympics ahead of US Kyra Jefferson in 23.00. Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad notched up another comfortable win in the 400m hurdles in 53.88 ahead of Barbados’ Tia-Adana Belle 55.42 but the margin in the men’s 100m was considerably smaller with world champion Justin Gatlin clocking 10.00 (+1.7) to pip Yoshihide Kiryu by 0.01 with reigning world U20 champion Lalu Muhammad Zohri, 18, improving his NR to 10.03, also Asian U20 record. Fourth Yuki Koike got 10.04 PB. The outcome was reversed in the 4x100m relay as the Japanese team put last week’s disaster at the World Relays behind them to win in a world-leading 38.00 to the United States’ 38.73. Sharika Nelvis nipped world champion Sally Pearson in the 100m hurdles – both were timed at 12.70 (+0.4) – and world U20 bronze medallist Shunsuke Izumiya from Japan, still a junior, took victory in the 110m hurdles in a wind-aded 13.26 (2.9). In the women’s hammer, China’s Wang Zheng broke the Japanese all-comers’ record with 75.27 (second World leader Gwen Berry 74.09) and Lithuania’s Edis Matusevicius went out to 84.55m in the javelin. Elsewhere, Omar Craddock won the men’s triple jump with 17.16 (-0.4) and Naoto Tobe won the men’s high jump with 2.27m. Kenya’s Jonathan Kitilit won the 800m in 1:46.37 and compatriot Philemon Ruto won the 3000m steeplechase in 8:22.65. US Vernon Norwood got the 400 m in 45.79, also Mikiah Brisco the women 100 m in 11.33 (-2.2). Benin´s Noelle Yarigo topped the 800 m in 2:03.18. Three more winners in technical events were Australian Brooke Stratton in long jump (666, -0.2), Chinese Huang Bokai 561 in pole vault and Yu Yuzhen 60.88 in javelin. With help from IAAF.
