The Gyulia Istvan Memorial is the second meet on the Continental Tour 2020. This is Stuart Weir’s column on this exceptional event!
Christian Taylor, photo by Stuart Weir, via TV
Nadine Visser takes Sharika Nelvis, photo by Stuart Weir, via TV
Andy Pozzi, photo by Stuart Weir, via TV
Gyulai István Memorial
The Gyulai István Memorial in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, a World Athletics Gold level series event, provided excellent entertaining on Wednesday 19 August. Noah Lyles was in good form winning both the 100 and 200 in 10.05 and 20.13. Adam Gemili, who seems to have spent August running behind Lyles, was second and third in 10.28 and 20.56.
A cool double! 10.05/20.13 by @lylesnoah at @GyulaiMemorial today, @adidasrunning https://t.co/ilPnpC10Tg
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) August 19, 2020
The 110H was arguably the race of day. World Champion, Grant Holloway seemed to have the race in his pocket but he slowed down too soon and was caught on the line by Orlando Ortega who finished in 13.21, one hundredth of a second ahead of Holloway. Andy Pozzi, who had run 13.14 in Monaco was strangely sixth in 13.60, making him the second fastest British runner with David King second in the B Race in 13.51. Pozzi will come again.
The men’s triple jump was an exciting event with Pedro Pablo Pichardo third with 17.28. Christian Taylor was second in 17.34, which he jumped twice, and Hugues Zango of Burkina Faso winning with 17.43, extending his own world lead. Despite what the Diamond League hierarchy think, a triple jump competition with three great jumpers going head to head is an absorbing spectacle.
[insert your favourite song with ‘jump’ in the title here]
Hughes Fabrice Zango triple jumps world-leading 17.43m, Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova notches long jump victory with 6.77m. #ContinentalTourGold pic.twitter.com/9x5UZjZBUJ
— Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) August 19, 2020
The women’s 400 was won by Wadeline Jonathas (USA) 52.09. Raevyn Rogers – normally an 800 runner, who ran a 1000 in Monaco, was fourth in the 400 in Hungary in 52.5 to demonstrate her versatility. From a British perspective, Laviai Nielsen was third in 52.24 (SB) while hurdler, Jessie Knight, ran a 52.52 PR.
Nadine Visser won the 100H equalling her own world lead time of 12.68. Sharika Nelvis, who was sixth in 13.02, commented very honestly on twitter: “Today I sucked. And because I sucked, I lost. No excuses”.
Dai Greene (2011 World Champion) was fourth in the 400h in 51.06, his first outdoor race of the season. The winner was David Kendziera (USA) in 50.00. In the women’s race Femke Bol (who has the world lead) won in 54.67.
Lynna Irby won the 200 in 22.55, leaving Dafne Schippers, Mujinga Kambundji and Marie-Josée Ta Lou in her wake.
Donavan Brazier won the 600m in 1:15.07 outside the unofficial world record but getting the meeting record. David Kendziera, who clearly has far too much energy, followed his win in the 400H by completing the 600 in 1:21.11.
.@DonavanBrazier wins an exciting race over 600m at the @GyulaiMemorial in Hungary!! #gyulaimemorial pic.twitter.com/b5VeGkQJmm
— Global Athletics (@gamupdates) August 19, 2020
Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova (Belarus) won the long-jump in 6.77 from Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (Ukraine) 6.76. The competition rules were that everyone had three jumps with the top eight progressing to 3 more jumps – with all six jumps counting. Creative but it will never catch on. At least the organizers had the sense to ensure that the long-jump was almost over before the TV feed started.
Stuart Weir was in Oxford – not Székesfehérvár – because Oxford is easier to spell!
