by Stuart WeirThis is piece 2/3 on Copernicus Cup by Stuart Weir, on the women in Toruń.
Views of @copernicuscup, 17 Feb 2021, photo 2 by @stuartweir, @britathletics, #europeanathletics, #theshoeaddicts, #worldindoortour, #worldathletics, #runblogrun, #runningnetwork, @larryeder, pic.twitter.com/oOnEGtMocR
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Women in Toruń
Javianne Oliver, photo by Copernicus Cup
Javianne Oliver has run in four meets in three European countries in the last 12 days. Four prelims, four finals, eight wins. For a second or two she was credited with a world lead 7:07 which was then rounded down to an equal world lead 7:08 – equal with Dina Asher-Smith. What a shame that circumstances prevented them from going head-to-head. The 2018 US indoor champion said afterwards: “I’m very happy with this race, as it was my season’s best. I didn’t feel great physically, but it was all about the mental approach, I had to ignore all the aches. It was my last run of the indoor season, but I will not have much of a break from racing. The US outdoor season is starting pretty soon”.
Chistina Clemons speeds to a 7.81 WL in 60m h! @SheTheMann_ing@copernicuscup, 17 Feb 2021, photo 3 by @stuartweir, @britathletics, #europeanathletics, #theshoeaddicts, #worldindoortour, #worldathletics, #runblogrun, #runningnetwork, @larryeder, pic.twitter.com/7VK9ePPkCr
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Christina Clemons has also competed four times in Europe this month with her only defeat coming in Liévin. Tonight in ToruÅ„, she ran a world lead 7.81 for first place. She commented: “It was a very clean race and I’m very happy with it. I wanted an even faster time, but it’s a world lead, so I’ll take it. Because of the pandemic I hadn’t raced in a year, so together with my coach we decided I should use the indoor season to get race sharp again. A great indoor season leads to a great outdoor”.
Femke Bol (Netherlands) 50.66 PR! @copernicuscup, 17 Feb 2021, photo 3 by @stuartweir, @britathletics, #europeanathletics, #theshoeaddicts, #worldindoortour, #worldathletics, #runblogrun, #runningnetwork, @larryeder, pic.twitter.com/YoDp6YLLeb
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The 400m was run in two parallel races decided on time. Femke Bol, a quarter mile hurdler by trade, was fastest on the boards with a PR of 50.66. She summed up her performance: “This year we’ve been working with my coach on improving my speed, so now I’m faster, but I can still finish strong. Last year I was so impressed by Justyna ÅšwiÄ™ty running 51.3 here, and now I beat her! I still intend to focus on the hurdles this summer, that’s the event I will do at the Olympic Games. I hope to run faster than last year, but it’s the hurdles – you have to get over them”.
Habitam Alemu (Ethiopia) won the 800m in1:58.19, a PR, commenting: “I’m very happy, especially because I have not been able to train well recently because of the weather”.
Lemlem Hailu (Ethiopia) 8:31.34 PR WL, @copernicuscup, 17 Feb 2021, photo by Copernicus
@stuartweir, @britathletics, #europeanathletics, #theshoeaddicts, #worldindoortour, #worldathletics, #runblogrun, #runningnetwork, @larryeder, pic.twitter.com/AHmYAVmsBd— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) February 18, 2021
The women’s 3000m promised much and delivered – but not without a few bumps along the way. The pacemaker was asked to run at beyond world record speed to set up a strong field for an attack on that record. She took the field through 1000m in just under 2:45 but by that stage Genzebe Dibaba, having her first race of the season, had dropped out. As the pace slowed it came down to a race between an Ethiopian and a Kenyan – Lemlem Hailu (Ethiopia) who had won impressively in Liévin and Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya), fresh from her 5K road world record in Monaco. In the end it was Hailu who held on to win in 8:31.24 from Chepkoech (8:31.72).
If there was a happier athlete in the arena than Paraskevi Papahristou (Greece), I did not see her! She knew that her final attempt in the triple jump was good but when she saw that it was a 14.60 PR and a world lead, she started running around the arena. Her official flash quote really did not do her justice: “I’m very happy with this result. My training with coach Pomaski has been going very well recently. I intend to be back here for the European Championships in 2 weeks and repeat this result”.
Women winners
60m Javianne Oliver (USA) 7:08 =WL
60m hurdles Christina Clemons (USA) 7.81 WL
400m Femke Bol (Netherlands) 50.66 PR
800m Habitam Alemu (Ethiopia)1 :58.19 PR
3000m Lemlem Hailu (Ethiopia) 8:31.34 PR WL
Triple Jump Paraskevi Papahristou (Greece) 14.60 PR WL
