by Larry EderMonte Carlo was the last, last major track and field event before Beijing and with three world leads, five European leads, this meet was amazing! Yelena Isinbayeva is on form with her twenty third world pole vault record today!
EME NEWS (JULY 29, 2008)
ISINBAYEVA GETS 23rd WORLD RECORD, 3 WORLD LEADS, 5 EUROPEAN LEADS
MONTE CARLO (MON): This years edition of Herculis Meeting (third after break in 2003-5 due to World Athletics Final) was the last IAAF GP fixture before Olympic Games and a very fine one. In total one world record (third in the history of the meet), three other world leads, five European leads and three meeting records made for one of the best this years fixtures on the circuit. Great summer weather is also one factor which is lacking in other European places.
Russian Yelena Isinbayeva improved in third attempt at 22.15 hrs the Pole Vault world record by 1 cm to 504 cm. After official measurement of Swiss Timing Sports Service it was 504.1 cm. It is her this years second world record (after 503 in Rome) and in total her 23rd global mark. She achieved the mark in her 9th jump of the evening, last time in Rome the record came in 6th jump. She jumped all pre-heights in second (471, 483 and 493) and the record in third. At 471 she was not leading as her teammate Yulia Golubchikova cleared that height in first try. She ended second ahead of Monika Pyrek who also cleared 471. Another women technical world lead by Portugal´s world indoor champion Naide Gomes in Long Jump in second attempt 712 (+1.3), also a national record. The third world lead of the evening came in men´s 1500 m with 3:31.49 by Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen who is not going to Beijing. London mile winner Shedrack Korir was second (3:31.94). Expected world lead at women´s 400 m hurdles as the top four could well end in the same order in Olympic final. Jamaican champion Melaine Walker clocked first time sub 54 with 53.48 ahead of US duo Tiffany Ross-Williams (53.54) and Sheena Tosta (53.58), for both season bests. World medalist Anna Jesien of Poland clocked European lead 54.30.
One could count as world lead also the huge improvement by Ethiopian Yimer Ayalew at 3000 m 8:35.50 (she had before 8:58.81), but it is true that Meseret Defar´s split in Stockholm´s 5000 m race was better 8:34.53. Spain´s Dolores Checa improved as second to 8:37.78 what is a European lead. Great European wins and leads at men´s 800 m and 400 m. Reigning Olympic winner Yuriy Borzakovskiy showed his great finish and achieved the second fastest of the year 1:42.79. He was only once faster in his career with 1:42.47 in 2001 at Van Damme Memorial. Yusuf Saad Kamel as milimetres-second clocked the same 1:42.79 what is Asian record. Third Mbulaeni Mulaudzi got 1:43.26 and fourth world medalist Gary Reed Canadian record 1:43.68. Great PR´s for Europeans – Michael Rimmer of Great Britain (1:44.68 as 6th) and Rob Lathouwers of Netherlands (1:44.75 as 7th and qualified for Beijing). Briton Martyn Rooney again improved after London to 44.72 European lead ahead of Jamaican Ricardo Chambers (44.90) and French Leslie Djhone who as second European this year dipped sub 45 (44.95). The last European lead at men´s 400 m Hurdles as world medalist Marek Plawgo of Poland got 48.69, but he was not the winner. 36 years old Jamaican Olympic medalist from Athens Danny McFarlane improved his season best to 48.39. But not only him, it was a Jamaican evening in sprints. Former world record holder Asafa Powell again improved his season best to excellent meet record 9.82 in wind-less conditions. It is second fastest ever with 0.0 wind, he himself clocked last year in final in Rieti with 0.0 9.78. US Beijing-bound Darvis Patton was second and achieved his second sub 10 ever 9.98. ISTAF winner Nesta Carter as third clocked 10.02 ahead of Osaka medalist Derrick Atkins of Bahamas who registered his legal fastest of the year 10.02. Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson dominated the women´s 100 m over US rivals with 10.94 and 10.95 (-0.7).
Excellent also the third fastest of the year 12.49 (+0.1) at 100 m Hurdles by Brigitte Foster-Hylton (her second fastest ever) ahead of Sally McLellan who again improved the Oceanian record to 12.53.
In terms of meet records also to note the 17.42 (+0.5) of Grenada´s Randy Lewis in triple jump. It was a sensational last round with top 5 marks achieved there. Second world champion Nelson Evora got his season best 17.24, third Slovak record holder Dmitrij Valukevic 17.20, French world junior champion Teddy Tamgho improved the national junior record to 17.19 and Bahamian Leevan Sands got 17.09.
Meet record holder and world leader in high jump Andrey Silnov dominated because as only one cleared 233 in second and then tried at Russian record 241. Sweden´s Linus Thornblad and Russian Andrey Tereshin got 231 at next places. Important for Tereshin because of his Olympic selection. World champion Donald Thomas tied for 6th (224).
In other events US trials winner David Oliver clocked 13.11 (-0.8) to win the 110 m Hurdles followed by his two countrymates Anwar Moore (13.19) and Jason Richardson (13.23). Czech Petr Svoboda confirmed his European number one status with 13.33 and beat European champion Stanislav Olijars who improved his season best to 13.36. Kenyan Joseph Ebuya won the 3000 m in PB of 7:34.62 and Briton Mo Farah as best European clocked season best 7:39.55 (8th). Fine European steeple win (not very usual) for French European U23 Champion from last year and this years national champion Mahiedine Mekhissi-Bennabad with solid 8:17.22. The top Kenyans were not allowed to come. Russian Natalya Pantelyeva clocked her season best to win the 1500 m in 4:02.56. She is not going to Beijing as she was 6th at nationals. In final 4×100 m relays mixed team (US hurdler Candice Davis and sprinters Melisa Barber and Bianca Knight with Bahamian Debbie Ferguson) won the women race in 42.33 ahead of US second tier (Angela Williams, Mechelle Lewis, Shalonda Solomon, LaShauntea Moore) 42.49. In men´s race Germany was leading after better hand-overs than US, but in the last 5 metres Travis Padgett leaned better than German Martin Keller and US won in 38.41 (with Dixon, Martin, Patton) ahead of Germany (with Unger, Helmke, Kosenkow) and their 38.48 is the season best and fourth fastest country of the year behind USA, Trinidad and Great Britain.
OTHER NEWS
ATHENS (GRE): The reigning olympic 400 m hurdles winner Greek Fani Halkia will travel to Beijing. The National Athletics Federation decided yesterday. There was a discussion between her (57.24 season best) and the rival Hristina Hantzi-Neag with season best 56.66 and wins at National and Balkan Championships.
MONTE CARLO (MON): Cuban 110m hurdles world record holder Dayron Robles had to pull out from London and Monaco Grand Prix where he was originally entered, to go back to Cuba because of a visa problem. He thus won’t compete again before the Olympics. 1500m and 5000m world champion Bernard Lagat also decided to withdraw from Monaco after his third place in the mile in London and go back to his training base in Tübingen instead, L’Equipe informs.
RABAT (MAR): 800 m runner Amina Ai”t Hammou (2:00.33 in 2008) has been withdrawn from the Moroccan team to Beijing and been suspended for one year after missing three drug tests. Her sister Sultana has apparently also been suspended for the same reason, but didn’t qualify for the Games, Le Matin informs.
PARIS (FRA): Hurdler Adrianna Lamalle (12.83 in 2008) will be out of action for a very long time after sustaining cruciate ligament rupture to her right knee during warm-up at the French championships last week-end. She already had surgery to her other knee in 2003.
DAKAR (SEN): The daily Le Soleil reports that 2001 400m world champion Amy Mbacké Thiam who was recently running on the circuit as rabbit pulled out from the Olympics, unable to get back to shape following a 9 month competition break. She was suspended after badmouthing the Senegalese federation at the Osaka World Championships and has not been able to run faster than 53.48 since returning to competition mid-July.
CHULA VISTA (USA, July 28): Olympic trials fourth place discus thrower Becky Breisch achieved here a solid 63.14 m win.
OLYMPIC TEAMS
SPAIN: In total 54 athletes were selected, 32 men and 22 women. The biggest
medal hopes are the walker Francisco Fernandez, discus thrower Mario Pestano
and hurdler Josephine Onyia. As last qualified Natalia Rodriguez who clocked
in Monte Carlo the Olympic qualifier 4:03.68
The team
Men: 100 m, 200 m: Angel David Rodriguez, 800 m: Manuel Olmedo, Miguel Quesada, Antonio Reina, 1500 m: Arturo Casado, Reyes Estévez, Juan Carlos Higuero, 5000 m: Jesús Espan~a, Alberto GarcÃa, Alemayehu Bezabeh, 10 000 m:
Juan Carlos de la Ossa, Carles Castillejo, Ayad Landassem, marathon: Julio Rey, José RÃos, Chema MartÃnez, 110mH: Jackson Quin~ónez, 3000mSC: Eliseo MartÃn, José Luis Blanco, Rubén Palomeque, HJ: Javier Bermejo, LJ: Luis Felipe Meliz, SP: Manuel MartÃnez, DT: Mario Pestano, Frank Casan~as, dec:
David Gómez, 20 km w: Francisco Fernández, Juan Manuel Molina, BenjamÃn
Sánchez, 50 km w: Mikel Odriozola, Jesús A. GarcÃa, Santi Pérez
Women: 1500 m: Iris Fuentes-Pila, Natalia Rodriguez, 5000 m: Dolores Checa,
10 000 m: Isabel Checa, marathon: Alessandra Aguilar, Yesenia Centeno,
MarÃa J.Pueyo, 100mH: Josephine Onyia, 400mH: Laia Forcadell, 3000 SC: Marta
DomÃnguez, Rosa Morató, Zulema Fuentes-Pila, HJ: Ruth Beitia, LJ: Concepcion
Montaner, PV: Naroa Agirre, TJ: Carlota Castrejana, SP: Irache Quintanal,
JT: Mercedes Chilla, HT: Berta Castells, 20 km w: MarÃa Vasco, Beatriz
Pascual, MarÃa José Poves
Used with permission of Alfons Juck, publisher of EME News.
