Monday, 13 July 2009
15.00m Triple Jump world lead for Savigne in Athens - IAAF World Athletics Tour
Yargelis Savigne sails 15m in Athens (organisers)
relnews
Athens, Greece - Strong performances by Olympic champions LaShawn Merritt, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Gulnara Galkina, and Brimin Kipruto and a world-leading Triple Jump by Yargelis Savigne were the highlights of the Tsiklitiria Grand Prix on Monday evening.
The Tsiklitiria Grand Prix is a Grand Prix status event as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour.
Savigne betters her own world lead
Cuba’s reigning World Champion verified that she was the favorite of the women’s Triple Jump. Having three jumps better than 14.78m Savigne achieved a world leading 15.00m (+1.1m/s) demonstrating an excellent form just a few weeks before the World championships in Berlin, where she’ll be eager to defend her world crown.
Russia’s Anna Pyatykh was well back in second with 14.37m, while Slovak Dana Veldakova was third with 14.34m. Double Olympic champion Francoise Mbango of Cameroun seems far from her best form shape. In her first appearance this year she jumped just 13.54m for seventh place.
Merritt unpressed 44.45
Since his face-off with World champion Jeremy Wariner didn’t materialise with the withdrawal of the latter, Merritt was forced to run against the clock when the rest of the field seemed unable to follow. After the first half, the Olympic champion began accelerating and widening his gap before eventually crossing the line with a smile after a meet record 44.54.
His compatriot David Neville improved his season’s best to 45.14m for second place, finishing the race in front of African record holder Gary Kikaya who clocked 45.29, also a season’s best.
Campbell clocks 10.96, Jelks takes 200m
The reigning World 100m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown proved again her excellent form already shown at the Jamaican Championships. Tonight she managed to defeat American Carmelita Jeter and also improve her season’s best to 10.96, to equal the fourth fastest performance of the year. Jeter clocked 11.02 leaving Bahamas’ Chandra Sturrup third with 11.04.
Both the men’s 100m races produced surprises. In the first heat, where theoretically the less strong athletes participated, two sprinters achieved sub-10 performances albeit with a +2.4 m/s wind. Americans Ivory Williams and Mark Jelks flew to 9.95 and 9.99 respectively.
A few minutes later in the second heat, the favorite Mike Rodgers of the USA had the best time reaction and kept the lead for almost 80 metres, but Norwegian Jaysuma Saidy Ndure and American Travis Padgett were stonger in the waning stages, reeling in the American champion. Padgett took the win in 10.09, while Ndure got the nod for second in 10.10, the same time as Rodgers.
Later, Jelks was the fastest in the men’s 200m where he managed to win with 20.28 (0.0 m/s), smashing his personal best. 2004 Olympic champion Shawn Crawford pressed his compatriot to the most of the race, but slowed later in the race to finish third behind the quick-closing Stephane Buckland who clocked 20.33 to Crawford’s 20.42.
Jamal and Kiprop impress in middle distances
From the very first strides of the women’s 1500m, no one was able to follow Bahrain’s Maryam Jamal. Three days after her world-leading victory in Rome the reigning World champion won clearly in 3:58.72, with Russian Oksana Zbrozhek’s strong finish rewarded with a the runner-up spot in 4:02.40. Six of the runners who followed reached career bests, with Ethiopia’s Kalkedan Gezahegn the fastest among them, taking third in 4:02.98.
Twenty-year-old Kenyan Asbel Kiprop dominated the men’s 800m in 1.43.48, while Sudan’s Ahmad Ismail and Canadian Gary Reed were able to manage the quick pace. Ismail took second in a personal best 1:43.82 and the Canadian the third in 1:43.95 improving his 2009 best and approaching his career’s best.
9:17.86 time trial for Galkina
The warm weather in Athens did not permit a World record in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase, so Olympic Champion Gulnara Galkina went on a solo run instead. Galkina won easily in 9:17.86 followed by two Kenyans, Gladys Kipkempoi and Lydia Rotich who improved their career bests to 9:26.03 and 9:26.51 respectively.
Freshly-minted World youth champion and record holder (2000m S/C) Korahubsh Itaa of Ethiopia followed up her Bressanone performance admirably, finishing fourth in 9:41.25.
Six of the top 10 steeplechasers of the year participated in the men’s race. Brimin Kipruto dominated the men’s race with 8:03.17 after a close competition with Ezekiel Kemboi and Bahrain’s Mubarak Tarek Taher. The Kenyan Olympic Champion took the win in the last 200 metres of the race, leaving his compatriot second with 8:05.14, while Taher got third (8:06.13) in a race which also was slower than initially planned.
Philips continues 400m Hurdles consistency with 48.09
Jamaican Isa Philips was the best in the men’s 400m Hurdles dominating the event with 48.09, while South African L.J van Zyl was second with 48.18. Dominican Felix Sanchez improved his season’s best to 48.78 to get the fourth place, following Danny MacFarlane who clocked 48.53
Over the full lap flat, Novlene Williams–Mills left no margins to any opponent to claim the win of the women’s 400m race. Taking the lead from the gun, the Jamaican champion clocked a season’s best 50.05. The quick race led two athletes to career bests: American Monica Hargrove was second in 50.39 and Guyana’s Aliann Pompey fourth in 50.90, trailing former World champion Amy Mbacke Thiam Thiam (50.72).
American Joel Brown won the 110m Hurdles with a wind-assisted (+2.3 m/s) 13.17, ahead of Bahamian Ryan Brathwaite (13.22) while Beijing Olympic silver medallist David Payne was fourth in 13.37 just behind Eric Mitchum.
Ukhov clears 2.34m, 1.99m Asian record for Aitova
Ivan Ukhov dominated the men’s High Jump with 2.34m, equaling his season’s best. Chech Jaroslav Baba cleared all heights with the first attempt before failing at 2.34 to finish second with 2.31m. Three followed at 2.28m: American Jesse Williams who finished third, Cypriot Kyriakos Ioannou and Artsiom Zaitsau of Belarus.
Kazakhstan’s Marina Aitova won the women’s competition setting an Asian record at 1.99m, breaking the previous mark of 1.97m she shared with three others. American Amy Acuff was second with a season’s best of 1.95m.
Four attempts in total were enough tonight for Svetlana Feofanova to win the Pole Vault (4.68m), ahead of her compatriot Yuliya Golubchikova (4.53m).
Australia’s Fabrice Lapierre won the Long Jump with a final round leap of 8.24m (+0.4m/s) after four fouls. Encouraged by the local crowd, Greek Luis Tsatoumas improved his season’s best performance to 8.21m (-0,1 m/s) to take second. American Brian Johnson was third (8.16m).
Vadims Vasilevkis throws 88.33m
Another 2009 world leader managed to win his event. Vadims Vasilevskis of Latvia dominated the Javelin Throw with an 88.33m throw, his only valid attempt, the last one of the competition. Latvians Ainars Kovals (80.72m) and Eriks Rags(79.98m) were second and third.
As expected, Nadezhda Ostapchuk and Nadine Kleinert had an exiting competition in the Shot Put, which led them to break the meeting record three times. Ostapchuk opened with a 19.41m throw; Kleinert responded immediately with 19.67m. But Ostapchuk took the victory in the last round with a 19.68m throw to win by a mere centimetre.
Michalis Nikitaridis for the IAAF
Click here for results
The Tsiklitiria Grand Prix is a Grand Prix status event as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour.
Savigne betters her own world lead
Cuba’s reigning World Champion verified that she was the favorite of the women’s Triple Jump. Having three jumps better than 14.78m Savigne achieved a world leading 15.00m (+1.1m/s) demonstrating an excellent form just a few weeks before the World championships in Berlin, where she’ll be eager to defend her world crown.
Russia’s Anna Pyatykh was well back in second with 14.37m, while Slovak Dana Veldakova was third with 14.34m. Double Olympic champion Francoise Mbango of Cameroun seems far from her best form shape. In her first appearance this year she jumped just 13.54m for seventh place.
Merritt unpressed 44.45
Since his face-off with World champion Jeremy Wariner didn’t materialise with the withdrawal of the latter, Merritt was forced to run against the clock when the rest of the field seemed unable to follow. After the first half, the Olympic champion began accelerating and widening his gap before eventually crossing the line with a smile after a meet record 44.54.
His compatriot David Neville improved his season’s best to 45.14m for second place, finishing the race in front of African record holder Gary Kikaya who clocked 45.29, also a season’s best.
Campbell clocks 10.96, Jelks takes 200m
The reigning World 100m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown proved again her excellent form already shown at the Jamaican Championships. Tonight she managed to defeat American Carmelita Jeter and also improve her season’s best to 10.96, to equal the fourth fastest performance of the year. Jeter clocked 11.02 leaving Bahamas’ Chandra Sturrup third with 11.04.
Both the men’s 100m races produced surprises. In the first heat, where theoretically the less strong athletes participated, two sprinters achieved sub-10 performances albeit with a +2.4 m/s wind. Americans Ivory Williams and Mark Jelks flew to 9.95 and 9.99 respectively.
A few minutes later in the second heat, the favorite Mike Rodgers of the USA had the best time reaction and kept the lead for almost 80 metres, but Norwegian Jaysuma Saidy Ndure and American Travis Padgett were stonger in the waning stages, reeling in the American champion. Padgett took the win in 10.09, while Ndure got the nod for second in 10.10, the same time as Rodgers.
Later, Jelks was the fastest in the men’s 200m where he managed to win with 20.28 (0.0 m/s), smashing his personal best. 2004 Olympic champion Shawn Crawford pressed his compatriot to the most of the race, but slowed later in the race to finish third behind the quick-closing Stephane Buckland who clocked 20.33 to Crawford’s 20.42.
Jamal and Kiprop impress in middle distances
From the very first strides of the women’s 1500m, no one was able to follow Bahrain’s Maryam Jamal. Three days after her world-leading victory in Rome the reigning World champion won clearly in 3:58.72, with Russian Oksana Zbrozhek’s strong finish rewarded with a the runner-up spot in 4:02.40. Six of the runners who followed reached career bests, with Ethiopia’s Kalkedan Gezahegn the fastest among them, taking third in 4:02.98.
Twenty-year-old Kenyan Asbel Kiprop dominated the men’s 800m in 1.43.48, while Sudan’s Ahmad Ismail and Canadian Gary Reed were able to manage the quick pace. Ismail took second in a personal best 1:43.82 and the Canadian the third in 1:43.95 improving his 2009 best and approaching his career’s best.
9:17.86 time trial for Galkina
The warm weather in Athens did not permit a World record in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase, so Olympic Champion Gulnara Galkina went on a solo run instead. Galkina won easily in 9:17.86 followed by two Kenyans, Gladys Kipkempoi and Lydia Rotich who improved their career bests to 9:26.03 and 9:26.51 respectively.
Freshly-minted World youth champion and record holder (2000m S/C) Korahubsh Itaa of Ethiopia followed up her Bressanone performance admirably, finishing fourth in 9:41.25.
Six of the top 10 steeplechasers of the year participated in the men’s race. Brimin Kipruto dominated the men’s race with 8:03.17 after a close competition with Ezekiel Kemboi and Bahrain’s Mubarak Tarek Taher. The Kenyan Olympic Champion took the win in the last 200 metres of the race, leaving his compatriot second with 8:05.14, while Taher got third (8:06.13) in a race which also was slower than initially planned.
Philips continues 400m Hurdles consistency with 48.09
Jamaican Isa Philips was the best in the men’s 400m Hurdles dominating the event with 48.09, while South African L.J van Zyl was second with 48.18. Dominican Felix Sanchez improved his season’s best to 48.78 to get the fourth place, following Danny MacFarlane who clocked 48.53
Over the full lap flat, Novlene Williams–Mills left no margins to any opponent to claim the win of the women’s 400m race. Taking the lead from the gun, the Jamaican champion clocked a season’s best 50.05. The quick race led two athletes to career bests: American Monica Hargrove was second in 50.39 and Guyana’s Aliann Pompey fourth in 50.90, trailing former World champion Amy Mbacke Thiam Thiam (50.72).
American Joel Brown won the 110m Hurdles with a wind-assisted (+2.3 m/s) 13.17, ahead of Bahamian Ryan Brathwaite (13.22) while Beijing Olympic silver medallist David Payne was fourth in 13.37 just behind Eric Mitchum.
Ukhov clears 2.34m, 1.99m Asian record for Aitova
Ivan Ukhov dominated the men’s High Jump with 2.34m, equaling his season’s best. Chech Jaroslav Baba cleared all heights with the first attempt before failing at 2.34 to finish second with 2.31m. Three followed at 2.28m: American Jesse Williams who finished third, Cypriot Kyriakos Ioannou and Artsiom Zaitsau of Belarus.
Kazakhstan’s Marina Aitova won the women’s competition setting an Asian record at 1.99m, breaking the previous mark of 1.97m she shared with three others. American Amy Acuff was second with a season’s best of 1.95m.
Four attempts in total were enough tonight for Svetlana Feofanova to win the Pole Vault (4.68m), ahead of her compatriot Yuliya Golubchikova (4.53m).
Australia’s Fabrice Lapierre won the Long Jump with a final round leap of 8.24m (+0.4m/s) after four fouls. Encouraged by the local crowd, Greek Luis Tsatoumas improved his season’s best performance to 8.21m (-0,1 m/s) to take second. American Brian Johnson was third (8.16m).
Vadims Vasilevkis throws 88.33m
Another 2009 world leader managed to win his event. Vadims Vasilevskis of Latvia dominated the Javelin Throw with an 88.33m throw, his only valid attempt, the last one of the competition. Latvians Ainars Kovals (80.72m) and Eriks Rags(79.98m) were second and third.
As expected, Nadezhda Ostapchuk and Nadine Kleinert had an exiting competition in the Shot Put, which led them to break the meeting record three times. Ostapchuk opened with a 19.41m throw; Kleinert responded immediately with 19.67m. But Ostapchuk took the victory in the last round with a 19.68m throw to win by a mere centimetre.
Michalis Nikitaridis for the IAAF
Click here for results