Monte-Carlo, Monaco – An evening of three world season leads topped by a marvellous run by USA’s Lashinda Demus provided a crowd of approaching 15,000 spectators in Monaco’s Stade Louis II with one of the best competitions in the Herculis meeting’s distinguished history.

The Herculis Monaco 2009 is a Super Grand Prix status meeting as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2009.

World leads for Demus and Van Zyl

Lashinda Demus demolished a high class 400m Hurdles field in London on Saturday (25), which included the Olympic champion Melaine Walker, in a world lead of 53.65sec. Tonight Demus obliterated a similar elite line-up with a breathtaking solo run which brought her victory in 52.63sec, a meeting record and the fourth fastest in the world all-time.

Walker was second again (54.20) in a season’s best but with all due respect to the Jamaican, she was not in the 26-year-old American’s class today. In fact she was barely in the same race such was the dominance of the former World Junior champion from the USA who has not shown much of her undoubted talent on the world stage since her silver medal at the World Championships of 2005. Roll on four years and Demus is every bit the champion in waiting.

“I have worked so hard and it’s finally paying fruits…. I didn’t start as fast as I normally do… I still think there is room for improvement,” confirmed Demus.

The men’s 400m Hurdles couldn’t have been more different as with his typical late charge down the home straight South Africa’s LJ Van Zyl took the race at the tape in 47.94sec, to nip the glory from USA’s 2005 World champion Bershawn Jackson (47.98). Van Zyl’s time was a personal best and a world season lead, and just as fast as he had finished the race so the reigning World champion Kerron Clement (USA) slowed in the last 50 metres ending up a disappointing sixth (48.92).

It was a class affair overall which brought a season’s best for Jamaica’s Danny McFarlane in third (48.13), and a national record for Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson (48.29) in fourth. Reigning Olympic champion Angelo Taylor did not start having injured himself earlier today.

Area record for McLellan

There was no world lead in the women’s sprint hurdles but an Australian and Oceania record of 12.50sec for Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan was enough of a highlight in itself. Well away from the gun as usual the Australian had a distinct lead by half way and held on to this advantage through the line. She likes Monaco as it was on this track that she set her previous Area record last year (12.53).

Canada’s Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep was second (12.54) and USA’s world season leader Lolo Jones (12.61) was third. Two-time World champion Michelle Perry had an accident in warm-up and couldn’t take part in the race.

If McLellan, on the back of her win tonight and last weekend in London, can find a little more speed she has every chance of the World title in Berlin as there is no doubting this 22-year-old is a gutsy campaigner.

“This must be my lucky track, I’ve set another national record. It’s pretty amazing, the conditions are perfect, the crowd is even bigger than last year,” said the winner.

Robles does ‘something good’

That Olympic 110m Hurdles champion Dayron Robles doesn’t make the top of this report despite running a meeting record of 13.06sec, says everything about the quality of the other races over the barriers this evening and is no criticism of what was another brilliant run by the Cuban. Never troubled, Robles held the lead from early on and wasn’t challenged winning just 2/100ths off his current world season lead which he ran in Ostrava in mid-June. A distant second was taken by Joel Brown (13.34).

“Before today I hadn’t done anything good (this season) because of various muscular problems, today it was something good,” commented Robles.

Vlasic edges Friedrich but it couldn’t have been much closer

The Berlin High Jump dress rehearsal was a tight battle as expected and left World champion Blanka Vlasic gaining revenge following her defeat to Germany’s European Indoor champion Ariane Freidrich at the opening of the AF Golden League on 14 June, when the latter set her 2.06m national record. Tonight they were level pegging right up to 2.01 which they both cleared on their second attempt. But at the next height - 2.03m - it was Vlasic who was super cool taking it on her second approach, while Freidrich had it only on her third.

However, considering moments before that a poor bit of event coordination and observation from an infield judge nearly saw the German moan down by a phalanx of fast moving track runners, you have to give Friedrich applause to have regained her concentration enough to clear that bar at all.

But with both failing at 2.05, the victory was the Croatians who now will make her final preparations to defend her World title with that confidence boost.

“Now I’m happy with the way I feel,” said Vlasic, “You know a few centimetres can depend on so many small things.”

Friedrich was also upbeat, “I really enjoyed jumping tonight, great atmosphere.”

Vessy surprises Savinova with a world lead

Mariya Savinova, the European Indoor champion, was repelling attacks all the way down the final back straight of the 800m but when USA’s Maggie Vessey offered her challenge coming off the bend into the last 100 metres the Russian had met not just her peer but someone with the power to defeat her. The American who had a personal best of 2:00.04 coming into tonight’s race was very much the surprise of the entire evening, slashing her fastest down to 1:57.84. The winner of slow races in Eugene (2:00.18) and Rome (2:00.13) this season she was only fourth in the US champs.

Savinova was second 1:58.39, with Britain’s Jenny Meadows third in a PB (1:58.63), the only other athlete under 1:59. Her compatriot Jemma Simpson also produced a PB in fourth 1:59.07.

“I can’t believe it, this is amazing,” said Vessey. “I raced with a determination I have never had before.”

Kaki holds off Borza’s charge

At the bell and for most of the next 200 metres of the men’s 800m it was Britain’s Michael Rimmer who held a massive lead but suddenly the gaskets blew and the field which included World Junior champion and record holder Abubaker Kaki, 2007 World silver medallist Gary Reed, and 2004 Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy swallowed him up on the last bend.

In the run into the finish Kaki led the way and showing his strength held off a characteristic late charge from Borzakovskiy. The Russian miss-times as many of these last ditch efforts as he succeeds and on this occasion the straight was about 5 metres too short for him. Kaki crossed in 1:43.50, with Borzakovskiy second in 1:43.58.

It is worth mentioning that the race saw PBs for USA’s Nick Symmonds (3rd, 1:43.83) and Pole Marcin Lewandowski (4th 1:43.84).

Baala’s back

Mehdi Baala said after winning the 1500m title at the French championships at the weekend, his first race of the season, in 3:45.92, that while selected for Berlin that he wouldn’t go unless he was at least in 3:36 shape. Tonight the double European champion took a fast race by the scruff of the neck with 200m to go to prove that he is very much back to full fitness and form with a 3:30.96 triumph.

Baala was grimacing as he powered towards the line to such an extent you would have believed he might have burst with the effort being expended but the Frenchman’s facial expression was exactly that, just confined to his visage, as his legs were strong enough not just to hold off but to draw personal bests out of seven of his eleven pursuers. Algeria’s Anter Zerguelaine was second (3:21.21) and Morocco’s Abdelaati Iguider was third 3:31.47.

Verdict – Baala’s obviously going to Berlin and in this form, if he can cope with the extra strength needed for the rounds of a championship, he might even have a chance to challenge his best ever career showing, bronze in 2003.

Lavillenie beats Osaka medallists

The home crowd applauded an always more likely French victory in the men’s Pole vault as Renaud Lavillenie scaled 5.88m on his second attempt. Below him split on 5.80m on countback were USA's 2007 World champion Brad Walker (2nd), silver medallist Roman Mesnil (FRA), and Ukraine’s Maksym Mazuryk. Walker, who took second place by virtue of his first time clearance at that height, moved his campaign directly to 5.95, failed that twice, then went on to 6.02 for his final attempt and retired injured. Lavillenie after clearing 5.88, had three attempts at 6.02m but none were really close.

Fraser dominant; McKenzie-Ferguson flies again

Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser took a gun to tape win in the women’s dash, running an identical time of 10.91sec to her last outing in Rome on 10 July, with negligible wind last time and nil in Monaco. With a season’s best of 10.88 back in June, Fraser is rounding back into top shape in time for Berlin. In her wake this evening was reigning World champion Veronica Campbell-Brown in 11.03, with these Jamaicans split by the resurgent Debbie McKenzie-Ferguson, second in 10.98. The 33-year-old from the Bahamas hasn’t run this fast over 100m since 2003, and she is already the quickest in the world over 200m this year (22.32).

Savigne and Spotakova supreme

The women’s Triple Jump was taken comfortably by the outstanding favourite for the World title, Cuba’s reigning champion Yargelis Savigne whose 14.89m (-0.7m/s) in the second round was far ahead of her rivals. Compatriot Mabel Gay was second (14.41) with Russia’s World Long Jump champion Tatyana Lebedeva, who is set to double again in Berlin, third (14.39). 2005 World champion Trecia Smith (JAM) didn’t register a mark.

Another good bet for Berlin gold, World and Olympic champion Czech Barbora Spotakova won the women’s Javelin Throw with ease – 65.37m. European champion Steffi Nerius was next best (62.33).

Kipsiro impressive; watch out for Tahri in Berlin

Uganda’s World 5000m bronze medallist Moses Kipsiro was unchallenged in a fast men’s 3000m winning with a devastating sprint in a PB of 7:30.95 ahead of Kenyans Silas Kipruto (7:32.52) and Sammy Mutahi (7:33.04), each also career fastest clockings.

Aside the winning performance, of more importance with Berlin on the horizon was the PB of French Steeplechase specialist Bob Tahri who ran 7:33.18 for fourth. His previous fastest for the flat 3000m had been 7:42 outdoors (2005) and 7:38 indoors (2007), and it is clear that the European record holder for the 3000m Steeplechase, 8:02.19 on 26 July, is ready to improve further at his specialist distance when it comes to next month’s World championships.

Jamal more than holds off Burka

In their last meeting together in the wet in Lausanne (7 Jul) Ethiopia’s Gelete Burka beat World champion Maryam Jamal over 1500m - 4:00.67 to 4:01.99. Tonight the Bahraini had her nose in front - behind the last pace maker - entering the final 400m, and held on to pole despite a determined attack from Burka. The World champion was the strongest and in the last 100m pulled away from her opponent winning in 3:58.83 to Burka’s 3:59.56. There was a PB for Morocco’s Mariem Selsouli in third (4:00.95).

The men’s 3000m Steeplechase was taken by the pre-race favourite Mubarak Taher of Bahrain in 8:07.24, with PBs for the next three runners. Kenya’s Mike Kipyego (8:08.48) was second and South Africa’s Ruben Ramolefi’s 8:11.63 was a national record. And there was nearly another from Finland’s European champion Jukka Keskisalo in fourth, whose 8:12.93 PB was just shy of the national record of Tapio Kantanen - 8:12.60 – which was set 33 years ago to the day in Montreal.

Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt won a low key 400m untroubled in 44.73sec, while the men’s 100m was taken in a blanket finish by Olympic finalist Churandy Martina of Netherlands’ Antilles in 10.07sec from USA’s Darvis Patton (10.08) and American compatriot Monzavous Edwards (10.12).

When was the last time that the men’s 100m dash virtually ended an IAAF meeting report?! This says it all about an exceptionally high quality meeting that even a close run dash couldn’t make it higher up the page.

The men’s Long Jump was taken by South Africa’s Olympic silver medallist Godfrey Mokoena with 8.28m.

Chris Turner for the IAAF

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