Athletes at the Asian Grand Prix meet in Singapore today, as expected had to compete in challenging heat and humidity. However, persistent overcast conditions eliminated the usual overbearing mid-afternoon sun, allowing for an onslaught on all-comers records (ACR) and make this the highest quality single-day track and field meet in Singapore history.

Seven such records fell in 16 events contested – in some cases more than one athlete bettered the old mark - and there were a number of other close calls. Three of the old records had stood nearly 18 years, since July of 1987.

Fast 400s

The first track final of the day saw the two fastest women’s 400m Hurdles ever run on Singapore soil. Natalya Alimzhanova of Kazakhstan, winner of the Asian Grand Prix first leg, started off quickly but faded over the final barriers as Yao Yuehua won in a Singapore ACR of 56.04, obliterating the old standard of 56.48 by P.T. Usha in 2000.

Tatyana Roslanova dominated the flat 400 as her 51.89 timing put her more than a full second ahead of the runner-up, S. Geeta of India. Roslanova’s time was a major improvement on the former ACR of 52.17 by Foy Williams in 1998.

The men’s 400 metres turned into a stirring homestretch duel between Sri Lankans Prasanna Amarasekara and Kumar Rohan Pradeep, with the former prevailing 46.09 to 46.19.

The longest men’s race, the 800 metres, saw Chi Yinan of China going through the 400m in 53.3 seconds with the rest of the field just behind. While Chi faded to sixth, Sadjad Moradi of Iran ran his second lap at just about the same pace as his first, which was the right strategy to give him the win in an all-comers record of 1:47.11.

By contrast the women’s 1500 meters was more unevenly paced with Svetlana Lukasheva of Kazakhstan blazing a sub-65 second first lap, before settling down to 71 seconds for her second round. She held the inside lane through the third lap (another 71) with Tatyana Borisova of Kyrgyzstan on her shoulder and three Indians, led by Sunita Rani, trailing behind. Borisova made a strong move on the final lap and stopped the electronic timer in 4:15.26, just a stride or so off the Singaporean hand-timed best of 4:14.9.

There was little doubt that Wu Youjia of China would win the 110m Hurdles if he did not strike any barriers hard as he was coming off a 13.55 personal best in Indonesia on Saturday. He did not disappoint as his 13.74 gave him a victory margin of more than half a second over the rest of the field.

The men’s 100 metres was the closest track contest of the day as Anil Kumar edged John Herman Muray, 10.51 to 10.52, but the women’s event was a runaway as Lyubov Perepelova got off to a quick start and won easily in 11.57.

Hometown Heroine

No winner was more popular than Zhang Guirong in the women’s shot-put. The former Chinese citizen was the favorite, coming off a victory in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix 2005, and had set the Singapore national record of 18.37 in the same Choa Chu Kang stadium last September.

She could not quite reach that standard, but was the only woman to surpass 17 metres, throwing 17.88, a good early season performance for her. “I think there is still much work to do,” said Zhang. “I must improve for future competitions like the South-east Asia Games in November.”

Chinese national record

In the men’s Shot Put, there was both an upset and Singapore all-comer’s and Chinese national record. Zhang Qi of China tossed 19.78 metres to tie the 15-year-old national record set by Ma Yongfeng in June 1990 - Zhang was just 6 years old then! The distance yesterday was more than a metre further than Indians Navpreet Singh and Ranvijay Singh who both had better seeded marks than Zhang.

The men’s Javelin Throw almost produced a unique record double by China’s Li Rongxiang. His 74.31m went more than two metres beyond the ACR of 72.22m and came near the furthest javelin throw ever in Singapore, a 75.44 with the old model.

Maha Singh of India missed the Singapore ACR in the men’s Long Jump by the smallest possible margin, one centimetre, reaching 7.99m. Lerma Elmira Gabito led the women’s Long-jumpers at 6.52m.

The High Jumps were won by Jean Claude Rabbath of Lebanon (2.16) and Yao Yuehua of China (1.89).

The Asian Grand Prix 2005 concludes on Friday in Bangkok, Thailand. Seven athletes are still in contention to sweep the three meet series: Sadjad Moradi (men’s 800m), Wu Youjia (men’s 110m Hurdles), Maha Singh (men’s Long Jump), Li Rongixang (men’s Javelin), Tatyana Roslanova (women’s 400m), Tatyana Borisova (women’s 1500m) and Zhang Guirong (women’s Shot Put).

(* = Singapore All-Comers Record)

Men
100m:
1. Anil Kumar (Ind) 10.51, 2. John Herman Muray (Ina) 10.52, 3. Piyush Kumar (Ind) 10.63;
400m:
1. Prasanna Amarasekara (Sri) 46.09, 2. Kumar Rohan Pradeep (Sri) 46.19, 3. Bhupinder Singh (Sri) 47.83;
800m:
1. Sadjad Moradi (Iri) 1:47.11*, 2. Ehsan Mohajershojaei (Iri) 1:47.59, 3. Al Azemi Mohd Mutlak (Kuw) 1:47.93;
110m Hurdles:
1. Wu Youjia (Chn) 13.74*, 2. Suphan Wongsriphuck (Tha) 14.29, 3. Mohan Krishnan (Ind) 14.37;
High Jump:
1. Jean Claude Rabbath (Lib) 2.16, 2. Chokchai Jirasukkrujee (Tha) 2.16, 3. Masrahi Omar (Ksa) 2.13;
Long Jump:
1. Maha Singh (Ind) 7.99; 2. Song Jian (Chn) 7.83, 3. Henry Dagmil (Phi) 7.75;
Shot Put:
1. Zhang Qi (Chn) 19.78*, 2. Navpreet Singh (Ind) 18.73, 3. Ranvijay Singh (Ind) 18.08;
Javelin:
1. Li Rongxiang (Chn) 74.31*, 2. Kumar Bishnoi Jagdish (Ind) 73.07, 3. Park Jae Myong (Kor) 72.16.

Women
100m:
1. Lyubov Perepelova Lyubov (Uzb) 11.57, 2. Guzel Khubbieva (Uzb) 11.82, Poonam Tomar (Ind) 11.83;
400 m:
1. Tatyana Roslanova (Kaz) 51.89*, 2. S. Geeta (Ind) 52.91, 3. Asami Tanno (Jpn) 53.23;
1500 m:
1. Tatyana Borisova (Kgz) 4:15.26, 2. Svetlana Lukasheva (Kaz) 4:15.78, 3. Sunita Rani (Ind) 4:16.72;
400m Hurdles:
1. Yao Yuehua (Chn) 56.04*, 2. Natalya Alimzhanova (Kaz) 56.47, 3. Makiko Yoshida (Jpn) 56.67;
High Jump:
1. Jiang Haiyan (Chn) 1.89, 2. Ruthai Chaipech Noeng (Tha) 1.86, 3. Anna Ustinova (Kaz) 1.86;
Long Jump:
1. Lerma Elmira Gabito (Phi) 6.52, 2. Anastasiya Juravieva (Uzb) 6.46, 3. Marristella Torres (Phi) 6.45;
Shot Put:
1. Zhang Guirong (Sin) 17.88, 2. Lee Mi Yong (Kor) 16.98, 3. Du Xianhui (Sin) 16.92
Discus:
1. Harwant Kaur (Ind) 62.89*, 2. Song Aimin (Chn) 62.16, 3. Krishna Punia (Ind) 58.01.