Donald Thomas of Bahamas celebrates clearing 2.35m (© Miguel Ángel Rivero)
Salamanca, SpainBahamas’ Donald Thomas highlighted at the ‘35th Gran Premio Diputación de Salamanca’ - EAA meeting - held yesterday (4 July) by clearing a PB of 2.35m in the men’s High Jump which is also a new world season best performance.
The competition developed on a sunny but quite a windy afternoon of athletics.
Salamanca being known for the three World records set here in the last two decades by Britain’s Jonathan Edwards (Triple Jump) back in 1995 and Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor (High Jump) in 1988 and 1993 – the latter being the current World record at 2.45, the Bahamian was asked at the pre-event press conference about the pressure of competing on such a track. Thomas answered an adamant “not at all, I’ll take advantage of it to break my PB instead”…and he did it.
A former basketball player Thomas, who turned 23 just four day before the event, had first time clearances at 2.19 and 2.23 but failed once over 2.25 before succeeding at the second try. The young Bahamian was successful on his first attempt over 2.31 but needed three efforts to establish the new seasonal best of 2.35.
Dressed in the white Auburn University T-shirt the talented Thomas declined to keep on trying new heights. He was completely unchallenged since runner-up Adam Shunk of the U.S had to settle for a 2.23 clearance.
World leader…but still an absolute beginner for the event!
Thomas is a complete newcomer to the elite having cleared 2.30 for the first time last January indoors. Yesterday’s result provided ample evidence that Thomas could well be one of the standout athletes in the men’s High Jump over the following years since his improvements have been huge taking into account that he only took up athletics early in 2006 when he had a brilliant debut by getting over 2.22.
With hardly three months of practice he finished fourth at the Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne last March 2006. Pundits gathered in Salamanca – and even Thomas’ event-mates - agreed the 23-year-old is a raw talent whose technique is very far from ideal suggesting there is room for improvement in the coming seasons.
“I’m not surprised at all by my result today. I knew perfectly that kind of height was well-inside my capabilities as I only fouled a 2.39 attempt earlier this season on my way down. I’m aware of my great potential for the High Jump and it’s only a matter of time to reach higher marks,” confessed an extremely happy Thomas after his first ever appearance on European soil.
When asked “why didn’t you try 2.38 for instance today? He replied, “2.35 was OK for this outing and I’ll be competing next Tuesday at the IAAF World Athletics Tour meeting in Lausanne so I preferred to save some energy”.
8.21 PB for Starzak
Poland’s Marcin Starzak produced an impressive win in the men’s Long Jump thanks to a massive PB of 8.21m into a valid tailwind of 1.4. It was the only occasion – fourth round – that Starzak surpassed the 8m barrier.
The 21-year-old Polish bettered his previous best of 8.09 set at the European Cup on the Spanish soil of Malaga one year ago. Yesterday Starzak managed to defeat a quality line-up including the Britain pair of Nathan Morgan, runner-up with a 8.05 leap (+2.8) and Jonathan Moore, who came third in 8.04, also wind-assisted.
Another European athlete who exceeded expectations was France’s Elodie Guegan. The 21-year-old 800m specialist was the only runner who dared to chase the pacemaker. She went through halfway in 59.20 while the pre-race favourite and local hero Maite Martínez ran well-behind in her first competitive 800m outing this season.
Once the rabbit dropped out the French – a fifth placer at the 2004 World Juniors in Grosseto - did not falter and managed to keep a ‘coming from behind’ Martínez to romp home unopposed in a PB of 2:00.51 for the Spaniard’s 2:01.79.
Double sprint success for Laverne Jones – Collins injured
Laverne Jones of the Virgin Islands posted a National record of 22.52 supported by a slight wind of 0.7m/s in the women’s 200m ahead of Cuba’s Roxanna Diaz, second in 22.68. Jones also dominated the 100m event despite a false start by clocking 11.23 (+2.4) ahead of Cuba’s Virgen Benavides, 11.29.
The men’s event witnessed a PB for Dabrian Blanton of the USA who lowered his time to 10.12 in a nearly perfect tailwind of 1.8. The winner was closely chased to the tape by fellow American Jay Johnson, runner-up in 10.14 while Britain’s Dwayne Grant and Australia’s Matt Shirvington also battled fiercely for third the former prevailing, 10.26 and 10.28 their respective times.
Former (2003) World 100m champion Kim Collins of Saint Kitts and Nevis fell injured at the 60m point and crossed the finish line jogging in 11.10.
Jay Johnson took revenge for his 100m defeat by taking the 200m in a wind-assisted 20.30 narrowly ahead of fellow American Christian Brendan (20.31) while Zimbabwe’s Talkmore Nyongani clinched the victory in the men’s 400m with a 45.81 clocking some 0.17 seconds ahead of Ato Modibo of Trinidad & Tobago.
Elsewhere…
America’s Jonathan Johnson grabbed a thrilling win in the men’s 800m marginally (1:45.84 vs 1:45.94) ahead of Kenya’s Leonard Kibet. It’s worth mentioning the performance of Spain’s reigning European 1500m indoor champion Juan Carlos Higuero who finished sixth in 1:46.88 barely four days after a 13:32.69 PB effort at 5000 in Gavá (Spain).
Remarkably Higuero beat countrymen Miguel Quesada – European indoor silver medallist – and National record holder Antonio Reina.
Brazil’s Anselmo Gomes Da Silva notched the win in the 110m Hurdles with a 13.52 clocking to his credit. Argentinean German Lauro took the Shot Put with a 19.37 heave while in the women’s infield Russia’s Tatiana Polnova was successful in the Pole Vault thanks to a 4.60 clearance and Cuba’s Yariadna Martinez got the better of Spain’s reigning European indoor champion Carlota Castrejana in the Triple Jump (14.27 for 14.18 by the Spaniard).
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
