Campbell-Brown, Cantwell, and Samuels triumph in Osaka - IAAF World Challenge

As expected, double Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM), World Shot Put champion Christian Cantwell (USA) and World Discus Throw gold medallist Dani Samuels (AUS) won at the Osaka Grand Prix – IAAF World Challenge - which was held on Saturday 8 May in Nagai stadium, the venue of 2007 World Championships.

Campbell-Brown focusing on 100m best
 
Campbell-Brown easily won the featured event, the women’s 100m.  Although the Japanese national record holder, Chisato Fukushima had the better start and stayed with Campbell-Brown in the first half of the race, the Jamaican pulled away convincingly in the second half to win with 11.02, ahead of Fukushima, who finished with 11.27, 0.06 second short of her national record.

“It is always good to win. I am happy to be back to Osaka (where she won the 100m in 2007 Worlds). Today, I did not execute everything well, but this is my first 100m of the season. My goal for the season is to set a personal best at 100m,” said Campbell-Brown.

Fukushima, double national record holder, said, “There aren’t too many opportunities to run with someone of the calibre of Campbell-Brown. If I could have stayed with her a little longer, I could have run a much faster time. But it was nice to see that I started faster than her. My goal for the season is to win the Asian Games.”

Cantwell - not happy

Cantwell convincingly won the Shot Put with a 21.34m heave, more than 1.5m ahead of second placed Zhang Jun of China, but 27cm short of John Godina’s meet record.

“I am not happy about my performance today even though there was good weather and a good crowd. I promise I will perform better next time,” said Cantwell after the competition.

Meet record for Samuels

Dani Samuel came from behind in the 6th round to win the women’s Discus Throw with a 63.75m release, thus breaking the meet record. It was also the second longest throw of her season. The showdown between the World champion and Olympic champion never materialized, as the latter, USA’s Stephanie Brown-Trafton was fourth with 56.65m.

“I am happy to win this competition with the last throw of 63.75m. However, I did throw poor at the beginning and had two fouls in the competition,” said Samuels.

Other events:

Stuart Farquhar of New Zealand won the men’s Javelin Throw with 82.41m, more than a metre ahead of Ilya Korotkov, who threw 81.16m. The World Championships bronze medalist Yukifumi Murakami was a disappointing fifth with 77.66m. 

Dilshod Nazarov won the Hammer Throw competition which is part of the IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge with his sixth throw of 78.84m, while Yuri Shayuhau was second with 77.95m. Japan’s hero Koji Murofushi threw 77.86m in his sixth throw, but it was only good for third.

“I feel excited because this is my first competition in a while. Some of them were technically good throws. I think 77m throw at this stage of the season is quite good,” said Murofushi.

Virginia Powell-Crawford won the women’s 100m Hurdles with 12.76sec into the wind, 0.12 second ahead of Teteana Dektyareva, who recorded 12.88. Perdita Felicien, who was second on this track in 2007, was third with 13.03, while the young and upcoming Japanese hurdler Asuka Terada was fourth in 13.13.

“So far this season, I have no luck with the wind (in my races), but it was good to run faster than I did in Oda. I want to crack 13 seconds this season,” said 20-years-old Terada.

The men’s high hurdles was won by China’s Shi Dongpeng with a 13.42 sec run, also into the wind, which brought him home 0.03 seconds ahead of Jeff Porter. It was the first outdoors hurdle race of the season for Shi and a season's best for Porter. Third place Tasuku Tanonaka also recorded a season’s best of 13.73. 

The new false start rule, saw two athletes disqualified in the meeting.  Derrick Williams false started in men’s 400m Hurdles, an event won by Mahau Sugimachi with 49.19sec. Sugimachi, who represented Brazil in Olympics and World Championships, ran with 12 steps between the hurdles in the first half of the race. Emmanuel Callender was the other athlete disqualified, this time in the men’s 200m. The race was won by Michael Rodgers with 20.55. He came into the homestraight in first place and was never threatened. Jared Connaughton of Canada was second (20.61) and Shinji Takahira, the best Japanese, was third with 20.78.

“Because I recorded a personal best last year in this race, I was hoping to record another one this year. I don’t want to make excuses, but because of an injury, I am bit behind on training,” said Tahahira.

Women’s Pole Vault came down to a jump-off between Melinda Owen and Jilian Schwartz.  Both cleared 4.20m and 4.30m in their first attempt, before clearing 4.40m on their second attempt. Because both passed 4.45m and then missed thrice at 4.50m, a jump-off was needed. Owen cleared her overall personal best (recorded indoor) tying 4.45m to win the competition. It was also meet record tying performance.

Jamaica’s Michael Frater won the 100m in 10.24 sec, 0.1 second ahead of Travis Padgett. The race to determine the fastest Japanese was won by Naoki Tsukahara with 10.36, 0.02 seconds ahead of Masashi Eriguchi, defending national champion. Their rivalry will resume at the national championships in a month.

Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
With assistance from Akihiro Onishi in Osaka

Weather:  temperature: 24C; humidity 49%; wind EastNorthEast 1.3m/s

RESULTS

MEN

100m  0.0m/s
Michael Frater (JAM) 10.24
Travis Padgett (USA)  10.34
Naoki Tsukahara (JPN) 10.36
Masashi Eriguchi (JPN)  10.38

200m  0.0m/s
Michael Rodgers (USA)  20.55
Jared Connaughton (CAN) 20.61
Shinji Tahahira (JPN) 20.78

800m
Masato Yokota (JPN) 1:47.23
James Gurr (AUS) 1:48.65

1500m
Caleb Ndiku Mwangang (KEN) 3:39.33
James Kaan (AUS) 3:40.80
Yuichiro Ueno (JPN) 3:40.83

110mH    -0.4m/s
Shi Dongpeng (CHN) 13.42
Jeff Porter (USA) 13.45
Tasuku Tanonaka (JPN) 13.73
Moses Yume (JPN)  13.78
Masato Naito (JPN) 13.79

400mH
Mahau Sugimachi 49.19
Stanislav Melnikov (UKR) 49.34
Takayuki Koike (JPN) 49.42

LJ
Su Xiongfeng (CHN)  8.11m (0.1m/s)  PR
Chris Neffke (AUS)  7.92m (0.3m/s)
Brian Johnson (USA)  7.84m (0.0m/s)

SP
Christian Cantwell (USA) 21.34
Zhang Jun (CHN) 19.81m
Dan Taylor (USA) 18.99

HT
Dilshod Nazarov (TJK) 78.84m
Yuri Shayunou (BLR) 77.95m
Koji Murofushi (JPN) 77.86m

JT
Stuart Farquhar (NZL) 82.41m
Ilya Korotkov (RUS) 81.16m
Karlis Alainis (LAT)  79.32m
Roman Avramenko (UKR) 79.01m
Yukifumi Murakami (JPN) 77.66m

4x400mR
 JPN  3:04.49
AUS  3:09.28

WOMEN

100m  -0.1m/s
Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM) 11.02
Chisato Fukushima (JPN) 11.27
Melissa Breen (AUS) 11.47

400m
Joanne Cuddihy (IRL) 52.15
Clora Williams (JAM) 52.93
Chen Jingwen (CHN) 53.69

5000m
Ann Karindi (KEN)  15:15.19
Eloise Wellings (AUS) 15:16.87
Kayoko Fukushi (JPN)15:17.86
Obare Doricah (KEN) 15:26.07
Yuriko Kobayashi (JPN) 15:31.72

100mH -0.2m/s
Virginia Powell-Crawford (USA) 12.76
Teteana Dektyareva (RUS) 12.88
Perdita Felicien (CAN) 13.03
Asuka Terada  (JPN) 13.13

400mH
Lauren Boden (AUS) 55.25
Nicole Leach (USA) 55.52
Miyabi Tago (JPN) 55.99 PR

PV
Melinda Owen (USA)  4.45m 
Jillian Schwartz (ISR) 4.40m
Alana Boyd (AUS) 4.40m
Amanda Bisk (AUS) 4.30m

DT
Dani Samuels (AUS) 63.75m
Becky Breisch (USA) 62.40m
Zinaida Sendriute (LTU) 58.22m
Stephanie Brown Trafton (USA) 56.65