Bernard Lagat en route to his fifth Wanamaker Mile victory (© Kirby Lee)
New York City, USA It didn’t take long for Yelena Isinbayeva to etch her place into Millrose Games history at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The Russian set a U.S. all-comers record and meeting record of 4.82m in her North American debut in the women’s Pole Vault to highlight the famed indoor meeting’s 100th running on Friday (02) night.
Millrose veterans Bernard Lagat, Gail Devers and Christian Cantwell also notched world-leading efforts on a night of nostalgia that included a special centennial ceremony of the longest running event at the famous New York arena.
Lagat outdueled Craig Mottram of Australia to win his fifth Wanamaker Mile in 3:54.26. The ageless Devers, now 40, surprised Olympic champion Joanna Hayes to win the 60m Hurdles in a World masters best of 7.86 while Cantwell unleashed a Madison Square Garden record of 21.88m in the Shot Put.
Despite jetlag, Isinbayeva dominates
After passing the first four heights, the defending Olympic and World Champion needed only one jump to win the competition at 4.63m.
American Jenn Stucyzinski, who shared the previous world lead at 4.70, was second with a 4.53m leap, while April Steiner and Fabiana Murer of Brazil were third and fourth, also topping out at 4.53m.
Isinbayeva sailed over 4.73m on her first attempt to break Stacy Dragila’s 2003 meet record of 4.72 before scaling 4.82m on her second attempt. The former World Athlete of the Year then took three attempts at a would-be World indoor record of 4.93m, brushing the crossbar on her way down to leave her standard of 4.91 intact.
Isinbayeva, who arrived in New York on Thursday, said she was inspired by the rhythmic clapping of the crowd of 14,905 but felt fatigued from the change in time zones and felt drowsy as the competition wore on.
“I felt very good today from the beginning, but then I had some fouls and I got a little bit tired,” Isinbayeva said. “Maybe that’s why I didn’t jump a World record today. Now I know what the conditions (at Millrose) are like and so I will be more prepared.”
Isinbayeva was awarded the Fred Schmertz Waterford Crystal Trophy as the meet’s outstanding performer.
Yet again, Lagat victorious in Wanamaker Mile
Lagat won his fifth Wanamaker Mile but it was one of his most difficult after a spirited duel with Mottram over the final lap on the tightly-banked 160-yard oval. The 1.73m tall Lagat, who appeared dwarfed by the 1.90m Mottram, passed the Australian on the backstretch and held off his strong challenge on the homestretch to win in 3:54.26 to 3:54.85, and win Team USA Athlete of the Meet honors.
“He adds another flavor to the race,” Lagat said. “One thing with Mottram, he's not intimidated by anyone. He's not afraid to run in front. He's not afraid who is in the race. He brings that toughness into the race.”
Chris Lukezic was third in 4:01.48 and Alan Webb, who had run a world-leading 3:55.18 in the Reebok Boston Indoor Games six days earlier, was fourth in 4:04.86.
It was the third consecutive Wanamaker win for Lagat, who also win in 2001 and 2003. As he crossed the finish line, Lagat was embraced by “Chairman of the Boards” Eammonn Coghlan, the all-time Wanamaker Mile winner with seven titles.
Coghlan said earlier in the week that Lagat, who has used prize money from his first 2003 Wanamaker win to start the Bernard Lagat Foundation to pay tuition to 10 students at two high schools in his native Kenya, as the greatest threat to break his record.
“He’s got everything, stamina and the passion to go with it,” Coghlan said. “I think Bernard is probably one of only the milers on the scene since John Walker who appreciates the Wanamaker Mile. He won’t be happy until he gets seven or eight of them.”
Devers not ready for retirement
Devers’ victory in the Women’s 60m Hurdles, 19 months after giving birth to her daughter Karsen, was one of the most heartwarming performances of the evening.
She took a victory lap, cradling her daughter in her arms and signed autographs just minutes after pulling away from Joanna Hayes for a 7.86 to 7.91 victory over the 2004 Olympic champion.
It was Devers’ fourth Millrose hurdles victory, 15 years after her first in 1992. She still holds the meet record of 7.76 from 2004.
“At 40, I don’t care how old I am,” said Devers, who finished fourth at Millrose in her only race of 2006. “My goal is to win the race. If it doesn’t happen, it wasn’t meant to be. But it’s going to be that I gave every effort. And pull every muscle to get my body across the finish line.”
Devers has juggled motherhood while serving as a coach and agent for Danielle Carruthers, who placed third in 7.94. Devers said Carruthers inspired her to “jump into” Friday’s race.
“When Danielle came to me and said I want what you have, longevity in the sport, I was very honoured,” Devers said. “She is too much like me, she wants everything yesterday and has to learn it’s a matter of time and an equation that we’re putting together.”
For Devers, there is no timetable. Her plans on Friday night were to return to the hotel to have a tea party and practice ballet with her daughter.
“I have no clues and no plan or one race,” Devers said. “If the phone rings, if the money is right I’ll be there.”
Garden record for Cantwell
After finishing second at the Boston Indoor Games last weekend, won by Dan Taylor with his world-leading 21.57m effort, Cantwell responded with a Madison Square Games record 21.88m in the four-throw competition held at the center of the infield amid blaring music.
Cantwell knocked off two-time defending champion Reese Hoffa, who placed second with a 21.75m throw, also beyond his venue record of 21.65m set in 2006. Taylor was third at 21.12m.
“It’s really tough every time you have to be at your best,” Cantwell said. “If you are off a little bit, you can go from first one weekend to third by a mile .That’s the nature of our event.”
Dibaba Follows WR with powerful performance
Dibaba, who set a World 5,000m record* of 14.27.42 in Boston last Saturday, won the 3,000 in 8:46.58. The Ethiopian was shadowed by American Sara Hall for much of the race before Dibaba powered away over the final three laps. She seemed unfazed after the finish line was temporarily placed on the track a lap too soon.
Dibaba was given a rousing applause by an Ethiopian following and paraded down the homestretch with an Ethiopian flag. Dibaba said that both the tight track and fatigue from her World record effort affected her time on Friday.
“This is my first time running here and I can see the track is pretty tough,” Dibaba said. “It’s hard to run a week later after running a World record.’’
Walker over Hooker in men’s Pole Vault
Brad Walker out-dueled Australian Steve Hooker in a match-up of the past two season’s topped pole vaulters. Walker cleared 5.80 on his first attempt to best Hooker, who cleared on his second. Jeff Hartwig was third at 5.70m.
For the past two weeks, Hooker, who beat Walker in Boston, has been jumping with poles borrowed from Hartwig after the Aussie’s were lost en route to the U.S. from Perth.
Crawford cruises after Greene missteps
Shawn Crawford won the 60m in 6.56 after World record holder Maurice Greene fell to the track after a “misstep” early in the race. In the women’s 60m, Angela Daigle-Bowen beat Marshevet Hooker, 7.25 to 7.32, for her second Millrose victory in three years.
In the men’s 60m Hurdles, Aries Merritt was a winner over Joel Brown, 7.61 to 7.69. Other winners included Bershawn Jackson in the 600m (1:11.48); Sheridan Kirk (1:53.01) in the 800m, Amy Acuff in the High Jump (1.89m); Christen Wurth-Thomas (2:06.97) in the women’s 800m; and Tim Seaman (5:51.18) and Loretta Schuellein (6:52.12) in the men’s and women’s Mile Race Walk.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF
