Maggi and Chambers the standouts in São Paulo

Brazilian Maurren Higa Maggi, the 2008 Olympic Long Jump champion, produced the best result of the “Grande Prêmio Internacional Caixa São Paulo”, an Area Permit Meeting that is part of the 2011 Brazilian Athletics Tour. Maggi leaped to 6.89m (wind -0.2 m/s) on Sunday (22) at the Parque Ibirapuera track.

After being defeated last weekend in Belém by American Brianna Glenn and fellow Brazilian Keila Costa, the 34-year-old Maggi bounced back with a brilliant competition, which the Paulista dominated from her first jump. Maggi produced an impressive series: 6.84m (1.1); 6.84m (0.0); 6.89m; pass; 6.84m (1.8); before ending with a foul. Her 6.89m is a seasonal best, and the second best of the 2011 World Lists.

Maggi, in a very emotional moment, interrupted the press conference she was giving to hug Dr Moisés Cohen, the orthopedist who performed surgery on her right knee. The jumper started to cry in the doctor’s shoulder.

“I wouldn’t be here, if it wasn’t for him”, Maggi said, wiping tears from her face. “I owe him a lot, for a well done surgery that gave me back the chance of competing again. I’m back, and I feel I will stay there for a while. The 2012 Olympic Games are a bit far yet, but my goal is to win the Pan-American Games for a third time. If all goes well, I will continue competing further.”

American Janay DeLoach was second with an outdoor PB of 6.76m (1.8), while Keila Costa was third with a SB of 6.67m (0.4), and Brianna Glenn was fourth with 6.65m (0.3).

Fast sprints

The stadium of “Parque Ibirapuera” was inaugurating a newly surfaced track, and that fact helped the shorter distances.

Great Britain’s Dwain Chambers, the 2010 World Indoor champion, continued his 2011 progression in São Paulo by winning the 100m with a 10.01 season’s best (wind 2.0), beating Jamaican Dexter Lee (10.06) and Brazilian Nilson André (10.18 PB).

“The track is great, of the highest level,” Chambers said. “Sadly I wasn’t quite ready for competing at my best.”

The women’s 100m also displayed high quality performances. Nigerian Damola Osayomi won in 10.99 (a PB), becoming the fourth woman to run below 11 seconds in 2011 (American Carmelita Jeter is the world leader with 10.86). Aided by a 1.8 m/s breeze and by the 725m elevation of São Paulo, the race was fast not just for the 24-year-old Osayomi. American Alexandria Anderson was second with a PB of 11.01, and fellow American Mikele Barber was third with a SB of 11.14, her best performance since 2007.

South American records in women's Triple Jump and 5000m

Twenty-seven year-old Colombian Caterine Ibargüen captured the victory in the women’s Triple Jump, setting (twice) a new South American record, extending it to 14.59m. Ibargüen jumped 14.08m (0.4); 14.58m (1.1) AR; 14.59m (0.4) AR, before passing her last three attempts. The Colombian bettered the previous mark of 14.57m that belonged to Brazilian Keila Costa (also set at Ibirapuera) since 9 June 2007. Cuban Dailenis Alcántara was second with 14.21m (2.7) and Russian Yekaterina Koneva was third with 14.15m (-0.3).

Ibargüen’s previous best and national record was 14.50m, set in Bogotá on 7 May at the 2011 National Championships, where she also jumped a wind-aided 14.63m (2.2).

Also, at the small meet held on Friday 20 May, that reopened São Paulo’s main track, Brazilian Simone Alves da Silva bettered the 5000m South American record with a 15:18.85 performance. The previous mark of 15:22.01 belonged to fellow Brazilian Carmen de Oliveira since 31 July 1993.

On that same evening, the best South American distance runner, Marílson dos Santos, competed at 10,000m and produced a fine victory with 28:09.24. Coming from setting the South American Marathon record in London on 17 April (2:06:34), Marílson reached the qualifying mark for competing at the 2011 Pan-American Games. “I will surely run the 10,000m there, and perhaps the 5000m as well,” commented the 33-year-old dos Santos.

50.93 for Rosemarie Whyte

Going back to the Sunday’s Area Permit Meeting, 24-year-old Jamaican Rosemarie Whyte set a SB by capturing the victory at 400m with 50.93, the fifth fastest performance of 2011. Colombian Norma González, former World junior and youth championships medallist, was second with a PB 51.58, ahead of Brazilian Jaílma de Lima, who also set a PB with 51.66.

Victories in the rest of the events went to -

Men:

400m: Kléberson Davide (BRA) 46.60; 1500m: Aman Wote (ETH) 3:39.11; High Jump: Trevor Berry (BAH) 2.27m; Pole Vault: Lázaro Borges (CUB) 5.60m; Hammer throw: Kibwe Johnson (USA) 75.97m; Javelin throw: Dayron Márquez (COL) 76.73m; 4x100m: Brazil 38.77; 4x400m: Brazil 3:06.64.

Women:

Hammer throw: Yipsi Moreno (CUB) 71.93m; 4x100m: Brazil 43.21; 4x400m: Brazil 3:30.59.

Johnson and Moreno shine in Uberlândia

At the third stage of the 2011 Brazilian Athletics Tour, held on Wednesday 18 May in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Hammer throwers Kibwe Johnson (USA) and Yipsi Moreno (CUB) produced the best performances of the “Grande Prêmio Internacional Caixa/Sesi de Atletismo”.

Johnson reached 80.09m on his fifth attempt (x, 73.89m, x, 76.50m, 80.09m, 76.03m), setting a PB, and becoming the fourth American to break the 80m frontier. The performance places Johnson third in the 2011 WL.

Moreno, the two-time World champion, continued her return after maternity leave with a 72.89m performance (she has thrown 73.77m in March in Havana), beating Argentinean Jennifer Dahlgren (the South American record holder), who threw 70.57m.

Victories in the rest of the events in Uberlândia went to –

Men:

100m (-0.7): Dwain Chambers (GBR) 10.13; 400m: Ânderson Henriques (BRA) 46.91; 3000m St: Bernard Mbugua (KEN) 8:37.26; Triple Jump: Osniel Tosca (CUB) 16.66m/-1.5; 4x100m: Brazil 39.45; 4x400m: Brazil: 3:10.43.

Women:

100m (0.8): Damola Osayomi (NGR) 11.32; 400m: Rosemarie Whyte (JAM) 51.47; 100m hurdles (-1.0): Brigitt Merlano (COL) 13.13; 3000m St: Almaz Ayana (ETH) 9:49.42; High Jump: Ana Simic (CRO) 1.88m; Javelin throw: Laila Ferrer Silva (BRA) 57.25m; 4x100m: Brazil 43.87; 4x400m: Brazil 3:30.87.

The 2011 Brazilian Athletics Tour will end in Rio de Janeiro, on 26 May with the “27º Grande Prêmio Brasil Caixa de Atletismo”, an IAAF World Challenge meeting.

Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF

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