Saladino lands in the pit in Rio (© Wander Roberto de Oliveira/CBAt)
Panama’s Irving Saladino, the 2006 world leader in the Long Jump, launched his 2007 season with the furthest leap of the year, 8.53m (-0.2 m/s wind), to capture the victory at the “Grande Prêmio Rio Caixa de Atletismo”, held in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday 13 May.
The meeting was one of a series of four Brazilian meets – three Area Permit meetings and one IAAF Grand Prix – at which points can be acquired by athletes for qualification to the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final.
Competing at the track of the “Estádio Célio de Barros”, Saladino, the 2006 CAC Games champion and silver medallist of the 2006 World Indoor Championships, was making his first outdoor appearance of 2007, and didn’t disappoint. Rio was the meet where the 24-year-old had recorded the best jump in the world in 2006 (8.56m), and this time the result wasn’t that far from that South American record.
“Giving the fact that I couldn’t compete last week in Uberlândia due to a muscular problem, this is a great result that I wasn’t expecting. I was missing the competitive edge, so I figure there is still some room for improvement”, said Saladino.
His series of jumps was: 8.17/0.3, 7.52/-0.5, pass, 8.20/-1.6, pass, and 8.53/-0.2.
Americans Bashir Ramzy and Trevell Quinley were second and third with 7.81m for both.
Costa extends good form
In a dramatic competition, tragically marked by the serious injury of 2007 world leader Akiba McKinney (USA), Brazilian Keila Costa, Saladino’s girlfriend, took the women’s Long Jump with 6.67m (0.0).
A week after 3 windy triple-jumps over 15.10m last week in Uberlândia, Costa long jumped to 6.67 in her fifth attempt to capture the event.
McKinney, who had jumped 6.82m on 15 April at the Mount SAC meet in Walnut, California, had recorded 6.60/1.6 in her second round, but in her last attempt (6.43m), she broke her fibula and had to have surgery on Sunday night (13 May) at the hospital “São Vicente da Gávea”.
Brazilian Maurren Maggi, the South American record holder, also had problems and didn’t compete in Rio, since she came back from the Qatar GP with a muscular problem.
Cubans dominate throws
After winning during the week at the ALBA Games in Venezuela, Cubans Yania Ferrales and Yipsi Moreno came back to Brazil to capture the Discus and the Hammer Throws in Rio.
Both recorded inferior marks, compared to their victories in Uberlândia and Caracas, but the value of the victories was still important.
Ferrales took the Discus with 61.15m over compatriot Yarelis Barrios (60.54m) and Brazilian Elisângela Adriano (sb of 59.30m), while former two-time World champion Moreno recorded 68.97m for the Hammer, and left her teammates Arasay Thondike (65.49m) and Yunaika Crawford (64.84m) behind.
Nyamu, de Lima and Lopes shine on the track
At the 100m, Brazilian Vicente de Lima proved to be the fastest, by taking the victory in a season’s best of 10.18 (wind 1.4). The 29 year-old Lima, Olympic and World medalist with his 4x100m national team, beat Jamaican Nesta Carter (10.20) and South African Leigh Julius (pb of 10.25). Another Jamaican, Ricardo Williams, won in the ‘B’ race with 10.27 (1.6 wind).
Kenya’s Julius Nyamu took the victory at the 3000m Steeplechase with a clocking of 8:29.07. Nyamu, who has a PB of 8:07.59 (’01), beat Moroccan Abdelghani Aït Bahmad (8:34.28) and Australian Youcef Abdi (8:35.43).
Priscilla Lopes won in the 100mH with a fine time of 12.82 (0.9 wind). The Canadian, who has a 12.60 pb (’06), scored while second at the NCAA Championships, beat Americans Dawn Harper (sb of 13.02) and Sheena Johnson (13.26).
The other winners of the day were…
Men: 400m: Rodrigo Bargas (BRA) 46.60; 110mh (1.3): Anselmo Gomes da Silva (BRA) 13.79; TJ: Leonardo dos Santos (BRA) 16.75m/-0.9 (pb).
Women: 100m (0.9): Laverne Jones (ISV) 11.46; 800m: Josiane Tito (BRA) 2:03.20; PV: Martina Strutz (GER) 4.20.
The series of Brazilian meets will continue in Fortaleza (16 May) with a South American GP event, and in Belém (20 May), with the 23rd edition of the “Grande Prêmio Brasil de Atletismo, a Grand Prix status meet on the IAAF World Athletics Tour.
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
