Christine Wurth-Thomas running the 1000m in Dubnica, Slovakia (© c)
A 5500 capacity crowd saw a very succesfull 7th Athletics Bridge - EA Classic - meeting on sunny Sunday in Slovakia.
US Berlin 1500m 5th placer Christine Wurth-Thomas tried hard in the 1000m and her 2:34.23 was an excellent world lead 2009.
The meet climaxed with an excellent 100m Hurdles duel in which Olympic winner Dawn Harper won for the third time in a row here with new stadium record 12.57sec (-0.2), one of ten such records this year. World silver medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep clocked a very solid 12.67 as second.
Another top mark was produced by US champion Mike Rodgers who beat Jamaican Steve Mullings (10.13) in a 100m stadium record of 10.12 (+0.4). Mullings later posted a stadium record in the men’s 200m with an easy 20.59 (-0.1) over European junior record holder Ramil Guliyev (20.88).
In the 3000m Steeplechase World champion Ezekiel Kemboi in largely solo race posted another stadium record 8:22.11 beating Collins Kosgei in 8:23.87.
Czech World finalist at 110 m hurdles Petr Svoboda won with his fastest post Berlin time of 13.39 sec against -1.2 wind. Second was legend Allen Johnson who posted the fastest ever for a 38-year-old athletes, 13.43.
Kenyan junior Nickson Chepseba registered a good 1000m win in 2:18.61.
Jamaican champion Isa Phillips delivered a new stadium record at 400m Hurdles with 49.10 sec over Felix Sanchez who achieved 49.35. Former meet record holder Markino Buckley was disqualified for a false start.
In women sprint duels Jamaican Aleen Bailey won the 100m in 11.36 sec (+1.3) over Laverne Jones-Ferrette the US Virgin Islands record holder in 11.43 but in the 200m the order was reversed. Jones-Ferrette achieved a stadium record of 22.91sec (+0.2) and Bailey was second (23.05).
In the infield there was revenge for Poland’s Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski who beat World champion Christian Cantwell with a fifth round effort 21.43m. Cantwell the world season leader was leading until then with 21.18. Dan Taylor in third put 20.98.
In Hammer throws Primoz Kozmus confirmed his dominance with a 78.01m win over Krisztian Pars (76.92), while home hero Martina Hrasnova was the clear women’s winner with the only 70m + mark (72.40).
In an emotional farewell former World record holder Stacy Dragila won the Pole Vault with a stadium record of 4.47m and at the end of the meet was celebrated an honorary lap in a veteran car and said: "It is really over. I think I understand something about Pole Vaulting and can give it back now as a coach. And also want to start a family."
Ukraine had a victory in the High Jump from Dmytro Demyanyuk, 2.24m, while Czech Olympic finalist Roman Novotny leaped to stadium record of 7.65m in the Long Jump.
Alfons Juck for the IAAF