World Athletics Final - Day One

There were half a dozen Olympic champions, happy to add to their already considerable kudos and bank balances with victory on Day One of the World Athletics Final in the Stade Louis II in Monaco. But it was a crushing victory by Asafa Powell in the 100 metres that reminded us that if one athlete can reflect on an opportunity wasted in Athens, it is the young Jamaican.

Powell won in 9.98 on Saturday afternoon, his ninth time under 10 seconds with another victory dead that time this year. It is an extraordinary series for a season, and given the absence of Olympic champion, Justin Gatlin from all the post-Olympic events thus far – he intends to race in Japan next week – Powell, currently IAAF World Ranked number one, may well end up being championed as such but it will be little consolation after Athens.

6.01 for Mack

On the ‘plus’ side of the divide, Tim Mack topped off the first half of the weekend’s competition, with an exuberant performance in the Pole Vault. Under the watchful eye of the ‘master’ Sergey Bubka, Mack added six centimetres to his best, and became the 12th man over six metres, when he cleared 6.01 metres. The third of his attempts at 6.06 metres went close, but that will be for the future.

Unstoppable Slesarenko

As will 2.10 metres for Yelena Slesarenko. The Russian has been unstoppable since she took Olympic gold. After she won the contest here with 2.01 metres, she attempted a new World record of 2.10 metres, as she had done in Athens and Brussels Golden League. It is going to come eventually, but the Russian admitted that she is tired now, and needs a rest. “I really wanted to break the World record,” she said, “but the season has been too long, with too many competitions. I’m a very emotional jumper, and emotions can bring you ten centimetres above your level in big events. I was jumping 1.97m in training before the Olympics”. True to her formula, she won with 2.06 metres in Athens.

Holmes trounces Tomashova 

It was a similar story with Kelly Holmes, who kept closer in contention in the 1500 metres to the Russian race leaders yesterday, than she had in Berlin last week, when she was beaten by Olympic silver medallist, Tatyana Tomashova. This time, Holmes was ready for the Russian’s finishing spurt at the head of the straight. The Briton responded by streaking past Tomashova faster than she’d done in Athens, winning in 4:04.55, with Tomashova on 4:05.18 and Yelena Zadoroshnaya, also of Russia, third in 4:05.71.

Holmes characterised this victory in contrast to her defeat in Berlin, as, “having a goal. It gives me a totally different mindset. I had to re-focus after Berlin, but I had an objective in this race, to top the rankings. I really psyched myself up today. I’ve always finished in the top three, but it’s the first time I’ve topped the World Rankings”. Having won one of her Olympic title distances, Homes said she would decide Sunday morning whether to turn out for the second one, the 800 metres.

Olsson 17.66m win; possible High Jump double in 2006

It’s always nice to have a home victory, to satisfy the crowd, and although Christian Olsson owes his first allegiance to Sweden, living in Monaco might well have given him that little bit of extra élan, to soar out to 17.66 metres, for a meeting record, and yet another victory in the Triple Jump.

Coincidentally, his only loss this season was in front of his ‘other’ home crowd in Stockholm. Olsson is going to take an unusual step in an attempt to maintain his enthusiasm. A 2.28 metres high jumper, he intends to add that event to the triple for the European Championships, in his real home town of Goteborg, in 2006.

Pat Butcher for the IAAF

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Event by Event reporting team in Monaco: Laura Arcoleo, Bob Ramsak, Chris Turner and Sean Wallace-Jones.

Daily Competition Wrap: Pat Butcher

Statistics: Ottavio Castellini and Celine Bianchi

Results: Emanuele Perotti-Nigra, Raffaella Risso, Miroslav Tudan

IAAF