Sanya Richards rediscovers her best form to take a convincing 400m victory in Oslo (© Getty Images)
Sanya Richards put on the senior performance of tonight’s ExxonMobil Bislett Games in Oslo, the second leg of the six meeting ÅF Golden League 2009, with a World Junior record for Kenya’s William Biwott in the men’s Mile 3:49.29 an appropriate statistical headline in what is usually Oslo’s traditional finale event.
The ExxonMobil Dream Mile wasn’t the concluding event this evening as nature intervened to unravel the meeting’s schedule. Norway’s brilliant summer weather of the last fortnight came to a crashing end as torrential rain and a spectacular thunderstorm at the start of the main international programme caused the meeting to be delayed by some 45 minutes. The storm was of such ferocity that it caused the collapse of the trackside clock display and a number of the other infield scoreboards.
The women’s Steeplechase was postponed to the end of the meeting to allow the programme to catch-up as much time as possible so it could stick to the international TV broadcasting schedules. As such, World Junior record holder Ruth Bisibori, the pre-race favourite, with a 9:18.65 season’s best found herself the unexpected final victor of this year’s meeting.
Six stay in the hunt for ÅF Golden League $1 Million Jackpot
By the end of the meeting six athletes had made it through to the third meeting of the ÅF Golden League 2009 (Rome 10 July), as contenders for the $1 Million Jackpot. Click here for list of contenders
Richards stamps her authority
Similar to the bolt of lightning that momentarily lit up the sky above the stadium a few minutes before the re-start of competition Sanya Richards flashed around Bislett’s bowl. The Olympic bronze medallist was in a class of her own, with World and Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu a sluggish looking also-ran in their head to head over 400m. The race marked a substantial improvement of the American’s world season lead to 49.23sec from the 49.57 she had run at the opening of the ÅF Golden League season in Berlin on 14 June, and the quickest time by anybody since Richards set her American record of 48.70 at the 2006 World Cup. It also brought their head to head tally of races to nine to one in favour of Richards.
In second place came Jamaica’s Olympic silver medallist Shericka Williams who will be delighted with her season’s best of 49.98 as aside from her 49.69 PB in the Olympic final this was her only career time below 50sec.
Ohuruogu was back in sixth in 51.19 looking anything but a global champion. However, we have said similar at this point in the summer in the last two seasons and who ended up with the golds!
In third came African titleholder Amantle Montsho of Botswana in her season’s best of 50.71.
“I did not expect the world lead after the storm. We were worried in the warm-up what will happen… when would we be running,” said Richards about the storm.
“I thought the track might have felt wet, that it might have been slower but it felt fine. I didn’t even think about it, I just wanted to execute a good race.”
“It’s a pity I only equalled the meet record.”
Of the eight ÅF Golden League Jackpot contenders who began tonight’s meeting, Richards was one of the six athletes to win through.
It was due to have been nine Jackpot starters but Richards’ Jackpot counterpart over in the men’s 400m Chris Brown of the Bahamas pulled out of the meet injured late yesterday. In his absence, Trinidad’s Renny Quow was the winner of the men’s one lap in 45.18sec.
A dream for Mekonnen and Biwott
The Dream Mile suddenly got interesting when World Indoor champion Deresse Mekonnen made a neat passing move to take the lead about 10 metres before the bell was reached.
With Mekonnen ahead, pre-race favourite Augustine Choge put up a strong battle which saw him go head to head with 19-year-old William Biwott for the minor positions. Surprisingly it was the 2006 Commonwealth champion who was to fade the more in the home straight, with the Kenyan youngster who finished third over 1500m in Berlin in 3:32.34 (6th on World Jnr all-time list) crossing in second place in a World Junior record** of 3:49.29. The previous World mark was held by another Kenyan Alex Kipchirchir (3:50.25 Rieti 07/09/2003).
Choge was third in 3:50.22, a personal best. I had set his previous career mark also on this track, 5th last year in 3:50.30.
But up ahead Mekonnen was celebrating. The Ethiopian’s 3:48.95 victory was an improvement of his national record which he set here last year when coming third (3:49.72).
“I’m the first Ethiopian to win the Dream Mile and so this is very special,” said the winner.
“They were telling me before the race if you run under 3:50 you will get the World Junior record and so I was aware of it,” said second placed Biwott. “Of course I’m very proud to achieve it especially because I started running only in the last three years.”
Bekele stays in control… just
Kenenisa Bekele’s last appearance in Bislett was in 2006 when he was comprehensively out-sprinted in the home straight of the 5000m by Kenyan Isaac Songok, and as another Kenyan James Kwalia approached his shoulder with 200m remaining of tonight’s 5000m we wondered if the Ethiopian maestro might again be defeated.
But no, Bekele the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion and World record holder, who has not been in top shape since a calf injury sustained last November in a road race in the Netherlands, still obviously holds a psychological hold over his opponents. And as soon as Kwalia attacked it seemed that the Qatari started to doubt his move, and Bekele looking back over his shoulder was able to pull away again to win in 13:04.87 from Kwalia’s 13:05.46.
Stewart under 11 sec
Double Beijing medallist Kerron Stewart was unchallenged in the women’s 100m. From way before the midway point the 25-year-old Jamaican was in control and sauntered to an easy 10.99 (+0.1) win, her fifth sub-11 of the season. Kelly Ann Baptiste was her nearest rival and finished in 11.14, just heading Chandra Sturrup 11.15.
Pitkämäki makes it three in a row over Thorkildsen
Norway’s double Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen and Tero Pitkämäki the World champion from Finland have built up a consistent rhythm when it comes to their Javelin Throw contests in Bislett. Thorkildsen was the winner in 2008 and 2006, with Pitkämäki getting the better in 2007 and 2005, and continuing this every other year trend the Finn won again this evening with a 84.63m win to the Norwegian’s 83.15. The pair were split by another Finn Teemu Wirkkala, 5th in Beijing, who threw 83.54m.
Pitkämäki, the Olympic bronze medallist who had a generally inconsistent year in 2008, had an extremely solid series of throws (83.67; 83.64; 80.26, 84.00, 84.63, x) to continue in the Jackpot, and now holds a 25 to 19 career advantage over his rival.
Cherry, Isinbayeva win; Faulk falters, Bailey just headed
The women’s sprint hurdles was another of the Jackpot events and Demu Cherry made good her second win of the series with a 12.68 season’s best although pushed towards the line by Jamaican Brigitte Foster-Hylton (12.75, also an SB) with Canada’s Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes Schliep, third (12.78).
Dexter Faulk the winner of the men’s Hurdles in Berlin was not in contention tonight finishing his Jackpot quest abruptly in sixth (13.80sec). Upfront fellow American compatriot Anton Hicks held off Britain’s Andrew Turner 13.41 to 13.44.
Moments before the women’s Pole Vault, which had been the only ÅF Golden League Jackpot event on going when the storm had hit Bislett, was uneventfully completed with Yelena Isinbayeva beating Monika Pyrek on 4.71m, the Russian World record holder having cleared that on her second attempt to the Pole’s third time success. A literally damp competition ended limply with three lacklustre tries at 4.81 by the World record holder.
Daniel Bailey was a very unlucky $1 Million aspirant only just losing the 100m dash on the line to Asafa Powell both credited with 10.07 sec (-0.3). Powell was well adrift with 60m gone and only a huge effort by the World bronze medallist saved his race and at the same time ended Bailey’s Jackpot progression.
Vlasic 2 metres again!
World champion Blanka Vlasic performed consistently as ever with her 75th career 2 metres competition. The Croatian made it at the first approach to the bar, after only one competition failure at the previous height of 1.98. Vlasic made three attempts at 2.05m with only the second jump near to success.
US champion Chaunte Howard equalled her season’s best of 1.98m for second, with Spain’s Ruth Beita third in 1.95m.
Defar’s sprint too strong for challengers
World records in the women's 5000m were clearly on nobody’s mind tonight, as by 2000m the leaders were already more than six seconds adrift of the required schedule.
The race was a tactical affair with the much vaunted pre-event protagonists Meseret Defar and Meselech Melkamu exchanging the lead every now and then at the head of a large posse.
Large is the word, as when the bell sounded there were still ten women in serious contention. At 250 to go Defar went into the lead and was not slightly challenged from that point on with the strength of her surge silencing all. Her winning time was 14:36.38.
In the run into the line Melkamu was passed some 50 metres before the tape by Vivian Cheruiyot, the Kenyan taking runners-up spot in 14:37.01 ahead of the Ethiopian 14:37.50.
Fall for Kaki but vintage Borzakovskiy
With less than 100 metres gone of the men’s 800m drama unfolded in a seemingly most unusual fashion as despite still being in their separate starting lanes World Indoor champion Abubaker Kaki appeared to trip over, hitting the track hard. It was later confirmed by his coach that he had sustained a hamstring cramp and that had led to him falling to the deck.
It was a sad end for the Sudanese who had thrilled the audience here last year with his World Junior record of 1:42.69 which ended up as the fastest time in the world of 2008. Thankfully after lying motionless on the track for most of the race with a medical team in attendance, the 20-year-old got to his feet and aided, walked off.
The race itself ended in a classic last straight charge by Russia's Yuriy Borzakovskiy which took him past Saudi Mohammed Al-Salhi (1:44.96), in a European lead of 1:44.42.
Carolina Klüft retired in the fourth round of the women's Long Jump with no mark, a competition won with a modest 6.36m by local girl Margreth Renstrom.
Highlights of pre-international programme
Britain’s Richard Strachan was the best in the men’s ‘B’ 400m in 45.86sec, ahead of a season’s best for South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius (47.18). There was another British win in the men’s ‘B’ 100m with Leevan Yearwood beating USA’s Mark Jelks, both credited with 10.10sec.
USA’s Danielle Carruthers won the women’s ‘B’ 100m Hurdles in 12.88 sec, ahead of Czech Lucie Skrobakova in 12.98.
The men’s 1500m was taken by Kenyan Collins Cheboi in 3:36.24, with 19-year-old Australian hopeful Ryan Gregson back in 6th in 3:37.76, close to his PB of 3:37.24.
And to conclude the famous athletics name of ‘Viren’ won again, no not Olympic legend Lasse, but his 22-year-old son Matti Viren who took the U23 1500m in 3:48.80, his PB is the 3:47.31 he ran last Saturday in the UK.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
**subject to usual ratification procedures
