a commanding 44.69 victory for Jeremy Wariner at the Osaka GP (© Getty Images/AFP)
Osaka, JapanThree 2007 World championsJeremy Wariner, Kerron Clement and Donald Thomas - returned to the venue of their gold medal performances and won their specialty at the 2009 Osaka Grand Prix.
The Osaka Grand Prix is a Grand Prix status meeting as part of the 25 meeting IAAF World Athletics Tour 2009.
Wariner content with 44.69
In the men’s 400m, Wariner, who said the day before the race, “I hope to run low 44 and possibly 43,” started to pick off the runners in the back-straight and by the start of the homestretch, he was in commanding lead. Wariner won convincingly, but his time was only 44.69.
David Neville, the Beijing bronze medallist, was second coming into the home-straight but faded badly in the middle of the homestretch, while Yuzo Kanemaru moved up in place to finish second with 45.16, a personal best.
“I ran a good race, and a good time,” said Wariner, who won with the second fastest time of the season. "I am satisfied with my performance although I made some mistakes. I have to maintain speed all the way through." Berlin is still a long way to go, and I still have a lot of training to do before Berlin.” He confirmed that his main goal for the season is to defend his crown in the German capital.
“I tried to follow Sean Wroe, just outside of my lane,” said runner-up Kanemaru, “because he has slightly faster personal best than me. I was disappointed for not running sub-45 seconds.”
Clement holds off Thomas and Narisako
Kenji Narisako started fast in the men’s 400m Hurdles. Although Kerron Clement, who said prior to the race that he was hoping for a run in the 47s, took the lead coming into the home straight, Narisako did not give up. The Japanese was just behind Clement at the 10th hurdle, but Tristan Thomas of Australia was closing in fast. Clement held on to the lead and won in 48.60, the second fastest time of the season, while Thomas finished second in 48.68.
“This was not a good race for me," Clement said. "I ran well until the eighth hurdle with 13 steps.”
Narisako finished close third in 48.77. “I was hoping to win by running away from the competition early but I tied up in the home straight.”
Elsewhere...
Bahamian Thomas, the defending World High Jump champion, cleared 2.28m to win his event, while American Tora Harris finished second with 2.25m. Both Thomas and Harris missed 2.31m, the next height. Hikaru Tsuchiya also jumped 2.25m, a personal best, but on the count back he was fourth.
“Nagai stadium is good to me,” Thomas said.
The Japanese national team of Saori Kitakaze, Chisato Fukushima, Mayumi Watanabe and Momoko Takahashi set a national record of 43.58 in the women’s 4x100m Relay.
Australian Tamsyn Lewis started fast in the women’s 400m, and although Latosha Wallace and Asami Tanno closed the gap in the home straight, Lewis won in 51.80, while Wallace was second in 52.02 and Tanno third in 52.10.
In the women’s 400m Hurdles, Sheena Tosta (formerly Johnson) made up the stagger on the runners in lanes 6-8 by the end of back straight and won by nearly a second in 54.64. She was followed by Tiffany Williams (55.62) and Tasha Danvers (56.44); all three were Beijing Olympic finallists.
“I had two goals at this race – sub 55 seconds and a win," Tosta said. "I accomplished both and I am very happy to make it. I also noted that my step pattern (15 steps to eighth hurdle and 16 steps after that) works well.”
In the men’s Pole Vault, Daichi Sawano cleared 5.45m and 5.60 in his first attempt to win the competition on the countback. He, however, failed clear 5.70m, the height he cleared at the Mt. SAC Relays earlier this season. “I had the height (at 5.70m) but the peak was at the wrong point,” Sawano said. He also said he was able to use his stiffest pole today. “I am seeing the good effect of my winter training,” he concluded.
Shamar Sands and Tasuku Tanonaka started fast in 110m Hurdles. While Tanonaka faded in the middle of the race, Dongpeng Shi of China closed fast. However, Sands held off fast closing Shi and won with 13.40, while Shi was second in 13.48.
“I am satisfied with my (national) record, although I hit the sixth and seventh hurdles. My start was especially good,” Sands said.
In the women’s Long Jump, Briana Glenn jumped 6.65m and Hyleas Fountain 6.51m, in their first attempts. Kumiko Imura, the Japanese national record holder, moved up to third on her third attempt with a 6.49m leap, but Glenn and Foutain’s first jumps were good enough to finish first and second.
Young Japanese sprinters set personal bests at men’s 100m and 200m. In the Men’s 200m, Mitsuru Abiko in lane 8 started fast. However, by the start of the home straight, the race was between American Rodney Martin and Shinji Takahira. At the end Martin won with 20.30, and despite the head wind (-0.4m/s), Takahira finished second with a personal best of 20.31.
“It was very close race after 150m. I know I have to improve my last 50m,” said Martin.
“Although I tied up a bit near the end of the race, I knew I can run fast if I can stay with the oversea runner,” said Takahira. “In Berlin, I hope to make a semi-final and possibly the final.”
Naoki Tsuakahara, who had fantastic start in the men’s 100m, completely dominated the race and won it with the personal best of 10.13, 0.16 seconds ahead of Martin, the winner of 200m. However, he was not completely happy with the race. “I was hoping to run sub-10.10.”
Unlike the men’s 100m, the women’s race was slowed by a headwind. Brianna Glenn, who lined up at the start immediately after the conclusion of the Long Jump, along with Australian Sally McLellan and Chisato Fukushima of Japan started well. When Glenn faded in the middle, McLellan took the lead and Momoko Takahashi closed well as usual. McLellan won with 11.46, while Fukushima held off Takahashi again by 1/100th of the second with 11.57. The anticipated national record did not materialize partially because of 0.9m/s head wind.
“I am disappointed with time, but I must say I was happy to run my own race,” Fukushima said. Said her rival Takahashi, “I lose by 1/100 every time, but I am also happy to run my own race (come from behind strongly).” Fukushima finished 1/100th of second ahead of Takahashi in their last three races.
Ken Nakamura assisted by Akihiro Onishi for the IAAF
