Asafa Powell makes his return from injury in Melbourne (© Getty Images)
Terrible wet and cold weather conditions during the Pedro’s Cup meet in Warsaw restrained World 100m record holder Asafa Powell from running below 10 seconds, and prevented Yelena Isinbayeva from making a serious attempt at competing in the women’s Pole Vault.
Worst weather ever of Powell’s career
Powell is still in a very good shape, however this time at the new meeting held in Warsaw at the Orzel Stadium he ran 100 metres in 10.02 (0.0m/s), breaking his streak of ten 100m finals below 10 seconds. But this time should be regarded as valuable indeed when despite windless conditions it was it was achieved in heavy rain and cold (13C).
Powell won by more than 3 metres ahead of his compatriot, Michael Frater, silver medallist from Helsinki World Championships and was almost half of a second faster than Shawn Crawford, the Olympic Games 200 metres champion.
There were expectations that Powell would improve Poland’s All-Comers record beating 10 seconds flat of Marian Woronin set 26 years ago, a European record at that time.
“A better time was possible today, but in so low temperature I was afraid to run faster. I have never started in similar conditions” – Powell admitted just after the race.
In the women’s 100 metres, just before Asafa Powell’s run, Sherone Simpson of Jamaica, the world’s fastest woman this season, won smoothly in a good (considering the conditions) 11.25 seconds. Her win was not threatened at anytime.
”Extremely dangerous” - Isinbayeva
The other highlight of the programme was to be the rivalry in the women’s Pole Vault. Yelena Isinbayeva met with Polish vaulters, Monika Pyrek and Anna Rogowska, who occupy the two positions just behind her in the IAAF World Rankings for the event.
The cold and the rain however caused Rogowska, starting only the second time after recovering from injury, to withdraw from the competition before it was began, while Pyrek made two at 4.30m and gave up, and Isinbayeva – wearing a tracksuit – made on try to run along the runway, continuing through the landing area without making any real attempt to put the pole into the box. Just after it she also resigned thanking to disappointed audience.
“I wanted to jump very high today, but the conditions were extremely dangerous” – Isinbayeva confirmed.
With the top three quite rightly afraid of injury, the win was taken at a lowly 4.15m by Niki McEwen of the USA.
We will return!
Asafa Powell and Yelena Isinbayeva, both promised they will do their best to appear in this Warsaw meeting next year, hoping to find much better weather, of course.
Adams - 12.89
American Jenny Adams took the women’s sprint hurdles in 12.89 seconds into a in the headwind of 1.5 m/s and narrowly beating her compatriot Danielle Carruthers.
Well-known athletes appeared in the High Jump but in the conditions all they - Tomas Janku of Czech Republic and Swedes Karl Linus Thornblad with Stefan Holm - could achieve was 2.20m. Even this height proved too much for the Polish jumpers with Aleksander Walerianczyk on 2.15m, and Michal Bednarek, a week ago fourth in Beijing during excellent World Junior Champs, a best of 2.10m.
Trybanska – 6.68m first attempt
On the slippery runway of the women’s Long Jump, Malgorzata Trybanska, a double finalist from the European Champs, jumped 6.68m, merely 3 cm less than her PB, on her first attempt. However after the third trial, having assured the win, she passed the rest of the competition.
World Indoor champion in the Shot Put, Reese Hoffa of United States, won with 20.75m with four attempts of his attempts above 20 metres. On his last try, 20.21m was done also by Pole Tomasz Majewski. It was his first over 20 metres mark since returning from injury.
Tight 400m Hurdles win for Jesien
A hard fought duel was observed in the women’s 400 metres Hurdles between two athletes, Poland’s Anna Jesien and Tatyana Tereschuk-Antipova of Ukraine. Jesien started faster and gained a lead of 2 metres ahead of Tereschuk in the first 200m. But the latter was quicker into the second bend and from the beginning of the last straight to the last hurdle, but Jesien made a good comeback on the sprint into the line to win in 55.59 from the Ukrainian’s 55.77.
Marek Plawgo, the European silver medallist over the 400m Hurdles, won the flat 400m easily in 46.33.
Janusz Rozum for the IAAF
Men
100m (0.0), Asafa Powell (JAM) 10.02
400m, Marek Plawgo 46.33
800m, Ismael Kombich (KEN) 1:47.55
3000mS, Julius Nyamu (KEN) 8:27.32
110mH (-1.5) Robby Hughes (USA) 13.62
HJ, Tomas Janku (CZE) 2.20
SP, Reese Hoffa (USA) 20.75
DT, Piotr Malachowski 60.56
Women
100m (0.0), Sherone Simpson (JAM) 11.25
400m, Shericka Williams (JAM) 52.00
1500m, Lidia Chojecka 4:11.35
100mH (-1.5), Jenny Adams (USA) 12.89
400mH, Anna Jesien 55.59
PV, Niki McEwen (USA) 4.15
LJ, Malgorzata Trybanska 6.68 (+1.3)
DT, Violetta Potepa 60.44
