Borzakovskiy
1:44.25 season
opener in Turin
Diego
Sampaolo for the IAAF
8 June 2002 – Turin - A high-level hammer throw competition with three men over
80 metres and eight over 78 metres provided the best technical results at the
eighth
edition of the IAAF Permit Meeting - Third Memorial Primo Nebiolo - in Turin
last night.
Igor Astapkovich of Belarus won the competition in round six by throwing the hammer to 81.09 and beating the Japan’s Koji Murofushi (80.70 metres) who was leading the competition, and the former World junior champion Olli-Pekka Karjalainen of Finland third in 80.56.
Unfortunately for Italian fans Nicola Vizzoni, the Olympic silver medallist could not compete in Turin because of a back injury which may sideline him for the next two weeks.
Another World class performance was achieved in the 800 metres by Russia’s Yuriy Borzakovskiy (fastest time in the world so far this year – # see note) in an impressive 1:44.25. After one lap Borzakovskiy, the World Indoor champion, remained as usual in the pack led by the pacemaker Sambu (51.58) and then sprinted with 200 metres to go and won ahead of Kenya’s Nicholas Wachira (1:44.44), David Krummenacker from the USA (1:44.58) and Algeria’s Said Guerni (winner in Milan) fourth in 1:45.95.
Yuriy's manager confirmed that the young Russian will compete in the 400 metres instead of the 800 metres at the next European Championships in Munich and will run the two lap event only at the European Cup in Annecy.
Male triple and female long jumpers were involved in exciting competitions even though the results were affected negatively by the cool and humid weather conditions.
Britain's Jonathan Edwards produced his second Italian victory in a row after Wednesday night’s win in Milan by leaping 17.18 ahead of Oprea from Romania ( 2nd 17.06) and Glavatski of Belarus (3rd 16.89).
"I was a bit stiff this evening. Two competitions in two days were tough for me. My next competition will take place in Poland in about ten days. I will not compete at the Commonwealth trials next week because I have already been pre-selected for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester", said Jonathan.
Russia’s World championship silver medallist Tatyana Kotova managed to repeat last year’s victory here by leaping 6.81 ahead of Hungary’s Tunde Vaszy second with 6.67.
"Last year, when I jumped 7.12, my physical condition was better than today. Moreover the competition against Fiona May last year pushed me to perform beyond my limits. My next competition will be in Athens where I hope to find better climatic conditions. My goals for the season are to jump 7.20 and win the gold medal at the Europeans in Munich", said the Russian after the victory ceremony.
The male long jump was a bit disappointing, especially with the late withdrawal of Ivan Pedroso of Cuba, USA’s Savanteè Stringfellow and Chris Tomlinson of Britain’s due to different reasons. Jamaica’s James Beckford, the winner last year with 8.41, was also physically out of sorts, third 7.69, which further diminished the level of the competition. This event was won by the Italian Nicola Trentin with 7.87m.
Olympic champion Anier Garcia of Cuba made his season’s debut in Europe by winning the 110 hurdles in 13.44 (headwind - 0.7 m/s). "My first competition was good. I suffered from the consequence of jet-lag after the long flight from Cuba and this certainly affected my performance", said Garcia.
Turin’s track, which is not particularly fast didn’t enable the sprinters to clock impressive times in the 100 metres. The USA’s Bernard Williams finished first in 10.27, ahead of his compatriots Coby Miller, second in 10.29, and Shawn Crawford third in 10.33. The US trio will now move to Athens to compete in the Grand Prix meeting on Monday.
The Nigeria’s sprinter Mercy Nku was the winner in the women’s 100 metres dash in 11.23. Chrystie Gaines from the USA was runner-up in 11.29, with Sevatheda Fynes of the Bahamas third in 11"36. "The time is a bit disappointing for me. My goal is to run under 11 seconds in the 100 metres at the Commonwealth Games", said the Nigerian.
The German women’s pole vault record holder Annika Becker, won the competition here with a clearance of 4.40. Becker got her revenge on the Australia’s Olympic silver medallist Tatyana Grigorieva, also 4.40m but second on count back, who had beaten the German two days before at the Milan meeting.
NOTE - # >> unconfirmed 1:44.21 Sherridan Kirk (TRI) Kansas City on 25 May <<
Selected results from Turin:
Men
:
100 metres
(+0.2 m/s): 1 Williams (USA) 10.27; 2 Miller (USA) 10.29; 3 Crawford (USA) 10.33
400 metres:
1 Niemi (Canada) 45.90; 2 Vieru (Romania) 46.42; 3 Attene (Italy) 46.45
800 metres: 1 Borzakovskiy (Russia) 1:44.25; 2 Wachira (Kenya) 1:44.44; 3
Krummenacker (USA) 1:44.58; 4 Said Guerni (Algeria) 1:45.95
3000 metres: 1 Goumri (Morocco) 7:45.46; 2 Amyn (Morocco) 7:46.35; 3 Bett
(Kenya) 7:47.12
110
hurdles (-0.7 m/s): 1 Garcia (Cuba) 13.44; 2 Hernandez (Cuba) 13.57; 3 Giaconi
(Italy) 13.64
400
hurdles: 1 Gorban (Russia) 49.12; 2 Carter (USA) 49.28; 3 Maschenko (Russia)
49.92
Long
Jump: 1 Trentin (Italy) 7.87; 2 Rimoldi (Italy) 7.77; 3 Beckford (Jamaica) 7.69
Triple
jump: 1 Edwards (Great Britain) 17.18; 2 Oprea (Romania) 17.06; 3 Glavatski
(Belarus) 16.89; 4 Quesada (Cuba) 16.80
Hammer Throw: 1 Astapkovich (Belarus) 81.09; 2 Murofushi (Japan) 80.70; 3
Karjalainen (Finland) 80.56; 4 Skvaruk (Ukraine) 79.82; 5 Kiss (Hungary) 79.78;
6 Piskunov (Ukraine) 78.91; 7 Polihroniou (Greece) 78.69; 8 Chaussinaud (France)
78.39
Women:
100 metres (0.0 m/s): 1 Nku (Nigeria) 11.23; 2 Gaines (USA) 11.29; 3 Fynes
(Bahamas) 11.35; 4 Ojokolo (Nigeria) 11.48
200 metres
(- 0.6 m/s): 1 Juliet Campbell (Jamaica) 22.97; 2 Bikar (Slovenia) 23.78; 3
Graglia (Italy) 23.93
400 metres: 1 Fenton (Jamaica) 51.06; 2 Yefremova (Ukraine) 51.90; 3 Nguimgo
(Camerun) 52.18
400
hurdles: 1 Hemmings (Jamaica) 55.00; 2 Glover (USA) 55.05; 3 Parris (Jamaica)
55.49
3 Km walk:
1 Rigaudo (Italy) 12:28.92; 2 Nikolaeva (Russia) 12:32.86; 3 Giordano (Italy)
13:00.81
Long Jump: 1 Kotova (Russia) 6.81; 2 Vaszy (Hun) 6.67; 3 Galkina (Rus) 6.63
Pole vault: 1 Becker (Germany) 4.40; 2 Grigorieva (Australia) 4.40; 3 Ryshich
(Germany) 4.20.
