Shawn Crawford after his 9.88 win in Prefontaine (© Kirby Lee)
On an afternoon where Hayward Field favourites Maurice Greene and Marion Jones were beaten in their 100m races, Alan Webb had a victorious homecoming in the men’s Mile in the Prefontaine Classic – IAAF Grand Prix – meet at the University of Oregon on Saturday 19 June.
Webb’s 3:50.85 along with Shawn Crawford’s win in the 100m (9.88), Koji Murofushi of Japan in the men’s Hammer (82.65m) and Perdita Felicien of Canada in the women’s 100m hurdles (12.46), were the four world-leading season performances set in the 30th annual meet, which is named after legendary American distance runner Steve Prefontaine.
Crawford dazzles with world’s fastest time
Shawn Crawford was a stunning winner in the men’s 100m over reigning Olympic champion Maurice Greene, taking the win in a meet record 9.88 (+1.7), the fastest time in the world this year.
Greene rocketed out of the blocks from fourth lane but Crawford on the outside in lane seven overtook the former world record holder over the final 40m to win by five-hundredths. John Capel was third in 9.95 in a race that produced the three fastest yearly times in the world. Montgomery, the World record holder was sixth in 10.17.
Crawford, who ran a wind-aided 9.86 in the Doha Qatar Grand Prix, said “back former days, I used to run for time. Now, I just try to come out and execute (a performance). If you execute like you have been doing all week in practice, the time will come (in competition)….The only message I am trying to send is that I am out there working hard and trying to be No. 1.’’
Triumphant homecoming for Webb
Alan Webb, running in 1960s retro style kit won the featured Bowerman mile in 3:50.85 for the fastest time ever run by an American on U.S. soil. Webb’s time, the best by an American in seven years, eclipsed the long-standing record of 3:51.1 set by Jim Ryun in Bakersfield, California on June 23, 1967.
As a high school senior in 2001 Prefontaine Classic, Webb had run 3:53.43 to break Ryan’s 36-year-old high school record of 3:55.3 in Eugene, a city that sells itself as “Tracktown USA.”
Another personal best
Webb, whose 2003 season came to an end after an emergency appendectomy, appears to have finally found his form after struggling over the last two seasons.
The 21-year-old has run career bests in his last three races, including the Home Depot meet on 22 May where he ran 3:35.71 in the 1500m, a 3:33.70 effort in Hengelo on 31 May, and a 2004 world-leading 3:32.73 in Ostrava Grand Prix on 8 June.
Webb has also run personal bests in the 800m (1:46.53) and 5000 (13:46.31) this year, and his only objective yesterday was to improve on his 3:53.43 mile best.
“If I had won and run 3:53.42 I would have been happy. It feels like a big burden lifted off me,” Webb said. “(The high school) record was something that has been said over and over again. I am just glad that I have something to talk about besides that race. This is a happy beginning.”
Webb turned the race into a runaway victory aided by pace-setters Simon Kamata and Laban Rotich. Webb blasted through splits of 54.9 for 400m, 1:52.7 for 800m and 2:50.8 for 1,200m. Webb ran the final 400m solo, passing the 1500m mark in 3:34.42. Spurred on by the cheers from the knowledgeable crowd of 12,736, Webb fought off a brisk wind and temperatures that reached 30 Celsius down the homestretch.
“My body was numb to all feeling except for pain,” Webb said. “The crowd was the loudest that I ever heard it, way louder than three years ago. They were screaming from 200 meters on. I am happy about improving my times but happier with how consistent that I have been.”
Super series for Murofushi
Murofushi dominated the Hammer competition to win with a meet record 82.65m. The Japanese national record-holder who was the World bronze medallist last summer produced five of the top 10 marks in the world this season. His series included marks of 81.74, 82.65m, 82.16m, 82.26m and 82.28m. All were over the meet record of 80.88 set by Lance Deal in 1998.
Felicien and Wade win High Hurdles
Felicien and Larry Wade respectively won the women’s and men’s high hurdles with contrasting styles. Felicien, the 2003 World Champion, pulled away at mid-race from training partner Jenny Adams, who was third in 12.69, and runner-up Danielle Carruthers, who made a late surge to finish second in a career-best 12.56. Felicien’s time was the fastest in the world this year dipping below Gail Devers’12.50. Devers was running the 100m dash last night.
Wade continued his bid for his first Olympic berth - after having heart surgery in 2000 from complications from an automobile accident and a broken arm in 2003 – nipping World champion Allen Johnson at the tape with a furious sprint away from the final barrier. Wade and Johnson were each timed in 13.14.
Miller upsets Jones in Women’s 100m
Inger Miller provided the biggest upset with her victory over reigning Olympic champion Marion Jones in the 100m, so ending her win streak of 19 races at the short sprint.
Running in the second lane, Miller overcame a brisk start by Gail Devers to out leaning the 1992 and 1996 Olympic 100m champion at the tape. Miller and Devers were both timed in 11.05.
Jones, who finished fifth in 11.12 behind Chryste Gaines (11.10) and LaTasha Colander (11.10), was well beaten out of the blocks and was never a factor. It was Jones’ first 100m defeat since the 2001 World Championships and only her fourth since winning the 1997 World title.
Long Jump compensation
Jones rebounded from her defeat to win the Long Jump in a personal season-best 6.93m (+1.0 legal wind) over compatriot Grace Upshaw (wind-aided 6.88m) and India’s Anju George (wind-aided 6.83m).
“It was a horrible day in the 100, a really good day in the Long Jump,” Jones said. “I got a rhythm finally. I hit the board…In the 100, it was a typical Marion start from zero to 30 or 40m. At the end of the race, it got away from me….It just wasn’t a really good race.”
Cantwell and Sanchez continue win streaks
World Indoor Shot champion Christian Cantwell won his 14th competition in a row in the shot put – the second in two days - with an effort of 21.74m. A day earlier and 3000 miles across the country, Cantwell won the Titan Games held at Centennial Park in Atlanta, Georgia at 22.25m.
World and Olympic silver medallist Adam Nelson, who fouled on all his attempts at the Titan Games and one reportedly close to 22.86m, finished second at Prefontaine at 21.50m.
World Champion Felix Sanchez won his 36th consecutive race in the 400m Hurdles with a meet record 48.12. Wearing his customary red bracelet with flashing lights for good luck, Sanchez dominated from the start to defeat Americans Bershawn Jackson (48.79), James Carter (48.83) and Joey Woody (48.88).
Supreme Mutola wins again
No other runner has become more of a fixture at Prefontaine than World and Olympic champion Maria Mutola, who won the 800m in 1:57.78 for her 12th Pre victory in 13 appearances. Mutola lived and trained in nearby Springfield for nine years before moving to Johannesburg, South Africa in 2000.
Dragila and Hartwig victorious in Pole Vault
Stacy Dragila, who set an all-time outdoor best of 4.83m in the Pole Vault in Ostrava recently, won last night at 4.70m. The reigning Olympic champion then took aim at a World record 4.88m, just brushing the bar with her torso on the way down on her third attempt.
American record holder Jeff Hartwig won the men’s competition on fewer misses at 5.80m over Australia’s Dmitri Markov and Americans Brad Walker and Toby Stevenson.
Yelena Zadorzhnaya of Russia took the women’s 1500m in 4:02.15 for the second fastest time in the world this year, and was followed home by Britain’s Holmes (4:03.73) and Canada’s Malindi Elmore Malindi (4:04.06).
Other winners included Joseph Koskei of Kenya in the 5000m (13:26.78), Jamie Nieto in the High Jump with a third-attempt clearance of 2.30m, and Charlie Gruber in the 1500m (3:37.23).
