Jessica Ennis flies to hurdles win over Lolo Jones at the Aviva International Match in Glasgow (© Getty Images)
Glasgow, UKIt was a case of déjà vu for Jessica Ennis in Glasgow this afternoon (29), and if you happen to believe in history repeating itself, the Briton has clearly got another great season in prospect.
Ennis started 2010 beating Lolo Jones over 60m Hurdles at the Aviva International at Kelvin Hall, the annual five-way match, and she opened the same meeting this afternoon in almost identical fashion, blasting to a sparkling 7.97sec victory over the US sprint hurdles queen, just two tenths outside the British record she set exactly a year ago.
“I knew I was in good shape last year so to come here and do that again shows that I’ve done the right things over the winter,” said Ennis, how went on last year to add World indoor and European outdoor multi-event titles to her growing collection of honours.
“It’s good to beat Lolo again,” she added. “I had a slow start myself, not the best, so to run that time is brilliant.”
It was not a bad way to celebrate a birthday for the newly-engaged Ennis, who turned 25 yesterday. As British captain she was hoping to celebrate by leading her team to the overall trophy, but at the end of 17 events it was Germany who came out on top, five points of Britain and a Commonwealth Select side, with USA and Sweden fourth and fifth.
As for Jones, it was hardly an auspicious start to her 2011 campaign. The reigning double World Indoor champion got out of the blocks well but hit the third hurdle hard and could only finish fourth in 8.27 as the fast-starting Tiffany Ofili was second in 8.04.
The US team’s trip was badly delayed by extreme weather and many athletes slept on the floor at JFK airport on Thursday night. So Jones had a ready-made excuse – not that she wanted to use it.
“I had a bad journey here but I hate to make excuses. It was the worst journey I’ve ever had though,” she said. “But then I felt fine before the race. I just hit the third hurdle and you can’t make mistakes. That’s the slowest I’ve run in about four years.”
Oliver, 7.51 win
David Oliver had no need for excuses, as the all-conquering American, unbeaten in 19 races outdoors last year, started 2011 in similar vein with a world leading 7.51sec victory over Britain’s European champion Andy Turner, second in 7.66.
“I love running here and am really pleased to have got such a positive start to the season,” said Oliver.
Solo success for Clitheroe
It was a positive start for Helen Clitheroe too, the other world leading performer today. Clitheroe ran solo to a 3000m victory in 8:52.31, breaking Liz McColgan’s 22-year-old stadium record in the process.
Clitheroe was given the performance of the day trophy, but there were other impressive victories for the home side, including from a rejuvenated Mark Lewis Francis, who beat Marc Burns over 60m in 6.66 sec as USA’s Ryan Bailey pulled up lame, and from Jenny Meadows, who front-ran to a 2:01.17 victory in the 800m.
Alexandria Andersson won the women’s 60m in 7.31 sec for USA, holding off Britain’s Jeanette Kwayke, and there was a fine win for Jesse Williams in the High Jump, the US champion clearing 2.28m to beat Britain’s Tom Parsons.
Germany took the team trophy thanks to six individual wins, including both men’s and women’s 200m and 400m. Sebastian Ernst took the men’s 200m in 21.21, beating Bailey by three hundredths, Cathleen Tschirch beat Joice Maduaka in the women’s 200m, Thomas Schneider won the men’s 400m in 47.02 sec, and Wiebke Ullmann was a delighted winner of the women’s 400m in 54.41 sec.
Nadja Kather won the women’s Long Jump with 6.58m as Ennis struggled to find her range. She finished third with a best of 6.38, saying “I hope I can squeeze a bit more out of that in the future.”
And Lisa Ryzih matched her PB of 4.55m to win a women’s Pole Vault in which 19-year-old Briton Holly Bleasdale was second with 4.48, pushing her to number two in the UK indoor all-time list.
Kenya’s Boaz Lalang won the men’s 800m for the Commnwealth side in 1:49.16, while another Kenyan, Mercy Njoroge, 3000m Steeplechase silver medallist at the Commonwealth Games, enjoyed her first taste of indoor competition, dominating the women’s 1500m in 4:20.93.
Meanwhile, Sammy Mutahi was beaten by USA’s Dan Huling in the men’s 3000m. Huling clocked a PB of 7:56.68 to win by more than two seconds.
Matthew Brown for the IAAF
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