Allyson Felix of the USA running in Arcadia (© Kirby Lee)
USA’s Junior sprint sensation Allyson Felix, and Slovak hammer thrower Libor Charfreitag were two names to shine in USA over the weekend in meetings in Arcadia (California) and El Paso (Texas).
Felix's flying in Arcadia
Arcadia, USA – The 36th annual running of the high school meet at Arcadia High School in Southern California on 11-12 April lived up to expectations writes Kirby Lee.
This is the country’s premier in-season high school competition, having produced 79 United States Olympians during its history, including World champions Marion Jones, Gail Devers, Inger Miller and Mike Powell.
The athletes of the meet were Allyson Felix of Los Angeles Baptist (Calif.) and Xavier Carter of Palm Beach (Fla.) and they may well be the next to join the list of Arcadia Olympians.
Felix won the 100m in a wind-aided 11.20 and the 200m in 22.97 to win the events for the third year in a row.
A 200m semi-finalist in the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham last month, Felix joined Jones as the only girl to win three consecutive Arcadia 100 and 200m titles. Felix’s mark in the 100 aided by a 3.1 m/s gust was the fastest in meet history under any conditions.
“It’s definitely different returning (from the World championships) to high school competition,” Felix said. “I feel like I have a lot more experience now and feel more comfortable coming to meets like this. Arcadia has always been a really fun meet to run at.”
Carter became the first athlete to win the 100m, 200m and 400m in the same year at Arcadia. He ran a meet record 10.38 in the 100m, 20.85 in the 200m and 46.72 in the 400m, all within a two-hour span. Carter’s 200 mark was run in a drizzle and 1.0 m/s headwind.
Elsewhere, there were national high school records by Long Beach Poly (Calif.) in the girls 800m sprint medley (1:38.73), and Riverside North in the rarely run 400m shuttle hurdle relay (57.49).
80m for Charfreitag in El Paso
El Paso, Texas - Hammer thrower Libor Charfreitag became the first Slovak ever to make an 80 metres throw in this event, with his third round 80.41m attempt at the UTEP Invitational on 12 April writes Alfons Juck.
Charfreitag’s mark was also the first 80m hammer throw anywhere in the world in 2003.
”It is still beginning of the season. Technically it was better than in my last competition two weeks ago in Dallas (79.27 personal best at that time). I’m still looking forward to more improvements, mainly at the big events. At the World Championships in Paris I hope to qualify for finals. Then I can start to fight again."
Charfreitag’s series on Saturday: foul - 79,41 PR - 80,41 NR - 77,91 - 79,39 - foul.
The old national record of Miloslav Konopka 79.98 in 2002 was also achieved on April 12 (in Pretoria). Slovakia is now the 21st country in the all-time lists with a national record starting at over 80 metres.
It was Charfreitag’s eleventh national record in the hammer having bettered the mark ten times in the years 1996-2000.
”In El Paso the conditions were good, maybe it was too hot, and the competition too short with only five throwers. Next weekend, I will first compete in Pomona and then at Mt.SAC. The Walnut event could bring even better results for me as they should have a new throwing circle, and last year I produced a personal best (78.58) there," said Charfreitag, who is still actively working for his SMU in Dallas, as an assistant throwing coach, while doing some additional studies.
