Maurice Greene winning 2002 USA 100m title (© Getty Images)
Yokohama, Japan – Just two days since Tim Montgomery dipped inside the 100m World record with a 9.78 dash during the IAAF Grand Prix Final in Paris, the former holder of that mark, World and Olympic champion Maurice Greene produced another disappointing performance when finishing fifth at the Yokohama Super Track and Field meeting.
Greene could only clock 10.56 seconds for fifth behind compatriot Bernard Williams who won the 100m in 10.21. Nobuharu Asahara of Japan was second in 10.28 in drizzly conditions at Yokohama’s International Stadium, with 200m specialist Darvis Patton of the U.S. third in 10.33.
Greene, who only arrived in Japan from Paris late on Sunday after pulling out of the IAAF Grand Prix Final at the weekend, blamed jet-lag for his slow time and insisted that he would be back to his best next year.
"My body feels asleep. I just wanted to finish the season healthy and I did that. Now I have to be ready to defend my World title next year," said Greene. As to the World record, "it belongs to me, it will come home."
Later in the day, 100m third finisher Patton who has run 20.12 for 200m this season, returned to contest the longer sprint winning in 20.29, from Japan’s Shingo Suetsugu, second with 20.55, and America’s World indoor champion Shawn Crawford who finished third in 20.79.
In the sprint hurdles, America's World champion Allen Johnson held off Cuba’s Olympic champion Anier Garcia in the final 30 metres to win in 13.28. Garcia clocked 13.35, with Britain’s World record holder Colin Jackson - on his retirement tour -, third in 13.44.
"From hurdles five to the finish, Garcia is by far the best in the world, so it's always important for me to get out ahead of him then and keep my rhythm," said Johnson. "Fortunately I was able to hold him off today."
The American added that he felt Jackson's World 110m hurdles mark of 12.91, which has stood since 1993, could be in danger at the IAAF World championships in Paris next summer.
"I said last year that this year was going to be the year for it, so it is one of my goals next season. If I can come out on top in the final in Paris, I feel I will be close to the record," he said.
Following on from the marvelous 80m hammer contest at Saturday’s Grand Prix Final in Paris, Hungary’s 1996 Olympic champion Balazs Kiss, who with 79.74 was just shy of that mark on Saturday, led a Hungarian one-two to win in Yokohama with a best effort of 80.78, beating Japanese record holder Koji Murofushi (75.24), who had won in Paris with 81.14m. Hungary’s Tibor Gecsek, the 1998 European champion – 79.11 in Paris - placed second after a throw of 76.30.
In the women's events, Sri Lanka’s Olympic bronze medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe won the 200 metres in 22.91, with World 100m champion Zhanna Pintusevich-Block of the Ukraine second in 23.32. The surprise sprinting package of 2002, Italy’s Manuela Levorato reached another podium in third with 23.51.
Double World junior champion Meseret Defar of Ethiopia who won both the 3000m and 5000m in Kingston, took today’s 5,000 metres in 15:26.45, edging out compatriot Derartu Tulu, the World and Olympic 10,000m champion, in a tight finish. Tulu’s time was 15:26.73.
Selected Results –
Men 100 metres
1. Bernard Williams (U.S.) 10.21
2. Nobuharu Asahara (Japan) 10.28
3. Darvis Patton (U.S.) 10.33
200 metres
1. Darvis Patton (U.S.) 20.29
2. Shingo Suetsugu (Japan) 20.55
3. Shawn Crawford (U.S.) 20.79
110 metres hurdles
1. Allen Johnson (U.S.) 13.28
2. Anier Garcia (Cuba) 13.35
3. Colin Jackson (Britain) 13.44
400 metres hurdles
1. Dai Tamesue (Japan) 48.69
2. Joey Woody (U.S.) 48.91
3. Hideaki Kawamura (Japan) 49.26
800 metres
1. Wilfred Bungei (Kenya) 1:45.99
2. David Krummenacker (U.S.) 1:46.01
3. Pavel Czapiewski (Poland) 1:48.36
5,000 metres
1. Zakayo Ngatho (Kenya) 13:35.73
2. Julius Maina (Kenya) 13:36.05
3. Julius Gitahi (Kenya) 13:36.64
Long jump
1. Ivan Pedoroso (Cuba) 7.88
2. Miguel Pate (U.S.) 7.85
3. Masaki Morinaga (Japan) 7.71
High jump
1. Steffan Strand (Sweden) 2.20m
2. Sergey Klyugin (Russia) 2.15
3. Takahiro Uchida (Japan) 2.15
Hammer throw
1. Balazs Kiss (Hungary) 80.78
2. Tibor Gecsek (Hungary) 76.30
3. Koji Murofushi (Japan) 75.24
Women
200 metres
1. Susanthika Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka) 22.91
2. Zhanna Pintusevich-Block (Ukraine) 23.32
3. Manuela Levorato (Italy) 23.51
800 metres
1. Jolanda Ceplak (Slovenia) 2:00.70
2. Tina Paulino (Mozambique) 2:02.86
3. Ludmila Formanova (Czech Republic) 2:03.58
400 metres hurdles
1. Daimi Pernia (Cuba) 56.32
2. Makiko Yoshida (Japan) 56.69
3. Satomi Kubokura (Japan) 57.72
5,000 metres
1. Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) 15:26.45
2. Derarturu Tulu (Ethiopia) 15:26.73
3. Jane Gakunyi Wanjiki (Kenya) 15:29.23
High jump
1. Inga Babakova (Ukraine) 1.95m
2. Oana Pantelimon (Romania) 1.90
3. Elena Elesina (Russia) 1.85
Triple jump
1. Mihaela Gindila (Romania) 13.83
2. Heli Koivula (Finland) 13.77
3. Maho Hanaoka (Japan) 13.00
Hammer throw
1. Kamila Skolimowska (Poland) 67.28
2. Masumi Aya (Japan) 65.04
3. Olga Tsander (Belarus) 63.94
Pole vault
1. Kristina Molnar (Hungary) 4.30
2. Monika Pyrek (Poland) 4.00
3. Christine Adams (Germany) 4.00
Shot
1. Vita Pavlysh (Ukraine) 19.08
2. Nadezhda Ostapchuk (Belarus) 17.73
3. Chinatsu Mori (Japan) 16.52
The Japanese Context
by Ken Nakamura
Makiko Yoshida improved her national 400mH record to 56.69 behind Cuba's 1999 World champion Daimi Pernia's 56.32. This was Yoshida's fourth national record in the last two seasons, having broken the record for the first time in the 2001 East Asian Games in Osaka.
"My plan was to go with 16 steps until the fifth hurdle and then switch to 17 steps till the end. It all went well until the ninth hurdle ..." Yoshida told Tatsuo Terada after the race. Had she not missed the step on the tenth hurdle, she might have improved her national record further.
Koji Mufofushi, who won the Hammer Throw at the Grand Prix Final was not at his best. Upon returning to Japan, he was scheduled to attend the press conference for the Super Meet, which he had to miss because of a high fever. He passed the final four throws, and finished disappointing third.
Dai Tamesue, an Edmonton bronze medallist at 400mH, was the only Japanese who won in Yokohama (48.69). Having trouble with injury during most of August, he is coming back strongly just in time for the Asian Games, which takes place in early October in Busan, Korea.
