News10 Sep 2006


Gay’s 19.68 Stuttgart Stunner – IAAF World Athletics Final, Day TWO

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Gay now third fastest ever - 19.68 in Stuttgart (© Getty Images)

Tyson Gay cannoned to a 19.68 second victory in the men’s 200 metres grabbing the spotlight on day two of the 4th IAAF World Athletics Final in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium in Stuttgart, an event which attracted a total of 56,000 spectators in a weekend of outstanding competition.

'Wow this track is fast'

Gay, who had already run 19.70 in Lausanne this summer and reconfirmed his form clocking 19.79 in Brussels and 19.84 in London, climbed to join third place with Frank Fredericks in the all-time list behind Michael Johnson (19.32) and X-Man Xavier Carter (19.63). Wallace Spearmon improved his PB dipping under 19.9 for the first time in his career with 19.88 for second place.

And Fredericks, the 1993 World 200m champion in this stadium, was in the audience today to witness Gay’s performance.
 
“My god, that was kind of scary. This is incredible. I am sooo happy about my season. Wow, this green track is really fast. I want to thank the fantastic Stuttgart crowd: I have never been cheered so much before in my life. This is thrilling!” said Gay.

Revenge for Defar!

Meseret Defar avenged yesterday’s defeat in the 5000 metres by taking the victory in a fast women’s 3000 metres race in 8:34.22, a new championship record, at the end of another memorable neck-to neck battle in the finish straight against “the baby-faced destroyer” Tirunesh Dibaba, who had to settle with the runners-up spot in 8:34.74 today.

“I just wanted to win this one,” said Defar. “It was a very nice race. I waited until the last lap to launch my winning attack. Yesterday I was not happy. I ran quite the same time as Tirunesh but she got lucky and I finished second. But today I am very pleased, also with the time we ran.”

Simpson and Richards reconfirm season long dominance

In the women’s 100m, Jamaican sprint star Sherone Simpson, blasted to 10.89, very much in the manner she has dominated the sprinting season throughout this summer, while in the 200m, Sanya Richards, a Golden League Jackpot winner, secured the 400m in 49.25, the third best time of her career.

“I have been trying to do the best I could all year,” said Richards. “I wanted to run under 49 seconds this year but now my body is starting to break down a little bit. I ran the first 200 metres fast and not having Williams and Stambolova there with me, I could focus on myself.”

Goodbye Jan

Men’s throwing events were highlighted by a great Javelin contest between Andreas Thorkildsen and Tero Pitkämäki. The Olympic and European champion from Norway won with 89.50. Even his second best throw (88.89) was further than Finn Pitkämäki’s best attempt of 88.25m. 
 
“I’m starting to get tired after a long season, so 89.50 metres was more than I could expect. 2006 was a very good season for me,” said Thorkildsen.

Waving good bye to the crowd was Jan Zelezny, the three-time World and Olympic champion, to whom a special presentation was made by IAAF President Lamine Diack on the infield after the end of the competition which closed out the Czech’s major international career.

Iakovakis brings victory for Greece

Periklis Iakovakis from Greece showed once again his outstanding form by winning the men’s 400 metres Hurdles in 47.92, his third sub-48 seconds of his season. This time the newly crowned European champion beat World champion Bershawn Jackson.

Isinbayeva and Lebedeva close out wins

2004 / 2005 World Athlete of the Year Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia secured her third consecutive WAF title at a height of 4.75m. The reigning Olympic, World and European champion opened her Pole Vault competition at 4.60m and then passed both 4.65 and 4.70, while her Polish rival Monika Pyrek vaulted 4.65m on her first attempt. Isinbayeva notched-up victory at the second time of asking at 4.75m before failing her three attempts at 4.85. “The weather was good and the conditions were all right but unfortunately I was too tired,” admitted Isinbayeva.
 
Another Russian Tatyana Lebedeva can also be happy with her performances this weekend in Stuttgart. After winning the Long Jump yesterday Lebedeva scored the double finishing first in her favourite Triple Jump with 14.82m. 
  
Michelle Perry, the reigning World 100m Hurdles champion, backed up her role as world number one taking the victory in 12.52 in a good-quality race where three more women dipped under 12.6: Damu Cherry (12.56), former World champion Perdita Felicien (12.58 seasonal best), and European champion Susanna Kallur (12.59).

A Bekele family weekend

Kenenisa Bekele capped a great weekend for his family. One day after his younger brother’s win in the 3000 metres, Kenenisa held off Kenyan Edwin Soi in the final straight in the 5000 metres in a pedestrian 13:46.32.

Middle distance running was also highlighted by a class 8:01.37 men’s 3000 metres Steeplechase by Kenyan Paul Kipsiele Koech, and a new championship record in the men’s 1500 metres by African 800 and 1500 metres champion Alex Kipchirchir (3:32.76) who held off USA’s Bernard Lagat (3:32.93).
 
Panama’s Irving Saladino notched up the men’s Long Jump win with 8.41m adding US$30,000 dollars to the 83,333 dollars he won last week thanks to his five wins in the IAAF Golden League series. Also very consistent was Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al Khuwailidi with a good 8.34 for second spot ahead of Greek Louis Tsatoumas (8.29).
 
Swede Linus Thornblad bounced back from fourth place at the European Championships on home soil in Gothenburg with a count-back win over European champion Andrey Silnov at 2.33m in the men's High Jump.

Japan’s Olympic Hammer Throw champion Koji Murofushi produced a 81.42 winning release in a high-quality contest in which two more specialists threw over 80 metres: reigning World and European champion Ivan Tikhon from Belarus (second with 81.12), and Krisztian Pars from Hungary (third with 80.41).
       
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
 
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