Roman Sebrle competes in the 110m hurdles at the start of day two of the decathlon (© Getty Images)
Clay extends lead in the hurdles, decathlon after six events
2008 world leading athlete with 8832p at the Olympic Trials, Bryan Clay (USA), completed the first event of second day, 110m hurdles in 13.93s to gain some more points against the other medal contenders. 2004 Olympic Games silver medallist is now leading with 5505 points and still has Olympic record 8893p within reach. Clay has now extended his lead to 124 points and next event, discus, is very good for the American with a 52.74m throw in his personal best series.
22-year-old Belarussian Andrei Krauchanka had another good event clocking 14.21s and will be very close to set a new personal best in this competition, now his best is 8617p from 2007. In the Osaka World Championships his decathlon stopped at the first event, but now 5381 points and second place at this stage gives him a very good shot at a medal. Krauchanka’s competition will be decided in the next event, discus, which is not one of his best events. The Belarussian has a 41.85m result in his SB series and has a personal best 45.49m from this season.
Trey Hardee’s (USA) quest for a medal received a huge knock from the first event of the day. Hardee, a well under 14-seconds hurdler, wasn’t at his best level from the start of the race finally clocking 14.20s and lost a lot of valuable points. In comparison t the 13.71s result in his personal best series Hardee lost 63 points and is now in third place only 4 points behind Krauchanka having scored 5377p. But the American has a point to prove in the next event – he did not do well in his PB series with only a 42.41m discus result there. He has a 52.68m personal best from another decathlon this season and can gain 200p if he reaches this kind of result. Hardee would need this boost if he wants to challenge Krauchanka for the silver medal.
Oleksiy Kasyanov (UKR) bettered his personal best in hurdles with 14.37s result and is fourth with 5335 points. The Ukranian will drop in placings in the next three events where he could lose more than 500p against some of the top names. Cuban Leonel Suárez had another good event missing his personal best by only 0.03s with a 14.12s clocking in the hurdles. The 20-year-old is now fifth with 5252p and is fighting for a medal here.
Aleksandr Pogorelov (RUS) hurdled 14.47s and is in 6th place with 5198 and reigning Olympic champion Roman Sebrle (CZE) is in 7th place with 5197p following a 14.71s season’s best in the first event of day two. Yordanis García (CUB) was fastest in the hurdles with a personal best 13.90s and is only one point behind Sebrle with 5196p.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
2008 world leading athlete with 8832p at the Olympic Trials, Bryan Clay (USA), completed the first event of second day, 110m hurdles in 13.93s to gain some more points against the other medal contenders. 2004 Olympic Games silver medallist is now leading with 5505 points and still has Olympic record 8893p within reach. Clay has now extended his lead to 124 points and next event, discus, is very good for the American with a 52.74m throw in his personal best series.
22-year-old Belarussian Andrei Krauchanka had another good event clocking 14.21s and will be very close to set a new personal best in this competition, now his best is 8617p from 2007. In the Osaka World Championships his decathlon stopped at the first event, but now 5381 points and second place at this stage gives him a very good shot at a medal. Krauchanka’s competition will be decided in the next event, discus, which is not one of his best events. The Belarussian has a 41.85m result in his SB series and has a personal best 45.49m from this season.
Trey Hardee’s (USA) quest for a medal received a huge knock from the first event of the day. Hardee, a well under 14-seconds hurdler, wasn’t at his best level from the start of the race finally clocking 14.20s and lost a lot of valuable points. In comparison t the 13.71s result in his personal best series Hardee lost 63 points and is now in third place only 4 points behind Krauchanka having scored 5377p. But the American has a point to prove in the next event – he did not do well in his PB series with only a 42.41m discus result there. He has a 52.68m personal best from another decathlon this season and can gain 200p if he reaches this kind of result. Hardee would need this boost if he wants to challenge Krauchanka for the silver medal.
Oleksiy Kasyanov (UKR) bettered his personal best in hurdles with 14.37s result and is fourth with 5335 points. The Ukranian will drop in placings in the next three events where he could lose more than 500p against some of the top names. Cuban Leonel Suárez had another good event missing his personal best by only 0.03s with a 14.12s clocking in the hurdles. The 20-year-old is now fifth with 5252p and is fighting for a medal here.
Aleksandr Pogorelov (RUS) hurdled 14.47s and is in 6th place with 5198 and reigning Olympic champion Roman Sebrle (CZE) is in 7th place with 5197p following a 14.71s season’s best in the first event of day two. Yordanis García (CUB) was fastest in the hurdles with a personal best 13.90s and is only one point behind Sebrle with 5196p.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
