Jana Rawlinson (l) and Anna Jesien in Warsaw (© Danuta Gaczkowska)
Warsaw, PolandAsafa Powell and three Osaka World Champions were the biggest stars of the 5th Pedro’s Cup meeting held in Warsaw on Wednesday (19) in cool conditions, at the end of the evening dipping to 10 C.
Powell cruises...
With great interest the spectators waited for the final event, the men’s 100m race with World record holder Asafa Powell. The Jamaican won easily in 10.12, running against a 0.4 m/s wind. He won with a 2.5 metre advantage over Slovenia’s Osaka finalist Matic Osovnikar (10.37), American Mike Rodgers and 2003 World Champion Kim Collins (SKN), with both running 10.38. Again the weather prevented Powell from dipping under 10 seconds in Warsaw. Running in heavy rain last year, Powell clocked 10.02. After the race Powell confirmed his busy late season schedule. After this weekend’s World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, where he’ll contest the 100m, he’ll wrap up his season with 200m races in Shanghai and Yokohama.
...Wariner dominates
Jeremy Wariner began the competition with a ride, along with Powell and Marek Plawgo, in a horse-driven-cab. On the field none of his rivals were even close. The American started with a fast pace and didn’t slow down until the final metres to clock 44.43. Second was Darold Williamson, Wariner’s training partner, in 46.05, who in the beginning of his career beat Wariner 14 times.
The fastest of six Poles was Plawgo, the Osaka 400m Hurdles bronze medallist, who because of the cold ran in his tracksuit and clocked 46.63. Plawgo complained about the high number of competitions after the World Championships, but hoped to run under 49 seconds at the IAAF World Athletics Final.
...and Hoffa repeats
The third star among the male competitors was American Resse Hoffa, the recently-minted World champion in the Shot Put, who similar to last year won with a throw of 20.64 on first attempt. Pole Tomasz Majewski, showing good form through the entire season, came close to Hoffa with his final attempt, reaching 20.53.
Following tradition, the competition began with the Hammer Throw. To make it more attractive for the spectators the throws were made alternately by a woman and then a man. A rare situation occurred in the men’s event as both Hungarian Krisztian Pars and Pole Szymon Ziolkowski had had equal bests of 75.62. The Hungarian was given the win as his second best throw was 75.44 to the Pole’s 74.86.
In the woman’s event none threw beyond 70 metres. The closest was Sydney Olympic Games winner Kamila Skolimowska with a throw of 69.82. Russian Gulfiya Khanafeyeva was second with 68.22. Two other Poles, who this season threw beyond 69 metres, Katarzyna Kita and Anita Wlodaryczk, settled for shorter results.
In an even-paced 3000m Steeplechase, winner Tomasz Szymkowiak crossed the line in 8:26.52, the best result in Poland this season. Finishing second, Rafal Snochowski improved his personal best to 8:31.54.
In the men’s High Jump Russian Andrey Tereshin and Helsinki World Champion Yuri Krimanrenko of Ukraine both jumped 2.24, but the winner was the Russian who achieved it on his first attempt. 4th was 18-year-old Sylwester Bednarek from Poland who cleared (2.20, same as Polish champion Aleksander Walerianczyk).
Sixth in Osaka, Ukrainian Serhiy Demydyuk won the 110m Hurdles in 13.46, beating Americans David Olivier (13.61) and Robbie Hughes (13.71). Junior World and European Champion, 19-year-old Artur Noga from Poland, switching to the higher hurdles, clocked 14.14.
In the woman’s events the most interest was associated with the 400m Hurdles. Jamaican Melaine Walker lead most of the race before World champion Jana Rawlinson took command en route to a 54.55 win. Poland’s Anna Jesien, the Osaka bronze medallist, was second (54.74) with Walker third (54.96). World leader Tiffany Williams of the US was fourth (55.60). Rawlinson said after her race that she enjoys returning to Poland, where she captured her first international title at the 1999 World Youth Championships.
Monika Pyrek cleared 4.60m in the women’s Pole Vault, topping German Carolin Hingst (4.50m) and Brazilian Fabiana Murer (4.40m). Encouraged by her good jumps, Pyrek then attempted to better the Anna Rogowska’s Polish Record with attempts at 4.84, but to no avail.
Briton Rebecca Lyne won the 1500m in a very stylish way. Leading with 800 metres to go she won in 4:09.06, well ahead of Pole Anna Zagorska-Rostkowska (4:13.33) and Slovenia’s Sonja Roman (4:13.81). Well back in fifth was Wioletta Janowska (4:18.83) who said after the race that she is not in top form and will give up slot for the World Athletics Final.
Sherone Simpson from Jamaica, the fastest in the world last season, won again in Warsaw in 11.64 beating Daria Onysko-Korczynska by only 0.01 of a second. Also winning in Warsaw for the second time was her compatriot Shericka Williams in the 400m run, timing 51.69, to beat her rivals by a country mile. Yulia Yurchanka from Belarus finished in 53.29.
In long jump Jana Veldekova from Slovakia was the only competitor to sail beyond 6.50m, winning with a 6.51m leap. Poland’s Malgorzata Trybanska, who is preparing to compete in Stuttgart, settled for fourth with a leap of 6.25m.
Janusz Rozum for the IAAF
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