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News03 Feb 2002


Records fall at Sparkassen Cup in Stuttgart

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Records Fall in Sparkassen Cup
Ed Gordon for the IAAF
3 February 2002 - Stuttgart, Germany -If the athletics community is trying to adjust to a milieu with infrequent world records, then the Stuttgart meeting must have been most unsettling.  In the space of fifteen minutes, two global standards fell at the 16th Sparkassen Cup meeting.

First, it was Svetlana Feofanova of Russia, the pole vault silver medallist in last year's World Championships, who leaped 4.71 on her final attempt to steal the top billing from American Stacy Dragila, who held the previous record of 4.70. 

Feofanova’s feat now sets up a highly-anticipated duel with Dragila in their first meeting of the year on Wednesday evening in Stockholm.       

The second record came in the afternoon's final event, the women's 3000 metres, as Berhane Adere cut almost four seconds off Gabriela Szabo's year-old mark with an 8:29.15 clocking. 

For Feofanova, already the season's leading vaulter, it seemed like business as usual.  Her last remaining challenger -Germany's Yvonne Buschbaum -departed at 4.57, having secured second place with 4.50.  That left the 21-year-old Russian alone to write her own script.  But it wasn't the one she had expected.

"I knew I was in condition this season to jump a world record, but I didn't think it would come today," she remarked, perhaps already formulating plans for the reported 25,000-Euro bonus for the record, the same amount earned by Adere.

But she doesn't think the news will come as a shock to Dragila.  "She knows I can jump this high."

Feofanova's initial critique of the record leap was that it was "a perfect jump", and she already has her sights on 4.80 sometime this year.  

Upcoming for the Russian will be the four stops of the Energizer series (Stockholm, Ghent, Birmingham, and Lievin), plus Athens.  Then, to end the indoor season, she will compete in the European Championships.

The Stuttgart meeting management delivered the ultimate insult to the women's 3000m runners by announcing a start time of 5:01pm, one minute after the live television broadcast was to end.

There was only one possible way for Adere to deal with this:  Run a world record and put the television moguls on the spot.

But a record was really far from her mind as she went to the line on an indoor track for the first time in her life. 

The slender Ethiopian had received an invitation to run only five days earlier, and she arrived from Addis Ababa only last evening. 

Her manager, Volker Wagner, prepared her well, however.  With sixteen runners on the start list, it was important--in view of her total inexperience with the banked 200-metre track--that she stick closely with the pacemakers and leave the pack behind.

That pack also included world 5K champion Olga Yegorova, who lagged behind throughout the first two kilometres and never mounted a challenge.

As the leaders passed the first kilometre in 2:50, Wagner shouted from the infield to Adere that a world record was possible.  After two kilometres in just under 5:42, Adere took over for the final five laps.

The capacity crowd of almost 7000 -brought to its feet by the stadium announcer -watched as the Ethiopian metronomically clicked off the final five laps of between 33 and 34 seconds to go into the record book as history's best in the 3K.

"I have never trained for indoor running," she said, adding that her main focus this winter was to do some cross-country and road races.  "But I really liked running indoors today.  The banked track felt very good."

In comparison to Adere, 18-year-old Kenyan Silas Kimutai (born 12 October 1983) was a seasoned veteran of indoor racing as he competed in his second under-the-roof event in the "B" section of the men's 800, which he won with poise in a world-leading 1:46.38.

The Jos Hermens-mentored Kimutai didn't have long to enjoy his fame as Hezekiel Sepeng won the top section in 1:46.15, deftly holding off a late challenge by Wilson Kipketer.  The Dane--making his first indoor starts since the 2000 season-- clocked 1:46.56 for second, as Joseph Mutua took third in the same time.

Another member of the seemingly endless Kenyan youth movement, Mike Too (born 3 August 1983), was hoping to copy Kimutai's success in his own event, the 1500.  And for a moment on the final lap, it looked as though he was going to succeed.

But with 40 metres remaining, Too seemed to tighten up as Rui Silva--the leader until Too took over--and Bouabdallah Tahri passed him before the finish.  The 3:35.87 time by the Portuguese was the season's best, and Tahri's 3:36.34 lowered the French national record previously held by Mehdi Baala.

For all his efforts, Too didn't come out empty-handed after all.  His 3:36.37 was a new world indoor junior record. 

It is unusual for deafening noise to be generated for a fifth-place finish, but when the object of adulation is local hero Dieter Baumann, making his first appearance in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in four years, it is understandable. 

With four laps remaining in the 3000 metres, Baumann appeared to be calculating a finishing move with great precision.  But in the end, the younger legs of Luke Kipkosgei (7:38.77) and three others forced the German to be satisfied with fifth in 7:40.68. 

In the women’s 400, Germany’s Grit Breuer managed to come off the second turn in the lead position, clocking 24.17 for the first 200 on her way to a world-leading 51.62, her second win of the weekend.

Sandie Richards (52.30) held off Suziann Reid (52.66) for the second spot.

Breuer had announced on Friday that she had been suffering from shingles, a nerve inflammation in the waist area caused by a virus. 

The afternoon’s hurdle events also were on a high level.

            With the European Championships only a month away in his home country, it now seems clear that Elmar Lichtenegger is being propelled to a great extent by visions of a gold medal in the men’s hurdles.

After dispatching Colin Jackson in Erfurt two nights ago in a personal-best 7.51, the 27-year-old Lichtennegger matched that time--after a 7.52 in the heats--in the absence of a strong personality like Jackson to give that often-needed push.

The muscular Austrian had a big lead over the first hurdle, and he extended it magnificently over the remainder of the course.

Yoel Hernandez of Cuba (7.64) and Germany’s Florian Schwarthoff (7.65) took the next two places.

“Yes, the European Championships in my home country is a real motivation for this season,” admitted the native of Carinthia, in southern Austria. 

It also helps that he is an astute student of hurdling technique, especially when getting small tips from time to time from more highly-decorated athletes.

“I’ve been doing short periods of training with Colin in Wales the past two years,” Lichtennegger explained.  “On every visit, I learned something new.  It has taken me a while to put these modifications into practice, but now it seems I have everything right.”

He will run in Stockholm and Gent during the next week, and then will enter a two-week period of “training, training, training.” 

Just like her male counterpart, Lacena Golding-Clarke concluded the weekend with her second hurdle win.  Despite her world-leading 7.88 time, she was pressured all the way to the finish line in her victory over Olga Shishigina of Kazakhstan (7.91) and fellow Jamaican Vonette Dixon (7.92).

Both sprint titles went to Americans.  Greg Saddler won a tight 60-metre race in 6.56 ahead of Brian Lewis and Gennadiy Chernovol, both timed in 6.59.  And Kellie White's 7.15 bested the 7.18 from Juliet Campbell and 7.20 by Chioma Ajunwa in the women's 60. 

World 400-metre silver medallist Ingo Schultz was spotlighted in the 200 metres, in which he finished second to Uchenna Emedolu of Nigeria, both being timed in a world-leading 20.84. 

The final tally for the day stood at two world records, plus world-leading marks in five other events.  Meeting director Fredy Schäfer had every reason to smile as he departed for the post-meeting banquet with the VIPs. 

RESULTS (all GER except as noted)

 

MEN

60 METRES:  1. Saddler (USA) 6.56;  2. Lewis (USA) and Chernovol (KAZ) 6.59;  4. Crawford (USA) 6.66;  5. Emedolu (NGR) 6.74.  Did not finish:  Scuderi (ITA).

Heat 1:  1. Saddler (USA) 6.59;  2. Crawford (USA) 6.62;  3. Emedolu (NGR) 6.66;  4. Mayola (CUB) 6.77;  5. Kochan 6.78;  6. Dubois (SUI) 6.88.

Heat 2:  1. Chernovol (KAZ) 6.61;  2. Scuderi (ITA) 6.64;  3. Lewis (USA) 6.65;  4. Patton (USA) 6.70;  5. Chyla (POL) 6.77;  6. Kosenkow 6.77.

200 METRES:  Race 1 (called “C”):  1. Jedrusinski (POL) 20.98;  2. Kosenkow 21.07;  3. Otto 21.54;  4. Koepfer 23.23.  

Race 2 (called “B”):  1. Patton (USA) 20.90;  2. Miller (USA) 20.94;  3. R Williams (JAM) 21.46;  4. Figura 22.31.

Race 3 (called “A”):  1. Emedolu (NGR) 20.84 (world leader);  2. Schultz 20.84 (world leader);  3. Riching 21.93. 

400 METRES:  1. Holz 47.20;  2. Pamboris 47.90;  3. Kinzy 47.92.

800 METRES:  Race 1 (called “B”): 1. Mohr 1:50.90;  2. Znojil (CZE) 1:51.08;  3. Resch (AUT) 1:51.16;  4. Pernica (CZE) 1:51.30 . . .

Race 2 (called “A2"):  1. S Kimutai (KEN) 1:46.38 (world leader);  2. Pires (POR) 1:47.33;  3. Lacasse (FRA) 1:47.53;  4. Oravec (CZE) 1:48.41;  5. Neunhauserer (ITA) 1:48.65;  6. Amine (MAR) 1:49.37;  7. Herms 1:49.55.  Pace:  R Chirchir (KEN) 24.80, 51.45, 1:19.18. 

Race 3 (called “A1"):  1. Sepeng (RSA) 1:46.15 (world leader);  2. Kipketer (DEN) 1:46.56;  3. Mutua (KEN) 1:46.56;  4. Schumann 1:46.86;  5. Assiat (FRA) 1:47.06;  6. Lelei (KEN) 1:47.10.  Pace:  Stejfa (CZE) 25.54, 52.41; Sepeng 1:19.13. 

1500 METRES:  Race 1 (called “B”):  1. Matschiner (AUT) 3:47.89;  2. Gussow 3:48.13;  3. Eitel 3:48.59;  4. Bandi (SUI) 3:49.49 . . .

Race 2 (called "A"):  1. Silva (POR) 3:35.87 (world leader);  2. Tahri (FRA) 3:36.34 NR;  3. Too (KEN) 3:36.37 (world junior record);  4. Chouki (FRA) 3:36.72;  5. Higuero (ESP) 3:37.65;  6. Czapiewski (POL) 3:38.96;  7. Chebili (FRA) 3:39.06;  8. Boukensa (ALG) 3:41.30;  9. Haschke 3:41.53;  10. Philipp (SUI) 3:42.94.  Pace:  Kreykamp (NED) 56.96, Tanui (KEN) 1:55.10, Silva 2:53.36.

3000 METRES:  1. L Kipkosgei (KEN) 7:38.77;  2. Goumri (MAR) 7:39.58;  3. Wolde (ETH) 7:40.16;  4. Abate (ETH) 7:40.54;  5. Baumann 7:40.68;  6. Hissou (MAR) 7:40.80;  7. Khaldi (ALG) 7:46.25;  8. Mekonnen (ETH) 7:50.21;  9. Adamassu (ETH) 7;52.49;  10. Belz (SUI) 7:59.82.  Did not finish:  Langat (KEN).  Pace:  Embaye 2:32.13, Hissou 5:07.38. 

60 HURDLES:  1. Lichtenegger (AUT) 7.51;  2. Yo. Hernandez (CUB) 7.64;  3. Schwarthoff 7.65;  4. Fenner 7.72;  5. Yu. Hernandez (CUB) 7.74;  6. Kronberg (SWE) 7.78.

Heat 1:  1. Lichtenegger (AUT) 7.52;  2. Yo. Hernandez (CUB) 7.56;  3. Schwarthoff 7.62;  4. Kronberg (SWE) 7.71;  5. Siebert 7.97.  Disqualified:  Edorh.

Heat 2:  1. Fenner 7.69;  2. Yu. Hernandez (CUB) 7.75;  3. Doucoure (FRA) 7.79;  4. Crews 7.82;  5. Leberer 7.95.  Did not finish:  Crear (USA).

LONG JUMP:  1. Lukashevych (UKR) 8.05;  2. Pedroso (CUB) 8.03;  3. Stringfellow (USA) 8.01;  4. Prah 7.87;  5. Bell (USA) 7.84;  6. Marciniszyn (POL) 7.78;  7. Streete-Thompson (CAY) 7.76;  8. Burkenya (RUS) 7.55;  9. Bigdeli 7.45;  10. Meliz (CUB) 7.40;  11. Rapp 7.26;  12. Eichert 7.25;  13. Eifert 7.15. 

 

WOMEN

 

60 METRES:  1. White (USA) 7.15;  2. Campbell (JAM) 7.18;  3. Ajunwa (NGR) 7.20;  4. Paschke 7.33;  5. Pendareva (BUL) 7.36.  Did not compete:  Kravchenko (UKR).

Heat 1:  1. Ajunwa (NGR) 7.20;  2. Campbell (JAM) 7.21;  3. Pendareva (BUL) 7.26;  4. Paschke 7.31;  5. Gaines (USA) 7.35.  Disqualified:  Ojokolo (NGR)

Heat 2:  1. White (USA) 7.22;  2. Kravchenko (UKR) 7.26;  3. Wagner 7.33;  4. G Rockmeier 7.36;  5. Philipp 7.37;  6. Wolf 7.67. 

400 METRES:  Race 1 (called “C”):  1. Urbansky 53.84;  2. Kampf 54.11;  3. Frenzel 60.29.

Race 2 (called “B”):  1. B Rockmeier 53.05;  2. Kapachinskaya (RUS) 53.54;  3. Ekpo-Umoh 54.15;  4. Hennagan (USA) 54.24. 

Race 3 (called “A”):  1. Breuer 51.62 (world leader);  2. Richards (JAM) 52.30;  3. Reid (USA) 52.66;  4. Colander-Richardson (USA) 53.53. 

800 METRES:  1. Cherkasova (RUS) 2:01.96;  2. Teichmann 2:02.10;  3. Fuchsova (CZE) 2:02.22;  4. Rodionova (RUS) 2:04.17;  5. Bragger (SUI) 2:04.58;  6. Gradzki 2:04.92;  7. Werner 2:08.36.  Did not finish:  Beutelspacher.  Pace:  Ionescu (ROM) 29.22, 58.76;  Fuchsova 1:30.93. 

3000 METRES:  1. Adere (ETH) 8:29.15 (world record);  2. Yegorova (RUS) 8:46.24;  3. Zadorozhnaya (RUS) 8:47.01;  4. Javornik (SLO) 8:47.49 NR;  5. Pumper (AUT) 8:52.06 NR;  6. da Fonseca-Wollheim 8:56.20;  7. Mockenhaupt 8:56.83;  8. Schulz 8:59.83;  9. Turova (BLR) 9:07.31;  10. Toth (HUN) 9:08.39;  11. Yordanova (BUL) 9:08.43;  12. Papp (HUN) 9:12.52;  13. Notz-Umberg (SUI) 9:28.26;  14. Belkacem (FRA) 9:37.57.  Pace:  Cioncan (ROM) 2:50.23, Komyagina (RUS) 5:41.62. 

60 HURDLES:  1. Golding-Clarke (JAM) 7.88 (world leader);  2. Shishigina (KAZ) 7.91;  3. Dixon (JAM) 7.92;  4. Lopez (CUB) 7.99;  5. Girard (FRA) 8.02;  6. Ferga (FRA) 8.05. 

Heat 1:  1. Girard (FRA) 8.04;  2. Lopez (CUB) 8.05;  3. Sprenger 8.16;  4. Krasovska (UKR) 8.20;  5. Martincova (CZE) 8.59. 

Heat 2:  1. Shishigina (KAZ) 7.97;  2. Dixon (JAM) 7.99;  3. Ferga (FRA) 8.03;  4. Hentschke 8.14;  5. Meyer 8.40.

Heat 3:  1. Golding-Clarke (JAM) 7.96;  2. Bolm 8.07;  3. Neyra (CUB) 8.16;  4. Ramalalanirina (FRA) 8.17;  5. Klein 8.39. 

HIGH JUMP:  1. Gyorffy (HUN) 1.97;  2. Kaliturina (RUS) 1.95;  3. Sivushenko (RUS) 1.93;  4. Herzenberg 1.87;  5. Melova (SVK) 1.87;  6. Slivka (RUS) 1.83;  7. Beitia (ESP) 1.83;  8. Schoetz 1.83.  No heignt:  Pop (ROM and Siener, at 1.78. 

POLE VAULT:  1. Feofanova (RUS) 4.71 (world record) [4.40 - 4.50 - 4.62 - 4.71/3];  2. Buschbaum 4.50 [4.20 - 4.30 - 4.40 - 4.50/2 - 4.57/xxx];  3. de Wilt (NED) 4.40;  4. Becker 4.40;  5. Adams 4.30;  6. Strutz 4.30;  7. Pyrek (POL) and Belyakova (RUS) 4.20;  9. Ryshich 4.20;  10. Schulte 4.00.

TRIPLE JUMP:  1. Marinova (BUL) 14.52 [14.38 - 14.39 - 14.43 - 14.52 - 14.37 - 14.39];  2. Bazhenova (RUS) 14.46 [14.05 - 14.46 - 14.06 - x - x - x];  3. Oleynikova (RUS) 14.38;  4. Pyatykh (RUS) 13.86;  5. Vasilyeva (RUS) 13.68;  6. Gastel 13.57;  7. Valant (SLO) 13.25;  8. Mbango (CMR) 13.14.

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