Rui Silva (POR) wins the 2001 World Indoor 1500m title (© Getty Images)
Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Rui Silva grabbed a clear win in his first meeting race this season during the Meeting de Atletismo Iberoamericano held in Huelva (Spain) on Tuesday night.
The 27-year-old Portuguese clocked 3:35.15 to finish unchallenged with a notable lead over 2002 World Junior champion Morocco’s Yassine Bensghir, runner-up in 3:37.43 barely three days after lowering his PB to 3:35.04 for sixth in the Seville GP.
Silva broke away from the leading group after the bell and built a huge gap before slowing down in the home straight once he had secured the win.
Silva underwent surgery last winter and missed the European indoor championships in Madrid. He made twice a successful double (1500/3000) at both the European Club Cup in Lagos and the Portuguese Cup last May. Silva will next run in the Athens meeting.
Americans take top three spots in Shot Put
In the men’s Shot Put America’s Christian Cantwell recorded his second win on Spanish soil in the last three days with a 21.32-second round heave, not too far from his season’s best of 21.67m which he managed in Seville on Saturday. Cantwell had opened with 20.45m to finish with four fouls.
His fellow American Jamie Beyer was runner-up and produced a very consistent series topped by his last effort of 20.49m: 20.22-x-20.04-20.32-20.31-20.49. There was a close fight to take third and another American Dan Taylor prevailed over Spain’s Manuel Martínez, 19.95m and 19.94m their respective releases.
Reina and de la Ossa please home crowd
In the men’s 800m European indoor silver medallist Antonio Reina beat Morocco’s Mouhcine Chéhibi (1:46.00 versus 1:46.53). Reina rose to the top of the European list on Saturday by clocking 1:44.80 in Seville.
Panama’s Irving Saladino landed again over 8.00m in the Long Jump. The Brazil-based emerging talent leapt 8.12m (following wind of 0.2) while Olympic bronze medallist Joan Lino Martínez fell injured and is doubtful for the European Cup in Florence next 18-19 June.
Spain’s Juan Carlos de la Ossa gave the local crowd something to cheer about with his thrilling sprint victory in the 3000m from Ethiopia’ Saleh Warga. The in-form Spaniard set a PB of 7:42.16 for Warga’s 7:43.27.
European 3000m Steeplechase champion Antonio Jiménez broke the Spanish record in the unusually scheduled 2000m Steeplechase event. The 27-year-old lowered his own old mark (5:20.07 back in 2001) to win in 5:18.65 from 2003 World bronze medallist fellow Spaniard Eliseo Martín, runner-up in 5:24.79.
Slightly windy 14.66m leap for Rahouli
Baya Rahouli produced an impressive 2005 debut in Huelva. 6th at the Athens Olympics the Algerian flew to 14.66m in her fourth round aided by a wind of 2.1. Her furthest valid attempt was 14.45m in round two. Her complete series: 14.15 (-1.1) -14.45 (+1.4) - 14.30 (+1.2) - 14.66 (+2.1)- 14.26 (+0.8) – x.
Rahouli holds a 14.89m PB from the qualification round in Athens. Russia’s Yelena Oleynikova came second with a 14.29-fifth round effort - a season’s best - into a 1.3 headwind.
The women’s 1500m witnessed a gun-to-tape win by 2002 World 3000 junior silver medallist Morocco’s Mariem Alaoiu Selsouli who romped home in 4:09.93 well ahead of European 800m indoor silver medallist Spain’s Mayte Martínez, second in her 1500m debut clocking a praise-worthy 4:12.12.
Her compatriot and also European indoor medallist Ruth Beitia took the women’s High Jump with a 1.93m first time clearance.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
