Lolo Jones celebrates her world leading mark in the 60m Hurdles in the AVIVA GP (© Getty Images)
World indoor season leads in the women’s 60m flat and Hurdles (equalled), along with the seventh quickest women's 3000m of all-time were the statistical heights of this afternoon’s Aviva Grand Prix at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. However, there was no arguing that the performances of three British athletes were the most appreciated attractions for the stadium crowd.
The Aviva Grand Prix is an IAAF Indoor permit meeting.
Jones and Jeter top world lists
Lolo Jones equalled her world season lead of 7.82 secs which she set last weekend in Karlsruhe with a confident 60m Hurdles victory. The World Indoor champion who was so unlucky to crash into a hurdle when seemingly dominating the Olympic 100m Hurdles final last summer, was in a class of here own on the NIA straightaway unchallenged from the start. Cuba’s World Indoor bronze medallist Anay Tejeda was the nearest to the American (8.00).
“There are still one or two things I can see that need tightening up,” confirmed Jones. “It’s good though because I can see there’s room for improvement.”
Jones was also qualified for the final of the flat dash but decided not to take-up her lane, and in the end that decision was probably justified given that compatriot Carmelita Jeter, after a late arrival in Birmingham and only three hours sleep, blasted to a world season lead and personal best of 7.11 sec for the 60m.
The 29-year-old Jeter, who was World bronze medallist over 100m in 2007 and had a previous career best for the indoor 60 of 7.17 also set in the same year, was never pressed by a field which included veteran Chandra Sturrup (7.20, 3rd) and reigning World Indoor champion Angela Williams (7.23; 4th). It was Tahesia Harrigan who in the end became Jeter’s closest advisory finishing runner-up in 7.18.
Tired Isinbayeva
The expected meeting highlight had seemed certain to be the women’s Pole Vault with Russia’s prolific World record breaker Yelena Isinbayeva coming to Britain off the back of her latest global mark (5m) last weekend in Donetsk.
However, the World Athlete of the Year while securing the event with ease, a 4.82m second time clearance being much too good for the rest who were led by Brazil’s Fabiana Murer (4.60), was not to succeed at her real target. The Russian’s three attempts at a would be one centimetre improvement of her World record was not to be.
The World and Olympic champion’s first vault at 5.01m brought the bar down quite heavily, while she never properly attacked the height on her final two approaches sliding down her pole on both occasions like a fireman leaving their station in an emergency, without seriously attempting to execute a clearance.
“From the beginning today I didn’t feel so fresh because I was still tried from jumping in Donetsk,” said Isinbayeva.
A national record of 4.46m for Britain’s Kate Dennison took third place.
Confident Farah
A British best also came in the men’s 3000m where a majestic Mo Farah who is now exuding confidence in his running broke his recently set British record (7:40.99; 31 Jan) by 6 seconds. It was the manner of his victory that was truly impressive with the 25-year-old Briton sauntering away from 2007 World 1500m bronze medallist Shedrack Korir with a powerful stride that instantly evaporated any hopes that the Kenyan, who ran his 7:35.98 PB in Valencia on 14 February, might have possessed for the race. Farah’s two 1500m splits were 3:45.5 and 3:49.0, on his way to his national record 7:34.47 victory, while Korir ended up a well beaten but still an impressive runner-up in 7:38.61.
Typical late charge for Ohuruogu
And it was to be another Briton who brought what was generally a subdued stadium to their other crescendo of excitement, as Christine Ohuruogu, the World and Olympic 400m champion, captured the 200m with a characteristically late charge to the tape in 23.42 sec ahead of British champion Donna Fraser (23.47).
Ohuruogu also ran in 60m heats with a time of 7.54.
Williamson PB takes 60m
Simeon Williamson’s 6.53sec PB to win an exceptionally close 60m dash was certainly another home highlight this afternoon. The 2007 European U23 champion at 100m had just enough to hold-off a national record run by Antigua’s Daniel Bailey (6.54) and USA’s Ivory Williams (6.56) in a blanket finish that also saw another American Mark Jelks in the frame with the same time (6.56) which was his PB.
Second fastest times in the world for Jamal, Okoro and Christopher
A solo run by Bahrain’s World outdoor 1500m champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal opened the programme of events on the 200m oval this afternoon. Jamal who took the silver at last season’s World Indoor Championships in Valencia took a gun to tape victory in 4:02.74, the second fastest time in the world of this indoor season.
“With some help I am sure that I can get under 4 minutes,” said Jamal. “I ran hard from the start and kept the pace going which was good. It is hard at this time of the year to race over this distance on your own.”
The distinction of the second quickest time of 2009 also came in the women’s 800m with a British 1-2-3 bringing PBs and sub 2mins clockings for the first two home, Marylyn Okoro (1:59.27) and Jenny Meadows (1:59.52). Okoro’s time is only bettered this year by Italy’s Elisa Cusma Piccione (1:59.25). In third was Britain’s Vicky Griffiths who just held off Holland’s Yvonne Hak, both credited with 2:02.30.
Tyler Christopher, the World Indoor 400m champion, was supposed to duel with Sweden’s Johan Wissman who had been runner-up to the Canadian in those World championships in Valencia last winter but that battle was never really joined today.
As the bell sounded in the 400m it was Britain’s Richard Buck who was the surprise leader ahead of Christopher and the Swede. But with Christopher’s experience an upset was never really on the cards, the World champion perfectly executing his decisive attack off the final bend which took him past the Briton about 10 metres from the finish.
Christopher’s 46.08 sec was the second fastest run in the world this winter, with Buck’s brave challenge netting him a 46.22 PB with Wissman, never seriously in the hunt, third in 46.39. Xavier Carter in his second meeting back from injury placed fourth in 47.02.
[NB: Claudio Licciardello clocked a world leading 46.03 at the Italian championships this afternoon. ]
Choge over Lagat
The crowd was momentarily also uplifted by the prospect of a home win in the men’s 1500m as Neil Speaight came to the shoulder of long-time leader Augustine Choge the Commonwealth 5000m champion. But it was not to be as Choge did more than enough to hang onto the lead and to breast the tape first (3:38.52), while Bernard Lagat, the World 1500 and 5000m champion, came past the Briton on the final bend (2nd 3:38.69) and 2001 World Indoor gold medallist Rui Silva (3:38.99) came late also passing the local lad in the final straight. But Speaight still managed to go sub 3:40 for fourth (3:39.17).
Seventh quickest all-time for Cheruiyot
A solo 3000m run by Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot in what was only her second ever indoor competition brought with it a Kenyan indoor record of 8:30.53, the seventh fastest time in history. Well adrift of Cheruiyot, the World 5000m silver medallist, who had run her previous PB only last week when winning in Valencia (8:42.13) was Jessica Augusto of Portugal who set a PB of 8:44.81, with a career best of 8:51.96 also going to Zakia Mrisho of Tanzania (8:51.96) in third. The Kenyan’s time was the fastest ever time run in Britain, her two 1500m splits being (4:14.5 and 4:16.1).
Bungei bounces back
Olympic 800m champion Wilfred Bungei who had been an also-ran mid-week in Stockholm was back into better racing shape today, taking the lead at the bell he was never to be headed in the 800m despite a strong challenge from Kenyan Richard Kiplagat for the last 100m of the race (1:47.21) and a late attack from the fast improving talent of Uganda’s 20-year-old Abraham Chepkirwok (1:47.47). Bungei won in 1:47.15.
Manson betters an off-song Ukhov
Ivan Ukhov has been in stunning form all season in the High Jump and following a second place in his opening competition of the winter has been unbeatable in a string of six competitions topped by his 2.37m world season lead when taking the Russian title last week. This triumphant run ended today with the 22-year-old finishing second on a relatively lowly 2.27, his three attempts at 2.31 all being pretty poor. Succeeding at that height on his first approach to the bar was USA’s Andra Manson a jump which was enough for the win.
On an afternoon when the jumpers were crossing a very busy 60m sprint straightaway we should perhaps be pleased that we even saw a clearance of this magnitude today, as the opportunity to properly concentrate on their competition was at a premium today for the high jump field as a whole.
USA’s Dexter Faulk has been in great form recently winning in the IAAF indoor permit meetings in Karlsruhe and Stockholm, in the former setting his 60m Hurdles personal best of 6.50 sec. Today the 24-year-old upstaged a field of more established names including the Olympic silver and bronze medallists at the 110m Hurdles, David Payne and David Oliver, who today could not match their compatriot finishing second (7.55) and fourth (7.57) respectively. Faulk won in 7.54 with another American Joel Brown splitting the two David’s (7.56).
In the special 3 event challenge (LJ, 60H, 400m), Olympic Heptathlon Natalya Dobrynska who had been suffering from a temperature earlier in the week finished a lowly fifth overall (2689pts) with World Indoor Pentathlon bronze medallist Anna Bogdanova taking the victory (2911pts).
Cuba’s David Giralt won the men’s Triple Jump with a second round 17.13m effort. The World Indoor silver medallist was the only man beyond 17m.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
Click here for RESULTS
