Sajad Moradi at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka (© Getty Images)
Amidst a general dip in performance levels, Malaysian Lee Hup Wei stood out by equalling his personal best to win his third high jump title on the trot as the Asian Grand Prix series ended on a wet note in this Southern Metropolis on Wednesday (9).
Overnight rains, followed by a steady drizzle through the day brought the temperatures down but left the track a little soggy and run-ups slightly slippery. In the event, the horizontal jumps that were so prominent in the previous leg in Bangalore, produced sub-standard marks and, rather more disappointingly, the throws also failed to rise to expectations.
Lee Hup Wei’s 2.27m was not the sole highlight in this third and last leg of the Asian GP circuit. Iranian Sajad Moradi bettered a meet record in the men’s 800m to also take his third straight title, and two relatively lesser known sprinters from Papua New Guinea, Nelson Stone in the men’s 400m, and Toea Wisil in the women’s 100m scored over better-rated rivals to spoil the latters’ unbeaten run so far on the circuit.
Lee Hup Wei and Moradi apart, six others, all women, made a clean sweep of the titles in the three legs (eight events each in men and women’s sections) that were contested. They were Chandrika Rasnayaka of Sri Lanka (400m), Anastasiya Suprunova of Kazakhstan (100m Hurdles), Svetlana Radzivil of Uzbekistan (High Jump), Aleksandra Kotlyarova of Uzbekistan (Triple Jump), Liu Xiangrong of China (Shot Put) and Krishna Poonia of India (Discus).
Since winning the Asian title in Amman in 2007, with a mark of 2.24m, Lee Hup Wei had equalled that height five times including at Bangalore in the previous leg. But he had been able to cross that height only once before this day, scaling 2.27m in the Good Luck meet in Beijing prior to the Olympics.
Today, he had a first-time clearance of 2.24m and scaled 2.27m on his third attempt, pushed as he was by Wang Chen who also had cleared 2.24m on his first attempt. In fact, Wang was in first place till then, having succeeded at 2.20m on his first attempt compared to Lee’s second.
The 23-year-old Malaysian tried 2.30m twice, failed and gave up. His 2.27m put him among the top 10 in the world lists for the season. Three years ago, Kazakh Sergey Zassimovich had cleared that height to set the meeting mark. Today the Kazakh was down to joint sixth at 2.10m. Indian Nikhil Chittrasu took the bronze at 2.15m.
Moradi produced an effortless finish in the 800m, opening up his arms through the last 40 metres as he outclassed a modest field on the straight for his 1:47.28 that just about bettered his meeting record of 1:47.70 set in Pune in the opening leg of this circuit.
The 27-year-old Iranian did not have much of an opposition. The best came from Pankaj Dimri, a 20-year-old Indian, who clocked a personal best of 1:48.05 for the silver, the same medal that he had won in the second leg, too.
The men’s short dash produced an upset. The Asian champion, Zhang Peimeng, who looked composed on the blocks, had a poorer start than Indonesian Suryo Agung Wibowo, the South East Asian Games champion, and that settled the argument.
Wibowo held off a late threat from the Chinese to romp home in 10.41 seconds. Zhang Peimeng (10.45) and Sri Lankan Shehan Abeypitiyage (10.53) took the silver and bronze. The Chinese had won in Bangalore while the Sri Lankan had provided an upset in the opening leg in Pune.
Nelson Stone had a surprise in store for Indian S. K. Mortaja in the men’s 400m. He came from behind on the final curve to beat the field, pulling decisively away in the last 50 metres to clock the best so far in the circuit, a 47.01s. Mortaja and his teammate P. Knhumohammed followed the Papua New Guinean.
Henry Dagmil of the Philippines won his first-ever Asian GP title, kicking sand at 7.69m to edge Chinese Yu Zhenwei (7.63m). After the top three crossed eight metres in Bangalore, this was a low-key contest.
The men’s triple jump also provided ordinary fare compared to the previous leg where Indian record holder Renjith Maheswary had reached 17 metres. Today, the Indian could not match Chinese Wu Bo’s second-round jump of 16.73m and settled for the silver at 16.64m.
Guzel Khubbieva’s unbeaten run in the women’s 100m, since she started winning in June 2008 in the Asian GP series, was broken by little-known Toea Wisil. By the half-way mark, the Papua New Guinean had the edge over the veteran Uzbek whose challenge was surprisingly listless. Wisil clocked 11.66 to Khubbieva’s 11.72. Indian H. M. Jyothi picked up her customary bronze in 11.79.
The front-running Indian Tintu Luka made it a start-to-finish treat for the home fans. She proved too much for the rest to handle in the women’s 800m. The others including Margarita Matsko of Kazakhstan produced their final kick rather too late, on the home straight, though Luka, who led unchallenged up to the 600-metre mark was fast tiring into the last stretch.
Luka, hospitalized in Bangalore with food poisoning apparently suffered in Pune, timed 2:03.67 and had plenty to spare on the straight, though Matsko closed the gap considerably towards the finish for a timing of 2:04.42, fractionally ahead of Indian Sushma Devi (2:04.76).
Luka’s coach, P. T. Usha, once the undisputed sprint champion of Asia, was happy that her ward had brought off a victory that had eluded her in Pune. Yet, she was a little disappointed that the timing remained ordinary despite a good opening lap of 58-second-plus. She said her protégé would now concentrate on her training for the next one and a half months before getting down to competition in the Asian All-Stars meet in Delhi in July.
By An IAAF Correspondent
Leading results -
Men:
100m: 1.Suryo Agung Wibowo (Ina) 10.41, 2.Zhang Peimeng (Chn) 10.45, 3.Sheahan Abeypitiyage (Sri) 10.53.
400m: 1.Nelson Stone (PNG) 47.01, 2. S.K.Mortaza (Ind) 47.29, 3.P. Kunhumohammed (Ind) 47.43.
800m: 1.Sajad Moradi (Iri), 1:47.28, 2. Pankaj Dimri (Ind) 1:48.05, 3Ghamanda Ram (Ind) 1:48.27.
110 Hurdles: 1.Ji Wei (Chn) 13.64, 2. Fawaz Al Shammari (Kuw) 14.27, 3. Shota Shitamichi (Jpn) 14.38.
High Jump: Lee Hup Wei (Mas) 2.27, Wang Chen (Chn) 2.24, 3. Nikhil Chittarasu (Ind) 2.15.
Long Jump: 1.Henry Dagmil (Phi) 7.69, 2.Yu Zhenwei (Chn) 7.63, 3.Hari Krishnan (Ind) 7.54 .
Triple Jump: 1.Wu Bo (Chn) 16.73, 2 Renjith Maheswary (Ind) 16.60, 3. Roman Valiyev (Kaz) 16.43.
Shot Put: 1. Zhang Jun (Chn) 18.64, 2. Om Prakash (Ind) 18.45 m. 3.Chang Ming-Huang (Tpe) 17.90.
Women:
100m: 1.Toea Wisil (PNG) 11.66, 2. Guzel Khubbieva (Uzb) 11.72 , 3. H. M. Joythi (Ind) 11.79.
400m: 1.Chandrika S.Rasnayaka (Sri) 53.47, 2. Salome Dell (PNG) 55.35, Ranjana Roy (Ind) 55.85.
800m: 1.Tintu Luka (Ind) 2:03.67, 2. Margarita Matsko (Kaz) 2:04.42, 3.Sushma Devi (Ind) 2:04.76.
100m Hurdles: 1.Anastasiya Suprunova (Kaz) 13.49, 2. Dedah Erawati (Ina) 13.63, 3.Gayathri Govindaraj (Ind) 13.80.
High Jump: 1.Svetlana Radzivil (Uzb) 1.91, 2. Anna Ustinova (Kaz) 1.85, 3. Sahana Kumari (Ind) 1.75.
Triple Jump: 1.Aleksandra Kotlyarova (Uzb) 13.74, 2. Valeriya Kanatova (Uzb) 13.62, 3.Liu Yanan (Chn) 13.57.
Shot Put 1.Liu Xiangrong (Chn) 17.95, 2.Chia Ying Lin (Tpe) 15.94, 3.Manpreet Kaur (Ind) 14.63.
Discus Throw: 1.Krishna Poonia (Ind) 59.94, 2.Harwant Kaur (Ind) 59.36, 3.Seema Antil (Ind) 55.60.
By An IAAF Correspondent
Click here for full results
Overnight rains, followed by a steady drizzle through the day brought the temperatures down but left the track a little soggy and run-ups slightly slippery. In the event, the horizontal jumps that were so prominent in the previous leg in Bangalore, produced sub-standard marks and, rather more disappointingly, the throws also failed to rise to expectations.
Lee Hup Wei’s 2.27m was not the sole highlight in this third and last leg of the Asian GP circuit. Iranian Sajad Moradi bettered a meet record in the men’s 800m to also take his third straight title, and two relatively lesser known sprinters from Papua New Guinea, Nelson Stone in the men’s 400m, and Toea Wisil in the women’s 100m scored over better-rated rivals to spoil the latters’ unbeaten run so far on the circuit.
Lee Hup Wei and Moradi apart, six others, all women, made a clean sweep of the titles in the three legs (eight events each in men and women’s sections) that were contested. They were Chandrika Rasnayaka of Sri Lanka (400m), Anastasiya Suprunova of Kazakhstan (100m Hurdles), Svetlana Radzivil of Uzbekistan (High Jump), Aleksandra Kotlyarova of Uzbekistan (Triple Jump), Liu Xiangrong of China (Shot Put) and Krishna Poonia of India (Discus).
Since winning the Asian title in Amman in 2007, with a mark of 2.24m, Lee Hup Wei had equalled that height five times including at Bangalore in the previous leg. But he had been able to cross that height only once before this day, scaling 2.27m in the Good Luck meet in Beijing prior to the Olympics.
Today, he had a first-time clearance of 2.24m and scaled 2.27m on his third attempt, pushed as he was by Wang Chen who also had cleared 2.24m on his first attempt. In fact, Wang was in first place till then, having succeeded at 2.20m on his first attempt compared to Lee’s second.
The 23-year-old Malaysian tried 2.30m twice, failed and gave up. His 2.27m put him among the top 10 in the world lists for the season. Three years ago, Kazakh Sergey Zassimovich had cleared that height to set the meeting mark. Today the Kazakh was down to joint sixth at 2.10m. Indian Nikhil Chittrasu took the bronze at 2.15m.
Moradi produced an effortless finish in the 800m, opening up his arms through the last 40 metres as he outclassed a modest field on the straight for his 1:47.28 that just about bettered his meeting record of 1:47.70 set in Pune in the opening leg of this circuit.
The 27-year-old Iranian did not have much of an opposition. The best came from Pankaj Dimri, a 20-year-old Indian, who clocked a personal best of 1:48.05 for the silver, the same medal that he had won in the second leg, too.
The men’s short dash produced an upset. The Asian champion, Zhang Peimeng, who looked composed on the blocks, had a poorer start than Indonesian Suryo Agung Wibowo, the South East Asian Games champion, and that settled the argument.
Wibowo held off a late threat from the Chinese to romp home in 10.41 seconds. Zhang Peimeng (10.45) and Sri Lankan Shehan Abeypitiyage (10.53) took the silver and bronze. The Chinese had won in Bangalore while the Sri Lankan had provided an upset in the opening leg in Pune.
Nelson Stone had a surprise in store for Indian S. K. Mortaja in the men’s 400m. He came from behind on the final curve to beat the field, pulling decisively away in the last 50 metres to clock the best so far in the circuit, a 47.01s. Mortaja and his teammate P. Knhumohammed followed the Papua New Guinean.
Henry Dagmil of the Philippines won his first-ever Asian GP title, kicking sand at 7.69m to edge Chinese Yu Zhenwei (7.63m). After the top three crossed eight metres in Bangalore, this was a low-key contest.
The men’s triple jump also provided ordinary fare compared to the previous leg where Indian record holder Renjith Maheswary had reached 17 metres. Today, the Indian could not match Chinese Wu Bo’s second-round jump of 16.73m and settled for the silver at 16.64m.
Guzel Khubbieva’s unbeaten run in the women’s 100m, since she started winning in June 2008 in the Asian GP series, was broken by little-known Toea Wisil. By the half-way mark, the Papua New Guinean had the edge over the veteran Uzbek whose challenge was surprisingly listless. Wisil clocked 11.66 to Khubbieva’s 11.72. Indian H. M. Jyothi picked up her customary bronze in 11.79.
The front-running Indian Tintu Luka made it a start-to-finish treat for the home fans. She proved too much for the rest to handle in the women’s 800m. The others including Margarita Matsko of Kazakhstan produced their final kick rather too late, on the home straight, though Luka, who led unchallenged up to the 600-metre mark was fast tiring into the last stretch.
Luka, hospitalized in Bangalore with food poisoning apparently suffered in Pune, timed 2:03.67 and had plenty to spare on the straight, though Matsko closed the gap considerably towards the finish for a timing of 2:04.42, fractionally ahead of Indian Sushma Devi (2:04.76).
Luka’s coach, P. T. Usha, once the undisputed sprint champion of Asia, was happy that her ward had brought off a victory that had eluded her in Pune. Yet, she was a little disappointed that the timing remained ordinary despite a good opening lap of 58-second-plus. She said her protégé would now concentrate on her training for the next one and a half months before getting down to competition in the Asian All-Stars meet in Delhi in July.
By An IAAF Correspondent
Leading results -
Men:
100m: 1.Suryo Agung Wibowo (Ina) 10.41, 2.Zhang Peimeng (Chn) 10.45, 3.Sheahan Abeypitiyage (Sri) 10.53.
400m: 1.Nelson Stone (PNG) 47.01, 2. S.K.Mortaza (Ind) 47.29, 3.P. Kunhumohammed (Ind) 47.43.
800m: 1.Sajad Moradi (Iri), 1:47.28, 2. Pankaj Dimri (Ind) 1:48.05, 3Ghamanda Ram (Ind) 1:48.27.
110 Hurdles: 1.Ji Wei (Chn) 13.64, 2. Fawaz Al Shammari (Kuw) 14.27, 3. Shota Shitamichi (Jpn) 14.38.
High Jump: Lee Hup Wei (Mas) 2.27, Wang Chen (Chn) 2.24, 3. Nikhil Chittarasu (Ind) 2.15.
Long Jump: 1.Henry Dagmil (Phi) 7.69, 2.Yu Zhenwei (Chn) 7.63, 3.Hari Krishnan (Ind) 7.54 .
Triple Jump: 1.Wu Bo (Chn) 16.73, 2 Renjith Maheswary (Ind) 16.60, 3. Roman Valiyev (Kaz) 16.43.
Shot Put: 1. Zhang Jun (Chn) 18.64, 2. Om Prakash (Ind) 18.45 m. 3.Chang Ming-Huang (Tpe) 17.90.
Women:
100m: 1.Toea Wisil (PNG) 11.66, 2. Guzel Khubbieva (Uzb) 11.72 , 3. H. M. Joythi (Ind) 11.79.
400m: 1.Chandrika S.Rasnayaka (Sri) 53.47, 2. Salome Dell (PNG) 55.35, Ranjana Roy (Ind) 55.85.
800m: 1.Tintu Luka (Ind) 2:03.67, 2. Margarita Matsko (Kaz) 2:04.42, 3.Sushma Devi (Ind) 2:04.76.
100m Hurdles: 1.Anastasiya Suprunova (Kaz) 13.49, 2. Dedah Erawati (Ina) 13.63, 3.Gayathri Govindaraj (Ind) 13.80.
High Jump: 1.Svetlana Radzivil (Uzb) 1.91, 2. Anna Ustinova (Kaz) 1.85, 3. Sahana Kumari (Ind) 1.75.
Triple Jump: 1.Aleksandra Kotlyarova (Uzb) 13.74, 2. Valeriya Kanatova (Uzb) 13.62, 3.Liu Yanan (Chn) 13.57.
Shot Put 1.Liu Xiangrong (Chn) 17.95, 2.Chia Ying Lin (Tpe) 15.94, 3.Manpreet Kaur (Ind) 14.63.
Discus Throw: 1.Krishna Poonia (Ind) 59.94, 2.Harwant Kaur (Ind) 59.36, 3.Seema Antil (Ind) 55.60.
By An IAAF Correspondent
Click here for full results
