Tonique Williams-Darling can hardly believe she won gold in the 400m (© Getty Images)
Bahamas’ World and Olympic champion Tonique Williams-Darling prevailed over Mexico’s Ana Gabriela Guevara at the 400m, providing the highlight of the NACAC permit meeting, Gala Banamex 2006, in this city (13 May).
A great night of athletics reached its climax with the women’s 400m between Williams-Darling and Guevara. The Bahamian took off fast as usual, taking a good lead and passing half way in around 23.4. Guevara ran a solid curve and they ran neck and neck until Williams-Darling found an extra gear and went on to win in a season best of 50.28, ahead of Guevara, who clocked 51.08 in her first race of 2006. Hungary’s Barbara Petrahn was third in 51.50.
“I am happy with my race and my time, half a second faster than my previous race and considering the cool weather,” said Williams-Darling. “Ana is a great athlete and I am sure we will see her running faster this year. We will eventually team-up in the Americas team for the World Cup with two other women like the Jamaicans and Christine (Amertil), we will be able to challenge the 4x400m relay World record in Athens. I will be ready to run under 50 seconds at my next meet”, concluded a smiling Williams-Darling.
“It is a long season. She ran over 50 seconds and I had a problem before coming here. We are in good form. We will analyse the race and correct our mistakes”, said Guevara.
Guevara and Williams-Darling waved to the crowd and thanked them for a great support during the race. Both are expected to meet again in two weeks, at the Prefontaine Classic - IAAF World Athletics Tour meet - in Eugene.
Jones – 11.06
Marion Jones, competing for the first time in eleven months, became the first of the 12 winners at the Heriberto Jara stadium, in front of an enthusiast pack crowd of over 12,000.
Running in lane five, the 30-year old sprinter cruised to a smooth and comfortable 100m win over countrywoman, 2003 World champion Torry Edwards (11.30) and US Virgin Islands´ Laverne Jones (11.48).
The 11.06 was only 0.02 seconds slower than the best time of the season, set by 200m World champion Allyson Felix in April.
“I enjoyed coming to Mexico last year,” said Jones. “My result was not all that great so I wanted to make up for it. I know training was going well, but until you get in a race situation, you never know”, a happy Jones said after waving to the crowd.
“I am pleased overall with my time, running 11.06 into negative wind (-0.5). I did not want to make any predictions, just to run well and win the race. I plan to run a few 200m as I want to run 200m at the Nationals. It will be my first 200m in around two years. I am now back home to get ready for the next meet wherever that will me,” she added.
Phillips leaps 8.30m; Merritt runs 20.18 at 200m
World and Olympic champion Dwight Phillips produced two 8.30m efforts, in the third and fourth round of the men’s Long Jump to win over his countrymen Brian Johnson (8.23) and Bashir Ramzy (8.09).
“It was a decent mark for my first competition,” said Phillips. “I am satisfied. The more I compete, the better I will get. The competition was delayed by 15-20 minutes in the sixth round and it was bit could, but I was definitely going to jump in the sixth round. I decided to relax and look forward to my next competition at Prefontaine Classic. My main objective this year is to break the World record. I know I am capable of doing. I think it is going down this year”, concluded a smiling Phillips while signing autographs to the crowd. The 28-year-old had won the Banamex Grand Prix in Mexico City in 2004 and another Banamex meet in Hermosillo last season.
Profiting from the city’s 1400m high altitude, LaShawn Merrit looked impressive in the 200m with a personal best of 20.18, very close to the season’s top performance (20.08), set by Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.
Bolt was a last minute absentee due to visa problems, but Merrit, a 400m specialist, prevailed over sprinters Rodney Martin (20.35) and Jamaica’s Ricardo Williams (20.58).
“I wanted to come and do a good race,” said Merrit. “I had to warm up well. Get out hard, there some 100 men who finish so strong and that is what I did. I will run a couple of more 200m to work on my speed and hopefully put it all together for get ready for next year.”
Kikaya - 44.72
Congo’s Gary Kikaya completed a back-to-back campaign in Mexico, posting a season best of 44.72 in the men’s 400m. Kikaya beat 2003 Pan American Games champion Mitch Potter of the US, second in 45.06. Jamaica’s Sanjay Ayre was third in 45.50.
USA’s Multiple World champion Allen Johnson hit the ninth hurdle and fell back to seventh in the men’s 110m Hurdles, after running closely in the front with eventual winner, his countryman Robby Hughes. The winner stopped the clock in a personal best of 13.26 (0.0), close to the season standard of 13.22, set by Terrence Trammell of the US at the end of April. Two other US hurdlers, David Payne (13.37) and Aubrey Herring (13.44) rounded up the podium spots. Johnson, who ran 13.08 in Mexico City in 2004 and 13.39 in Hermosillo last year, clocked 14.46.
With a slight rain before and during the meet, the Pole Vault contest did not produce the results athletes expected. Russ Buller´s first successful attempt over 5.63m gave him the joint win with his fellow Americans, 2006 World Indoor champion Brad Walker and Jeff Hartwig, and Toby Stevenson all clearing the same height. 2004 Olympic champion Tim Mack did not have his best day and finished fifth in 5.38.
Kenya’s Genovena Gelagat and Patrick Langat prevented the Mexicans from a home win respectively in the women’s and men’s 5000m races. Gelagat showed a strong kick to overhaul Mexico’s Madai Perez in the last 200m, winning in 15:55.14, followed by Perez (15:57.84) and another Mexican, Dulce Maria Rodriguez (16:02.64). In the men’s race, the last event of the Gala, Langat made his move with five laps to go and went on to win in 13.45.21. His countryman Isaac Kimaiyo was faster than David Galvan and took second in 13:50.90 for 13:50.94 the Mexican.
Other winners were US Virgin Islands Laverne Jones in the 200m (23.04), Jamaica’s 2005 Helsinki World Championships finalist Dwight Thomas in the 100m (10.21), and Canada’s Nicole Forrester in the High Jump (1.84).
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF
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