Limei Xie of China triple jumps to gold at the Asian Games (© Getty Images)
Sergey Zasimovich and Xie Limei posted personal bests and Asia's leading marks for the season respectively in the men's High Jump and women's Triple Jump as the 2007 Asian Grand Prix series got off to a rousing start at the National Stadium here today, Tuesday (19).
Zasimovich sailed over the bar at 2.30 metres, bettering his previous best of 2.23 metres achieved last year, while Xie Limei, one of the six Asian Games women's champions in the field here, pulled off a last-round jump of 14.73m to outclass the triple jumping opposition and establish an Area record.
It was not solely a day of the favourites, though, with the Asian Games Triple Jump champion in the men's section, Li Yanxi, finishing a shocking sixth in an event won by Indian Renjith Maheswary with 16.68 metres.
On his way to his father’s heights
Sergey Zasimovich 'junior' was not born when his father set a European record of 2.36 metres at Tashkent in May 1984. Sergey Zasimovich 'senior' only held that record for four months as his former Soviet team-mate, Valeriy Sereda went up to 2.37m at Reiti the same season.
At 2.14m today, where the others left him, Zasimovich 'junior' had one failure, but that was about the entire blemish he had this afternoon as he negotiated each subsequent height with great ease and style. He was through 2.24, 2.27 and 2.30 on his first attempts before he failed in all his three attempts at 2.33 metres. The 21-year-old Kazakh has promised to go higher in the next leg at Guwahati on 23 June.
Against such superb high jumping skills, Korean Kim Young-Min and Indian Hari Sankar Roy were forced to battle it out for the lesser medals. Both cleared 2.14, but on countback, the Korean clinched second, Roy having succeeded at that height only in his third attempt while Kim had done so on his first.
Alone over 14m
Twenty-one-year-old Xie Limei, after having found the runway too short for her comfort to begin with, adjusted herself as the competition progressed, to touch a new distance in women's Triple Jump. She had two other attempts beyond the 14-metre mark, while no one else went that far. The Chinese, Asian Games champion in Doha last year, had a previous best of 14.54m, achieved in Shijiazhuang last year.
The other 14.54m Asian woman from last year, Uzbek Anastasiya Zhuravlyeva was a notable absentee here from among the confirmed entries. China's Li Qian took second with 13.85m.
In the absence of Tamesue
There was disappointment in the last-minute withdrawal of Japanese Dai Tamesue, the two-time World Championships bronze medallist in the 400m Hurdles, who was expected to make a sweep of the circuit. Instead, we had Chinese Meng Yan, winner of the three legs last year, in front once again.
There was not much of a challenge from Yevgeniy Meleshenko as Meng Yan won in 49.47 seconds. The Kazakh clocked 50.16, with another Chinese Zhu Zhi threatening to edge him through the last stretch (50.86).
Chinese at a dash
If Tamesue was missed there was a surprise last-minute entry from China who raised the level of the men's dash. Wen Yongyi, winner of the 100 metres in all the three legs last season, who was not among the original entries, came and conquered a modest field without much ado.
The Chinese won in 10.44 seconds, easily pushing behind Thais Wachara Sondee (10.53) and Sittichai Suwonprateep (10.67) in the main men's 100m race. There were three other races. Indian Alaguvel Aravind was a last-minute pull-out.
Keen duel in women’s 100
Running into a headwind of 1.20m/s, Guzel Khubbieva and Susanthika Jayasinghe were engaged in a keen contest in the women's 100 metres. The Uzbek prevailed, 11.31 to 11.33, just as she had in the Doha Asian Games.
‘Triple’ surprise
The upset of the day came in men's Triple Jump with Indian Renjith Maheswary proving his rising stature with a 16.68 metres effort that was good enough to beat a field that contained the top two in the last Asian Games. Maheswary's gold-winning effort came on his second attempt.
Asian Games silver winner, Roman Valiyev of Kazakhstan had a 16.45m in the third round to take the second place while Asian Games champion Li Yanxi finished a poor sixth with just 16.11m. The 23-year-old Chinese passed his last two attempts after managing just two efforts over 16 metres. He had closed last year on top of the Asian charts with 17.12m.
Chinese Wang Liangyu scored over the better-rated quarter-miler from Sri Lanka, Prasanna Amarasekara, with a personal best 45.95 seconds, while Iranian Abbas Samimi beat Indian Vikas Gowda in the men's Discus Throw, 62.61 to 60.14. Chinese Wu Tao, the Busan Asian Games champion, was third with 58.09m.
Among the favourites, Kazakh Olga Tereshkova (women's 400m, 53.55 sec), Chinese Li Ling (women's Shot Put, 18.60m), Kazakh Marina Aitova (High Jump, 1.91m) and Thai Buoban Phamang (women's Javelin Throw, 58.44m) obliged.
Indians Sinimole Paulose (women's 1500m) and Sunil Kumar (men's 3000 metres) scored creditable victories but the opposition was mediocre. Kumar clocked a personal best 8:00.76 and was followed by team-mate Surendra Singh, also in a personal best 8:00.86.
By an IAAF Correspondent
Results:
Men:
100m: Race 'A':
1. Wen Yongyi (Chn) 10.44, 2. Wachara Sondee (Tha) 10.53, 3. Sittichai Suwonprateep (Tha) 10.67.
400m:
1. Wang Liangyu (Chn) 45.95, 2. Prasanna Amarasekara (Sri) 46.48, 3. K. M. Binu (Ind) 46.97.
1500m:
1. Sajad Moradi (Iri) 3:39.04, 2. Chatholi Hamza (Ind) 3:40.19, 3. Sajeesh Joseph (Ind) 3:44.03.
3000m:
1. Sunil Kumar (Ind) 8:00.76, 2. Surendra Singh (Ind) 8:00.86, 3. Srisung Boonthung (Tha) 8:17.89.
400m hurdles:
1. Meng Yan (Chn) 49.47, 2. Yevgeniy Meleshenko (Kaz) 50.16, 3. Zhi Zhi (Chn) 50.86.
High Jump:
1. Sergey Zasimovich (Kaz) 2.30, 2. Kim Young-Min (Kor) 2.14, 3. Hari Sankar Roy (Ind) 2.14.
Triple Jump:
1. Renjith Maheswary (Ind) 16.68, 2. Roman Valiyev (Kaz) 16.45, 3. Mohamad Al Hazoury (Syr) 16.37.
Shot Put:
1. Ahmed Gholum (Kuw) 18.56, 2. Saurabh Vij (Ind) 17.82, 3. Chatchawal Polyemg (Tha) 17.47.
Discus Throw:
1. Abbas Samimi (Iri) 62.61, 2. Vikas Gowda (Ind) 60.14, 3. Wu Tao (Chn) 58.09.
4x100m relay:
1. China 39.58, 2. Thailand 39.62, 3. Thailand 'B' 39.74.
4x400m relay:
1. Sri Lanka 3:07.15, 2. Malaysia 3:10.85, 3. Thailand 3:14.62.
Women
100m: Race 'A':
1. Guzel Khubbieva (Uzb) 11.31, 2. Susanthika Jayasinghe (Sri) 11.33, 3. Vu Thi Huong (Vie) 11.54.
400m:
1. Olga Tereshkova (Kaz) 53.55, 2. Tatyana Khadjimurtova (Kaz) 53.65, 3. M. R. Poovamma (Ind) 55.30.
1500m:
1. Sinimol Paulose (Ind) 4:12.61, 2. Svetlana Lukasheva (Kaz) 4:20.98, 3. Sushma (Ind) 4:25.51.
100m Hurdles:
1. Anastasiya Vinogradova (Kaz) 13.41, 2. Sheena Atilano (Phi) 14.00, 3. Erawati Dedeh (Ina) 14.23.
High Jump:
1.Marina Aitova (Kaz) 1.91, 2. Nadezhda Dusanova (Uzb) 1.88, 3. Bui Thi Nhung (Vie) 1.88.
Triple Jump:
1. Xie Limei (Chn) 14.73, 2. Li Qian (Chn) 13.85, 3. Rakhima Sardi (Kgz) 13.76.
Shot Put:
1. Li Ling (Chn) 18.60, 2. Lee Mi-Young (Kor) 16.27, 3. Iolanta Ulyeva (Kaz) 16.10.
Javelin Throw:
1. Buoban Phamang (Tha) 58.44, 2. Liliya Dusmetova (Uzb) 53.48, 3. Xue Juan (Chn) 52.72.
4x100m relay:
1. Thailand 44.57, 2. China 44.79, 3. Thailand 'B' 46.20.
4x400m relay:
1. China 3:32.36, 2. Kazakhstan 3:43.89, 3. Thailand 3:50.10.
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