Tim Montgomery at US Nationals (© Kirby Lee for the IAAF)
Fort de France, MartiniqueWorld 100m record holder Tim Montgomery was back into a fine sprinting groove with a 10.08 win (0.6m/s wind) yesterday at the - IAAF Grand Prix II - Meeting IAAF du Conseil General, bouncing back from his disappointing third place (10.27) behind Olympic champion Maurice Greene (10.02) in Mt SAC a week ago.
Montgomery wins - injured Greene withdraws
With a deep entry list for the men’s 100m, three preliminary heats were contested to discover the line-up for the final. From these contest Montgomery emerged the fastest heat winner with a 10.16 clocking (+1.5) in heat two. Second quickest was Nigeria’s Aaron Egbele who produced 10.17 (+2.2) to take the opening qualifier, while the third heat was taken by Olympic champion Maurice Greene in 10.18 (+1.7).
Unfortunately, the crowd was left slightly disappointed by the final as injury forced the withdrawal of Greene, whose 'head to head' with Montgomery would have made an exciting rematch, following Greene’s trouncing of Montgomery last week.
However, even in the absence of the former World record holder and World champion, the 29 year-old Montgomery left nothing to chance taking the final in 10.08, from the 25 year-old Egbele’s 10.11. In third place was USA’s Brain Lewis (10.15).
Egbele who recently ran 10.03 (windy 3.2) at altitude in El Paso on 10 April, also competed in the 200m yesterday winning the second of two races. The Nigerian’s winning time was 20.50 (+2.3).
In the ‘A’ race USA’s Jamie Hackley won in 20.31 (+1.1) from Jamaica’s Christopher Williams (20.48), the 2001 World and reigning Pan American Games silver medallist.
Wade bests Johnson
Larry Wade the fourth place finisher at last summer's World Championships took a 13.26 to 13.32 win over quadruple World champion Allen Johnson in the men’s 110m Hurdles, in which the first six home ran 13.60 or better. Johnson had beaten him in Mt SAC (13.25 to 13.31) last week.
Saudia Arabia’s Hamdan Al-Bishi, the Asian silver medallist took the men’s 400m flat race in 46.08, but his compatriot Hadi Al Somaily, the Olympic hurdles silver medallist, was not so fortunate in the 400m Hurdles, as he finished a disappointing fourth (51.66) in a race won by USA’s LaBronze Garrett in 49.74.
Of top international note in the infield, Walter Davis (USA) took the long jump with a 8.20m leap, in a competition in which the World Championships silver medallist James Beckford of Jamaica, was entered but did not start.
Double for Edwards
In the women’s side of the programme, double World Championships individual medallist Torri Edwards came away with a sprint double. Her 100m and 200m wins of 11.12 and 22.66 were taken ahead of Nigeria’s Mercy Nku (11.30 and 22.94).
World season's lead for Morrison
32 year-old Melissa Morrison of USA, who is the Olympic bronze medallist, was impressive in the 100m Hurdles which she won in 12.63, which is currently the fastest time in the world this year. In second was Canada’s Angela Whyte with 12.90, and also dipping under ‘13’ was Jamaica’s Vonette Dixon (12.92).
The veteran Sandra Glover, 35, was a little short of Lashinda Demus’s world season’s leading mark (54.87) in the women’s 400m Hurdles but still produced an impressive win with a 55.00 victory over fellow American Brenda Taylor (55.29).
The flat 400m was won by Jamaica’s Michelle Ballentine (52.59), while in the Long Jump USA’s World Championships finalist Grace Upshaw won with 6.62m (+1.8), from Jackie Edwards of the Bahamas (6.53, +0.8).
IAAF
