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World Track and Field Championships Helsinki, Finland - Day 3 August 8th, 2005 |
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World Track and Field Championships Helsinki, Finland - Day 3 August 8th, 2005 USATF DAY'S SUMMARY OF DAY 3 ACTION Williams wins gold, Howard silver in Helsinki HELSINKI, Finland - It was "Ladies Night" Monday as Lauryn Williams (Miami, Fla.) and Chaunte Howard (Atlanta, Ga.) won the first women's medals for Team USA at the 2005 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Helsinki. Just before the start of the women's 100m final, a strong rain shower began to fall at Olympic Stadium. At the gun Williams burst out of the blocks and grabbed an early lead that she never relinquished in winning the gold medal in 10.93 seconds. The 2004 Olympic 100m silver medalist in Athens, Williams defeated 2004 Olympic 200m gold medalist and 100m bronze medalist Veronica Campbell of Jamaica, who finished second in 10.95. 2004 Olympian Christine Arron of France finished in 10.98 to win the bronze medal. 2005 USA Outdoor champion Lisa Barber (Raleigh, N.C.) placed fifth in the final in 11.09 seconds, with 2005 USA Outdoor runner-up Muna Lee (Baton Rouge, La.) finishing seventh, also in 11.09. In addition to Barber and Lee, two other competitors, Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas (fourth) and Jamaica's Sherone Simpson (sixth), also were timed in 11.09. In the nine previous World Outdoor Championships, American women have won the 100m gold medal on six occasions. In addition to Williams, other U.S world 100m champions include Gail Devers (1993, 10.82), Gwen Torrence (1995, 10.85), Marion Jones (1997, 10.83 - 1999, 10.70) and Torri Edwards (2003, 10.93) Earlier Monday evening, Barber and Lee competed in the first 100m semifinal, with Barber finishing third in 11.08, and Lee placing fourth in a seasonal best time of 11.10. In the second semifinal, Williams took command with 30 meters to go and cruised to the victory in 11.03 seconds. Howard wins silver medal in women's high jump An exciting women's high jump competition came down to a classic one-on-one battle for the gold medal between Chaunte Howard (Atlanta, Ga.) and Sweden's Kajsa Bergqvist. Bergqvist cleared 2.00 meters/6-6.75 to put the pressure on Howard, who responded with a clearance at that height on her final attempt, which equaled her personal best set in Liege, Belgium, on July 20, 2005. A two-time world outdoor championships bronze medalist (2001, 2003) Bergqvist cleared a world-leading 2.02m/6-7.5 on her first attempt to take the lead for good. Howard missed on her three attempts at that height, with her final attempt being her best. With her effort, Howard becomes the first American woman to win a world outdoor championships high jump medal since National Track & Field Hall of Famer Louise Ritter won bronze at the inaugural World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki in 1983. After not qualifying for the final at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Howard has enjoyed a strong 2005 season that includes runner-up finishes at the USA and NCAA Outdoor Championships. Webb advances to 1,500m final Shortly after the start of the second men's 1,500m semifinal, reigning U.S. champion Alan Webb (Reston, Va.) grabbed the lead and built it to as much as 10 meters. Webb held on to that advantage until he was caught and passed by Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain, who went on to win the race in 3:34.69. Webb qualified for Wednesday evening's final with his runner-up finish in 3:36.07. 2005 USA Outdoor third-place finisher Rob Myers (Rushville, Ohio) ran 3 minutes, 42.38 seconds with his 10th place finish in the first men's semifinal, and two-time U.S. Junior champion Chris Lukezic (Alexandria, Va.) placed eighth in the second semi -- neither advanced to the final. Richards, Trotter, Henderson qualify for 400m final 2005 U.S. Outdoor champion and 2004 Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas) posted the second-fastest time in women's 400m semifinal action Monday night in winning the first semifinal in 50.05 seconds. Richards will be joined in Wednesday night's final by her Olympic relay teammate Dee Dee Trotter (Knoxville, Tenn.) who was the runner-up in the second semifinal in 50.73, and fellow Olympic relay gold medalist Monique Henderson (Bonita, Calif.), who placed fourth in the third semifinal in 50.73. Elsewhere on the track, two-time Olympic Games finalist Abdi Abdirahman (Austin, Texas) finished 13th in the 10,000 meters in 27:52.01. 2004 Olympic Games marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi (San Diego, Calif.) dropped out of the race with 10 laps remaining with a sore right quadriceps muscle. Four-time USA champion Elizabeth Jackson (Salt Lake City, Utah) who won convincingly at the 2005 USA Championships in June, placed ninth in the women's 3,000m steeplechase final in 9:46.72. 2004 USA Outdoor Championships third-place finisher Carrie Messner (Carbondale, Colo.) was 15th in 10:11.20. Chaunte Howard, high jump I used to try to stay focused. Now relaxing, I realized that I can still have fun and still smile. Regardless of how everyone does, I'm still going to do well. The better the whole field does, the better I'm going to do. Just cheering everyone else on helps the meet. (On realizing there were just three high jumpers left) I went "What do you want? Do you want gold or do you want silver?" Obviously I go for the gold. Whatever was going to happen, happens. When I made that last height, I felt so happy that I could make the next height. At Athens, I got 28th place. It's a big difference from second to 28th. I'm shocked right now. It hasn't sunk in yet. The greatest thing was that it was a tremendous field out there. The competition was not lacking in talent. It was a tremendous field. To be able to rise above and get second I'm extremely pleased about that. Amy Acuff, women's high jump I'm really lucky to be here today and to get eighth place. I'm one wheel short on the cart this season. It's my take off ankle, a ligament. I thought I could mentally overcome it. It's affecting my run-up and my take-off, so it's been frustrating but it'll probably work out for me in the long run to probably have kind of a down year and come back next year. I think I would have jumped the same if it was sunny. It's just hard to run. Lauryn Williams, women's 100 I think my new saying is "silver feels good, but gold feels great." I think it was a good start and a good finish. I didn't notice the rain. I was nervous, but it didn't even matter what was going on as far as the rain. I think it was a good start and a good finish and that's why I made it to the finish line first. If I could put the whole race together every time I'd be a lot better off. I ran 10.91 in Lausanne. This is the first time I've noticed I had a good start and a good finish. I think I needed the rounds. I think the biggest adjustment is that you come over to Europe and you get one race. We've been trying to do some different things as far as getting warmed up for just one race. But getting back into the rounds and having four rounds was a big plus for me. Going through, working the kinks out, being able to focus, go through the race -- my coach being able to tell me ' you did this wrong, try this next time' that sort of thing, I think that really made a difference. I'm just getting started. I'm only 21 still. And I'm drinking milk though so I can probably make it to 5-3. 'Milk does a body good,' IAAAF DAY 3 SUMMARY Helsinki 2005 – Highlights, Day 3 Helsinki, Finland - Excellence is contagious. Kenenisa Bekele and Sileshi Sihine proved it again last night, winning gold and silver for Ethiopia in the men’s 10,000 metres. But so did Ivan Tikhon and Vadim Devyatovsky, doing the same thing for Belarus in the men’s Hammer. Kajsa Bergqvist of Sweden came back from what could have been retirement after injury last year, to take High Jump gold, and even attempt a World record. But Emma Green, her unlikely named compatriot surprised herself and us by setting a personal best and taking bronze. Lauryn Williams of the USA reinstated the traditional sprint order, and added the women’s 100m title to the men’s crown that colleague Justin Gatlin had won the night before. But the performance of the evening was a one-off, the first ever gold medal for a Ugandan, when Dorcus Inzikuru ran away with the first ever women’s 3000 metres Steeplechase in the World Championships. Altogether, it was an exhilarating evening in the 1952 Olympic Stadium, which raised the spirits after the torrential rain that had fallen for most of the day. 10,000m – a worthy successor Bekele had already proved himself a worthy successor to his mentor, Haile Gebrselassie, but with a successful defence of his World Championships 10,000 metres title, Bekele is threatening to put together a run of success that could even put ‘Gebre’ in the shade. Even when Bekele was running in the centre of the pack for the first two-thirds of last night’s race on a rain-soaked track, he looked in control, and simply using his unusual vantage point to size up the opposition. As usual, it included several Kenyans, some of whom were running for Qatar. But when Bekele took control with nine laps of the 25 to go, it was simply a matter of who could stay closest. That proved, unsurprisingly to be his colleague, Sileshi Sihine, who also followed him home in the Olympic race last year. But Kenyan, Moses Mosop, a relative newcomer won the sprint for third. Thus, the Ethiopians failed to measure up to their colleagues, who had taken all three medals in the women’s race last Saturday, but the medals put Ethiopia briefly at the head of the medals table. Bekele ran the second half of the race over 40 seconds faster than the first half, and won in 27:08.33. Sihine clocked 27.08.87, and Mosop 27.08.96. So Bekele adds another World title to the nine he already owns, including an unprecedented eight in cross country, something that Gebre never achieved once. That is what may ultimately prove to favour Bekele historically. Speaking of which, this is the first time in over a decade that Gebre was missing from a major championship line-up on the track, the rest of his career being dedicated to the marathon. Start plays against Arron Christine Arron of France was probably the emotional favourite for the women’s sprint, but after dominating the early rounds, the demons got to her start again, which was easily the worst of the line-up. She did well to win bronze, in 10.98, but was not close enough to challenge Williams, the Olympic silver medallist from graduating to gold, in 10.93, with Veronica Campbell of Jamaica, the Olympic 200 metres champ taking silver with 10.95. New event, new champion, and Uganda’s first championships gold medallist; but Dorcus Inzikuru looks as if she is going to be around for a long time in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase. The 23-year-old who has dominated the event all year, clocking 9.15.04 in the Athens Olympic Stadium in mid-June did the same thing, albeit not quite so quickly in the 1952 Olympic Stadium. Inzikuru took control right from the start. Wioletta Janowska of Poland, second on the world lists tried to go with her, but quickly dropped away. That left former flat runner, Yelena Zadorozhnaya as her sole rival. But the Russian’s less-than-perfect water-jump techinique left her struggling as much as Inzikuru’s relentless pace, and the Ugandan had the last couple of laps to herself as she replaced Davis Kamoga, silver in Athens’97 400 metres, as the most successful of her nation’s athletes. The ankle injury which spoiled most of Bergqvist’s Olympic year also threatened her career, but it wasn’t evident last night. She was always in control, and even a failure at 2.00 metres failed to dent her rise. She won with 2.02 metres, and drew personal bests out of both Chaunte Howard of the USA, 2.00 metres for silver, and Green, 1.98 metres for bronze. Bergqvist had three attempts at a world record height of 2.10 metres, which could have earned her $100,000. But she had to settle for gold and $60,000. Tikhon confirms Belarussia's supremacy Tikhon has already come a tantalisingly centimetre away from the 29-year-old world record of to the great Yuri Sedykh. But the Belarussian added a second World title to his personal best of 86.73 metres. And he did it with a championship best of 83.89 metres. World No.2, his colleague, Devyatovskiy duly won silver with 82.60 metres, and former Olympic champion, Szymon Ziolkowski of Poland confounded the ranking lists by taking bronze with 79.35 metres. It all added up to the best night of the championships so far. 32,324 spectators despite the rain Despite the day's heavy rain, today's fifth session of the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics enjoyed another excellent attendance, with 32,324 filling Helsinki's historic Olympic Stadium. IAAF WOMEN'S HIGH JUMP REPORT Event Report - Women High Jump Final After capturing a pair of world indoor championship titles earlier in the decade, Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE) finally moved to the top step of an outdoor global award podium with a world-leading 2.02 performance as she won the World Championships crown in the women’s high jump. It was a stunning performance tonight for the 28-year-old Swede, whose future career was in doubt only a year ago after a severe Achilles injury which left her unable to jump for six months. After her victory was assured, Bergqvist asked for a would-be world-record 2.10, and at least one of her three unsuccessful attempts at that landmark height was very respectable. Pushing Bergqvist to the end and finishing with the silver medal was Chaunte Howard (USA) at 2.00, the third time in the past three weeks she has jumped this career best. Only a 1.89 performer two years ago, the 21-year-old has seen her career take off noticeably under the tutelage of former international high jumper and hurdler Nat Page. Also making a significant upward move in tonight’s “youth movement” was another Swede, 20-year-old Emma Green, whose PB 1.96 left her with the bronze medal on a countback against reigning European indoor champion Anna Chicherova (RUS) at the same height. Sharing the credit for much of tonight’s Swedish high jump success was Yannick Tregaro, the coach of both Bergqvist and Green. Also the mentor of Olympic triple jump champion Christian Olsson, Tregaro has been able to shift much of his focus back to his own original event this season while awaiting Olsson’s recovery from an ankle injury. Bergqvist, with her injuries of last year seemingly in the past, was once again under the media magnifying glass. Always a part of the mix at global championships, she had won a share of the bronze in Sydney and had added further bronzes at the last two World Championships, plus a win at the 2002 European Championships. Only an outdoor gold was missing from her cabinet, a deficiency she corrected here tonight. “I felt this was my chance to get the gold medal at the World Championships, and I did,” said the ebullient Swede before a phalanx of journalists. “Howard was jumping very well, so I knew that I also had to clear every height on my first attempt.” As a relative neophyte at the international level, Howard was understandably grateful for what she achieved tonight. “It couldn’t have gone any better today,” she said. “The gold would have been nice, but I am only 21 years old, and I have plenty of time to improve.” For bronze medallist Green, a similar feeling of overachievement was evident. “Before the final, I never thought I could get a bronze medal,” she admitted, adding that “I’ve had these heights in my body for a while, but I haven’t been able to jump them in a competition.” Bergqvist started at 1.85 and achieved her goal of a clean jumping record up through 1.98. But she still had Howard to deal with at the end, as the American leaped 1.98 on her second attempt. The Swede’s first miss of the night came on her initial try at 2.00, but her second jump had many centimetres of space. Howard again applied pressure with a third-round 2.00 to send the bar up to 2.02, a height no one had jumped yet this season. By now, the adrenalin was pumping through the Swede, who was jumping ahead of the American in the order. A splendid first-attempt clearance at 2.02 by Bergqvist left Howard with a challenge she could not meet, and the medal assignment was finally complete. The heavy rains from earlier in the day suddenly stopped shortly before the competiton began, but the weather system left some strong, gusty winds. For the most part, it appeared that they were acting as tailwinds for the jumpers. In spite of the uninviting conditions, the twelve jumpers grasped the importance of the evening and proceeded through the opening two heights (1.80 and 1.85) without any casualties. Even at 1.89, only three made an exit, one of them Irina Mikhalchenko, the fifth placer in Athens. IAAF WOMEN'S 100M REPORT Event Report - Women 100m Final Williams turns silver into gold Olympic silver medallist Lauryn Williams of the USA snatched the World gold medal from her more fancied rivals in a rain-drenched 100m final in Helsinki this evening. It was, in her own words, “the biggest win of my career”. Powering past the favourite Christine Arron of France and leaving this year’s fastest sprinter Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas trailing in her wake, Williams crossed the line in 10.93, the slowest winning time since Germany’s Katrin Krabbe won in Tokyo in 1991, despite a tail wind of 1.3m/s. (Torri Edwards also ran 10.93 in Paris in 2003 but she actually finished second behind Kelli White who was later disqualified.) Perhaps that’s not surprising as the rain, which had stopped for most of the evening session, started again just as the athletes were being introduced to the crowd. Maybe it disturbed her rivals’ concentration, for Williams insisted “the rain made absolutely no difference for me. There was a hurricane out there tonight, but that is just my kind of weather.” Certainly Arron looked tense at the start. She had become a clear favourite after running so smoothly to 10.96 in the semi-final, but was left straining for a medal in the final. She clocked 10.98 to take bronze behind Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell who improved on her third-place finish at the Olympic Games in Athens last year to take the silver in 10.95, her best of the year. “I am a little disappointed,” said Arron afterwards. “I could have won, some said I was the favourite, but it is still OK.” In the semi-final Arron had started badly but had the poise and confidence to come from behind. She got away slowly again in the final but this time visibly tightened after 70 metres when Williams and Campbell maintained their slight lead. “I took a very long time to find my speed and get in to the right rhythm,” she admitted. “That was where I lost the race.” Sturrup, in lane three, had the quickest start while Campbell in four was also away well. At half way Williams and Arron already had work to do and it was the American who responded best, pulling away over the final 30 metres as Sturrup faded and Campbell came through for second. Sturrup slipped back to fourth, clocking 11.09, while Belarussia’s Olympic champion Yuliya Nesterenko couldn’t repeat last year’s heroics and finished last with 11.13. Williams had led for most of the Olympic final last year until Nesterenko overhauled her a few metres from the line. For a moment, as Arron began her charge, it seemed like the same might happen again tonight. But the Frenchwoman was almost too eager for her own good and couldn’t make up the ground. Williams’ victory brings the USA it’s sixth gold medal in this event in World Championships history. The 31-year-old Arron, after finishing fourth in 1987 and fifth in 2003, at last her first global championship medal in an individual event. IAAF 1500M SEMI REPORT (ALAN WEBB) The second semi was a different affair altogether. American champion Alan Webb decided to take no chances and made it hard from the gun. Covering the first lap in 58.83 it was already clear the two fastest losers would come from this heat. Extending his lead on lap two (57.29) Webb poured it on, passing the 800m mark in 1:55.57 with Ramzi finally deciding to join the American up front leaving a gap of some 15m to the pack. At the bell it was still Webb from Ramzi, but with 300m to go the Bahraini took off (41.97 last 300m), immediately opening up daylight over Webb who stayed out of danger to cross the line in second. In the rush Algerian Tarek Boukensaa, Bislett Games Mile winner Daham Najam Bashir of Qatar and Ukranian Ivan Heshko, bronze medallist from 2003, filled the qualifying spots pursued by Spaniard Juan Carlos Higuero and Morroccan Yassine Bensghir, fastest losers of the round who also went through to the final. 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics Helsinki 06/14-Aug-2005
08 08 2005 Results MEN
Official Results - 1500 Metres - Men - Semi-Final Qual. rule: first 5 of each heat (Q) plus the 2 fastest times (q) qualified Heat 1 - Monday, August 08, 2005 - 20:05 Intermediate Pos Bib Athlete Nat Mark Heat 2 - Monday, August 08, 2005 - 20:15 Intermediate Pos Bib Athlete Nat Mark
Official Results - 10,000 Metres - Men - Final Monday, August 08, 2005 - 19:20 Intermediate Pos Bib Athlete Nat Mark
Official Results - Hammer Throw - Men - Final Monday, August 08, 2005 - 18:40 Athlete 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Ivan Tikhon X X 80.97 83.89 X 81.52
08 08 2005 Results WOMEN
Official Results - 100 Metres - Women - Final Monday, August 08, 2005 - 21:35 Wind: 1.3 m/s
Official Results - 100 Metres - Women - Semi-Final Qual. rule: first 4 of each heat (Q) qualified Heat 1 - Monday, August 08, 2005 - 18:50 Wind: 0.4 m/s Heat 2 - Monday, August 08, 2005 - 18:58 Wind: 1.3 m/s
Official Results - 400 Metres - Women - Semi-Final Qual. rule: first 2 of each heat (Q) plus the 2 fastest times (q) qualified Heat 1 - Monday, August 08, 2005 - 21:00 Heat 2 - Monday, August 08, 2005 - 21:08 Heat 3 - Monday, August 08, 2005 - 21:16
Official Results - 3000 Metres Steeplechase - Women - Final Monday, August 08, 2005 - 20:35 Intermediate Pos Bib Athlete Nat Mark
Official Results - High Jump - Women - Final Monday, August 08, 2005 - 19:20 Athlete 1.80 1.85 1.89 1.93 1.96 1.98 2.00 2.02 2.10 Kajsa Bergqvist - O O O O O XO O XXX
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