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Rome Golden League Meet ex-LB Wilson stars Lashinda Demus & Dominique Arnold |
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Rome Golden League Meet ex-LB Wilson stars Lashinda Demus & Dominique Arnold Lashinda Demus (below) takes Gold Medalist in 400H - Fleshman (rt) 15:02.52 5k -
Epic steeplechase and High Jump contests – TDK Golden League, REPORT Jackpot Trio remain in the hunt for $1 million Only three athletes of tonight’s starting line-up of eleven Jackpot contenders - Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS), Lashinda Demus (USA) and Christine Arron (FRA) - live on to fight for the TDK Golden League Jackpot of $1 million at the remaining four meetings this summer. A share of the prize is on offer to any athlete who wins his or her event at all six meetings in the series, and then competes at the World Athletics Final (9 / 10 Sept) in Monaco. But more about those three winners later. Here is how the Jackpot ambitions of the other eight fell in Rome… 9.96 for Gatlin Gatlin did not let the late withdrawal of World record holder Asafa Powell depress his desire for a fast time in the men's 100m. The Olympic champion was away well but his start was nothing extraordinary, but his impressive last 30m when he finally got into full flow carried him through to a 9.96 win. The wind (+0.6m/s) was negligible as it was for all events this evening. Gatlin’s win denied Jackpot contender, Aziz Zakari of Ghana, who was a clear second (10.06), with Leonard Scott of the USA, third 10.11. This was not the ‘head to head’ fireworks which we were denied tonight because of Powell’s groin injury but, as a solo demonstration of the double US sprint champion’s powers, it was none the less impressive. Ramzi repeats Rome win Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain had shown a wonderful turn of speed at 800m in Lausanne on Tuesday, and he brought that pace to Rome tonight at 1500m, convincingly outsprinting Jackpot contender Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (KEN). Ramzi’s time topped the Area record (3:30.25) he had set on this track last year when beating El Guerrouj, setting new marks of 3:30.00, the world season’s lead. Komen was second in 3:30.37, and Olympic silver medallist Bernard Lagat (USA) third 3:31.09. Ethiopian team trial A women’s 5000m world lead was also what it took to destroy Kenyan Edith Masai’s hopes of the Jackpot, as Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar and their old Ethiopian compatriot Berhane Adere took hold of the race, which at the bell had been led by Britain’s Jo Pavey. Masai had followed behind the two pacemakers throughout most of the race (3000m 8:49.13, Ines Chenonge) but in the final charge she was left for pace, as Olympic champion Defar led the Ethiopian sprint home. Hanging on to her vest all the way was Adere, the World 10,000m champion. Dibaba in third until the last 15 metres when she caught her two teammates and just got ahead at the line to win in 14:32.57, a meet record. Adere also passed Defar taking second (14:32.79) with the Olympic champion, third (14:32.90). This was a blanket finish if there ever was one, and the determination of the top three was heightened because this was one of the Ethiopian team selection races for the World Championships. Benhassi exploits Cherkasova’s tactical error In the women’s 800m, a tightly boxed Svetlana Cherkasova gave away her chance of the Jackpot. Poor positioning on the final bend which found the Russian caught on the inside of the curve as the race entered the final straight, a position which necessitated a dramatic cut through manoeuvre to break free, killed off any hopes that she might have had of victory. By the time she was out of trouble, Morocco’s Hasna Benhassi was already away to victory. The winning time was 1:58.41, the sixth best time of the year, with Cherkasova second (1:58.47), and a superb new national record for Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica in third (1:58.88). In all seven women went below 2 minutes. Yiampoy never in the hunt In the men’s 800m, African champion and Jackpot contender William Yiampoy was just never near the party. In the run into the finish it was his compatriot Alfred Yego in a personal best of 1:44.62 who took the honours. Olympic silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (RSA) was second (1:44.70), ahead of Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy (RUS), third in 1:44.81. Yiampoy was a distant seventh 1:45.59. Arnold rejuvenated The hopes of Ladji Doucouré were the next to be dashed, as the Frenchman who had set a national record of 13.02 in Paris last week, was well defeated in the men's 110m Hurdles by this season’s rejuvenated talent of the 31-year-old Dominique Arnold of the USA. Arnold held the race in a firm grip from the beginning crossing in 13.11, with Doucouré knocked out of the Jackpot hunt in third (13.29). A late finishing Liu Xiang, the Olympic champion, took second in 13.24 but he was never in any danger of catching Arnold. Olympic High Jump champion Stefan Holm was an impressive winner in Paris a week ago, and he was also jumping in his best form of this outdoor season tonight, unfortunately for him so were Ukraine’s Andrey Sokolovskiy, and Czech Olympic bronze medallist Jaroslav Baba. Holm who was beaten in Lausanne on Tuesday, equalled his best ever outdoors of 2.36 on his second attempt tonight but that was to be the end of his game. Finishing in front of the Swede in an absorbing contest was Sokolovskiy, fifth in the Olympics, who except for a first time failure at 2.30, kept an otherwise clean scorecard up to and including his winning 2.38 jump – the world season’s lead and meet record. Baba with an identical jumping record to Holm, shared second with 2.36, a Czech national record, and like the Swede he unsuccessfully attempted 2.40, when Sokolovskiy had taken the tactical advantage by clearing 2.38. Neither the Czech’s two efforts or Holm’s three, at 2.40 could rescue them. In fact it was the Ukrainian winner’s own third attempt at this bar which came the nearest to success. Nothing else in the Olympic stadium this evening matched this competition in quality. Varnik fires 85m winning shot World silver medallist Andrus Värnik of Estonia left it until the final round of the men’s Javelin Throw before delivering his winning bolt which pushed Jackpot contender Tero Pitkämäki of Finland down to second. Varnik’s sixth round shot was 85.50m, which bettered the Finn’s 84.59m, which on the fourth try had itself surpassed World champion Sergey Makarov’s opening 84.17 performance, which took third. Given the last round shock from Varnik, Pitkämäki did well to respond with 84.87, his best of the evening which took second place. Now we return to the Jackpot Trio who did succeed… Lebedeva continues in 15m groove Double World champion Tatyana Lebedeva, Jackpot contender, remains in another zone at the moment in the world of women’s Triple Jumping. The Russian made it three 15m competitions in a row, with a 15.03 meeting record win, while the rest of world is not even currently approaching that barrier. Today Trecia Smith of Jamaica, who was fourth in Athens last summer, and Greece’s Olympic silver medallist Hrysopiyi Devetzi, were way back in second (14.85m) and third (14.55m) respectively. Four of the Russian’s six efforts would have been good enough to win, a second best jump of 15.01m emphasizing her quality. Demus hangs on determinedly Lashinda Demus (USA), another one of the Jackpot contenders, held onto her hopes thanks to a determined run to the tape in the women’s 400m Hurdles, in which she was challenged strongly by World gold medallist Jana Pittman. The USA champion looked pretty ragged coming into and off the last barrier, and it looked certain that Pittman’s own finishing spurt would make up the metre or two difference. However, Demus found further grit and the final battle between the two 22 year-olds went to American in 53.68, with Pittman second in 53.74. World silver medallist Sandra Glover, at 36 from another generation now, finished in a fine third spot (54.55). Winner in Paris, James Carter of the USA, took the men’s 400m Hurdles in 48.51, from Danny McFarlane (JAM) in second (48.53), with Japan’s Dai Tamesue in third 48.66. Arron makes it three in the hunt Christine Arron of France took over the women’s 100m in the last 20 metres to keep her hopes of the $1 million prize alive. In the lead until that point had been US champion MeLisa Barber in lane six and in lane one another American, Rachelle Smith-Boone. Moving through with Arron (lane 4) with a late run was Olympic silver medallist Allyson Felix (lane 8) who snatched third (11.14, a PB). Arron’s winning time was 11.03, Barber was second (11.10), and Smith-Boone can be very satisfied with her 11.17 PB for fourth. And the non-Golden League events... Dip finish in fast steeple Qatar’s World champion and World record holder Saif Saaeed Shaheen left it almost too late to win the men’s 3000m Steeplechase. The 22 year-old who until tonight had been the only man to have gone under 8 minutes this season, was left for speed as the bell sounded and Olympic bronze medallist Paul Kipsiele Koech burst ahead. He quickly opened up a 10m lead on his former Kenyan team-mate, only to be closed down by Shaheen at the water jump. That seemed to be it, but no, it was Koech who immediately forced the pace again, and led into the final barrier. Finally, Shaheen produced the turn of speed for which he is famous, and in a last ditch effort caught Koech on the line in a dip finish. The finishing times were 7:56.34 to 7:56.37, a world season’s lead for the winner, and a personal best for Koech. The times were significantly also the fifth and sixth fastest in the world all-time. Olympic silver medallist Brimin Kiruto (KEN) was third in 8:04.22, also a personal best, with former World record holder Brahim Boulami, fourth, 8:04.92. Songok socks Kipchoge again When a few weeks ago Isaac Songok defeated World 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge in the Kenyan World Championships trials, the athletics world was happy to take Kipchoge’s explanation that he had been forced to run that 5000m when really he would have preferred to have run the 1500m that day in preparation to defend his World title later this summer. Today, though Kipchoge was beaten again by the 21-year-old who until this season had raced mainly at 1500m, with Songok inflicting a devastating final 60 metres burst which took Kipchoge by surprise, and to which he had no answer. Songok crossed in 12:52.29 (PB and second fastest time in the year), a desperate Kipchoge just behind in 12:52.76. In all seven runners were under 13 minutes, with personal bests for Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia (3rd -12:52.80), Kenya’s World Junior champion Augustine Choge, 18yrs (4th 12:53.66 – PB), a season’s best for Ethiopian Dejene Birhanu (5th 12:56.24), a Ugandan national record for Boniface Kiprop (6th 12:58.43), and Benjamin Limo, the last of those under 13mins in a time of 12:58.66 (7th) Richards soundly beats Guevara What a difference an injury and a couple of seasons can make! We seem to be presently watching Ana Guevara, 28, Mexico’s reigning World 400m champion, in the guise of the athlete of some four years ago before she first gained world ascendancy at the event. Coming late into the Olympic summer after an injury hit winter she was overwhelmed last year by Tonique Williams-Darling (absent tonight due to CAC champs), who took the Olympic crown, and that has situation has continued this summer. Now this evening Guevara was taken apart by the 20-year-old USA champion Sanya Richards, the world season leader (49.28). Richard's win produced another sub-50 clocking (49.82), and Guevara was a distant second in 50.65, some way slower than her best this summer of 50.05. USA’s Anjanette Kirkland took an impressive gun to tape win in the women’s 100m Hurdles in 12.57 seconds. Michelle Perry, the USA champion was well beaten 12.66, with Jamaican Brigitte Foster in third (12.69). Canada’s Perdita Felicien, the World champion, who fell so heavily in Lausanne on Tuesday, was back in 7th (12.88). Tyree Washington (USA) took the men’s 400m in 45.02, with fellow American Andrew Rock (45.10) and Jamaican Brandon Simpson (45.21) following him home in that order. Olympic champion Dwight Phillips won the men’s Long Jump with a leap of 8.39m, comprehensively ahead of the man who beat him at the USA championships, Miguel Pate, who was second with 8.04. Tommi Evilä of Finland was third (7.97). Toby Stevenson was the victor in the Pole Vault with 5.81m. Japan’s Daichi Sawano took second, and Germany’s Tim Lobinger was third, both on 5.71m, split on count back. Olympic gold medallist Tim Mack (6th 5.61) and World champion Guiseppe Gibilisco (10th 5.51) were way off the standard. The winners of tonight’s women’s and men’s “B” races were, in the 800 metres: Mina Ait Hammou (MAR) - 2:00.09 - and Mohammed Alsalhi (KSA) - 1:45.87; and in the 100m: Stephanie Durst (USA) - 11.32 - and Brian Lewis - 10.23.
Results MEN Official Result Men - 100 Metres - Race 1 Wind:+0.6m/s Official Result Men - 100 Metres - Race 2 Wind:+0.1m/s
Official Result Men - 400 Metres - Race 1
Official Result Men - 800 Metres - Race 1 Official Result Men - 800 Metres - Race 2
Official Result Men - 1500 Metres - Race 1
Official Result Men - 5000 Metres - Race 1
Official Result Men - 3000 Metres Steeplechase - Race 1
Official Result Men - 110 Metres Hurdles - Race 1 Wind:0m/s
Official Result Men - 400 Metres Hurdles - Race 1
Official Result Men - High Jump - Race 1
Official Result Men - Pole Vault - Race 1
Official Result Men - Long Jump - Race 1
Official Result Men - Javelin Throw - Race 1
Results WOMEN
Official Result Women - 100 Metres - Race 1 Wind:-0.3m/s Official Result Women - 100 Metres - Race 2 Wind:+0.5m/s
Official Result Women - 400 Metres - Race 1
Official Result Women - 800 Metres - Race 1 Official Result Women - 800 Metres - Race 2
Official Result Women - 1500 Metres - Race 1
Official Result Women - 5000 Metres - Race 1
Official Result Women - 100 Metres Hurdles - Race 1 Wind:+0.1m/s
Official Result Women - 400 Metres Hurdles - Race 1
Official Result Women - Triple Jump - Race 1
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