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Saturday, 26 July 2008
Bolt blasts 19.76, Campbell-Brown impresses in London – IAAF World Athletics Tour
Bolt strikes again, Campbell-Brown impresses in London – IAAF World Athletics Tour
26 July 2008 - London, UK – Two superb performances from two of Jamaica’s greatest sprinters lit up the second day of the Aviva London Grand Prix - IAAF World Athletics Tour - this afternoon.
Usain Bolt lived up to his promise to produce “something special” at Crystal Palace when he ran the fastest 200m ever seen in Britain, while Veronica Campbell-Brown came within 0.02 of her best with a blistering 100m in 10.87.
19.76sec for Bolt, can’t yet confirm Beijing double
Bolt clocked 19.76, a time only he has beaten this year, as he destroyed the opposition in a dominating display of half-lap sprinting. His time eclipsed Tyson Gay’s two-year-old stadium record by 0.08s and he won the race by more than half a second from Wallace Spearmon, the World bronze medallist and the fourth fastest man in history.
Bolt had a great start and ran a brilliant bend, eating up the stagger on Spearmon in the lane outside him within 60 metres. The giant Jamaican powered down the straight, pulling away comfortably from the opposition. He even had time to ease up in the last 20 metres and look across at the crowd, before he crossed the line as relaxed as a man on a training run.
“It was pretty good,” said the laid-back Bolt. “I came out here with a plan and I executed it. No doubt my coach will tell me what I did wrong.”
It certainly looks like there’s more to come from the 21-year-old, who ran his third quickest time ever despite a slight headwind (-0.4). Spearmon was second in 20.27 with Ireland’s Paul Hession third a tenth slower.
Bolt then confirmed that if it was up to him he would contest both sprints at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
“I think I could do well in both,” said the 100m world record holder. “But my coach hasn’t made a bad decision in five years so if he says I should only do one, I’ll only do one.
“I just came here to work on my 200m and I did that today. I’m looking for consistency and to do what my coach says. I’m managing to do that right now.”
Bolt certainly brought excitement to London’s Jamaican community who had again gathered in numbers in the stands.
Sizzling 10.87 dash for Campbell-Brown
They had another great run to cheer later when Campbell-Brown blasted away from a high quality field to win the 100m in 10.87. With 0.0 reading on the wind gauge it was her best legal time of the year following a windy 10.85 in Greece earlier this month.
After her poor 200m yesterday, Allyson Felix was a notable absentee, but on this evidence she would have had no answer to the World champion.
The 26-year-old got a brilliant start and pulled away from Shelly Ann Fraser in the lane next to her before holding her form to the line. Fraser was second in 10.95 with Marshevet Hooker holding off her fellow American Torri Edwards for third in 11.07.
“Running so close to my PB is great,” said Campbell-Brown. “I’m happy to win against such a great field, but I am happy to run such a great time as well.”
It didn’t quite make up for finishing fourth at her country’s Olympic trials, although she may have given the Jamaican selectors something to think about. “I’m in a great position to defend my 200m title,” she said. “As for the 100m, that’s up to the selectors. I accept that I was fourth at the trials, that’s just part of life.”
Lukyanenko defeats Hooker as both clear 5.97m in Pole Vault
History was made in the men’s Pole Vault, the pick of the day’s field events, as two men cleared 5.97m at the same meeting for the first time ever.
Russia’s Yevgeniy Lukyanenko won the battle of the six-metre men on count back from Steve Hooker (he took two attempts to Hooker’s three) as Brad Walker was pushed back into equal third with Alexander Straub after only clearing 5.72.
“I think I jumped very well,” said the 23-year-old Lukyanenko, who has cleared 6.01 this year. “I’m not disappointed but I would have liked to have jumped higher.”
Walker, the world’s leader with 6.04, said: “I had some good jumps but didn’t quite get it together today. It’s going to take a 6m jump to win the Olympics.”
There was another Russian victory in the women’s high jump as Anna Chicherova cleared 2.01 to win by 9cm from Canada’s Nicole Forrester. Tia Hellebaut and Amy Acuff both struggled, neither getting higher than 1.92.
Bolt’s wasn’t the only stadium record as Christine Obergfoll won the javelin with 65.93 from Britain’s Goldie Sayers. Sayers was pleased with her third best ever, 63.82, while Steffi Nerius was third with 61.81.
Lolo Jones continued her winning form in the 100m hurdles with a 12.58 victory against Australia’s Sally McLellan and her US teammate Joanna Hayes.
Jones had to work for it, though, after a poor start gave McLellan the advantage. The US champion ran a strong second half and dipped on the line to win by 0.03s. Hayes clocked 12.63 in third as the first four ran sub-12.70.
“It gives me good heart to know that I can still win even with a poor start,” said Jones. “My body is almost ready for a rest. Now I’m going back home to let it tick over ready for the Olympics.”
Bolt and Campbell-Brown weren’t the only Jamaican victors as Melaine Walker won the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.22, just 0.04s outside her best of the year, while Kerron Clement of the USA won the men’s in 48.36 as Britain’s Richard Yates made a big improvement to finish second in 49.06.
Rooney nails first sub-45
There was another British breakthrough in the flat 400m as the former World Junior bronze medallist Martyn Rooney slipped under 45 seconds for the first time.
Rooney, who became British champion for the first time earlier this summer, ran 44.83 in a race he described as “Just perfect” to beat Canada’s Tyler Christopher, second in 45.29.
Kelly Sotherton was smiling again after the frustration of yesterday’s bungled hurdles race. The Olympic bronze medallist answered some of her critics as she produced her best shot put performance of the year with 14.36 and ran 23.63 in the 200m.
“With that shot put and the long jump yesterday it’s been an encouraging weekend,” she said.
However, there were some repercussions from the previous day’s shenanigans as Sotherton picked up a slight injury to her adductor muscle while climbing over the misplaced hurdle.
“My doctor and physio both told me not to run today but I wanted to run,” she said. “It could have been really serious. To get that time, close to my season’s best, when I couldn’t go flat out is obviously encouraging.”
Greg Rutherford, another Briton, continued his good form to win the men’s Long Jump with 8.16, but his compatriot Chris Tomlinson hobbled away after two rounds nursing a worrying calf problem.
In the 800m, Abraham Chepkirwok got the better of a tight finish with British champion Michael Rimmer in 1:45.64. The Olympic silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi didn’t make it that far as he and Canadian champion Gary Reed were victims of a collision after 200 metres.
In the women’s race Marilyn Okoro showed why she could have an outside chance of a medal in Beijing if the Russians and Kenyans slip up. The British number one ran from the front from 300m out to secure a personal best of 1:58.45.
“I’m not surprised at my performance today,” said Okoro who took 0.31s from her previous best. In second Italy’s Elisa Cusma also finished under two minutes in 1:59.33.
Boniface Kiprop set a Ugandan record to win the men’s 3000m in 7:36.95 ahead of Kenya’s Mike Kigen and Alistair Cragg of Ireland, while Jennifer Rhines of USA took the women’s in 8:53.26.
Another national record went in the last event as a Trinidad and Tobago men’s 4x100m quartet of Darrel, Brown, Marc Burns, Aaron Armstrong and Richard Thompson ran 38.00 for second behind a US team whose 37.80 was a stadium record.
Matthew Brown for the IAAF
Bolt blasts 19.76, Campbell-Brown impresses in London – IAAF World Athletics Tour
Dominating 200m victory in London for Usain Bolt (Getty Images)
relnewsBolt strikes again, Campbell-Brown impresses in London – IAAF World Athletics Tour
26 July 2008 - London, UK – Two superb performances from two of Jamaica’s greatest sprinters lit up the second day of the Aviva London Grand Prix - IAAF World Athletics Tour - this afternoon.
Usain Bolt lived up to his promise to produce “something special” at Crystal Palace when he ran the fastest 200m ever seen in Britain, while Veronica Campbell-Brown came within 0.02 of her best with a blistering 100m in 10.87.
19.76sec for Bolt, can’t yet confirm Beijing double
Bolt clocked 19.76, a time only he has beaten this year, as he destroyed the opposition in a dominating display of half-lap sprinting. His time eclipsed Tyson Gay’s two-year-old stadium record by 0.08s and he won the race by more than half a second from Wallace Spearmon, the World bronze medallist and the fourth fastest man in history.
Bolt had a great start and ran a brilliant bend, eating up the stagger on Spearmon in the lane outside him within 60 metres. The giant Jamaican powered down the straight, pulling away comfortably from the opposition. He even had time to ease up in the last 20 metres and look across at the crowd, before he crossed the line as relaxed as a man on a training run.
“It was pretty good,” said the laid-back Bolt. “I came out here with a plan and I executed it. No doubt my coach will tell me what I did wrong.”
It certainly looks like there’s more to come from the 21-year-old, who ran his third quickest time ever despite a slight headwind (-0.4). Spearmon was second in 20.27 with Ireland’s Paul Hession third a tenth slower.
Bolt then confirmed that if it was up to him he would contest both sprints at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
“I think I could do well in both,” said the 100m world record holder. “But my coach hasn’t made a bad decision in five years so if he says I should only do one, I’ll only do one.
“I just came here to work on my 200m and I did that today. I’m looking for consistency and to do what my coach says. I’m managing to do that right now.”
Bolt certainly brought excitement to London’s Jamaican community who had again gathered in numbers in the stands.
Sizzling 10.87 dash for Campbell-Brown
They had another great run to cheer later when Campbell-Brown blasted away from a high quality field to win the 100m in 10.87. With 0.0 reading on the wind gauge it was her best legal time of the year following a windy 10.85 in Greece earlier this month.
After her poor 200m yesterday, Allyson Felix was a notable absentee, but on this evidence she would have had no answer to the World champion.
The 26-year-old got a brilliant start and pulled away from Shelly Ann Fraser in the lane next to her before holding her form to the line. Fraser was second in 10.95 with Marshevet Hooker holding off her fellow American Torri Edwards for third in 11.07.
“Running so close to my PB is great,” said Campbell-Brown. “I’m happy to win against such a great field, but I am happy to run such a great time as well.”
It didn’t quite make up for finishing fourth at her country’s Olympic trials, although she may have given the Jamaican selectors something to think about. “I’m in a great position to defend my 200m title,” she said. “As for the 100m, that’s up to the selectors. I accept that I was fourth at the trials, that’s just part of life.”
Lukyanenko defeats Hooker as both clear 5.97m in Pole Vault
History was made in the men’s Pole Vault, the pick of the day’s field events, as two men cleared 5.97m at the same meeting for the first time ever.
Russia’s Yevgeniy Lukyanenko won the battle of the six-metre men on count back from Steve Hooker (he took two attempts to Hooker’s three) as Brad Walker was pushed back into equal third with Alexander Straub after only clearing 5.72.
“I think I jumped very well,” said the 23-year-old Lukyanenko, who has cleared 6.01 this year. “I’m not disappointed but I would have liked to have jumped higher.”
Walker, the world’s leader with 6.04, said: “I had some good jumps but didn’t quite get it together today. It’s going to take a 6m jump to win the Olympics.”
There was another Russian victory in the women’s high jump as Anna Chicherova cleared 2.01 to win by 9cm from Canada’s Nicole Forrester. Tia Hellebaut and Amy Acuff both struggled, neither getting higher than 1.92.
Bolt’s wasn’t the only stadium record as Christine Obergfoll won the javelin with 65.93 from Britain’s Goldie Sayers. Sayers was pleased with her third best ever, 63.82, while Steffi Nerius was third with 61.81.
Lolo Jones continued her winning form in the 100m hurdles with a 12.58 victory against Australia’s Sally McLellan and her US teammate Joanna Hayes.
Jones had to work for it, though, after a poor start gave McLellan the advantage. The US champion ran a strong second half and dipped on the line to win by 0.03s. Hayes clocked 12.63 in third as the first four ran sub-12.70.
“It gives me good heart to know that I can still win even with a poor start,” said Jones. “My body is almost ready for a rest. Now I’m going back home to let it tick over ready for the Olympics.”
Bolt and Campbell-Brown weren’t the only Jamaican victors as Melaine Walker won the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.22, just 0.04s outside her best of the year, while Kerron Clement of the USA won the men’s in 48.36 as Britain’s Richard Yates made a big improvement to finish second in 49.06.
Rooney nails first sub-45
There was another British breakthrough in the flat 400m as the former World Junior bronze medallist Martyn Rooney slipped under 45 seconds for the first time.
Rooney, who became British champion for the first time earlier this summer, ran 44.83 in a race he described as “Just perfect” to beat Canada’s Tyler Christopher, second in 45.29.
Kelly Sotherton was smiling again after the frustration of yesterday’s bungled hurdles race. The Olympic bronze medallist answered some of her critics as she produced her best shot put performance of the year with 14.36 and ran 23.63 in the 200m.
“With that shot put and the long jump yesterday it’s been an encouraging weekend,” she said.
However, there were some repercussions from the previous day’s shenanigans as Sotherton picked up a slight injury to her adductor muscle while climbing over the misplaced hurdle.
“My doctor and physio both told me not to run today but I wanted to run,” she said. “It could have been really serious. To get that time, close to my season’s best, when I couldn’t go flat out is obviously encouraging.”
Greg Rutherford, another Briton, continued his good form to win the men’s Long Jump with 8.16, but his compatriot Chris Tomlinson hobbled away after two rounds nursing a worrying calf problem.
In the 800m, Abraham Chepkirwok got the better of a tight finish with British champion Michael Rimmer in 1:45.64. The Olympic silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi didn’t make it that far as he and Canadian champion Gary Reed were victims of a collision after 200 metres.
In the women’s race Marilyn Okoro showed why she could have an outside chance of a medal in Beijing if the Russians and Kenyans slip up. The British number one ran from the front from 300m out to secure a personal best of 1:58.45.
“I’m not surprised at my performance today,” said Okoro who took 0.31s from her previous best. In second Italy’s Elisa Cusma also finished under two minutes in 1:59.33.
Boniface Kiprop set a Ugandan record to win the men’s 3000m in 7:36.95 ahead of Kenya’s Mike Kigen and Alistair Cragg of Ireland, while Jennifer Rhines of USA took the women’s in 8:53.26.
Another national record went in the last event as a Trinidad and Tobago men’s 4x100m quartet of Darrel, Brown, Marc Burns, Aaron Armstrong and Richard Thompson ran 38.00 for second behind a US team whose 37.80 was a stadium record.
Matthew Brown for the IAAF
