Phillips jumps into elite territory
Sun Jun 07, 2009 By Gene Cherry / Reuters
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GALLERY: Prefontaine Classic
RESULTS: Prefontaine Classic
By: Reuters
Dwight Phillips registered the fifth best long jump in history at the Prefontaine Classic.
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EUGENE, Oregon, June 7 (Reuters) – Former world champion Dwight Phillips became the joint fifth-best long jump performer of all time when he leaped 8.74 meters at the Prefontaine Classic grand prix athletics meeting on Sunday.
Phillips, the 2005 world title winner, outdistanced Panamanian Olympic champion Irving Saladino by matching the longest jump in the world since 1994. Fellow American Mike Powell set the world record of 8.95 meters in 1991.
Saladino was second at 8.63 meters.
Only Powell, Bob Beamon, Carl Lewis and Robert Emmiyan have jumped farther than Phillips. Americans Larry Myricks and Erick Walder have equaled the distance.
In other events, U.S. Olympic champions Angelo Taylor and Dawn Harper both suffered defeat.
Beijing bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson relegated Taylor to fourth in the men’s 400 meters hurdles. American Jackson clocked 48.38 seconds with Taylor running 48.79 to place behind Jamaican Isa Phillips and U.S. Olympic silver medalist Kerron Clement.
Harper failed to finish the women’s 100 meters hurdles which U.S. world champion Michelle Perry won in 12.74 seconds. American runner-up Damu Cherry was given the same time.
Olympic bronze medallist Sanya Richard became the first of the year to dip under 50 seconds in the women’s 400 metres. She won in 49.86 seconds.