Tuesday 22 January 2008
Fresno, California, USA – Reese Hoffa isn’t holding anything back when it comes to the indoor season in the Shot Put. Yesterday, the reigning indoor and outdoor World champion kicked off what will be a hectic indoor campaign with a win at 21.06m in the USA vs. The World competition in the Run for the Dream Invitational at the Save Mart Center (21 Jan).
Hoffa also plans to compete in the Reebok Boston Indoor Games (26 Jan), Millrose Games (1 Feb), Tyson Invitational (15 Feb) and the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships (24-25 Feb) as a build up to defence of his World Indoor title in Valencia, Spain (7-9 March).
Far right - Carmelita Jeter (USA) during the women’s 55m in Fresno
(Kirby Lee)
“I’ve done indoors every single year,” Hoffa said. “Like anything, you have to compete. If I didn’t do it, I think it would hinder my performance.”
USA wins 11 of 16 events
Hoffa’s victory led a 1-2 American sweep with Dan Taylor (19.99m) backing him up, and was among 11 victories in 16 events for the U.S. pitting the Americans against international athletes to win 96-66 in the competition scored as a dual meet.
Allen Johnson (USA) - right - on his way to win the 55m Hurdlers in Fresno
(Kirby Lee)
Amy Acuff and Carmelita Jeter were notable U.S. women’s winners in the opening leg of the USATF Visa Championship series. Acuff won the High Jump (1.95m) and Jeter, the World bronze medallist in the 100m, edged Angela Daigle-Bowen in the 55m, 6.84 to 6.85.
Allen Johnson won the men’s 55m Hurdles in 7.14 and Josh Norman was a winner in the flat 55m in 6.20 for the U.S.
High expectations for 2008
Hoffa called his outdoor breakthrough in 2007 including his first national title and the World Championship gold, as the turning point in his career after often being overshadowed by compatriot and training partner Adam Nelson.
Hoffa was definitely the centre of attraction at the Run for the Dream meet, as he ripped off his jersey after the competition and heaved it into the crowd.
“There’s a lot more expectations with people looking at me as well as Adam,” Hoffa said. “I’m not just the other guy. More than anything, I have to continue to throw well.”
Hoffa has plenty of inspiration training in Athens, Georgia with his college coach Don Babbitt. Koji Murofushi recently joined the training group. The 2004 Olympic Hammer Throw champion from Japan visited for two weeks in October and has now relocated to Georgia to train.
“He’s adding another element to my training here in Georgia,” Hoffa said. “It’s someone else to hang out with and talk to. He’s a great resource. He’s done it all, and in Japan he’s almost bigger than life.”
Limited indoor campaign for Acuff
Acuff doesn’t have as extensive indoor plans as Hoffa but that may change with her performance yesterday. Acuff wants to use the Run for the Dream meet and the Millrose Games as a gauge to her fitness for a possible bid for World Indoor Championships at the USATF Championships.
Acuff didn’t come to Fresno with high expectations, but simply a meet that was only a 2 ½ hour drive from her training base in Isleton in Northern California was too good an opportunity to miss.
After winning the competition over Sharon Day (1.90m), Acuff took three tries at the American indoor record. “If I feel good at nationals, I’ll go to Worlds but I am not going to go if I am not jumping well,” Acuff said. “Tonight, I didn’t know if I was going to jump 5-10, an American record of what.”
Last season, Acuff won her sixth U.S. outdoor title but finished a disappointing 12th in the World Championships in Osaka. Acuff just started working on a long approach last week in practice.
“You don’t get a chance to be close to home at a great facility. So this is nice,” Acuff said. “I wanted to put it up there and have courage to let it rip.’’
Jeter overcomes hamstring injury for 55m win
Jeter was questionable for the Fresno meet after suffering a hamstring injury in practice two weeks ago that sidelined her for a week from workouts. She only decided to compete after testing her leg out of the blocks on Friday.
Jeter started yesterday’s 55m dash tentatively before closing strongly against Daigle-Bowen to just win at the wire. ”I think a lot of race was me being afraid and getting the cob webs out,” Jeter said.
No plans for retirement for Johnson in Hurdles
Johnson, who will turn 37 on 1 March, is competing on the indoor circuit in the hurdles for the first time since 2005 after being held back by injuries. Johnson, the 1996 Olympic 110m Hurdles and four-time outdoor World champion, said that retirement still hasn’t entered his thoughts.
“I plan to compete every year until I can’t anymore,” Johnson said. “I was a little bit rusty in my first race but I am happy with the responded and changed gears.”
Other Winners
In the women’s 600m, Ysanne Williams overtook Lashinda Demus at the line, 1:21.75 to 1:22.11 on the tightly banked 160-yard oval to spoil the 2005 World Championships 400m Hurdles silver medallist’s first race since she give birth to twin sons last June.
Khadevis Robinson took the men’s 600m in 1:09.97 over Jamaican Michael Blackwood (1:10.58) and Bershawn Jackson (1:10.61).
Priscilla Lopes of Canada was victorious in the women’s 55m Hurdles in 7.51 to hold off Damu Cherry (7.58) and Vonette Dixon of Jamaica (7.59).
Tommy Skipper won the men’s Pole Vault at 5.58m on fewer misses over Russ Buller, while Jillian Schwartz was the winner of the women’s competition at 4.37m. John Moffit (7.69m) and Elva Goulbourne of Jamaica (6.40m) were men’s and women’s Long Jump winners.
The second-annual meet was held in the honour of the Martin Luther King holiday and was the brainchild of Fresno State coach Bob Fraley. The inaugural meet was held in 2006 on wooden track used at the L.A. Invitational but the event was cancelled in 2006.
The meet was revived this year with the help of a $1,000,000 contribution from longtime Pole Vault official Fred Arnold for a Tartan track in the memory of his wife Madeline Arnold, who died of breast cancer in 2005.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF