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Komen runs 3:48.28 for fastest-ever Mile in USA in Prefontaine - IAAF World Athletics Tour
Monday 11 June 2007
Eugene, Oregon, USA - Daniel Kipchirchir Komen of Kenya has often been mistaken for compatriot Daniel Komen, the current 3000m and former 5000m World record holder, and but the younger Komen is starting to create his own identity after his win in the Bowerman Mile in the Prefontaine Classic on Sunday 10 June.
The Prefontaine Classic is Grand Prix status meeting as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007.
Mutola takes 15th Prefontaine victory
(Kirby Lee)
Komen clocked a world season leading 3:48.28 to record the fastest time run on American soil in the meet finale before a standing-room only crowd of 13,244 at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.
The 22-year-old’s performance was among the nine meet records on a cool, breezy weather and light rainfall.
The other highlights included, the 2 Miles in which Australian Craig Mottram won in a meet record of 8:03.50 for the sixth-fastest performance of all-time with Matt Tegenkamp in third in an American record 8:07.07. Other Prefontaine bests were turned in by Nick Symmonds in the 800m (1:44.54), Paul Koech of Kenya in the Steeplechase (8:08.08) and Irving Saladino of Panama in the long jump (8.49m).
Xavier Carter triumphs in showdown 200m in Eugene
(Kirby Lee)
Women’s meet records were broken by Gelete Burka of Ethiopia in the 1,500 (4:00.48), Melaine Walker in the 400m Hurdles (54.14), Anastasiya Zharaviyeva of Uzbekistan in the Triple Jump (13.64m) and Barbora Spotakava of Czech Republic in the javelin at 65.20m…
Komen tops Lagat in Mile
In the Bowerman Mile, Komen eclipsed the meet record and American soil record of 3:49.92 run by Hicham El Guerrouj in 2001. Komen, the 2006 World 1500m leader topped a field that included Bernard Lagat (3:50.56), Alex Kipchirchir (3:52.10) and Shadrack Korir (3:52.78).
Sanya Richards opens her 400m season in Eugene
(Kirby Lee)
In all, nine runners broke four minutes bringing the all-time Prefontaine Classic total to 199 in the 33rd annual meet named after American distance runner Steve Prefontaine, who died in an automobile accident at age 24 in 1974.
Mottram dominates 2-Mile in absence of Bekele
Mottram made up for the withdrawal of Kenenisa Bekele because of injury with his meet record win of 8:03.50 in the 2 Miles.
Liu Xiang wins in Eugene
(Kirby Lee)
Mottram shattered the meet record of 8:07.68 which 2003 World 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge set in 2005 to pull away in the final 200m over Bekele’s younger brother, Tariku Bekele (8:04.83).
Tegenkamp’s time of 8:07.07 took more than four seconds off Alan Webb’s American record of 8:11.68 at the 2005 Pre Classic. Dathan Ritzenhein was just off Webb’s previous national standard in fourth at 8:11.70. Webb placed ninth out of 12 finishers in 8:23.97.
For Mottram, winning was more important than the time calling the victory a steppingstone toward preparation for the World Championships in August. The Australian is the reigning World 5000m bronze medallist.
Irving Saladino flies to the win in Eugene
(Kirby Lee)
“I am not there yet but I am happy with the way things are going,” Mottram said. “It’s scary isn’t it. I can run 12.48 in the 5000m, I can run under eight minutes for the two mile, I can run under 7:30 in the 3km, 3:31 for 1500m but I don’t care about the times. I just want to win.’’
Mutola wins 15th Prefontaine and announces 2008 will be last year
No athlete has had more Prefontaine wins than Maria Mutola of Mozambique who won the women’s 800m in a world leading 1:58.33 for her 15th Prefontaine win in a row.
The 2000 Olympic gold medallist, who has not lost at Hayward Field since running in the women’s 1500m while attending nearby Springfield High more than 15 years, dipped under her season opening world leading 1:58.79 in the Road to Eugene meet at Hayward Field on 27 May.
Mutola appeared boxed in with 200 metres to go but powered down the homestretch to hold off Kenia Sinlclair of Jamaica. Mutola clenched her fists in celebration as she broke the finish tape in a race that produced four of the fastest times in the world this year with Sinclair (1:58.61) and Americans Alice Schmidt (1:58.75) and Hazel Clark (1:59.50).
Minutes afterward, Mutola was looking forward to try to extend her streak to 16 in what she said would likely be her final year of competition.
“I felt very, very confident coming to Pre this year,” Mutola said. “When I got to No. 5, I thought it would be good for me to try to win every race…To have all the support in Eugene is incredible.’’
Perry rounding into shape in 100m Hurdles
The reigning World champion won the event for the second year in a row in the Prefontaine Classic in 12.51 seconds in her final race before the USA Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis in two weeks.
Perry overtook training partner and 2005 and 2006 NCAA champion Virginia Powell from USC over the final hurdle to win by seven hundredths before a standing-room only crowd of 13,244. Lolo Jones was third in 12.80.
It was the second consecutive win for Perry, a Santa Clarita resident and Quartz Hill graduate, who was sidelined for month in March after straining her hamstring in her right lead leg in a workout. The UCLA graduate hadn’t raced since beating Powell, 12.58 to 12.61, in the adidas Track Classic in Carson on 20 May. Powell had been coming off a world-leading performance of 12.45 in the IAAF World Athletics Tour meeting in New York on 2 June.
Like her victory in Carson on 20 May, Perry trailed Powell out of the blocks but caught the collegiate record holder but pulled out the victory over the final three hurdles. Powell pumped her right arm and leaped in celebration after her Prefontaine win Sunday’s field included the top three hurdlers in the world this season with Powell, Perry and Jones.
“I think for me I am going to work the end of the race and the first three hurdles and the middle will take care of itself,” confirmed Perry.
In the women’s 400m Hurdles, Melaine Walker (54.14), Sheena Johnson (54.44) and Tiffany Ross-Williams (54.95) dipped under the previous Prefontaine record of 55.10 set in 1996. Tasha Danvers-Smith of Great Britain, who missed the 2004 season because of pregnancy, was fourth at 55.23.
Xiang wins race of attrition in 110m Hurdles
Olympic champion Liu Xiang of China won the 110m Hurdles in 13.23 over Anwar Moore (13.24) and Ryan Wilson (13.32) and race that hardly resembled Xiang’s meet record of 13.06 from 2005 or his World record run of 12.88 in Switzerland last summer.
Dominique Arnold and Xiang were running side-by-side in the third and fourth lanes when Arnold whacked the sixth hurdle with his trail leg and almost collided with Xiang, who maintained his composure to win his third Pre title in a row while Arnold walked across the line in 25.33.
Carter wins 200m “showdown”
Post-race banter between Xavier Carter and Asafa Powell after the 200m was the biggest topic after the much anticipated 200m where the X-Man held off Wallace Spearmon to win, 20.23 and 20.24, in a race run into a 2.5m-per-second headwind. Powell faded to third in 20.55 after leading off the curve. Reigning Olympic 200m champion Shawn Crawford was third in 20.58 and Jeremy Wariner was sixth in 20.78. Afterward, Powell made a bold prediction.
“The next 200m is going to be a lot different,” Powell said. “It was a little bit too cold.”
Carter took offence to Powell’s statement as well as comments about the X-Man’s conditioning in the 2007 season where he has yet to approach his No. 2 in history of 19.63.
“I take it more of an offence than anything else for Asafa to come and say if you can’t run 19.5 or 19.6 that you might as well not line-up,” Carter said. “My main event is the 200m but I don’t go to the 400m talking noise. I respect (Powell) but when I get to the 100, I run my race. I don’t try to go and do something out of my way for publicity. That’s what I feel that they are doing when they come to the 200m.’’
Symmonds surprises Borzakovskiy in 800m
Hometown favourite and Eugene resident Nick Symmonds moved from fifth with 150m to go and sprinted wide in the third lane to beat Russia’s 2004 Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy at the tape, 1:44.54 to 1:44.71, for the second and third fastest times in the world this year.
“I knew I was ready to run fast,” Symmonds said. “I knew it was a deep field and I wanted to be in the hunt with 200 meters. I could feel the crowd noise building and building. I never found that gear before.”
Lanaro overcomes elements in Pole Vault
Giovanni Lanaro of Mexico overcame strong headwinds and rain to follow-up his Reebok Grand Prix win in New York (2 June) with a win in his Prefontaine debut at 5.80m.
Russ Buller was second at 5.60m and Jeff Hartwig was third at 5.45m. Daichi Sawano and Brad Walker tied for fourth at 5.45m.
“I felt really good today and dialled-in,” Lanaro said. “I was on the right poles at the right time.”
Lanaro’s triumph on Sunday was his seventh in nine competitions in 2007. Lanaro who has jumped 5.70m or higher in eight meets this year, set a Mexican national record of 5.82m at the Mt. SAC Relays on 15 April.
Lanaro topped a Prefontaine field that included all 2004 Olympic medallists Tim Mack and Toby Stevenson of the USA and Italian Giuseppe Gibilisco and 2006 World Indoor champion Brad Walker.
Despite a last a minute switch in the direction of the Pole Vault after the competition began, the winds did not cooperate and reversed into a head wind. At 5.70m, only Buller and Lanaro remained with Buller leading the competition on misses. Lanaro answered with a first attempt clearance at 5.70m, forcing Buller to pass after two failed attempts. Buller missed an opportunity take the lead at 5.80m while Lanaro has a successful second attempt to clinch the win.
Richards makes season debut in Women’s 400m
Sanya Richards won her long awaited season debut after injury and illness to post a 50.74 win in the 400m. The 2006 World Athlete of the Year was in control throughout, easing up at the line with Mary Wineberg placing second in 50.95.
“I felt really strong coming home,” Richards said. “The first one is out of the way so now I can get better. My training is going really, really well. I think it’s right where it should be and my times are going to get faster and faster.”
Torri Edwards won the women’s 100m in 11.10 over Muna Lee (11.21) and Allyson Felix (11.27). Darrel Brown of Trinidad was the men’s 100m winner in 10.42 into a headwind and Gary Kikaya was first in the 400m at 44.98.
Koech’s runaway Steeplechase success
Paul Koech was unchallenged to win the 3000m Steeplechase in 8:08.10 for the world’s second fastest time of the year behind his 8:01.05 in Hengelo on 26 May.
Gelete Burka of Ethiopia just missed becoming the first woman to break four minutes in Prefontaine meet history in the women’s 1500m with a 4:00.48-4:02.98 win over Russia’s Yuliya Chizhenko for the top two times in the world.
Cantwell takes Shot Put victory
World leader Christian Cantwell won the Shot Put on his final effort Reese Hoffa, 21.83m to 21.65m.
Irving Saladino of Panama fouled on five of his six jumps, winning at 8.49m with only legal jump in the fourth round. Dwight Phillips was second a wind-aided 8.35m and Brian Johnson was third with a wind-assisted 8.11m.
In the High Jump, Tora Harris won at 2.30m on misses over Jesse Williams and Britain’s Germaine Mason.
Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic won the women’s Javelin at 65.20m with American record holder Kim Kreiner in second at 58.82m. Anastasiya Zharavieyeva of Uzbekistan bounded 13.64m to win the inaugural ‘Pre’ women’s Triple Jump.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF