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World lead for Alekna but Isinbayeva does not quite reach the record again
Monday 11 July 2005
Rethymno, Greece - Yelena Isinbayeva is used to being the central attraction in most meetings in which she participates, and the same was true last night at the EAA permit meeting “Vardinoyiannia 2005”, but this time she didn’t break the women’s World Pole Vault record.
Slightly touched the 4.94 bar
Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)
(Getty Images)
Isinbayeva started at 4.60m and after clearing this height on her second attempt she attempted at 4.70m and her vault gave rise to the expectations of the crowd. The Russian flew far high over the bar, an impressing clearance. Up to this point, only Monica Pyrek had managed to follow her, having a successful attempt at 4.65m, but the Polish champion failed at 4.70m.
Isinbayeva’s first vault at 4.94m was actually never made, as she abandoned it on the runway before taking off. Her second attempt was a failure, while in third she landed celebrating the record. But she had slightly touched the bar which fell some seconds later.
World leading mark for Alekna
Leonard Scott (USA)
(Getty Images)
The double Olympic Discus Throw champion had a pleasant afternoon in Rethymno. He took the lead for the beginning of the event with 67.80m, while in the next rounds he produced an impressing series of throws over 67 metres. His fifth attempt at 70.58m is a world leading mark for this season, verifying that Alekna is ready for the World Championships (6 – 14 August).
Estonia’s Gerd Kander placed second with 65.57m and Hungary’s Ronald Varga third with 64.68m
Johnson 8.32m and Pate 8.23m
Marian Oprea of Romania
(Lorenzo Sampaolo)
Miquel Pate and Brian Johnson, both in the USA team of Helsinki World Championships, verified expectations that the Long Jump would be a high level competition. Johnson was today the winner with 8.32m and Pate placed second with 8.23m. One more jumper, Mauritius’ Arnaud Caquette reached the 8.00m to get the third position.
Double win for Scott, as Durst dominates women’s 100m
American Leonard Scott equalled his season’s best, running the dash race in 10.03 to win easily the first 100m heat of the meeting. Cuba’s Freddy Mayola followed him with 10.34, in front of the South African Julius Leigh who clocked 10.38. Brian Lewis was the winner of the second heat with 10.31.
Osleidys Menendez (CUB)
(Getty Images)
Later, Scott made achieved a second win, running the 200m in 20.38 and setting a new season’s best. In this race, Jamaica’s Dwight Thomas set a personal best with 20.63 and his compatriot Christopher Williams clocked 20.68 to take the third place. In the second 200m heat, South Africa’s Leigh Julius was the winner in 20.78.
Stefanie Durst dominated the women’s race with 11.24, while Greece’s Georgia Kokloni placed second with 11.40. Kokloni has not met the standards for the World Championships and expects to run faster in one of the following races.
In the women’s 200m, Allyson Felix, the US champion and the world’s best performer this year, crossed the line in 23.00, defeating Crysta Cox who set a season’s best at 23.46 and Slovenia’s Alenka Bikar, third with 23.86.
American domination in the High Hurdles
As expected, American runners dominated the men’s and women’s high hurdles races. Dominique Arnorld was the faster in the men’s 110m Hurdles, with 13.15, followed by the others; Moore was second with 13.42m, Bramlett fourth with 13.48 while Watkins was just behind them, placing fourth with 13.51.
Michelle Perry took the lead from the first hurdle to set a meeting record of 12.45 in the women’s 100m Hurdles, being slightly slower than her own world leading mark of 12.43. Aurelia Triwianska of Poland clocked 12.77 to defeat Glory Alozie who set a 12.80 and placed third.
Calatayud takes 800m in 1:58.95
Cuba’s Zulia Calatayud, was the favourite of the 800m and had no difficulties in winning. Leaving Romania’s Mihaella Neascu to lead the gun, the Cuban enough quick pace, she decided to accelerate in the last 200m and crossed the line in a meeting record of 1:58.95. Morocco’s Soultana Ait Hamou had the strength to take the second place in a season’s best at 2:00.54, clearly in front of Neascu but also American Alice Schmidt who broke her personal best with 2:01.04 and took the third place.
Kenya’s Salome Chechumba, dominated the women’s 3000m Steeplechase with 9:46.49, although the warm weather conditions in Rethymno did not permit a faster race.
Menendez throws 62m to beat Bisset
Very good marks set by almost all winners of the other events. In the women’s javelin throw, the world record holder, Osleydis Menendez was the winner of the national battle. Although Sonia Bisset was on the lead up to 5th attempt with 61.74m, Menendez finally managed to send the javelin to 62.47m, enough to give her the win.
Oprea continues in winning groove
Marian Oprea jumped 17.20m and won the competition ahead of Brazil’s Jadel Gregorio who had his better jump at 17.08, while Cuba’s Javit Girald also exceed the 17 meters and placed third with 17.03.
Poland’s Szymon Ziolkowski dominated the Hammer Throw with a throw of 78.85m.
Dragutin Topic of Serbia and Montenegro high jumped a season’s best 2.30m to defeat athletes with much better performances this year. Keith Moffat of USA was second with 2.27m and Jesse Williams third with 2.24m, while Jacques Freitag, the best jumper this year, followed on fourth position with the same performance.
Maurice Greene: “I’ll return”
The former world record holder of the 100m, Maurice Greene, was among the spectators of the meeting, as a special quest of the organizing committee. Talking to the Greek television, Greene congratulated once more Asafa Powell for his new record set in Athens Super Grand Prix. “He started the season showing a great potential, it was just a question of time for him” he stressed.
Answering a question about his future plans Greene replied that he intends to participate in the London Grand Prix, after a short period of training in Greece. “I want to return to performances at the highest level and claim again the World record” he added.
Michalis Nikitaridis for the IAAF