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Dwight Phillips excels…as a sprinter, 6.47 in Madrid
Friday 25 February 2005
Madrid, Spain - Olympic Long Jump champion Dwight Phillips highlighted the ‘Memorial José María Cagigal’ - IAAF indoor permit - meeting held yesterday, running 6.47 for the 60m dash.
The 27-year-old American had already given some hints of his excellent shape in his semi-final held hardly 40 minutes prior to the final by clocking 6.53. Phillips won the heat in style to cut his PB by two hundredths.
In the final Phillips faced the reigning Olympic 100m silver medallist Portugal’s Francis Obikwelu but the American had an overwhelming victory running in lane 3 and lowered another six hundredths from his best performance to clock 6.47, the second quickest 60m time in the world this season only bettered by France’s Ronald Pognon’s European record of 6.45.
Runner-up Obikwelu set a new Portuguese record (and also a PB) with a 6.54 clocking, the previous mark being 6.56. Obikwelu will skip the European Indoor Championships in Madrid, “it’s not in my winter schedule”. 2002 World Cup 100m winner Uchenna Emedolu of Nigeria came third in 6.67.
An elated Phillips said: “This year my coach and I have decided to focus on my speed to be able to go further in the Long Jump in the near future and reach the 9 metres barrier hopefully”. Asked on a comparative with Carl Lewis, who successfully combined the Long Jump and the 100m event in the past, an euphoric Phillips answered: “he was a great champion but I’m better”.
Kipchirchir in a class of his own
Kenya’s Daniel Kipchirchir Komen proved to be the strongest in the men’s 1500 and clinched his fourth win in his European tour. The 20-year-old Kipchirchir went through the 400m in 55.44 to cover the 800 in 1:54.38, by then, only Spain’s Reyes Estévez managed to stay at his shoulder but Kipchirchir easily broke away from the Spaniard to romped home in 3:34.59 some 1.51 seconds outside his world leading performance.
Estévez finished a distant second in an indoor PB of 3:36.51 while Belgium’s Joeri Jansen took third in 3:40.59. Ukraine’s Ivan Heshko, who has been the only man capable of beating Kipchirchir this indoor season (29 January in Stuttgart over 1500m), was a late-minute withdrawal.
“After my successful indoor campaign I return now to Kenya where to prepare for the summer season. I hope to make the Kenyan team there. I share training sessions with Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi”.
Mutola wins as Benhassi falls ill
Just a few hours before the event it became known that Morocco’s Hasna Benhassi would not attempt Maria Mutola’s World indoor 1000m record of 2:30.94. Olympic 800m silver medallist Benhassi had been suffering from bad stomach aches since early yesterday morning and unable to take part in today’s race.
In Benhassi’s absence Mozambique’s Maria Mutola settled for a slow win in 2:38.07. After the first 400m Mutola had opened a 40m margin on the chasing group headed by Spain’s Mayte Martínez but her advantage was decreasing gradually from then on and only 73 hundredths separated both athletes at the end, with Martínez breaking the Spanish record with a 2:38.80 clocking. Namibia’s Agnes Samaria came third in 2:40.16.
Beitia beats Chicherova as Alozie clocks 7.92
The women’s High Jump provided a major surprise as the reigning World indoor silver medallist Anna Chicherova of Russia was beaten on count back by Spain’s Ruth Beitia, a 2.00 outdoor jumper (2003). Both athletes cleared the bar at 1.96 on their second try before failing three times at 1.98 but a fouled first attempt at 1.92 by Chicherova (height cleared on her opening jump by Beitia) led the Spaniard to the victory against the current world leader (2.00), to the delight of the crowd. Russia’s Viktoriya Seryogina cleared 1.94 first time to take third.
In the women’s 60 Hurdles semi-finals Russia’s world leader at 7.90 Irina Shevchenko made a second false start and was consequently disqualified. Spain’s Glory Alozie gave the 4500 spectators something to cheer about in the final by winning in a massive SB of 7.92 (previous 8.08) only 0.02 off Sevchenko’s world leading clocking.
Jamaica’s Michele Freeman was runner-up in 7.95 just ahead of her compatriot Vonette Dixon, who was timed at 7.98. Reigning World outdoor and indoor Hurdles champion Perdita Felicien ran a season’s best of 8.01 for fifth and was given same time as Cuba’s Anay Tejada in fourth.
Pyrek vaults 4.70
Poland’s Monika Pyrek only needed four jumps to be get over 4.70. Fresh from her Polish title last weekend Pyrek had first-time clearances at 4.30, 4.45, 4.60 and 4.70. Then, she made three unsuccessful tries at a would-be personal best of 4.80.
Pyrek is showing a remarkable consistency over 4.70 having cleared that height three times in the last 12 days (Donetsk, 12 Feb, Spala, 20 Feb and Madrid, 24 Feb). Germany’s Caroline Hingst was second with a 4.60 third attempt clearance, while China’s 19-year-old Zhao Yingying was a surprise third in an Area record of 4.45. The theoretical favourite Poland’s Anna Rogowska faded to fifth place (4.40) after clearing 4.20 on her third try.
Unexpected Spanish victories for Martínez and Vivancos
2003 World Indoor champion Manuel Martínez produced a 20.51 second-effort release to secure the win in the men’s Shot Put 15 centimetres clear of America’s Christian Cantwell whose 20.36 came in the final round. The Netherlands’ Rutger Smith had a six-round heave of 20.00 for third, while the pre-event favourite Olympic bronze medallist Denmark’s Joachim Olsen (SB of 21.16) could not surpass 19.76 in his second attempt. Martínez’s complete series was 19.73 – 20.51 – 20.22 – 19.92 – x – x.
Spain’s former European U-23 110m hurdles champion Felipe Vivancos, 24, tied the oldest Spanish indoor record of Javier Moracho, 7.60 from back in 1984. But Jamaica’s Maurice Wignall who clocked 7.56 to win the first semi-final with a 0.07 margin over Vivancos, was the fastest man last night.
In the final Wignall hit the third barrier and lost control while the Spaniard took advantage running in lane 7 and grabbed a surprise win in 7.60 two hundredths ahead of Sweden’s Robert Kronberg, who had also ran 7.62 in semis. Haiti’s Dudley Dorival came third in 7.63.
The Long Jump also witnessed a local success in the guise of Olympic bronze medallist Joan Lino Martínez thanks to his 8.01 six-round leap to take the contest from Portugal’s Gaspar Araujo who had jump 8.00 in his fourth effort. Ukraine’s Oleksey Lukasevich also managed 8.00 but had to settle for third by virtue of Araujo’s best second jump (7.91-7.82). America’s Savante Stringfellow and Miguel Pate had below-par performances and only produced 7.87 and 7.81 respectively.
Three Russian wins
Olesya Krasnomovets was a convincing winner in the women’s 400m in 51.56, three tenths outside her world leading performance and built a nearly full second margin over Ukraine’s Natalya Pyhyda, runner-up in 52.46, while former World outdoor champion Senegal’s Amy Thiam Mbacke finished third in a PB of 53.45. However Krasnomovets will not compete in the Europeans, as “I have designed a European meetings tour and the Russian championships didn’t suit my schedule.”
Also skipping the Europeans will be her compatriot Anna Pyatykh who leapt a fourth round 14.56m in the Triple Jump just two centimetres off the world season’s best. Italy’s Magdelin Martinez took second with a 14.30 fifth round jump while Sarka Kasparkova of the Czech Republic and Spain’s Carlota Castrejana also exceeded the 14m barrier thanks to a 14.25 and 14.21 respective efforts. Sudan’s Yamile Aldama was a distant sixth with a best leap of 13.84.
Dmitriy Bogdanov will be present in the Europeans full of confidence after a commanding 800m win in 1:47.48 from Spain’s Antonio Reina timed at 1:48.26 and Kenya’s Wilfred Bungei third in 1:48.48. Bogdanov declared that “Reina and Netherlands’ Arnaud Okken should be my main opponents in Madrid to take the title”. Remarkably Spain’s Eugenio Barrios produced the fastest 800m time of the meeting by winning the ‘B’ race in a PB of 1:47.40 a full half a second quicker than Kenya’s Nicholas Wachira (1:47.90) with Spain’s Miguel Quesada also dipping under 1:48.
World leader beaten
Poland’s Lidia Chojecka arrived in Madrid with the world fastest time of the year but was overhauled by Romania’s Elena Iagar in the final 40m home straight. Iagar set a new PB of 4:06.52 while Chojecka clocked 4:07.10. Reportedly the Polish runner only got to Madrid early in the morning on competition day and that could affect her performance. France’s Hind Dehiba came third, outside 4:10.
The men’s 400m saw a thrilling fight between Jamaica’s Davian Clarke and Carlos Santa of the Dominican Republic as only two hundredths separated both at the finish line. The winning time was 45.94 for Clarke while Santa’s 45.96 was a massive PB. Spain’s David Canal took the race “more relaxed than last Sunday when I ran a national record of 45.93” and finished third in 46.49. Santa is due to join Canal’s training group in Valencia shortly.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
Results
Men
60 metres
- Dwight Phillips (U.S.) 6.47
- Francis Obikwelu (Portugal) 6.54
- Uchenna Emedolu (Nigeria) 6.67
400m
- Davian Clarke (Jamaica) 45.94
- Carlos Santa (Dominican Republic) 45.96
- David Canal (Spain) 46.49
800m
- Dimitry Bogdanov (Russia) 1:47.48
- Antonio Reina (Spain) 1:48.26
- Wilfred Bungei (Kenya) 1:48.48
1500m
- Daniel Kipchirchir (Kenya) 3:34.59
- Reyes Estevez (Spain) 3:36.51
- Joeri Jansen (Belgium) 3:40.59
60m Hurdles
- Felipe Vivancos (Spain) 7.60
- Robert Kronberg (Sweden) 7.62
- Dudley Dorival (Haiti) 7.63
Long Jump
- Joan Lino Martinez (Spain) 8.01m
- Gaspar Araujo (Portugal) 8.00
- Olexey Lukashevich (Ukraine) 8.00
Shot Put
- Manuel Martinez (Spain) 20.51
- Christian Cantwell (USA) 20.36
- Rutger Smith (Netherlands) 20.00
Women
400m
- Olesia Krasnomovets (Russia) 51.56
- Natalia Pyhyda (Ukraine) 52.46
- Amy Mbacke Thiam (Senegal) 53.45
1000m
- Maria Mutola (Mozambique) 2:38.07
- Maite Martinez (Spain) 2:38.80
- Agnes Samaria (Namibia) 2:40.16
1500m
- Elena Iagar (Romania) 4:06.52
- Lidia Chojecka (Poland) 4:07.10
- Hind Dheiba (France) 4:10.52
60m Hurdles
- Glory Alozie (Spain) 7.92
- Michelle Freeman (Jamaica) 7.95
- Vonette Dixon (Jamaica) 7.98
Triple Jump
- Anna Pyatykh (Russia) 14.56m
- Magdalin Martinez (Italy) 14.30
- Sarka Kasparkova (Czech Republic) 14.05
High Jump
- Ruth Beitia (Spain) 1.96m
- Anna Chicherova (Russia) 1.96
- Viktoriya Seryogina (Russia) 1.94
Pole Vault
- Monika Pyrek (Poland) 4.70m
- Carolin Hingst (Germany) 4.60
- Zhao Yingying (China) 4.45