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Cantwell stars, as Greene and Jones soar in strong winds at Home Depot Invitational
Sunday 23 May 2004
Carson, USA - Christian Cantwellâs 22.35m Shot Put left the biggest impression on an afternoon when Marion Jones and Maurice Greene (9.86) and Marion Jones (10.99 & Long Jump 7.13m) wooed the crowed with wind-aided victories in the 100 metres in the Home Depot Track & Field Invitational on Saturday 22 May.
Remarkable Series for Cantwell in Shot Put
Christian Cantwell (USA)
(Getty Images)
The 23 year-old American threw a world seasonâs lead of 22.35m to move into 10th on the all-time world performance list. In all, the 2004 IAAF World Indoor champion had all six throws over 21.45m.
Although the 1.98m 141kg (6-foot-6, 290-pound) Cantwell throwing on the far end of the track didnât attract the attention of Jones and Greene, his shot put series was the highlight the second edition of this annual meet.
Cantwell, the 2003 NCAA runner-up, for Missouri who had personal bests before today of 21.62 (21.95 indoors) opened with efforts of 21.67m and 21.94m with his first two throws before unleashing the 22.35m on his third attempt. Cantwell posted marks of 21.35m, 21.46m and 21.45m on his final three throws.
Christian Cantwell (USA)
(Kirby Lee)
Cantwell said he felt capable of surpassing 22.25m but was surprised of the consistency of his throws in the 21.35m range.
âThe last three throws I had came down from my high after throwing a big throw like that,â said Cantwell. âThose were nice easy throws with no adrenalin. That just lets me know that I am in tremendous shape. 22.35m might not be my best. I donât think it had as much intensity as the throw before it. If I can get that relaxation and intensity then I think that we can see some really big throws.ââ
Cantwell dominates Hoffa, Godina and Nelson
Cantwell didnât have much of an opportunity to relax with Reese Hoffa, who finished second at 21.67m. It was the second consecutive year that Hoffa, who competed as the "Unknown Shot Putterââ in 2003 with a wrestling mask, has thrown a career-best at the Home Depot meet.
Jones sails to 7.13m windy Long Jump (Home Depot Inv)
(Kirby Lee)
Three-time world champion John Godina was third at 21.04m with 2000 Olympic silver medallist Adam Nelson fourth at 20.72m.
Hoffa, billed as the âStill Unknown Shot Putterâ had planned to again compete with a mask but said he abandoned it when meet promoters were unable to obtain a masked midget to hold his implement during the competition.
Cantwell and Hoffa emerged on the global scene in March with their 1-2 finish in the IAAF World Championships in Budapest, Hungary but said that his victory over Godina and Nelson on Saturday helped lend credibility to his gold medal.
Marion Jones breaks the tape in the 100m (Home Depot Inv)
(Kirby Lee)
âTo some, the team that we sent to Hungary was a âBâ team eventhough we won,â Cantwell said. âWe got the job done but in a lot of peopleâs eyes, we were Nos. 3 and 4 guys because we left (Godina and Nelson) at home.â
Jones continues comeback
Marion Jones continued her comeback after a year-off from pregnancy winning the 100m in 10.99 and the long jump at 7.13m -her furthest jump since 1998. Her 100 mark was aided by a 4.4 metres-per-second gust and the Long Jump by a 4.5 wind, well over the allowable 2.0m/s.
Jones has struggled to return to her level of 2000 when she won a record five medals in the Sydney Olympics but has shown gradual improvement since finishing fourth in her outdoor debut in the 200m in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in April.
Greene beats Patton over 100m in Home Depot Inv
(Kirby Lee)
Jones stumbled out of the blocks on Saturday but wasnât challenged by Angela Daigle and LaKeisha Backus, who finished second and third in 11.17 and 11.23.
Jones, 28, who ran wind-legal marks of 11.04 and 22-1 1/2 in Kingston, Jamaica, two weeks ago, is still far off her 100 best of 10.65 run in the altitude of Johannesburg, South Africa in the 1998 World Cup.
Her showing in the Long Jump, though, was her first time over seven metres since 1998 under any conditions. Ten months ago, Jones parted ways with longtime coach Trevor Graham to train with Dan Pfaff to improve her technique in the long jump.
âItâs a treat for me to come back to Los Angeles to salvage my performance at Mt. SAC,â said Jones, a Southern California native who lives in Raleigh, N.C. âThe wind is out of my hands. To hit (seven metres) in the long jump regardless of the wind, thatâs big for me.â
Greene soars in the wind too
Already with the two fastest wind-legal marks in the world, Maurice Greene â the three-time World 100m champion and reigning Olympic gold medallist â led from start to finish in the menâs 100 metres. His wind-aided (+4.6) time of 9.86 kept put him well ahead of world outdoor 200m silver medallist Darvis Patton who was second in 9.96.
After the race, Greene blew on his âspikesâ and training partner Larry Wade raced on to the track with a fire extinguisher to âcoolâ Greeneâs shoes.
âThe wind made me rush my race,â said Greene. âI couldnât control it. I need to be more patient.â
For his part Wade, who competed in 2003 with a broken left arm that still requires surgery, came from behind in the menâs 110m Hurdles to overtake a fast-starting Terrence Trammell, 13.12 to 13.20.
Morrison takes Devers and Felicien
Melissa Morrison turned in a big performance in the 100 Hurdles after struggling in recent seasons.
Morrison, the 2000 Olympic bronze medallist, won the womenâs 100m Hurdles in a wind-aided 12.44 to defeat Gail Devers and 2003 World champion Perdita Felicien of Canada. Morrison, who fell in last yearâs Home Depot meet, was slowed last season with a torn hamstring in her trail leg.
Devers was second in 12.52 after bumping with Felicien in the adjacent lane. Miesha McKelvy, the 2003 World Championships bronze medallist, was third in 12.62 and Felicien was fourth in 12.70.
âItâs like I have been overshadowed by everybody,â Morrison said. âI have just been patient and itâs all paid off. I am not going to say it was a perfect race. It was close to perfect. To come back to do what I did, lets me know that I am going in the right direction.â
Webb comeback
Allan Webb had similar sentiments after running 3:35.71 for the second fastest 1500m time in the world. It was a career-best by nearly three seconds, and his first improvement in the event since 2001 when he ran 3:53.43 to gain acclaim for breaking Jim Ryunâs national high school mile record.
âAs much as I said that I didnâtâ care what people thought, itâs still there in the back of your mind,â Webb said. âIt made me a strong person and runner. I always thought it was like a gorilla (on my back)âŚa gorilla with claws scratching at my face.â
Waller over Acuff in High Jump
Tisha Waller repeated her wins over Amy Acuff in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays and Modesto Relays with a clearance of 1.98m yesterday. The collegian Kaylene Wagner of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Acuff finished second and third at 1.92m.
Strong wins were prevalent throughout the meet at the Home Depot Center, the site of the 2005 USA Track & Field National championships and 2006 IAAF World Cup located in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson. The breezes negated all the sprints and horizontal jumps for ranking consideration.
The winds wreaked havoc in the menâs pole vault where winner Toby Stevenson could only manage a 5.60m clearance after vaulting a world-leading 6.00m in Modesto on 8 May.
Tim Mack and Jeff Hartwig finished second and third, both at 5.50m. Derek Miles was fourth at 5.35m after shattering a pole during warm-ups. Stevenson said the crosswind coming from the right made it particularly difficult for the right-handed vaulters like himself.
Al-Sabee wins Long Jump â Stringfellow injured
Saudi Arabiaâs Hussein Al-Sabee sailed a wind-aided 8.41m to win the long jump for the second year in a row after Savante Stringfellow failed to take a jump. Stringfellow withdrew after straining his right Achilles tendon on his non-plant leg in the first round after he stumbled while preparing to jump on the runway.
Culpepper wins brisk womenâs 1500m
Shayne Culpepper persevered despite the winds to win the womenâs 1,500m in a 2004 global-leading 4.06.33, in a race where Canadaâs Katie Vermeulen (4:07.13) and Courtney Babcock (4:07.60) and Jenelle Deatherage (4:07.87) of the U.S. ran the four-fastest times in the world this season.
Dana Harris won the womenâs Pole Vault in a Canadian record 4.43m. Jearl Miles-Clark (51.46) and Chantee Earl (2:03.57) were winners in the womenâs 400m and 800m. Stephanie Brown won the Discus at 56.93m.
In other menâs events, Calvin Harrison outleaned Brandon Simpson in the 400m, both timed in 45.56, and Jebreh Harris clocked 1:46.82 to win the 800m.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF