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Ottey runs 11.09!
Wednesday 4 August 2004
Naimette-Xhovémont, Belgium - Merlene Ottey was the prime headliner at the 3rd Meeting International d’Athlétisme de la Province de Liège last night (3 Aug), and she played her role perfectly.
Slovenian record
The 44-year-old Ottey streaked to a Slovenian national record 11.09 to win the women’s 100 metres in her fastest time since the 2000 season.
It was a magnificent start for Ottey, who led from the crack of the gun. Natasha Mayers of St. Vincent and The Grenadines dogged Ottey the entire way, but the Jamaican-born legend never gave ground, as Mayers clocked 11.16 in second place.
Second chance at 400m Hurdles
In her first women’s 400m Hurdles race since finishing fourth in the Jamaican national championships more than a month ago, Allison Beckford ran past Megan Addy to win in a season-best 55.69. Puerto Rico’s Yvonne Harrison also caught the fading American off the final hurdle, taking second by a slim 56.04 to 56.06.
Several hurdlers cashed in on an opportunity to run a second time after it was discovered that three hurdles in one of the flights had been too high. The technical gaffe did not affect any of the top finishers, however.
The women’s 100m Hurdles was controlled by Nadine Faustin of Haiti in a season-best 12.80, but the revelation of the race came with the second-place finish of Toyin Augustus of Nigeria. Less than a week ago, the 24-year-old Augustus had a PB of 13.24, which she lowered to 13.07 in Heusden on Saturday. Last night, she plunged under thirteen with 12.89.
Chris Pinnock of Jamaica took a close win out of a blanket finish in the men’s 110 Hurdles, clocking 13.53 to the 13.54 times awarded to both his countryman Dwight Thomas and American Joel Brown. After a quick trip from last night’s Malmö meeting, Irish hurdler Peter Coghlan finished fourth in a season-best 13.57.
Fast men’s dash
In yet another case of mislabelled races, Marc Burns and Nic Alexander led a Trinidad one-two finish in the “B” race of the men’s 100 metres, with Burns posting a PB 10.12 to Alexander’s 10.23. In the “A” race, Patrick Jarrett of Jamaica edged out Cuba’s Fredy Mayola as both were timed in 10.20.
Home favourite Patrick Stevens was leading in the men’s 200m coming out of the curve, but he lost out ever so slightly in the final metres, as Jabari Fields of the US clipped the Belgian, 20.69 to 20.71, with Trinidad’s Jacey Harper finishing third in 20.73.
A similar script was followed in the women’s 200m, as Lauren Hewitt of Australia had a slight lead over Jamaica’s Beverly McDonald coming into the straight. The Jamaican proved to be more powerful over the final eighty metres, winning in a season-best 22.83 to 22.96 for Hewitt. Natasha Mayers was third in 23.03.
With 220 metres remaining in the women’s 1500 metres, Algerian runner Nahida Touhami broke open a tight three-woman race and sprinted home with a 4:05.25 win. It represented a ten-second bettering of her personal best, but more importantly, the time was under the A-standard for Athens. It also came only three days after Touhami cracked two minutes for the first time in the 800 metres in Heusden with 1:59.65.
Viola Kibiwott of Kenya was also part of the final chase, finishing second in 4:06.64, ahead of Veerle Dejaeghere of Belgium (4:09.37). For Kibiwott, it was also a new PB, .04 second faster than her previous one from last Saturday evening in Heusden.
Kenyans control men’s distance races
Kenyans easily controlled the distance races. In the men’s 1500 metres, Daniel Kipchirchir (3:34.66) held off countrymen Ben Kipkirui (3:36.01) and Enock Koech (3:36.82) for a sweep of the top three spots.
An even more potent Kenyan attack came in the men’s 5000 metres, as Ernest Kimeli (13:18.88), Busienei Wilson (13:19.43) and Kipkemboi Katui (13:19.92) fronted a five-man Kenyan unit which came across the finish first.
In the Men’s Triple Jump, Leevan Sands had said earlier in the day he wanted to take only one or two jumps in view of bigger upcoming competitions. His opening 16.81 was sufficient for the win, but Alexander Martinez of Switzerland took several shots at upsetting the Bahamian, finally settling for second with 16.70.
600m tradition
A tradition of this meeting at the sport stadium in the village of Naimette-Xhovémont has been the contesting of 600 Metre races. The men’s event was easily won by Burundi’s Patrick Nduwimana in 1:15.14. Michelle Ballentine of Jamaica took the women’s contest in 1:24.77.
Only three days after lowering the Canadian record in the men’s 800 metres, Gary Reed was back on the track in the two-lap race. Last night, it was more of a relaxed jog, as Reed easily controlled the race after the pacemaker departed and won in 1:47.08. Athens-bound Charlie Gruber of the US followed the Canadian home in 1:47.47.
5.80 Pole Vault win
A high-level Men’s Pole Vault was won by American Brad Walker at 5.80, ahead of Paul Burgess of Australia (5.75) and another American, Jake Pauli (5.70). Walker had three unsuccessful attempts at 5.90 to end the evening.
Early in the programme, Irina Dufour extended her own Belgian record in the Women’s Pole Vault from 4.15 to 4.20, before failing three times at yet another record 4.30.
Ed Gordon for the IAAF
RESULTS
LIEGE MEETING
3 August 2004
MEN:
100m: Race 1 (B-race)(1.4): 1. Burns (TRI) 10.12; 2. Alexander (TRI) 10.23; 3. Browne (CAN) 10.38 . . . Race 2 (A-race)(1.6): 1. Jarrett (JAM) 10.20; 2. Mayola (CUB) 10.20; 3. Johnson (AUS) 10.28; 4. N’Dri (CIV) 10.30 . . .
200m: Race 1 (A-race) (1.3): 1. Fields (USA) 20.69; 2. Stevens (BEL) 20.71; 3. Harper (TRI) 20.73; 4. Richardson (PUR) 20.81; 5. J Harris (USA) 20.83; 6. Nsiah (GHA) 20.89 . .
600m: 1. Nduwimana (BDI) 1:15.14; 2. Molefe (BOT) 1:15.91; 3. Hatungimana (BDI) 1:15.98; 4. Barrett (JAM) 1:16.25; 5. Fiegen (LUX) 1:16.40; 6. Steele (USA) 1:16.40; 7.
800m: Race 2 (B-race): 1. Reed (CAN) 1:47.08; 2. Gruber (USA) 1:47.47; 3. Owor (UGA) 1:47.78; 4. Sullivan (CAN) 1:48.75; 5. Nolan (IRL) 1:48.84; 6. Hyett
(NZL) 1:49.29 . . .
1500m: 1. D Kipchirchir (KEN) 3:34.66; 2. B Kipkirui (KEN) 3:36.01; 3. E Kioech (KEN) 3:36.82; 4. Clerbout (BEL) 3:37.88; 5. H de Souza (BRA) 3:38.41; 6. Stouti (MAR) 3:38.80; 7. Thie (GBR) 3:39.44; 8. Wilson (USA) 3:41.34 . . .
B-race: 1. McKenzie (CAN) 3:39.19; 2. Gusson (BEL) 3:40.92; 3. Voegili (SUI) 3:41.47; 4. Coolsaet (CAN) 3:42.93; 5. McGrath (USA) 3:43.15 . . . Robison (USA) did not finish.
5000m: 1. E Kemeli (KEN) 13:18.88; 2. W Busienei (KEN) 13:19.43; 3. K Katui (KEN) 13:19.92; 4. S Bushendich (KEN) 13:22.91; 5. D Kilel (KEN) 13:25.55; 6. A Dinkessa (ETH) 13:38.34; 7. N Lagat (KEN) 13:44.43; 8. Bandi (SUI) 13:51.49 .
110 HURDLES (0.8): 1. Pinnock (JAM) 13.53; 2. Thomas (JAM) 13.54; 3. Brown (USA) 13.54; 4. Coghlan (IRL) 13.57; 5. van der Western (NED) 13.60 . .
POLE VAULT: 1. Walker (USA) 5.80 [5.45 – 5.60 – 5.70/2 – 5.80/3 – 5.90/xxx]; 2. Burgess (AUS) 5.75; 3. Pauli (USA) 5.70; 4. Otto (GER) 5.65; 5. Buciarski (DEN) 5.60; 6. Hooker (AUS) 5.55 . . .
TRIPLE JUMP: 1. Sands (USA) 16.81 (0.9); 2. Martinez (SUI) 16.70 (1.2); 3. Velter (BEL) 16.48 (1.3); 4. Rusan (USA) 16.07 (1.3) . . .
WOMEN:
100m (2.0): 1. Ottey (SLO) 11.09 NR; 2. Mayers (VIN) 11.16; 3. Dowdie (JAM) 11.45 . . .
200m (1.7): 1. McDonald (JAM) 22.83; 2. Hewitt (AUS) 22.96; 3. Mayers (VIN) 23.03; 4. Dowdie (JAM) 23.21; 5. Fraser (GBR) 23.32; 6. Dia (FRA) 23.43 . . .
600m: 1. Ballentine (JAM) 1:24.77; 2. Mendes (BRA) 1:25.05; 3. Lewis (AUS) 1:26.04; 4. Teteris (CAN) 1:26.60; 5. Nwosu (NGR) 1:26.64; 6. Vriesde (SUR) 1:27.25 . . .
1500m: 1. Touhami (ALG) 4:05.25; 2. Viola Kibiwott (KEN) 4:06.64; 3. Dejaeghere (BEL) 4:09.37; 4. Vermuelen (CAN) 4:11.40; 5. Suldesova (CZE) 4:11.41; 6. Hyman (JAM) 4:11.56; 7. Clement (USA) 4:12.08; 8. Deatherage (USA) 4:12.72; 9. Fatiha Baouf (BEL) 4:12.95 . . .
100 HURDLES (0.9): 1. Faustin (HAI) 12.80; 2. Augustus (NGR) 12.89; 3. Freeman (JAM) 13.27 . . .
400 HURDLES: 1. Beckford (JAM) 55.69; 2. Harrison (PUR) 56.04; 3. Addy (USA) 56.06; 4. de Jong (NED) 56.59 . . . (It was later determined that Hantzi-Neag (GRE), De Jong (NED), and Mortier (BEL) had encountered one hurdle which was set too high.)
400 HURDLES (supplementary race, open to any of the competitors): 1. Harrison (PUR) 56.87; 2. Hantzi-Neag (GRE) 58.93. Mortier and Van Donnick (BEL) did not finish.
JAVELIN: 1. Vontein (GER) 53.66; 2. Jakubaityte (LTU) 53.32; 3. Stas (BEL) 52.28 . . .