Friday, 8 July 2011
Bolt ‘flu’, does not fly but still comfortable victory all the same in Paris – Samsung Diamond League
Usain Bolt romps home in the 200m in Paris at the 2011 Meeting Areva - Samsung Diamond League (Errol Anderson)
Paris, France - The newly laid Mondo track at the Stade de France did not get a superfast christening from Usain Bolt in the Samsung Diamond League meeting, but Jamaica’s World and Olympic champion comfortably held off local hero Christophe Lemaitre to win the 200 metres in 20.03 seconds on a night when an appreciative crowd of 49,174 spectators saw four world season-leading marks set and victories for their other home hopes in Renaud Lavillenie and Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad.
The Meeting Areva’s four finest efforts of the season so far came from Cuba’s Yargelis Savigne, with a Triple Jump of 14.99 metres, Christina Obergföll of Germany, who won the Javelin with a throw of 68.01 metres, Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar, who earned a 5000 metres victory in 14:29.52, and Zuzana Hejnova, who won the 400m Hurdles in 53.29sec, which was also a Czech Republic record.
Bolt nearly scratched race because of flu
Bolt revealed after a race in which he had slowed dramatically over the final 30 metres that he had been in two minds about racing because of what he described as “a flu”.
It was just one of those days,” he commented. “There were some problems at the start. Up to 150 metres it was OK, but the last 50 were not good. I need to stay focused now and get better in the next few weeks. I was not feeling good because of a flu, but at the end of the day I decided to run and could win.”
In the circumstances, Bolt would have had particular reason not to appreciate the lengthy delay before the night’s finale - caused by what appeared to be problems with the timing equipment. The field had to take to their blocks three times before getting belatedly away, with a number of them having attempted to keep warm with little bursts of sprinting.
The World record holder, who had initially joked and laughed as the camera lingered on him, was more subdued after finishing. Lemaitre, straining to keep in touch, took second place in a season’s best of 20.21, with Darvis Patton of the United States third in 20.59. It was the first time Bolt had finished a 200 metres, excluding rounds, in more than 20 seconds since September 14, 2007, when he finished third in Brussels.
Lemaitre said he was “disappointed” not to have beaten the French national record and not running under 20 seconds. “But it wasn’t the right race to do it,” he added. “I’m pleased with my result – second after Bolt, and in front of serious competition, is very satisfying. Plus, I’m getting closer to Bolt. Last year I finished way further back than that.”
Robles over Oliver but with same time
David Oliver’s smooth progress towards the World Championships 110m Hurdles, temporarily upset by his defeat at the hands of former world and Olympic champion Liu Xiang at the Shanghai Samsung Diamond League in May, received another jolt as he was beaten by his other great rival, Cuba’s World record holder Dayron Robles, with both men recording 13.09sec.
Robles had spoken before his meeting with 110m Hurdles rival David Oliver of the need for “getting back into fighting mode” as he seeks to return to sub 13 second territory following the injuries which have hampered him in the last couple of years.
The Cuban World record holder will not have been disappointed with his showing here as he claimed a victory over the powerful American which keeps the event in an intriguing balance in World Championship year.
Both men had warm memories of this stadium, Robles having set a stadium record of 12.88 in 2008, and Oliver having run his best of 12.89 here last season. But a sluggish start by Oliver – similar to the one he produced against Liu Xiang in Shanghai – offered the Cuban, who had started immediately to his left in lane four, an opportunity which he never let slip, although Oliver, all in black, closed over the final hurdles.
“I expected a better time,” Robles said. “I didn’t pay attention to what was happening around the race, I just concentrated on my own. I didn’t even know if I was leading. It is good that I won, but I need to work on the part after the fifth hurdle.”
Savigne comes close to 15m
World champion Savigne had to reach out to the brink of the 15 metres mark, recording a world-leading distance of 14.99m in order to head off the challenge of her Ukrainian rival Olha Saladuha, who had come into this competition with this season’s best mark of 14.98 to her credit.
After seeing Saladuha take over the lead with a second round effort of 14.58, which she extended to 14.81 in the third round, Savigne knew she needed to produce something special. She did.
Kazakhstan’s Olga Rypakova was third with a season’s best of 14.48.
Even Obergföll surprised by her opener
Obergföll’s effort in the opening round of the Javelin Throw might have been enough to make everyone else decide it was not going to be their night, but the Czech Republic’s Olympic champion Barbara Spotakova responded immediately with a second round effort that fell just short of the German’s opening flourish – a season’s best of 67.57m. Russia’s Mariya Abakumova, who took silver behind Spotakova and ahead of Obergföll at the Beijing Games, took third place with 65.12.
“I knew I could expect a good mark tonight, but I didn’t expect 68 metres,” Obergföll said. “So I’m more than satisfied. I think 68 will be enough for a medal in Daegu and that is also my goal, but my dream is to win.”