Spearmon’s 19.88 and World Junior Steeple record the highlights in Daegu
Wednesday 3 October 2007
Daegu, Korea - A near capacity crowd of 60,000 cheered the athletes as they competed at the third edition of the Colorful Daegu Athletics Meeting held on Korea’s National Foundation Day - Wed 3 Oct - at the venue that will host the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics.
Spearmon finishing the season well again
Wallace Spearmon is interviewed after his sprint double in Daegu
(IAAF)
USA’s Osaka 200m World Championships bronze medallist Wallace Spearman claimed the sprint double with times of 10.11 and 19.88 in the 200m. His bests this year are 9.96 and 19.82. Daegu has been a favoured venue for Spearmon who clocked his personal best of 19.65 here 12 months ago, which currently make him the fourth fastest runner of all-time.
Today’s victory was also Spearmon’s third impressive win in the last five days, following on from his 100m personal best of 9.96 in Shanghai. It must be puzzling why he runs so much faster in the last few meets of the year?
“Sometimes it takes losses to make you realise you are not on the right track early.”
Ruth Bisibori Nyangau of kenya on the way to improving her World Junior 3000m Steeplechase record in Daegu
(IAAF)
Good crowd support for Isinbayeva and Liu Xiang
Women’s Pole Vault World record holder, Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva, was a comfortable winner with a first up clearance at 4.80m – her twelfth competition outdoors this year in which she has cleared this height or better. A very popular athlete in Korea, Isinbayeva was most relaxed in the press conference conducted with Liu Xiang.
“This meet continues to get better and it impresses me. The spectators didn’t leave even when the track had finished but my vault was still going. The spectators in Daegu are number one in the World!”
The crowd’s biggest applause was afforded to China’s Liu Xiang, who flew in today from Shanghai, where he had had responsibilities at the Special Olympics being held in his home city. Xiang bounced back from a rare defeat five days earlier to lead a Chinese 1-2 in the men’s 110m Hurdles as he edged Shi Dongpeng,13.20 to 13.28.
With five jumps over 17.38m and a best of 17.50m, USA’s Aarik Wilson closed the season just eight centimetres short of his personal best.
World Junior record
Although bruising her knee during the race, Kenya’s Nyanga Bisobori, fourth placer in Osaka in a World Junior record of 9:25.25, again lowered her world mark with an easy win in 9:24.51**.
Williams uplifted too
When asked at the pre-meet Press conference about what she would like at the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships, Lauryn Williams asked for just one thing:
“A packed stadium – as full as possible”.
Williams, the 2005 World champion and 2007 silver medallist at 100m, who easily won the 100m in a sluggish 11.33, was excited about the crowd prospects for 2011 after her run.
“The crowd was great. Koreans are great. They did an excellent job of filling up the stadium. If they can do it here, I’m sure they can do it in 2011.”
6.90m for Lebedeva with the flaming hair
Daegu city’s slogan is ‘colorful’ and that could have referred to the flaming red hair colour of Osaka dual jumps medallist, Tatyana Lebedeva, who was never threatened when taking the Long Jump with a second round leap of 6.90m.
“It was a good result,” said the World and Olympic Long Jump champion. “I thought if I jumped 6.70m it would be okay, but the crowd was incredible and I caught energy from them and I had a great jump. When I jumped 6.90m, I got a little injury at the takeoff. I’ve now finished the season, but are keen for another competition. So as I’m in the army I may take part in the Military Games.”
As it was at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Lebedeva’s red hair ensured she was noticed by everybody.
“I want to set an example for young people with good style and you can still be an athlete. It is like fire when I run.”
The Colorful Daegu Athletics Meeting, now only in its third year, continues to make rapid progress with more than 200 athletes from 27 countries travelling to the meet in 2007.
By an IAAF Correspondent in Daegu
NOTE: ** World Junior record pending usual ratification procedures