2008 ÅF IAAF Golden League coverage

Meeting Schedule

Sunday 1st June - ‘ISTAF’ - Olympic Stadium – Berlin

Friday 6th June - ‘Exxon Mobil Bislett Games’ - Bislett Stadium - Oslo

Friday 11th July - ‘Golden Gala’ - Olympic Stadium - Rome

Friday 18th July - ‘Gaz de France Meeting’ - Stade de France - Paris

Friday 29th August - ‘Weltklasse’ - Letzigrund Stadium - Zurich

Friday 5th September - ‘Ivo Van Damme Meeting’ - Stade Roi Baudouin - Brussels

Media Coverage

Live coverage is available on SETANTA SPORTS and BBC Radio FIVE LIVE with highlights on the IAAF Athletix programme on Sky Sports and on Channel 4's Trans World Sport programme.

2008 ÅF IAAF Golden League - Reports

9.77secs - Lightning Bolt signs off in style with Brussels victory as Jelimo secures $1 Million Dollar jackpot

2008 ÅF IAAF Golden League Belgacom Memorial Van Damme

Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels

Friday 5th September 2008

JAMAICA'S king of sprints Usain Bolt completed his stunning season with another brilliant 100m victory over compatriot Asafa Powell at the final 2008 ÅF IAAF Golden League meeting - Belgacom Memorial Van Damme in Brussels.

In front of a sell-out 47,000 crowd at what is regarded as the best of the six Golden League European Tour that includes stops in Berlin, Oslo, Paris, Rome and Zurich - Triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt on the track of the Stade Roi Baudouin ran his last race of the season before a well-earned rest back in Jamaica and he showed just why he could be the greatest sprinter of all time, Mark Woolley reports.

Despite some damp conditions in Brussels and the long season, Bolt still powered away from compatriot Powell to clock a time of 9.77secs.

It was a first clash between the two Jamaicans since Beijing and although he did not get near his 9.77secs world record set in the Olympics Bolt still set an impressive mark given the conditions.

Powell is the only man to cross the finish line ahead of Bolt this season and he led at the 50m stage, but Bolt put his head down and powered one final effort for the season to go clear and win by 0.06sec.

There was no time for showboating in this race as Bolt reversed that only blemish on his season from Stockholm in July, while Nesta Carter secured third place for a clean sweep for the brilliant Jamaicans.

Pamela Jelimo won the Golden League's entire million-dollar jackpot, taking her sixth straight 800 metres as high jumper Blanka Vlasic lost for the first time in the series.

Olympic champion Jelimo was as dominating as ever, dropping her competitors well back after one lap. And once the pace-setter had gone, she further built on the lead but could not threaten the world record.

The 18-year-old runner finished in one minute 55.16 seconds setting a meeting record, almost four seconds ahead of world champion and fellow Kenyan Janeth Jepkosgei.

Britain’s Olympic representatives Marilyn Okoro and Jenny Meadows both produced strong performances to place fifth and eighth in 1:59.33 and 2:02.22 respectively.

Vlasic had a chance to split the US$1 million jackpot but was again defeated when, failing to clear 2.02 metres and finishing second to Germany's European Cup winner Ariane Friedrich at 2.00 on countback.

With a 34 competition-winning streak coming into the Olympics, Vlasic also lost in Beijing to Belgium's Tia Hellebaut, missing out on the jackpot for the second consecutive season.

In 2007, the Osaka world champion lost the first meeting to Yelena Slesarenko in Oslo, and despite having won the next 10 Golden League competitions; the 24-year-old was left empty handed.

“I couldn’t find my technique on the wet track,” said Vlasic. “I’m very sorry but not because of the money but because this was (to be) the consolation prize for this season but in the end I was just too tired because I had so many jumps.”

In the absence of the Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt , US compatriot Jeremy Wariner was a class apart in the 400m, winning in a time of 44.44secs, the silver medallist in Beijing finished clear of the European season leader over the one-lap distance, Loughborough-based Martyn Rooney, the former world junior bronze medallist produced his usual strong finish in the home straight to edge out Congo’s Gary Kikaya securing an excellent second place by a margin of just 0.33sec in a time of 45.34.

It was a similar story in the Men’s 400m Hurdles where Olympic champion Angelo Taylor was also missing the meeting which left the door open for World gold medallist Kerron Clement to take an easy victory. The American pulled clear of Jamaica’s Danny McFarlane, to win in 48.29secs with another Jamaican Isa Phillips third.

The Women’s 200m was won by American Marshevet Hooker in a time of 22.62secs holding off pre-race favourite Jamaica’s Kerron Stewart, the Olympic bronze medallist.

Britain’s 400m Olympic and world champion Christine Ohuruogu looked a little jaded as she finished seventh in 23.33.

The 24-year-old commented afterwards: "This race is fun. A 200m is not my thing and after the gold medal in Beijing, I needed to take a short break, I will run other 400s this season, but I don't know where or when."

Olympic 10,000metres bronze medallist Meseret Defar, just 48 hours before defending her adidas women's five kilometres road race title in London's Hyde Park, the 24-year-old Ethiopian made an attempt on the 5,000m world-record, however, with 4 laps to go, she was over 10 seconds down on the required pace to break the mark, alongside Kenyan record-holder Vivian Cheruiyot.

Cheruiyot, who chased Defar to her 2007 world record in Oslo, held her form over the final lap and as the duo ran down the homestretch, it was Cheruiyot, who took silver behind Defar at last year’s world championships, who prevailed in a meeting record time of 14mins 25.43secs with Defar clocking 14:25.52.

Belgium’s golden girl, double European champion Kim Geveart’s appearance was met by a fantastic standing ovation by the packed crowd - the 12th consecutive year that the meeting has been a sell-out - as she marked her retirement from top flight athletics in the Women’s 100m.

The 30-year-old did not disappoint winning in a time of 11.25 secs (-1.1m/s). Gevaert is the reigning European champion at 60m (indoors) and 100m/200m outdoors, and anchored the Belgian team to Olympic 4x100m silver in Beijing. Britain’s Jeanette Kwakye finished seventh in 11.52.

The Women’s 100m Hurdles was won by Jamaica’s Delloreen Ennis-London in 12.65secs, ahead of American Lolo Jones, whose form since her Beijing disappointment has, with the exception of her Zurich win last week, been poor. The World Indoor champion ran 12.67 to take second ahead of Spain’s Josephine Onyia (12.71). Britain’s Sarah Claxton was seventh in 13.23.

The pace in the Men’s 5000m, run in a steady rain prior to the main Golden league meeting, was some 13 seconds behind schedule at 3,000m (7:57.14), so Eliud Kipchoge’s assault on Kenenisa Bekele’s world leading 12:50.18 never materialised. The Olympic silver medallist did however maintain his front running style as the Kenyan took the lead with a lap-and-a-half to go to take the win unchallenged in a time of 13:06.12. Isaac Songok (13:06.71) was second and Mang’ata Ndiwa (13:07.46) third to complete a Kenyan sweep. Britain’s Mo Farah ran a season’s best 13:08.11 to take fourth.

Youssef Saad Kamel, the former Kenyan Gregory Konchellah, continued his fine form with a classy victory in the 800m. Just three days after a PB victory in the Lausanne over 1500m, Kamel triumphed in Brussels in a time of 1:44.56, finishing ahead of Olympic bronze medallist Alfred Kirwa Yego and Moroccan Amine Laalou, who were virtually inseparable at the line and each credited with 1:45.01. Olympic champion Wilfred Bungei finished in seventh place (1:46.01). Britain’s Michael Rimmer, a late entrant into the race finished last in 1:50.73.

Ali Belal Mansour of Bahrain claimed victory in the 1500, clocking 3:35.94. In a blanket finish, Abdelaati Iguider (3:36.14) of Morocco held off Olympic bronze medallist Nick Willis (3:36.23), who moved from fifth to third over the final the 50 metres.

Paul Kipsiele Koech won the 3,000m Steeplechase ahead of the Olympic champion Brimin Kipruto. Koech, dominated the race to win in 8:04.99, well ahead of Kipruto (8:10.26), who outpaced Kenyan-born Bahraini Tareq Mubarak Taher (8:15.32).

The final track event of the evening was the Men’s 10,000m, which with the absence of world record holder and Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele, was won by Sileshi Sihine. The Ethiopian kicked past Kenyan Moses Masai over the final stages to take the win in 27:06.97 to Masai’s 27:07.26, with Bernard Kipyego third (27:08.06).

The damp conditions really affected the field programme where in the Women’s Pole Vault Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva only attempted two heights, the 4.72m that won the competition on her second attempt, and the three failures she had at 4.85.

The Men’s Javelin Throw was also affected as Finland’s World champion Tero Pitkämäki with a first round 85.32m was enough to secure victory over Beijing medallists, Ainars Kovals of Latvia (84.76), silver medallist, and double Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway (82.39).

The Men’s Long Jump was won by American Miguel Pate with a leap of 8.02m, his only valid attempt of the night in what was a poor competition.

9.83secs - Bolt supreme as Jelimo and Vlasic stay in the $1m Golden jackpot chase in Zurich

2008 ÅF IAAF Golden League Weltklasse

Letzigrund Stadium, Zurich

Friday 29th August 2008

JAMAICAN king of the sprints, Usain ‘Lightning’ Bolt, continued his fabulous run of form with a comprehensive win in the 100 metres at the penultimate 2008 ÅF IAAF Golden League Series meeting - the Weltklasse in Zurich.

In a packed Letzigrund Stadium on a sparkling night of athletics at the high quality meeting - rated as the best in the world - held in front of an enthusiastic sell-out 26,000 crowd, Pamela Jelimo of Kenya also went close to beating the oldest track and field world record in the books in the Women's 800m to retain her chase for the $1 million jackpot as Croatia’s high jump queen Blanka Vlasic returned to winning ways following her Olympic disappointment to keep herself in with a chance of a share of the gold bars, Mark Woolley reports.

Usain Bolt, who set an unprecedented three world records en route to his Olympic 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay gold and despite suffering with a slight cold and a sluggish start out of the blocks in Zurich, beat a field that included six of the Olympic finalists plus the 200m silver medallist Shawn Crawford of the USA as the 22-year-old crossed the line in a time of 9.83secs (-0.5m/s wind) to take another impressive victory.

"It was good, a nice track and a great crowd," said Bolt afterwards. "My start was not too good, I concentrated on winning, and as I am starting to get a cold, I was not able to think about any faster time."

Bolt will now compete over the 200m once again in Switzerland at the IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting that takes place in Lausanne next Tuesday (2nd September). (Live coverage available on Eurosport.)

Double Olympic bronze medallist Walter Dix of the United States came second in 9.99secs, with Trinidad and Tobago's silver medallist from Beijing, Richard Thompson, in third with 10.09.

Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo broke her own world junior record when she ran the third fastest time ever in the Women’s 800m.

Led brilliantly through 600 metres by Russian pacemaker Svetlana Klyuka, fourth in the Olympic final, Jelimo clocked a stunning time of 1:54.01 breaking her own world junior and area record as Bahrain’s Osaka World 1500m champion Maryam Jamal set a new national record of 1:57.80 in the fast run race to finish second.

Global 800m champion Janeth Jepkosgei claimed third in 1:58.26 as Britain’s number one Marilyn Okoro finished fifth with a time of 1:59.03.

Only Czech Jarmila Kratochvilova (1:53.28) and Russian Nadezhda Olizarenko (1:53.43) have run faster, back in 1983 and 1980 respectively.

"I am so tired," said Jelimo. "But this was my best race with the best pacemakers, the world record is now closer but I'm not sure I can do it this year, maybe next. There's still one race to go for the jackpot."

The legendary Maria Mutola made her final track farewell to the appreciative assembled crowd in great style finishing fourth in 1:58.71.

Following 21 glittering years, Mutola, who dominated the 800m event with titles from an Olympic gold to being a 10 time World champion, the 35-year-old Mozambique athlete known as the ‘Maputo Express’ ended her international career.

Mutola who earlier this month competed in her sixth Olympic Games 800m final where she finished fifth in a season best of 1:57.68, decided to run her last race in Switzerland as she considers the ‘Weltklasse’ her 'second' home.

Jelimo's victory means she remains in contention for the $1 million (£540,000) Golden League Jackpot with the final fixture, the Memorial Van Damme taking place in Brussels next Friday (5th September).

However, in the Belgium capital it looks very likely that Jelimo will have to share the jackpot with high jumper Blanka Vlasic.

Vlasic suffered a shock defeat at the hands of European champion Tia Hellebaut in Beijing but returned to winning ways in Zurich as the tall elegant Croatian won with a height of 2.01m ahead of Russia’s Anna Chicherova and Chaunte Howard of the USA who both cleared 1.98m.

Belgium's Hellebaut struggled in the competition with a best of 1.90m to finish eighth.

“Everybody was so tired,” said Vlasic. “So it was good to win and remain in the Jackpot race. I must say that the track surface was soft for me. When I pushed hard I could not find my technique.”

American Jeremy Wariner put the disappointment of the Olympics defeat behind him to beat his gold medal rival and compatriot LaShawn Merritt in the 400 metres.

Wariner, the reigning world champion, ran a strong bend to hold off the challenge of Merritt running lane three inside him, and kicked clear in the final straight to win in a time of 43.82secs - his fastest time of the season.

“I had Merritt behind me to push me on,” Wariner said. “I ran a season best and I plan to improve on that in Brussels and Stuttgart (world final). I want to end up as world number one at the end of the year.”

In other highlights of the post-Beijing meeting Olympic bronze medallist Sanya Richards of the United States won the Women's 400m in an overdue season's best of 49.74secs, whilst, American compatriot Allyson Felix, the Olympic silver medallist and world champion, won the 200m in 22.37secs still looking as though she is carrying an injury.

Cuba’s brilliant 110m hurdler Dayron Robles beat American archrival David Oliver by a margin of one-hundredth of a second in 12.97secs for his third Golden League victory of the season.

Angelo Taylor saw off Kerron Clement in a re-run of the Men's 400m Hurdles final in Beijing, the double Olympic champion winning in 48.07secs.

LoLo Jones won the 100m Hurdles in 12.56secs (-0.2m/s) to show she would have been a deserved Olympic champion but for falling close to the line. Spain’s Josephine Onyia was second in 12.62, with Australia’s Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan third (12.63). Olympic gold medallist Dawn Harper was back in sixth in 12.73.

Two Kenyans who failed to qualify for the Beijing Games also shone on the track in the Men's 1500m and 3,000m Steeplechase.

African champion Haron Keitany outsprinted Rashid Ramzi to win the 1500m in 3:32.06, whilst, Paul Koech, a bronze medallist at the 2004 Athens Games who missed the cut for the Kenyan team for this summer's Games, won a fast 3,000m Steeplechase in 8:04.26. Britain’s Tom Lancashire finished 11th in the 1500m just 0.33secs outside of his lifetime best with a mark of 3:35.66.

"This was my Olympic Games," admitted Koech. "The pacemakers did their job well."

Double Olympic champion and world record-holder Kenenisa Bekele dominated the 5,000m after breaking clear after just two kilometres.

The 26-year-old Ethiopian winner of both the 5,000m and 10,000m in Beijing, dazzled the crowd to win by a huge margin of almost 10 seconds with the world's fastest time this year of 12:50.18.

Pole Vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva also struggled and with the bar at 4.75m and faced elimination, before soaring over and improving to a winning height and meeting record of 4.88m

Norwegian Javelin thrower Andreas Thorkildsen, having broken Jan Zelezny’s Olympic record on the way to securing gold in Beijing with a 90.72m throw, once again dominated the field producing a best of 90.28m in the perfect conditions to follow up on his China success.

“I threw really well today,” said Thorkildsen. “I made only very small technical mistakes, otherwise I could have thrown even further.”

Finland’s World champion Tero Pitkämäki finished second with a mark of 87.26m as compatriot Tero Järvenpää was third (86.45).

The Men’s Long Jump was won by Saudi Taher Al-Saba equalling his lifetime best of 8.35m. European champion Andrew Howe of Italy returning to form following injury with 8.06 secured second place.

The final event of the meeting was the Zurich Trophy 4x100m Men’s Relay race which went to the USA following a tight finish ahead of Trinidad and Tobago – 38.01secs to 38.03.

Brits shine in Paris - Wariner and Robles impress; Vlasic and Jelimo continue $1 jackpot chase

2008 ÅF Golden League Meeting Gaz de France

Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris

Friday 18th July 2008

WORLD junior champion Steph Twell smashed her personal best over 1500m to virtually assure her place in the GB team for next months Beijing Olympic Games with a superb performance at the glittering tenth edition of the Meeting Gaz de France - the fourth leg of the 2008 ÅF Golden League in Paris.

On a sparkling night of athletics in the French capital the other two British athletes in action also gained selection for Beijing - as both Jenny Meadows in the 800m and Andrew Lemoncello over the Steeplechase set new personal best inside the ‘A’ standard, Mark Woolley reports.

Further highlights in Paris included American’s Jeremy Wariner (400m) and Sanya Richards (200m) gained timely victories ahead of the Olympics - Cuba’s Dayron Robles came within inches of breaking his own world 110m Hurdles record, whilst, jackpot contenders in the chase for the $1 Million prize, Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo (800m) and Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic (High Jump), completed comfortable victories in their respective events.

Inside the magnificent Stade de France, the venue for the 2003 IAAF World Championships, situated in Saint-Denis in the north-east of Paris under the spectacular saucer shaped roof, Steph Twell, the 18-year-old World Junior 1500m gold medallist made her Golden league debut to clock a time of 4mins 05.83secs to finish in 8th place - inside the Olympic 'A' standard in the race won by Maryam Yusuf Jamal (3:59.99) and will almost be certainly named in Great Britain's Olympic team for Beijing.

Twell, despite feeling nervous on such a grand stage ran her own race to chase the qualifying time as Yusuf Jamal the Ethiopian who now runs for Bahrain faced the challenge of her former compatriot Gelete Burka and the American champion Shannon Rowbury over the final lap, however, the reigning world champion was too strong over the final 200m pulling clear to take victory inside four-minutes in a time of 3:59.99.

Rowbury secured second in a new personal bests of 4:00.33 as Twell broke her lifetime best of 4:06.70 set last year to finish in 8th place with a mark of 4:05.83 following on from her gold medal success in Bydgodzcz the previous week – but more importantly for the rising star she went inside the Olympic ‘A’ standard.

A delighted Twell commented afterwards: "The record I set here is a reward after years of continuous development. I am overwhelmed to run a new PB, my coach told me to believe in myself. The atmosphere was amazing. The music, the cheers from the crowd made me raise my game.”

Twell will almost certainly join Commonwealth champion Lisa Dobriskey and either Susan Scott or the NCAA champion Hannah England in the second wave of the Team GB.

The Men’s 1500m was won by Kenya’s 21-year-old Commonwealth 5,000m champion Augustine Choge following a sprint finish from Asbel Kiprop in a time of 3:32.40.

Jenny Meadows, an absentee from last weekend’s UK trials in Birmingham due of illness, was also on top form breaking her personal bets in a fast run 800m race that witnessed another stunning breakaway victory by Pamela Jelimo who set a new world junior record and maintained her challenge for the $1 jackpot prize storming to win by a huge margin of over 20 meters clear of the field that included Australia’s global indoor champion Tamsyn Lewis in a time of 1:54.97.

Meadows clocked 1:59.11 to take sixth place and gain Beijing selection as Kenya's Pamela Jelimo maintained her Golden League record and lowered her world junior record to an incredible 1:54.97.

Meadows performance improved her previous best of 1:59.39 inside the two minutes qualifying standard.

Scotland’s Andrew Lemoncello was another Brit out to impress the UK selectors and gain the all important Beijing qualifying standard in the 3,000m Steeplechase, a feat that the 25-year-old subsequently achieved by lowering his personal best to 8mins 22.95secs to finish 8th in the race where Bahrain’s Tareq Mubarak Taher won convincingly in a season’s best of 8:08.53.

Kenyan Michael Kipyego finished second in a new lifetime best of 8:09.93 as Sweden’s 2007 Osaka World championship finalist Mustafa Mohamed recorded a European lead securing third place with a time of 8:11.10.

America’s world and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner returned to top form in front of the watching Michael Johnson to defeat compatriot and rival LaShawn Merritt producing a stellar world leading performance to leave Merritt in his wake crossing the line in a meeting record time of 43.86secs. Merrit was second in 44.35, with Chris Brown of the Bahamas third (44.76).

Another of America’s gold medal hopes over the one-lap in Bejing, Sanya Richards, prevailed in a very close 200m, narrowly edging out the USA’s top 100m exponent Muna Lee in a time of 22.26secs as Stateside athletes dominated the race as Carmelita Jeter (22.58), Lee (22.59) and LaShauntea Moore (22.70) completed the Stars and Stripes wave over the line.

Dayron Robles missed out on a new 110m Hurdles world-record by just 100th of a second with another fabulous sprint performance. The Cuban clocked 12.88secs, his third sub-13 second time this season, after having timed 12.87 in Ostrava in June to set the new world record.

The 21-year-old, whose time in the Czech Republic beat the old record of 12.88 set by China's great Olympic hope Liu Xiang in July 2006 in Lausanne, has also clocked 12.96 this year.

With his 12.87 world record and the 12.92 set at last year’s IAAF World Athletics final, Robles now holds three of the ten best performances of all time. Olympic silver medallist Terrence Trammell was second in 13.19, and Antwon Hicks of the United States third in 13.27.

Double World Championship medallist Delloreen Ennis-London, in a fine Women’s 100m race, came out on top in 12.66secs ahead of America’s Joanna Hayes, who will not be able to defend her Olympic crown (12.76), and Dawn Harper (12.79). Marc Burns of Trinidad took the Men’s 100m in 10.14secs (+1.2ms).

In the Men's 400 Hurdles, World champion Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson were in the lead until the last hurdle where Clement broke clear to win in 48.33 as Jackson finished in fourth place, beaten by Danny McFarlane of Jamaica, second in 48.71. Angelo Taylor of the United States was third in 48.91.

The Women’s 5,000m had only a field of just six athletes, remarkable for a Golden League meeting, as Commonwealth 10,000m champion Lucy Wangui Kabuu of Kenya won with a meeting record of 14mins 38.47secs, as Kenya’s Edwin Soi clocked 7:36.71to hold off the challenge of Joseph Ebuya (7:36.84) to win the Men’s 3,000m where in fourth place Ireland’s Alistair Cragg set a European lead time of 7:38.21.

Croatia’s Blanka Vlašic looked tired after a string of top performances on the European circuit but was by far the best athlete on show in the Women’s High Jump. Chasing her fourth Golden League victory - Vlašic cleared 2.01m to completed her 33rd consecutive victory to maintain the charge towards the Million Dollar prize.

Vlašic was flawless up to and including 1.97m but with Germany's Ariane Friedrich and Belgium's Tia Hellebaut also still in the competition, she bravely passed 1.99m.

However, both her rivals failed at that height and Vlašic clinched victory when she went over 2.01m at the third time of asking before failing three times at 2.05m.

In other field events World champion Irving Saladino won the Long Jump with a best of 8.31m set in the fourth round to defeat Hussein Taher Al Sabee (8.25) and Mohamed Al Khuwalidi (8.09).

The Men’s Javelin was won with a final round effort of 85.61m by the Olympic silver medallist Vadim Vasilevskis of Latvia. Australian Commonwealth champion Steven Hooker won the Men’s Pole Vault with 5.70m on countback from Germany’s Alexander Straub.

The two athletes who are still in the chase for the $1 Million Golden League jackpot are:
800m - Pamela Jelimo (KEN)
High Jump - Blanka Vlasic (CRO)

5.03m - Isinbayeva raises the bar with new world record in Rome

2008 ÅF Golden League Golden Gala Kinder+Sport Meeting

Olympic Stadium, Rome

Friday 11th July 2008

RUSSIA’S reigning Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva opened her outdoor season in spectacular style by breaking her own Pole Vault world-record clearing 5.03 metres at the Golden Gala Kinder+Sport meeting in Rome, the third meeting of the 2008 ÅF Golden League series.

The record vault made on her second attempt, added two centimetres to the existing mark she set at the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Mark Woolley reports.

On a beautiful warm dry evening in the Eternal City the Olympic and World champion, making her first appearance of the season outdoors, has now set 22 world records in the event (12 outdoor and 10 indoors). Her latest world record comes just four weeks before the Beijing Olympics get underway and took her closer to one of her ambitions - beating Ukrainian Sergei Bubka's record of setting 35 world records.

"I was ready for the record. It's what I wanted," said Isinbayeva. "After I jumped 4.95m tonight I really felt like putting the bar at 5.03m rather than 5.02m. This is just the start. There is the Olympic Games and other records will come later."

Monika Pyrek of Poland equalled her lifetime best with a mark of 4.75m to take second place, as Germany’s Silke Spiegelburg secured third with a PB of 4.70.

America dominated the one-lap events as Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt produced a superb finish to the Men’s event, whilst Allyson Felix was simply sublime in the Women’s race.

Double World 200m champion Felix looked fabulous in her race – smooth elegant and a picture of efficiency, the 23-year-old blasted away over 200 metres leaving the rest of the field in her wake to win in a time of 50.25secs. She had hoped to impress the watching Team USA coaches in an effort to gain a place in the Olympic 4x400m Relay squad, I think on this showing that decision was never in doubt.

Felix commented afterwards: “I’m a bit tired after crossing the Atlantic after the US Trials.”

Billed as the race of the night the clash between Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt easily lived up to the hype.

Wariner, the reigning Olympic and World champion despite twice losing to his fellow American this summer, came out the winner – but only just! as it took a photograph to decided the outcome.

A metre behind his great rival coming into the home straight, Merritt produced a late burst of speed to come onto Wariner's shoulder a few strides from the line and prevailed a margin of just one-hundredth-of-a-second in a time of 44.36secs.

Ireland’s Loughborough-based national record holder David Gillick finished 6th as the double European indoor champion running from lane 1 clocked a time of 45.52.

Oscar Pistorius was never in contention in the 400 metres 'B' race where he was again chasing the Olympic qualifying standard of 45.55secs.

The 'Blade Runner' finished well behind Jamaican winner Ricardo Chambers, who clocked 44.96, after a slow start, the South African accelerated in the final 150m, finishing seventh in a time of 46.62. Pistorius will have a final qualifying attempt in Lucerne on 16th July.

Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell felt a cramping in his groin in his 100m heat and then pulled out of the final as a precautionary measure, said his agent Paul Doyle. Powell clocked 10.19sec and had led his heat before easing up in the last 30 metres. Portugal's Francis Obikwelu made the most of Powell's problems to win the final in a time of 10.04secs, following a false start.

As with Allyson Felix, Blanka Vlasic was equally smooth and supreme in the Women’s High Jump easing through the competition with a string of first time clearances starting at 1.85m and ending at 2.00m to take victory before failing at 2.05. Athens Olympic champion Yelena Slesarenko finished second with European champion Tia Helebaut third, both on 1.98m.

Jamaican Kerron Stewart’s prevailed in the Women’s 200m finishing in 22.34secs with American Sanya Richards second in a season’s best of 22.49. France’s Muriel Hurtis-Houairi finished third in 22.50. Asian Games champion Rakia Al-Gasara of Bahrain set a national record of 22.65.

Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo won her event to stay in the hunt for the $1 jackpot clocking a time of 1min 55.69secs over 800m easily destroying the chasing pack having been paced by the 2001World 400m champion Amy Mbacke Thiam of Senegal through 400m (58.48) the 18-year-old World junior record-holder was in a class of her own and will start firm favourite for gold in Beijing. Australia’s London-based World Indoor champion Tamsyn Lewis achieved a season’s best of 1:59.43 to finish sixth.

Cuba's 110m Hurdles world record-holder Dayron Robles won his race in 13.08secs with room to spare, the 21-year-old former Basketball player was in a different class striding away to win.

In the Women’s 100m Hurdles Spain’s Josephine Onyia’s dream of Golden League jackpot was shattered as she finished in fifth place in 12.85secs as Jamaicans Brigitte Foster-Hylton (12.60) and Delloreen Ennis-London (12.62) finished first and second with the USA’s Candice Davis in third (12.72).

American Bershawn Jackson's jackpot hopes ended when compatriot Kerron Clement in the 400 Hurdles beat him. Clement, the Osaka World champion won in 48.23. Jackson, the 2005 world champion, finished in 48.34.

The Women’s 400m Hurdles was won by Melaine Walker of Jamaica in a time of 54.36. Poland’s World championship bronze medallist Anna Jesien came home strongly in 54.71 a season’s best to finish second with USA’s Tiffany Ross Williams third (54.97).

In the Men’s 1500m Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop, set a new lifetime best of 3:31.67, which smashed his previous best (3:35.24 – 2007) which he ran in the Osaka final. Abdalaati Iguider of Morocco finished second also in a new PB of 3:31.88. In fourth place, double European champion Mehdi Baala of France set a European season’s lead of 3:32.00.

World 10,000m silver medallist Sileshi Sihine of Ethiopia overtook compatriot Tariku Bekele in the last 80 metres of the to win the men’s 5,000m in a time of 13:04.94. Loughborough-based Chris Thompson, the only British athlete in action in Rome, finished in 17th place in 14:08.60.

World champion Brimin Kipruto led an African train in the Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase prevailing over reigning Olympic gold medallist Ezekiel Kemboi in a time of 8:15.71.

In the Women’s 5,000m Ethiopia’s superb Tirunesh Dibaba, who had set the existing World record in Oslo (14:11.15) finished in 14:36.58 ahead of compatriot Meselech Melkamu, the silver medallist over 3000m indoors this winter in Valencia (14:38.78). Kimberley Smith of New Zealand improved her own Area Record with 14:45.92 to take fifth place.

In other field events Finland's Javelin World champion Tero Pitkamaki, who accidentally speared French long jumper Salim Sdiri at this meeting last year, triumphed with an 87.7 metres throw.

Hussein Al-Sabee, the last man in the Golden League jackpot hunt, was eliminated when he finished third in the Long Jump, behind World champion Irving Saladino and Mohamed Al-Khuwalidi. Saladino despite a persistent knee injury leaped 8.30 metres to take victory.

The two athletes who are still in the chase for the $1 Million Golden League jackpot are:
800m - Pamela Jelimo (KEN)
High Jump - Blanka Vlasic (CRO)

Oslo dream victories for Baddeley and Lancashire; Dibaba smashes world 5km record

2008 ÅF Golden League Exxon Mobil Bislett Games

Bislett Stadium, Oslo

Friday 6th June 2008

ANDY BADDELEY and Tom Lancashire with impressive victories in the ‘Dream Mile’ and the 1500m restored the pride in British middle-distance running as Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba set a new world record in the women's 5,000m on a stellar night of high quality athletics at the Exxon Mobil Bislett Games - the second meeting of the 2008 ÅF Golden League on a beautiful warm night in the Norweigen capital Oslo, Mark Woolley reports.

Andy Baddeley brought back the memories of the glory years two-decades ago when Coe, Cram and Ovett broke world records for fun and Britain ruled the middle-distance events by winning the 'Dream Mile' following a final surge over the line and complete a race victory over the Africans. The first British time since 1991 when Peter Elliot prevailed.

Following his impressive 800m win in Belgrade at the end of last month - Baddeley, an Osaka IAAF World Championships finalist Andy Baddeley over 1500m timed his finish to perfection after lying fifth with 200 metres to run when he came off the final bend to produce a strong powerful finish as the 25-year-old, who finished third in last year's race, smashed his personal best to cross the line in a world-leading time of 3mins 49.38secs ahead of Kenyan runner-up Haron Keitany (3:49.70) and Deresse Mekonnen (3:49.72), setting a new Ethiopian national record.

A delighted Baddeley commented afterwards: "It started so quickly I was almost at the back of the field after the first lap and midway before I started to move through, my coach told me after I had run so well last year that I could run under 3min 50sec. After hanging around all day for what was the last event I was feeling the pressure.”

Florida State University student Tom Lancashire at the beginning of the evening’s programme gave Britain the perfect start with a fine victory in the 1500m as the 22-year-old clocked a new personal best time of 3mins 35.33secs holding off the challenges of Australia’s Mitch Kealey, a winner at the British Milers meeting in Manchester the previous weekend and Tim Kiptanui. The 2002 Commonwealth gold medallist Michael East finished fourth in 3:37.55.

Track performance of the night and the highlight of this wonderful meeting was Tirunesh Dibaba setting a stunning new world record in the Women's 5,000m. The 22-year-old crossed the finishing line in a time of 14mins 11.15secs, breaking compatriot Meseret Defar's previous mark set at the same meeting last year by a huge margin of 5.48 seconds.

Dibaba had excellent pacemaking from Anna Alminova of Russia and was inside world record pace for the last 2,000 metres. At the 4,000 mark, with Alminova out of the race, Dibaba was just over a second inside the pace she needed and went on to destroy the record with a superb last lap surge.

The Osaka World 10,000m champion's sister Ejegayehu Dibaba finished third, with Kenya's Lucy Wangui taking second. Britain's Jo Pavey finished well under the Olympic ‘A’ qualifying standard in eighth place in 15:02.41. Compatriot Katrina Wootton recorded a personal best of 15:39.92 in 15th place.

Dibaba commented: "I was not expecting such a record, but it is very important for me, it was my dream to break a high quality world record. God helped me today to achieve something special"

Golden League jackpot favourite, Croatia 6ft 4in World High Jump champion Blanka Vlasic, once again underlined her position as strong favourite for gold in Beijing by completing her 26th straight consecutive victory with a height of 2.04 meters combined with three attempts at the 2.10 world-record set 21-years ago in Rome by Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova in 1987.

After his surprise defeat five days ago in Berlin to compatriot LaShawn Merritt, World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner restored normal service in Oslo, however, as in the German capital the American tightened up over the final 100m to narrowly defeat the Bahamas Christopher Brown in a time of a world-leading time of 43.98secs, with Brown seting a new national record of 44.40.

Russia’s tall elegant World record-holder Gulnara Galkina was a class apart in the 3,000m Steeplechase cruising to an impressive victory in a hugh field of 21 with a time of 9mins 14.77secs in a field which on the back of Barbara Parker’s recent UK record included three of Britain’s top exponents led by Sheffield’s Hatti Dean in 10th (9:39.19) followed by Jo Ankier and Loughborough-based Helen Clitheroe in 12th and 13th places respectively with times of 9:45.44 and 9:46.75.

Sensation of the Berlin meeting, Pamela Jelimo, completed another impressive vcitory but fell short of the World junior record set last week of 1:54.99, as the 18-year-old once again kicked clear of the field to clock 1:55.41 ahead of Slovak Lucia Klocova (1:58.89) and Jamaica’s Kenia Sinclair (1:59.00). Britain’s Jenny meadows dipped under two minutes to record 1:59.67 in 6th place.

Back in 1979 Sebastian Coe set the stadium record in the 800m, a world mark of 1:42.33, a time that has never been surpassed in the twenty-nine years that have past at the Bislett and was never under threat tonight although Sudanese Abubaker Kaki perfromance did break the World Junior mark of 1:43.64 set by the Kenyan Japheth Kimutai back in Zürich in 1997 as Kenya’s David Rudisha, the reigning World Junior champion, finished second in a personal best of 1:43.72 with South Africa’s Olympic silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi third in 1:44.04.

Britain’s European 800m bronze medallist Sam Ellis was eighth in 1:48.15 as Michael Rimmer failed to finish.

In the sprint events World silver medallist Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas ran a wind assisted (+2.3m/s) sub-10 in the Men’s 100m in 9.98secs, as Coventry’s Marlon Devonish recorded a season’s best to finished fourth in 10.08.

The Women’s 100m witnessed 2004 Olympic champion Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus finish third (11.26) behind Jamaica’s Sherri Ann Brooks (11.24), with USA’s Bianca Knight splitting the two (11.25).
World 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu moved into new territory by beating the 23sec mark over 200m for the first time when an excellent third in her race clocking 22.94 as American Bianca Knight won in 22.56, ahead of Russia's Yuliya Guschina.

Ireland's Paul Hession was edged out in the 200m by just 0.09secs to Antigua's Pan-American gold medallist Brendan Christian, who recorded 20.39, with Clement Campbell of Jamaica taking third in 20.58.

Over the hurdles America’s 2005 World champion Bershawn Jackson looked very impressive in the 400m Hurdles passing the early leader Jamaican Danny MacFarlane, he pulled clear to set a 48.15 season’s best to maintain his chase for the $1 million Dollar prize.

MacFarlane finished second in his 2008 best of 48.58, with Commonwealth champion LJ Van Zyl of South Africa third also in a season’s best (48.84).

Following a false start Josephine Onyia won her second consecutive Golden League race, as the Spanish record-holder won the 100m Hurdles in a time of 12.59 secs, well clear of USA’s World Indoor champion Lolo Jones (12.66) and Sweden’s World Indoor 60m Hurdles record-holder Susanna Kallur (12.71).

The field events witneesed Saudi Hussein Taher Al-Sabee, the 21-year-old Asian Games champion winning the Long Jump with a second round leao of 8.19m leap (1.1m/s wind) ahead of Italy’s European champion Andrew Howe with a last round 8.16m (+0.3).

World champion Tero Pitkämäki in the Javelin Throw missed out on a chance of the $1 Million prize as the Finn’s first round leading throw of 85.82m which he improved by ten centimetres in the secondwas surpassed by compatriot Tero Järvenpää with an 86.49m PB, and then the Olympic champion AndreasThorkildsen delighted his home crowd by producing a massive 87.73m effort to win the competition in dramatic fashion.

The 2008 ÅF Golden League will resume on Friday 11th July with the Golden Gala meeting at Rome’s Olympic Stadium. The athletes who are still in the chase for the $1 Million jackpot are:
Men
400m Hurdles - Bershawn Jackson (USA)
Long Jump - Hussein Al-Sabee (KSA)
Women
800m - Pamela Jelimo (KEN)
100m Hurdles - Josephine Onyia (ESP)
High Jump - Blanka Vlasic (CRO)

Merritt and Jepkosgei dazzle with surprise victories in Berlin

2008 ÅF IAAF Golden League DKB-ISTAF Meeting

Olympic Stadium, Berlin

Sunday 1st June 2008

LASHAWN MERRITT and Pamela Jelimo were the surprise package of the opening meeting of the 2008 ÅF Golden League Series with the staging of the DKB-ISTAF at Berlin’s sun drenched Olympic Stadium, Mark Woolley reports.

With a huge crowd of over 67,000 gathered in the German capital – the 2006 shared jackpot winner and firm favourite to repeat that success, Jeremy Wariner, the two-time World and reigning Olympic champion blasted out of his blocks in the 400 metres with a clear advantage over the field after the first 100m on the electric blue track.

However, the Texan began to tighten as American compatriot LaShawn Merritt began his counter attack which saw the World silver medallist with 20 metres to go make his move to take victory in a world leading time of 44.03secs with a disappointed Wariner second in 44.07 ending his nine-race unbeaten run.

“Stunning” is the only word to describe Pamela Jelimo’s performance in the 800m, the 18-year-old Kenyan produced one of the most devastating front running exhibitions ever seen in world athletics leaving the field which included compatriot and Osaka 2007 World champion Janeth Kepkosgei in her wake.

The African champion broke the Area and World Junior record with a superb time of 1:54.99. Jelimo’s run was the quickest performance seen for over a decade, and left her opponents adrift by nearly four seconds at the line. A distant second place went to World University Games champion Yuliya Krevsun of the Ukraine (1:58.98) with Jepkosgei third in 1:59.13.

European and Commonwealth bronze medallist Andy Turner finished 8th over the 110m Hurdles in a time of 13.71secs as American David Oliver, the world leader, won in 13.19 ahead of Cuba’s Dayron Robles (13.20).

Sweden’s World Indoor 60m Hurdles record-holder Susanna Kallur, an ÅF sponsored athlete and an employee of the Swedish firm which is a leader in technical consulting, in her first race of the outdoor season following an injury break, was convincingly beaten in the 100m Hurdles by a national record performance by Spain’s Josephine Onyia.

The Spaniard winning in a time of 12.50secs with Kallur second in 12.54, and the USA’s Lolo Jones, the World Indoor gold medallist in third in a season’s best of 12.57.

In the Men’s 1500m Augustine Choge, the Commonwealth 5,000m champion, eased to victory in a world leading time of 3:31.57 finishing ahead of second placed Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (3:31.91) with Shedrack Korir, the World bronze medallist, third in 3:31.99. Britain’s 2002 Commonwealth gold medallist over the distance Michael East trailed in 12th in a time of 3:36.48.

Britain’s Michael Rimmer running in the ‘A’ race of the Men’s 800m clocked 1:47.32 to finish 12th as Ugandan Abraham Chepkirwok won in a national record of 1:44.53.

In the wake of Usain Bolt’s stunning 9.72secs world record the previous night in New York the Men’s 100 metres was won by another high quality Jamaican Nesta Carter with a personal best of 10.08.

The 2003 Paris World champion Kim Collins of St. Kitts was second in 10.12. Britain’s Marlon Devonish clocked 10.18 to finish sixth on his season debut.

Joice Maduaka slipped at the start and emerged last from the blocks to finish seventh in the Women’s 100m in 11.81.

The two 5,000m races were decided with sprint finishes by an African train of athletes, and both went to Kenyans. Moses Masai took the Men’s race in a world season’s lead of 12:50.55, comfortably defeating Ethiopia’s World Indoor 3,000m champion Tariku Bekele, whilst, the Women’s race was taken in a sprint finish by Kenyan Sylvia Kibet in 15:05.09 ahead of compatriot Priscah Jepleting (15:06.77).

In the field events Blanka Vlasic, the indoor and outdoor global title holder in the Women’s High Jump, matched the 2.03m World season best she set in Doha early last month to comfortably win.

The Men’s Javelin was won by World champion Tero Pitkämäki with his first and only effort of the day with 85.20m, following injuring his back in the process.

In the 400m Hurdles, a storming second half of the race witnessed 2005 IAAF World champion Bershawn Jackson pass the early leader, reigning European champion Periklis Iakovakis of Greece, to win in 48.73secs.

World Indoor champion Evgeniy Lukyanenko of Russia succeeded in the Men’s Pole Vault with a personal best of 5.85m, and Ukraine’s Maksym Mazuryk, a former World Junior champion, also hit a career high with 5.80m for second place.

There was an Asian record in the Men’s Discus from Iran’s Ehsan Hadadi. His 69.12m effort in round two broke his own existing mark of 68.52m set last weekend in Hengelo) .Olympic titleholder Virgilijus Alekna was second with 69.12m as Germany’s Robert Harting, the World silver medallist, claimed third with a personal best of 67.70m.

The biggest disappointment for the fans in Berlin was the World Long Jump champion Irving Saladino, the Panamanian looked completely out of sorts as he fouled his opening attempts and could only record a third round leap of 7.92m in the competition won by Saudi Arabia’s Hussein Al-Sabee with a mark of 8.21m (+0.6m/s wind).

2007 TDK IAAF Golden League - Review

Richards and Isinbayeva secure Golden jackpot share

2007 TDK IAAF Golden League

DKB-ISTAF 2007

Olympic Stadium, Berlin

Sunday 16th September 2007

AMERICAN Sanya Richards and Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva completed their quest for a share of the One Million Dollar jackpot at the DKB-ISTAF 2007 meeting, the final leg of the TDK IAAF Golden League Series taht was held under bright blue skies at Berlin’s imposing Olympic Stadium, Mark Woolley reports from Berlin.

The venue for the 2009 World Athletics Championships looked awash with colour creating a fabulous athletics spectacle with a sell-out crowd creating a fantastic atmosphere in one of the world’s truly magnificent sporting arenas.

Yelena Isinbayeva, despite the cold conditions and end of season tiredness vaulted to her sixth consecutive win after prevailing in Oslo, Paris, Rome, Zurich and Brussels with a mark of 4.82 metres with the expected threat of compatriot Svetlana Feofanova fading away as she finished joint second on count back with Poland’s Monika Pyrek on the same height of 4.72.

A delighted Isinbayeva commented: “I felt very confident today, I knew that if I would break or equal my season’s best I would win.”

The world champion then failed with her three attempts to beat her own record of 5.01m, which even by her lofty standards was beyond her after such a long season, but as ever the Russian was all smiles dazzling the packed 70,000 assembled crowd having dominated the field and was never really under pressure.

Sanya Richards who has been equally dominant in the Golden League this season completed her sixth straight victory but not quite as convincing as in Brussels on Friday night and Zurich the previous week.

The 22-year-old American was pushed throughout by Great Britain’s World champion Christine Ohuruogu, returning after a break looking strong and more focussed, but Richards pulled clear to win by almost a second clocking 49.27 on the electric blue track of the Olympic Stadium to take victory. Ohuruogu recorded 50.40 to take second with fellow Brit and European indoor champion Nicola Sanders shadowing her, edged into third with 50.70.

Loughborough based world 400m Hurdles champion Jana Rawlinson made a surprise appearance in the race as the Aussie finished in 8th place in 52.49 over the flat.

For the second consecutive year Richards will have to share the jackpot, however, this time she gains 50% of the prize ($500,000) as opposed to a third from 2006 when tied with Asafa Powell (100m) and Jeremy Wariner (400m) who were also six time victors in their respective events. For Richards 2007 will still be a case of what might have been for the Jamaican-born athlete with her poor jet-lagged performance at the US trials in Indianapolis resulting in her quest for a world title evaporating.

Richards commented afterwards: "I have had a tough year with the 400 so it is great to come out and have a winning streak at the end of the year, it feels great to have run such a fast time and I hope I can run 48 seconds in Stuttgart next weekend."

Fellow American and World 400m champion Jeremy Wariner had no problems in his race, looking cool in his trademark sunglasses the 22-year-old Texan eased to victory winning by more than a second ahead of the field in a time of 44.05secs, Canada’s Chris Tyler was runner-up. Osaka Bronze medallist Angelo Taylor of the USA was third again in 45.21.

Marlon Devonish, who finished third behind Asafa Powell in Zurich on Friday, was another Brit who was narrowly beaten on the line in the 100 metres as Norwegian Jaysuma Saidy Ndure with a late spurt powered away over the final ten metres to take victory by just 0.01 seconds in a time of 10.14.

The European Under-23 200m Bronze medallist Rikki Fifton lowered his lifetime best by 0.03, to take a surprise third in 10.17. Compatriot Mark Lewis-Francis looking leg weary struggled to really get going out of the blocks and trailed in a distant 8th place in 10.45.

With double world champion Tyson Gay pulling out of the meeting sighting fatigue and with a troublesome hamstring, fellow American Wallace Spearmon, who finished in Bronze medal position in Osaka, comfortably won the 200m in a time of 20.22secs with compatriot Rodney Martin second.

"I was supposed to run the 100 metres, but the meeting director told me I should run the 200 instead, it was a good idea," he said. "I was tired and am disappointed about the time, I will compete at the World Athletics Finals in Stuttgart next weekend, but I don't think I will run after that, because I am so tired."

Americans dominated the women’s short sprints as Lauryn Williams nearly scored a superb double, placing second in the 100 metres (11.24) and winning the 200 (22.95), with fellow USA athletes LaShaunte'a Moore fourth (23.10) and Stephanie Durst seventh (23.15). World Bronze medallist Carmelita Jeter won the 100m in 11.15, and Miki Barber was fourth in 11.30.

Sweden's superstar Susanna Kallur ran a brilliant personal best to win the Women's 100m Hurdles in a time of 12.49secs as the European champion completed her third consecutive Golden League victory over America’s world champion Michelle Perry.

It was really special to see former world champion and record holder, 36-year-old Allen Johnson, showing he can still produce on the big stage producing a brilliant win in the Men’s 110m Hurdles event as the very popular American won in 13.33secs.

World 1500m and 3,000m champion Bernard Lagat suffered defeat as Daniel Kipchichir Komen of Kenya completed a double success over the metric mile having won in Brussels, here in Berlin he prevailed in 3mins 34.09secs.

In the Women's 5,000 metres, Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot claimed victory with a time of 14mins 50.78secs with Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu second and American Kara Goucher taking third in a personal best. Meseret Defar, the winner of the two-mile in Brussels on Friday with a world best was competing in London in a road 5km.

With fellow London-based Kenyan Faith Macharia as a pace-maker, the outstanding world champion Janeth Jepkosgei flew to victory in the Women's 800 metres in a time of 1min 58.62secs ahead of Spain’s Mayte Martinez. Jepkosgei could be an early contender for World Athlete of the Year.

‘Do a little dance - get down tonight,’ Croatia’s delightful Blanka Vlasic was a class apart again in the High Jump clearing 2 metres comfortably and treating the crowd to her now trademark dance routine, but the attempt on the 20 year-old world-record was out of reach as the global champion failed at 2.06, just one centimetre short of her own personal best.

The huge crowd were treated to a welcome double home victory as Germany's Christina Obergfoll won the Women's Javelin with her fifth round throw of 64.58m to finish ahead of the Czech Republic's Barbora Spotakova. Finland's Tero Pitkamaki repeated his Brussels victory to win the Men's event with a second round effort of 88.58m.

In the Men’s Pole Vault German and Osaka Bronze medallist Danny Ecker completed the second host victory recording 5.86m, with compatriot Björn Otto second on count back with 5.81m ahead of the USA’s World Champion Brad Walker who claimed third place with 5.81m.

In other field events Portugal’s World champion Nelson Evora lost on count back with a leap of 17.07m in the Triple Jump competition to Aarik Wilson of the USA.

Sanders eclipsed by classy Richards as Defar sets new World two-mile record and Isinbayeva remains set for jackpot share

2007 TDK IAAF Golden League

Ivo Van Damme Memorial

Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels

Friday 14th September 2007

BRITAIN'S World Silver medallist Nicola Sanders was completely eclipsed by American superstar Sanya Richards in the 400m at the 31st edition of the Ivo Van Damme Memorial meeting, the penultimate leg of the IAAF TDK Golden League at the Stade Roi Baudouin in the Belgium capital, on a night where Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar’s smashed her own World best for the Two-Miles, Mark Woolley reports from Brussels.

An enthusiastic sell-out crowd of 47,500 witnessed the unrelenting march to the One Million Jackpot prize for Sanya Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva, who now have just one more meeting victory to accomplish to secure their Golden League prize.

Richards, the 22-year-old Jamaican born athlete, who decisively defeated world champion Christine Ohuruogu and Bronze-medallist Novelene Williams a week ago in Zurich, was again in formidable form in Brussels.

Richards, the 2006 World Athlete of the Year maintaining her unbeaten Golden League schedule and remaining in contention for at least a share of the million-dollar jackpot, flew to victory in a world-leading time of 49.29 seconds.

It was the second successive Friday night Richards had lowered her world leading time as she simply blasted away from Sanders, the European indoor champion and Silver-medallist in Japan, coming off the final bend to take a comprehensive victory.

“With my illness this year recovery has been my biggest problem. This (racing in Berlin on Sunday) will be my biggest test after coming back after just one day,” confirmed Richards.

Ethiopia's Meseret Defar set a world's best in the two-miles, smashing the mark she set earlier this year by eleven seconds to finish in a time of eight minutes 58.58 seconds.

Defar has already set world records in the 5,000m outdoors and the 3,000m indoors early in the season before improving the world best twice in the two-miles. Because it is a rarely run race, the IAAF does not consider it a world record. She sliced 11.89 seconds off the mark she set in Carson, California, earlier this year, having also won the 5,000m Gold in Osaka last month.

It was the fourth world record or 'best' for Defar this season, “Yes, this season has been great,” a beaming Defar said afterwards. For her efforts, she also won a Hyundai car. “Now I have to get a driver’s license when I go home.”

The 23-year-old Ethiopian, who will attempt to break the World 5km road running record in Hyde Park on Sunday, became the first woman in history to break the nine minutes barrier for two-miles. Britain’s Helen Clitheroe finished a distant sixth in 9mins 38.39secs.

No technical worries this week for Yelena Isinbayeva, and a count-back victory on 4.80m was enough to keep the World record-holder in the million dollar chase alongside Richards, although a season’s best by Svetlana Feofanova at that height must have Isinbayeva concerned when they meet in Berlin.

Feofanova, 27, as a former World champion and World record-holder is a realistic threat to her two-years younger opponent who since 2004 has taken over her mantle by becoming World champion (twice), and an even more prolific World record breaker and Olympic winner. In Isinbayeva’s present form – her World record attempts at 5.02 were not close – if Feofanova can climb back up to her PB level of 2004 that is 4.88, then Berlin may still witness a Jackpot upset.

In the 100m sprints Asafa Powell, the world's fastest human, and world champion Veronica Campbell, completed a double victory for Jamaica. Though Powell easing over the line failed to achieve his aim of bettering his world-record of 9.74 set less than a week ago in Rieti winning in a very fast 9.84secs, running against a 0.3 headwind.

Powell commented afterwards: "This time it was the weather, not the bad start," Powell told reporters after the race, of course, the restart doesn't help, but it was about 10 degrees colder than last week in Italy, so the conditions just weren't right to break the record."

Powell finished ahead of Norway's Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (10.11) and compatriot Michael Frater, third (10.12). Britain’s Marlon Devonish ran a good race to place fourth in 10.16 after initially making a false start.

In the Women’s race Campbell recovered from a slow start to win easily in 11.11secs. Frenchwoman Christine Aaron, who led for the first three quarters of the race, finished second in 11.22, whilst, American Torri Edwards, who was also credited with the same time, was third.

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele set a world's best this year for the 10,000 metres with a time of 26mins 46.19secs. The World champion in Osaka bettered the 26:48.73 time of his compatriot Sileshi Sihine, set back in May at Hengelo in the Netherlands. Bekele, 25, is the current world record-holder over this distance with a time of 26:17.53 which he set here in Brussels two years ago, his attempt at breaking the world record was never really on as he ran virtually solo from 2km.

Britain’s European cross country champion Mo Farah's gutsy display was rewarded with a lifetime best of 13:07.00 over the 5,000m, however, that was only good enough for 10th place as World Silver medallist Sileshi Sihine won in a time of 12:50.16. Farah’s time betters the 13.09.40 he set in Heusden, Belgium in July 2006.

The United Kingdom AAAs champion and Osaka representative, Andy Baddeley, ran an exceptional race, taking sixth in the 1500m in a time of three minutes 36.20 seconds. Baddeley could not match the finishing pace of his rivals, Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen winning in 3mins 32.67secs. Chasing the Kenyan home was Morocco’s Mohamed Moustaoui who finished strongly as the runner-up in 3:34.38.

The head-to-head clash between the Osaka World Championship 1500m Gold and Silver medallists Maryam Yusuf Jamal and Yelena Soboleva didn’t quite live up to that billing because the Bahraini once again blew away Soboleva over the last lap of the Women’s Mile. Jamal’s victory was a new Asian record of 4:17.75 with her Russian opponent nearly four seconds behind in 4:21.16. Britain’s Charlene Thomas and Steph Twell were 10th and 11th respectively clocking 4:27.95 and 4:28.16.

In the Men’s 800m, World junior champion David Rudisha displayed racing skills that belie his 18 years. Striding confidently over the final 300 metres, the Kenyan cruised to a clear 1:44.15 win, a career best, well ahead of the fast finishing Mbulaeni Mulaud.

The 3,000m Steeplechase was touted as a battle between Paul Kipsiele Koech, the world leader, and Brimin Kipruto, the World champion, and in the end, it was. At least until around 700 metres to go when Koech built an insurmountable lead en route to his 7:58.80 victory, another world leading time. Kipruto didn’t get his sub-8, but did lower his career best to 8:02.89 for second. Finishing fifth was American Steve Slattery with a personal best 8:15.69.

In Men's 200m, the highly anticipated battle between many of the world's best over the distance proved to be a showcase for World Championship Bronze medallist Wallace Spearmon, who won the event in a time of 19.88secs. Spearmon was followed by the third-fastest man of all-time Xavier ‘X-Man’ Carter, who was the runner-up in 20.04 seconds, and Osaka Silver medallist Usain Bolt of Jamaica, who was third in 20.14. Fourth place finisher in Japan, Rodney Martin, finished fourth again tonight in 20.39. Ireland's Paul Hession (20.79) was seventh.

As with Zurich the previous week, two-time World outdoor 100m Hurdles champion Michelle Perry finished third in her specialty event in 12.61secs as Sweden's Susanna Kallur, who placed fourth at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, collected her second Golden League victory with a time of 12.52. Jamaica's Delloreen Ennis-London, who won the Bronze medal in Osaka, was the runner-up, finishing in the exact time as Perry (12.61). American LoLo Jones placed fourth in 12.70.

Dayron Robles, the 20-year-old Cuban pulled away from USA’s Anwar Moore with two third of the race to go to take victory in the Men’s 110m Hurdles with veteran Allen Johnson, the multiple global champion taking third place. Robles winning in 13.21secs, Britain’s European Bronze medallist Andy Turner was 7th in 13.55.

Blanka Vlasic recorded another comprehensive High Jump victory in the Golden League, clearing 2.03cm to take the win. The 23-year-old Croatian athlete recorded her 15th win in all competitions this year having first cleared the bar at the height of 1.85 without any problems she subsequently eased over the heights of 1.90, 1.96, 2.01 and then 2.03cm. Russia’s Olympic champion Yelena Slesarenko put in a 2.01 leap to take second place.

Vlasic attempted to break the 20 year old world-record of Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova with a height of 2.10 cm narrowly failing, but this mark is well within her grasp.

There were mixed fortunes for two of the Osaka World champions who had lost in Zurich a week-ago. Portugal’s Nelson Evora fnished third with 17.14m in the Triple Jump as the 2005 World champion Walter Davis won with a mark of 17.27m.

In contrast Tero Pitkämäki bounced back from his loss with a last round throw of 87.30m to defeat Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway who had won in Zurich with his only throw.
Ivo Van Damme
(February 21st 1954 – December 29th 1976)

Ivo Van Damme was a brilliant Belgian middle-distance runner born in Brussels. He played football until he was 16, but then switched to athletics. His breakthrough came in 1973, when he placed fourth in the IAAF Junior World Championships in the 800m.

In 1976, he won the European indoor title over 800m, and was one of the favourites for a medal at 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. There, he placed second in both the 800m and 1500m, finishing behind Alberto Juantorena and John Walker, respectively. They were his last successes, as Van Damme was tradgically killed in a car accident while travelling home from Southern France, he was only 22-years-old.

Since 1977, a memorial competition has been held in Brussels to remember him, the TDK IAAF Golden League Ivo Van Damme Memorial.

Richards outclasses Ohuruogu with world leading 400m, Isinbayeva remains in million-dollar jackpot chase at Zurich’s Weltklasse

2007 TDK IAAF Golden League

Weltklasse Meeting

Letzigrund Stadium, Zurich

Friday 7th September 2007

AMERICAN superstar Sanya Richards quite simply blew Great Britain’s new World champion Christine Ohuruoghu off Zurich’s splendid newly-rebuilt Letzigrund Stadium track tonight as the 22-year-old Jamaican born athlete cruised to an extremely impressive victory in the 400m.

Richards powered away from the field to clock a world-leading time of 49.36 seconds to continue her pursuit of the Golden League one million dollar jackpot prize on a sparkling night of athletics at the high quality Weltklasse meeting held in front of an enthusiastic sell-out crowd, Mark Woolley reports from Zurich.

Other highlights of the post-Osaka meeting included Russia’s Olympic and World champion Yelena Isinbayeva staying on course for a share of the top prize following a dramatic and successful final round attempt to take victory in the Women's Pole Vault competition, with a height of 4.80 metres to beat compatriot Svetlana Feofanova into second place, Sweden’s European champion, Susanna Kallur, knocked the USA’s Michelle Perry out of the jackpot chase with a surprise and well-deserved victory in the 100m Hurdles, and the X-Man returned to the track as American sprinter Xavier Carter claimed victory in the 200m.

Britain’s World 400m Gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu was given a warm reception by the crowd on the presentation lap of the global champions prior to the start competition at the Weltklasse running alongside Sanya Richards, who should have lined-up against the Ohuruogu in Osaka, had she not fell apart in the US trials in Indianapolis, this mainly due to jet-lag from the Oslo Golden League that took place shortly before

However, that was as close as Ohuruogu was to get to Richards in Zurich as she was completely outclassed in the 400m as the American stormed to victory setting the fastest time in the world this year, clocking 49.36 seconds to take the win by a margin of 15 metres ahead of the World Bronze medallist, Jamaica’s Novlene Williams (50.85), and Amy Mbacke Thiam of Sengal (50.95). Ohuruogu looking tired and heavy legged finished fourth in 51.32.

Richards determined to make a point after missing out in Osaka commented afterwards: "I expected a fast race because I wanted to attack my personal best. Entering the final straight, I didn't know they were so far behind," she said. "It was mentally tough for me but I was ready to pull out a great victory. It was my world championships here."

Last year's Commonwealth champion and Britain’s first World or Olympic champion over 400m since Eric Liddel in the ‘Chariots of Fire’ 1924 games in Paris, competing in her first ever Golden League meeting in front of the 26,500 capacity crowd, admitted afterwards: "I felt exhausted, I knew she was going to do that (set off quickly) but there was nothing I could do about it.

"I'm disappointed but glad that I came," added the Briton, who will clash again with Richards in Brussels next Friday and two days later in Berlin. After a week's recovery period, Ohuruogu is determined to prove her own ability in the final two Golden League meetings of the summer.

Ohuruogu insisted: "I know I am as good as she is, but I didn't show it, I feel I have a couple of more races in me, I just want to do them and see what I can achieve, then I'd like to have a little break, before getting back into training."

There were two other jackpot contenders after three meetings in the series. Russia's Olympic and World champion Yelena Isinbayeva stayed on course for a share of the top prize after she won the Pole Vault competition with her final attempt of 4.80cm.

“Something technically bad happened, I do not know exactly what it was,” confirmed Isinbayeva. “I’m lucky to have got over (4.80m).”

However, the two-time World champion Michelle Perry lost her chance of sharing in the jackpot gold when she suffered a shock defeat in the 100m Hurdles. The 28-year-old American was beaten by Sweden's European champion Susanna Kallur over the line in a close finish with Ennis-London Delloreen of Jamaica, the Swede winning in a time of 12.66secs in the cold windy Zurich conditions that were not conducive too fast sprinting.

Perry, who had successfully retained her World title in Japan, finished third, equal on the same time of 12.68 as second placed Ennis-London, the Bronze medallist in Osaka.

There was an encouraging win for Cuba’s Dayron Robles in the Men’s 110m Hurdles. The 20-year-old Pan American champion who had finished out of the medals in Osaka won in a time of 13.15 (-0.2m/s) ahead of both the Osaka Silver and Bronze medallist Terrence Trammell and David Payne. The evergreen four-time World champion Allen Johnson finished third with a season’s best of 13.23.

American sprinter Xavier Carter, the self-styled X-Man (or should that be Nike styled!) marked his return from a leg injury sustained during the US trials prior to Osaka, with a fine victory in the 200m setting a new meeting record of 19.92 seconds eclipsing the 19.95 that the 1992 Olympic champion Mike Marsh had run in Zurich fifteen years ago.

Carter, the third-fastest 200m male athlete on the World all-time list with his 19.63 mark set last year had sustained the knee injury at the USA championships which forced him out of Osaka, here in Zurich the 22-year-old simply destroyed the challenge of Jamaica’s World Silver medallist Usian Bolt (20.19) and Sweden’s World finalist Johan Wissman, third in 20.47. Such was the margin of victory he could even afford himself a spot of showboating over the line with his X-Man salute.

Olympic Silver medallist Francis Obikwelu of Portugal won a depleted 100m 'A' race in 10.17secs, this after double World champion Tyson Gay and 100m Silver medallist Derrick Atkins withdrew from the event earlier in the day, both citing tiredness, and for Gay, a tight hamstring plus Jamaica’s world-record holder Asafa Powell deciding to miss Zurich, where he equalled his mark last year, and run in Rieti on Sunday.

Britain's Marlon Devonish was second in 10.20, level after a photo finish with Jaysuma Saidy Ndure of Norway. Craig Pickering finished eighth in 10.58 and Mark Lewis-Francis ninth in 10.60.

French athletes started the evening off well, unlike their Rugby players who were losing in Paris, by winning the first two major races after Osaka, where they failed to win a single event.

Two-time European champion Mehdi Baala won the 1500m immediately before Christine Arron triumphed in the Women's 100m.

Arron led from start to finish to win in a time of 11.17 ahead of American Torri Edwards (11.22), with Carmelita Jeter third in 11.24. American Lauryn Williams, the 2005 World champion who lost to a photo finish to Jamaica's Veronica Campbell in Osaka, was only seventh, whilst, Britain’s Laura Turner was eighth in 11.59 seconds.

World 800m champion Janeth Jepkosgei completed a very impressive virtually gun-to-tape victory as in Osaka the previous week by clocking 1:59.03 as she powered away from the field over the last 100m, with World Bronze medallist Mayte Martinez of Spain second in 2:00.42 and Italy’s Elisa Cusma in third (2:00.54). Great Britain’s Osaka semi-finalist Jemma Simpson produced a fine performance considering the occasion and the class of athlete in the race as the 23-year-old from Newquay crossed the line in seventh place with 2:01.17.

Bernard Lagat, the double World champion over 5,000m and 1500m was very impressive over the 3,000m showing no signs of jet-lag from his trip to Japan the American won in a time of 7:38.77. Britain’s European cross Country champion Mo Farah ran a fine race lying in third at the bell he finished in a season’s best of 7:41.86 to take fifth position.

Osaka Women’s 1500m champion Maryam Jamal was equally impressive in her race replicating the Osaka final by edging out Silver medallist Yelana Soboleva of Russia in a time of 4:06.32 to Sobleva’s 4:07.66.

Blanka Vlasic of Croatia is fast becoming the best dancer on the world circuit, and why not celebrate after producing another superb virtuoso performance to win the Women’s High Jump in some style and with a meeting record equalling 2.04m with her third effort. The new World champion, despite a fairly lengthy competition and the cold conditions in the Letzigrund Stadium made three quality attempts to break the 20 year-old world record at the 2.10 mark. Olympic champion Yelena Slesarenko of Russia with a 2.01 clearance was second, the only other athlete to go beyond 2 metres.

France’s two-time European champion Mehdi Baala won the 1500m immediately before compatriot Christine Arron triumphed in the 100m.

American Alan Webb, the world leader this season, fared little better than he did at the worlds, fading in the last 200 meters and finishing seventh in 3:39.69. In Japan, Webb led most of the way but also fell out of contention on the home straight to take eighth place. Britain’s Andy Baddeley finished 11th in 3:40.75.

"It was hard for me after Osaka," said Baala, who was disqualified in the semi-finals in Osaka for impeding two of his opponents. "I came home and everybody was telling me 'You are the best.' So it was very important for me to win today."

In the Javelin competition Norway’s Olympic champion and Osaka Silver medallist, Andreas Thorkildsen, sealed the victory with his first and only effort of 89.51m a season’s best - as he then retired from the event after that throw to protect himself from injury and the cold.

The only person to make a challenge was the jet-lagged World champion Tero Pitkämäki of Finland who launched an 87.44m effort in the fourth round. World Bronze medallist Breaux Greer of the USA was third with 83.15, and ne also retired after completing his third round with an ice pack to protect his shoulder.

Osaka Bronze medallist Walter Davis won the Men's Triple Jump with a leap of 17.20 ahead of the World champion Nelson Evora of Portugal, fellow compatriot and US champion Aarik Wilson was third with 17.11. Brazil’s World Silver medallist Jadel Gregorio finished fourth with a best of 16.86.

The former World Indoor champion Ivor Pavlov of Russia, who finished fourth in Osaka, won the Men’s Pole Vault competition. His first time 5.75m clearance was good enough for the victory on count back from Björn Otto of Germany and Russia’s Evgeniy Lukianenko who finished second and third respectively

Great Britain’s World Championship semi-finalist representative Michael Rimmer lined up alongside Kenyan David Rudisha in the National 800m warm-up race running in his trade mark T-Shirt the 21-year-old Liverpool Harrier coached by Norman Poole lay in third place at the bell as the group stayed in formation, however, with 200m to go to Rudisha produced a strong attack to kick away to take victory comfortably in 1:45.51, with Rimmer second in 1:47.68, some 20 metres adrift. Khadevis Robinson, the four-time American champion, was third in 1:47.74. This was Rudisha’s second World Athletics Tour victory of the year having won in Lausanne’s IAAF Super Grand Prix in July.

The 100m Men’s ‘B’ race witnessed Britain’s Tyrone Edgar finishing ahead of compatriot Christian Malcolm, as American Darvis Patton won in 10.22secs. Montell Douglas, this year's European Under-23 100m Silver medallist, was fourth over 200m in 23.78secs as Bulgarian Ivet Lalova won in 23.41.

The night’s action was rounded off with the new Zurich Trophy 4x100m Relay where Great Britain’s World Bronze medal-winning quartet of Christian Malcolm, Craig Pickering, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis failed to reproduce their best form. A poor exchange lost them time and distance as they crossed the line in fifth position in a combined time of 39.30secs, the USA complete with Tyson Gay in the squad won in 38.40 ahead of Jamaica (38.82) and Germany (39.12).
With two meetings remaining in Brussels and Berlin, the jackpot contenders are:
Women:
400m: Sanya Richards (USA)
Pole Vault: Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)
Those eliminated have been:
Men:
100m: Asafa Powell (JAM) - absent injured from Paris (GL2)
1500m/Mile: Adil Kaouch (MAR) -absent from Paris (GL2)
110m Hurdles: Anwar Moore (USA) - 2nd, 13.13sec (same as race winner Daylon Robles) in Paris GL2
Triple Jump: Phillips Idowu (GBR) - absent injured from Paris GL2
Javelin Throw: Tero Pitkämäki (FIN) - 2nd, 86.09 to Andreas Thorkildsen’s 88.36 in Rome (GL3)
Women:
100m: Stephanie Durst (USA) - absent Paris (GL2)
100m Hurdles: Michelle Perry (USA) - 3rd behind Susana Kallur in Zurich (GL4)
High Jump: Yelena Slesarenko (RUS) - 2nd, 2.00 (to Blanka Vlašic’s 2.02m) in Paris (GL2)

Richards, Perry and Isinbayeva continue jackpot chase as Javelin accident affects Golden League night in Rome

2007 TDK IAAF Golden League

Gala Kinder+Sport Meeting

Olympic Stadium, Rome

Friday 13th July 2007

GIRL POWER was the theme of the night in the Eternal City of Rome as American’s Sanya Richards and Michelle Perry combined with Russia’s all conquering Yelena Isinbayeva are the only three athletes left in the chase for a share of the One Million Dollar jackpot after the third leg of the 2007 TDK IAAF Golden League held inside the imposing Olympic Stadium on a sweltering hot day in the Italian capital.

Sadly, though, the Gala Kinder+Sport Meeting will be remembered for the horrific injury sustained by French long jumper Salim Sdiri who was lucky to escape serious injury when a misdirected Javelin throw from Finland's Tero Pitkamaki embedded itself in his side, Mark Woolley reports from Rome.

The top performance of the night in front of the 40,000+ crowd assembled inside the venue for the 1960 Olympics and the 1990 FIFA Football World Cup Final, however, was provided by the men with Jamaica’s World record-holder Asafa Powell returning to action following a groin strain suffered at his national championships simply blew the field apart with a superb season’s best run of 9.90secs, and places him as firm favourite for the World title in Osaka next month. Bahamian Derrick Atkins was runner-up in 10.02 with Chuandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles taking third in 10.10.

Powell commented afterwards: "I eased up at the finish. I didn't want to put pressure after the injury, it was frustrating to get the injury when I did at the start of the Golden League, but I'm happy with the way I raced here.” He continued: "The clash between me and Tyson Gay in Osaka will be one of the showdowns of the year."

If Powell was impressive in his race then American Michelle Perry and Sanya Richards matched his feat, the two Golden League jackpot contenders were a class apart in their races, with Perry setting the fastest time of the year to take her third victory in the 110m Hurdles. Her 12.44 clocking improved the current world season lead of compatriot Ginnie Powell who had beaten her in the US Trials.

Spain’s Josephine Onyia setting a new personal best of 12.67 finished in second ahead of the European champion Susanna Kallur, the Swede having to settle for third place in a time of 12.72.

Perry, the reigning World champion reflecting on the win and her Golden League chances commented: “The Golden League hunt is still on, at the start I felt the blood pumping because I felt the pressure, this winter I worked on my arms with my coach, I am really excited, I started well, I executed it well in the middle and I finished strongly, I am not surprised with my 12.42. My next race will be Sheffield on Sunday and then I will go back home,”

In the Men’s race America’s Anwar Moore, who looked to have claimed victory in Paris only to be edged out in the photo finish, won in a time of 13.16. The 28-year-old beat Dayron Robles of Cuba, second in 13.17, with team mate David Oliver, who will represent the USA ahead of Moore in Osaka having won the US Trials in Indianapolis, third in 13.36.

“I am pretty happy, I had a slow start but I finished the race very strongly,” commented Moore. “It was a very close race against Robles. I won two Golden league races and I finished very closely on Robles in Paris.”

The 2006 World athlete of the year Sanya Richards was equally impressive in the 400m, the 22-year-old American began her race very strongly building a significant lead ahead of the field and despite tying up over the final 50 metres she prevailed in a time of 49.77secs having been chased down to the line by the 2001 World champion Amy Mbacke Thiam who claimed second place in a season’s best of 50.15. Natasha Hastings of the USA finished third in 50.34.

The Men’s 400m was a reversal of the US Trials result with LaShawn Merritt in a time of 44.44 taking victory ahead of Angelo Taylor (44.55). Sweden’s young talent Johan Wissman moving up from 200m finished third in 45.12, equalling the Swedish national record and establishing a new European season’s lead time.

European indoor champion David Gillick finished a distant 8th as the 24-year-old Dubliner, a former Gaelic footballer, currently studying at Loughborough University clocked 45.81secs.

One of the highlights of the Rome meeting was to be the much anticipated match up between between Yelena Isinbayeva and Jenny Stuczynski, however, the American had been suffering from a lower back problem all week since her arrival in Italy and withdrew shortly before the start of competition.

So as with the meetings in Oslo and Paris the Women’s Pole Vault became an exhibition event for the brilliant Russian World and Olympic champion securing a comfortable victory followed by her obligatory world-record attempt. With first time fouls at 4.65m and 4.85, she then moved on to clear 4.70 and 4.90 at the opening attempts, followed by three tries at her own World record height of 5.02m narrowly missing with the final vault.

It’s never a good sign when an ambulance has to drive onto an athletics track with the blue lights flashing but that’s what happened in the Olympic Stadium tonight, as Finland’s Golden league jackpot contender Tero Pitkämäki launched a third round throw that flew out to the left of the sector by the long jump pit, impaling French long jumper Salim Sdiri in his side.

Sdiri was treated by doctors within minutes at the trackside and taken to hospital but thankfully the first diagnosis was positive, with the initial scan taken in the ambulance not showing any serious damage to the French athlete. Later in the early hours the news improved further to the effect that there was no internal damage, with the spear having only pierced 3cm into the body tissue. Sdiri remained conscious throughout and says he remembered nothing of the incident except for the ‘shock’ of pain.

Unlike in Rome, most British track and field stadiums are designed so that the field events sit outside of the main track. Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium has an infield bordered by 10 lanes of track with the runways for the long jump, triple jump and pole vault beyond that to prevent the events being in such close proximity. Pitkämäki was distraught, his face on the giant screens at each end of the stadium telling it’s own story, relaying his shock at the incident to the watching crowd: “My only wish is that the long jumper is ok,” said the Finn afterwards. “And I hope that it was just a scratch, I rotated a bit too much to the left and it just went into the jumping area. “I tried to throw again, but I was just feeling very bad.”

Twenty years ago in the summer of 1987 at the second-ever IAAF World Championships held in this very stadium in Rome, Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova set the current world-record of 2.09m at the Women’s High Jump, and the current class of 2007 was led by the impossibly tall Croatian Blanka Vlasic claimed her second straight Golden League victory of the campaign to complete her eighth win of the season in nine competitions entered. She won here in Rome with a first time clearance at 2.02m.

Sweden’s reigning World champion Kajsa Bergqvist, who holds the indoor world-record (2.08) and of the modern jumpers has come the closest to breaking the two-decade old outdoor mark of Kostadinova, having missed the Paris meeting the previous week looked more like herself, but needed three attempts at 1.98 before finally clearing the magical 2 metre barrier also at the third time of asking. Which brought a smile to the face of the Stockholm-born athlete. Spain’s Ruth Beitia was third with a mark of 1.98, while, the home favourite Antonieta Di Martino of Italy finished fourth on 1.95.

Another home athlete came into the meeting with high hopes, (or should that be long hopes!) as European champion Andrew Howe completed victory in the Men’s Long Jump with a modest leap of 8.1m by elite standards. The reigning World and Olympic champion Dwight Phillips with a best of 7.66m could only finish in 9th place.

It was the same story in the Triple Jump as Sweden’s superstar and current Olympic champion Christian Olsson won with a 17.19m first round effort, and then retired suffering with a cramp in the third round.

The Men’s 5,000m was won by Ethiopia’s Sileshi Sihine with a world-leading time of 13:01.46, sprinting clear of Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, second in 13:02.10, with Musir Salem Jawher of Bahrain setting a new national record of 13:02.89 to take third.

In the Women’s race over the distance, there was also national record for New Zealand’s Kimberley Smith with a mark of 14:49.41 plus a European lead for Portugal’s Jessica Augusto (14:56.39) however, neither could make an impact on Morocco’s outstanding 23-year-old Mariem Alouli Selsouli who won with a time of 14:36.52. That time smashing her previous best of 14:57.26 set at the opening meeting in Oslo.

Jamaica’s Kenia Sinclair, fresh from her victory on a cold night in Lausanne on the Tuesday leading up to the Rome meeting, once again produced an impressive burst of speed to win a high quality 800m race in which four women went under 2 minutes. Sinclair winning in a time of 1:59.45 ahead of Spain’s Mayte Martinez (1:59.74), with Kenyan Janeth Jepkoskei third in 1:59.87. Slovakia’s Lucia Klocova with 1:59.89 the other athlete to break the two-minute barrier. Mohammed Al-Salhi won the Men’s two-lap event in a time of 1:46.18 ahead of Kenya’s World Indoor champion Wilfred Bungei.

Torri Edwards continued a consistent season with her fourth World Athletics Tour win of the season following on from Eugene, Paris and Lausanne. The American was a class apart taking an 11.03secs victory in the 100m. USA’s World Indoor 60m champion Me’Lisa Barber was second in 11.11, with Bulgaria’s Tezdzhan Naimova third in 11.14.With 250 metres to go in the Men’s 1500m Algeria’s Tarek Boukensa lead the field before Adil Kaouch of Moroccan, the 2005 World Silver medallist blasted through to win with a new personal best of 3:30.77, followed by another PB for both Boukensa (3:30.92) and Kenya’s Shadrock Korir (3:31.18).

Australia’s 2003 World champion and 2006 Commonwealth Gold medallist Jana Pittman-Rawlinson claimed victory at her first IAAF Golden League meet since returning to competition after giving birth seven months ago, the 25-year-old married to Britain’s Chris (Rawlinson) and divides her time between Loughborough and Melbourne finished ahead of Jamaican Melanie Walker in a time of 54.91 in the 400m Hurdles, with the USA’s Sandra Glover third in 55.38.

“I’m happy that I won but I felt fatigued and I wasn’t feeling refreshed tonight,” Rawlinson said. “A lot of my main competitors did not race tonight, they are as tired as I am, I think I need to take a leaf out of their book and get in some solid training.”

Rawlinson was planning to race at the British Grand Prix in Sheffield on Sunday and then take four weeks off to concentrate on preparation for the IAAF World Championships in Osaka.

The Men’s race the outcome was a much closer affair with a three-man blanket finish as South Africa’s Commonwealth champion LJ Van Zyl edged out the American duo of Kerron Clement and James Carter in a time of 48.24 to take victory.
’Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius makes his debut in Rome

There are many athletes who have their self styled superhero-names to promote themselves (or rather their shoe company sponsors) but the ‘The Blade Runner’ is very apt and true to form and with substance, and for Oscar Pistorius that is most definitely true, the remarkable double amputee running in the 400m ‘B’ race here in Rome recovered from a slow start in the difficult outside lane to power his way through the field to take an impressive second place behind Italian Stefano Braciola in a time of 46.90 to the winners 46.72.

Commenting afterwards Pistorius said: “I thank the crowd for their support, spectators were behind me. I am looking forward to competing against Jeremy Wariner in Sheffield. I am still quite confident to go to Beijing; today I started very slowly from the blocks. I felt emotional for the reception, I thank the other athletes for support.”

The IAAF used special slow motion-capture cameras in the race as they still consider whether the carbon fibre blades give the 20-year-old South African 2004 Paralympic champion a distinct advantage above able-bodied athletes. Pistoriuos now travels to Sheffield on Sunday to face American World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner and judging by the crowd’s terrific reception for him here in the Olympic Stadium he will be welcomed by rapturous applause on the Don Valley track in the steel city.

There was one British winner on the night in Rome when Ian Jones won the 100m Men’s Disabled T44 in a time of 11.99secs ahead of Austria’s Robert Mayer (12.17).
2007 IAAF Golden League Jackpot Contenders:

The winners of the two IAAF Golden League events in Oslo, Paris and Rome now go to Zurich on Friday 7th September as the athletes who, if they manage to continue their winning streak through the summer, can at least win a share of the $1 million Jackpot at the end of the series.
Women:
400m: Sanya Richards (USA)
100m Hurdles: Michelle Perry (USA)
Pole Vault: Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)

Richards, Pitkamaki, Perry and Isinbayeva continue Golden jackpot chase in Paris

2007 TDK IAAF Golden League

Gaz de France Meeting

Stade de France, St Denis, Paris

Friday 6th July 2007

FOUR athletes remain in the challenge for the $1 million dollar jackpot prize following a glittering night of Golden League action at the ‘Gaz de France’ meeting in the magnificent surroundings of the Stade de France in Paris.

An event that featured a superb return to form for American Sanya Richards in the 400m, a demonstration of world-class pole vaulting by Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva; impressive wins for Michelle Perry of the USA in the 100m Hurdles and Finland’s Javelin superstar Terro Pitkamaki, as they all will now be hoping to boost their chances of claiming a share of the gold in the third leg of the six stage competition in Rome next Friday, Mark Woolley reports from Paris.

Other highlights on a warm dry evening in the French capital included Sweden’s Olympic and World champion Christian Olsson excelling in the Triple Jump, Alan Webb of the USA winning by far the best 1500m of the year with victory over French hero Mehdi Baala, and where the track programme was completed with a remarkable finish to the Men’s Steeplechase that ended in controversy and farce as the leading athlete ran one-lap less due to the officials sounding the bell with two remaining and a barrier being removed while the event was still in progress producing a race that will be remembered for many years to come for all the wrong reasons.

The 2006 female athlete of the year, Sanya Richards, came to Paris to prove a point after her US trials defeat having failed to qualify for the World Championships in Osaka when finishing fourth, and the American looked determined and focused as she lined-up in the 400m blasting away from her blocks the 22-year-old produced a superb run to record the fastest time in the world this year with a brilliant demolition victory producing a 2007 leading time of 49.52secs on the perfect warm dry track conditions of the Stade de France.

Richards finished ahead of three women who had beaten her in Indianapolis as Novlene Hastings came second for Jamaica in 50.29, Natasha Hastings of the US third in 50.45, and the US champion Dee Dee Trotter who could only finish a very distant sixth in 51.12.

Richards commented afterwards: “Today I wasn’t concerned about the time. I just wanted to win, so I’m happy, I felt good. Winning the Golden League is my first goal of this season. I also want to win a medal at 200 in Osaka.”

In the Men’s 400m fellow American Lashawn Merritt replicated Richards performance with an equally dominant run as the 21-year-old World indoor record-holder finished clear of the field in 44.62. Britain’s Tim Benjamin racing for the second time in 48 hours, trailed home in seventh place in 46.23. The Welshman trying to recapture the form that made him Europe's No. 1 over the distance less than two years ago.

Looking relaxed and supremely confident, American James Carter produced the perfect controlled race to win the Men’s 400m Hurdles. The US champion powered ahead of the field building a 10 metre avantage coming off the final bend, and although he was pushed to the line by compatriot and 2000 Olympic champion Angelo Taylor, Carter’s won in a time of 48.61, inflicting Taylor’s first defeat of the 2007 outdoor season.

Australian Jana Pittman-Rawlinson, an athlete who back in 2003 won the World title in the Women’s 400m Hurdles at the Stade de France and was undefeated this season coming into the Paris meeting looked set to record another success, however, as with her run in Athens on Monday night, the 24-year-old looked awkward with her technique seemingly all over the place, struggling coming into and off the last hurdle as she was caught by the European champion Yevgeniya Isakova. The Russian claiming victory in a time of 54.56 ahead of Pittman-Rawlinson’s 54.93. Britain’s Natasha Danvers-Smith came home last in a time of 55.99 running from the difficult lane one.

Russia’s World champion Olympic Gold medallist and world record-holder was simply a class above the field in the Pole Vault, the 25-year-old looking trim and full of confidence simply eased to victory before making a solid attempt to break her own world mark at 5.02m.

Isinbayeva won the competition to give herself a chance of a share of the jackpot with a mark of 4.91m, a world season’s best ahead of American Jennifer Stuczynski and a new meeting record, produced with only her second vault of the competition. She finished off the night’s action in Paris with many in the large crowd remaining to see whether the world-record would go missing as she narrowly failed with her third effort at 5.02.

Michelle Perry as with compatriot Richards remains well in the Jackpot hunt. The World champion over the 100m Hurdles won with a time of 12.56secs (-0.2m/s) in a race that was marred by a terrible fall by fellow American Ginnie Powell who had defeated Perry to take the US title in Indianapolis, clipping the hurdle mid-race with her lead leg she was sent crashing heavily to the track bruising her back and jarring her hip. Second place went to Sweden’s European champion Susanna Kallur running her best race of the season with a mark of 12.68, while the USA’s Lolo Jones claimed third in 12.71. Conditions were virtually windless at (-0.2m/s).

Finland’s athletics superhero Tero Pitkämäki produced a stunning series of Javelin throws to set a European lead mark of 89.70m to win the competition and continue his golden odyssey. His series of throws (87.71, 87.88, 85.08, 89.70, x, 82.78) were all good enough to see off the competition of Norway’s Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen and the world season leader Breaux Greer of the USA who looked out of sorts with a 85.64m fifth round effort his best of the night.

The highlight of the evenings track action was provided by the Men’s 1500m with a superb true-run race between home favourite Mehdi Baala of France, and American Alan Webb, as they battled out a thrilling final lap with Baala moving clear with 300m to go, only for Webb coming off the final bend to then haul him back to win in a world leading time of 3:30.54 with Baala setting a 2007 European best of 3:31.01 in second place.

In the Women’s 1500m, the world season leader Yelena Soboleva of Russia was a class apart as she powered past Ethiopia’s Gelete Burka with 100 metres to go to win in a time of 3:59.91 and underline the 24-year-olds position as firm favourite for Gold in Osaka. Burka finished second in 4:00.68.

Britain’s Phillips Idowu missed out on his chance to stay in the hunt for a big pay day when he pulled out of the meeting with a minor injury, however he would have struggled to keep in touch with Sweden’s Christian Olsson tonight when he produced a marvellous European season mark 17.56m to seal victory in the Triple Jump. Having been beaten in the opening Golden League meeting in Oslo by just 2 centimetres by Idowu, the Swede’s performance gave notice to the world that he will be the man to beat in Oaska come August. All three of his legal efforts of 17.25, 17.42, and 17.56 were too good the rest of the field. Second place went to Portugal’s Nelson Evora with a new national record of 17.28.

The Men’s 110m Hurdles race witnessed the European debut of China’s Olympic champion and world record-holder Liu Xiang up against France’s world Gold medallist Ladji Doucouré, and the second fastest man of all-time Dominique Arnold. But after a false start it was Cuban record holder Dayron Robles who prevailed in a time of 13.13 (+0.5m/s) following a photo-finish as he was awarded the win ahead of American Amwar Moore who was given the same time and looked the more likely winner. Liu Xiang was third in 13.15 as Doucouré finished sixth with a European lead of 13.27.

Blanka Vlasic claimed a fine victory over the inform Russian Yelena Slesarenko in the High Jump to deny her a chance of the jackpot. Having won in Oslo, the Croatian, already the world’s highest jumper this summer with 2.04m, cleared 2.02m at the first attempt to win. The 6 feet plus Vlasic commenting on her victory said: “Tonight I’ve accomplished what I expected.”

In the long distance events Ugandan Moses Kipsiro set a new national record of 7:39.02, the African 10,000m champion won an excellent Men’s 3,000m producing a confident and strong performance to hold off a very impressive run by Ireland’s Alistair Cragg. The 2005 European Indoor 3,000m champion really mixing it with the African’s in a way Australia’s Craig Mottram excels at, Cragg setting a European leading time of 7:40.31 to finish fifth.

Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba suffering from a leg injury since her 14:35.67 run over 5,000m in New York last month, won what was by her standards a pedestrian Women’s 5,000m where the 21-year-old World 5,000m and 10,000m champion prevailed in a time of 15:21.84.

With Jamaica's all conquering Asafa Powell, joint jackpot winner in 2006, absent recovering from a groin injury, Bahamian Derrick Atkins continued his great run of race victories winning the Men’s 100m in a time of 10 seconds dead (-0.1m/s). USA’s Mark Jelks was runner-up in 10.09 and compatriot Shawn Crawford third in 10.13.

Torri Edwards cruised to victory in the Women’s race in 11.17secs (+0.3m/s) as America dominated the event with World champion Lauryn Williams third in 11.25 following behind MeLisa Barber 11.19, and World 200m Gold medallist Allyson Felix, 7th in 11.34.

The final track event of the night will live long in the memory as the Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase ended in confusion and farce. Frenchman Bob Tahri was the winner over the full 3km distance, however, before that the long-time leader Paul Kipsiele Koech had believed the race was over a lap earlier as the officials sounded the bell and to add to the confusion that followed a barrier was removed before the actual final lap took place. The race ended with no one clear as to the outcome and boos of derision from the 65,000 crowd.
2007 IAAF Golden League Jackpot Contenders:
The winners of the two IAAF Golden League events in Oslo and Paris now go to Rome on Friday 13th July as the athletes who, if they manage to continue their winning streak through the summer, can at least win a share of the $1 million Jackpot at the end of the series.
They are:
Men
Javelin: Tero Pitkämäki (FIN)
Women:
400m: Sanya Richards (USA)
100m Hurdles: Michelle Perry (USA)
Pole Vault: Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)

Defar smashes World 5,000m record as Britain’s Idowu shines at Oslo Golden League

2007 TDK IAAF Golden League

Exxon Mobil Bislett Games

Oslo, Norway

Friday 15th June 2007

ETHIOPIA’S outstanding Olympic champion Meseret Defar smashed her 5,000m world-record as Asafa Powell and Sanya Richards continued their winning streak and Britain’s Phillips Idowu defeated world and Olympic champion Christian Olsson on his way to victory in the triple Jump on a sparkling night of Golden League athletics at the Exxon Mobil Bislett Games in Oslo, Mark Woolley reports from Oslo.

On a glorious Scandinavian evening under clear blue skies and high temperatures the 2007 TDK IAAF Golden League series, established by the IAAF in 1998 to increase the profile of the leading athletics competitions began, the six-meetings European tour that this year will include stops in the cities of Paris, Rome, Zurich, Brussels and Berlin began in the most spectacular style with a stunning world-record set by Meseret Defar.

The tiny Ethiopian was in scintillating form in Oslo, by far the best distance female athlete in world athletics today, Defar, having been paced through the first 2000 metres by Russian Olga Komyagina was all ready seven-seconds inside the her own previous world mark, as she began to show her dominance pulling clear with only Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya for company.

The Russian’s pacemaking was perfect and this formed the catalyst for Defar as she looked certain to better her previous mark set in June 2006 in New York, from the 3,000m point it was simply Defar against the clock as she stormed the last two-laps to come home in front of the jubilant packed crowd, especially the fan club Ethiopian section packed together at one end of the stadium, to set a stunning new world-record of 14mins 16.63secs.

Defar's world record was the 53rd set at Bislett Stadium since 1924, and the first since the venue was rebuilt three years ago. Speaking through an interpreter at the press conference afterwards she commented: “I didn’t think I would break the record by such a big margin but I was aiming for under 14:20.”

Second placed Cheruiyot was also rewarded for her fine run and keeping within the pace of Defar setting a Kenyan record of 14:22.51, a mark also under the old World record. Two other athletes also broke the magical 15 minute barrier, Priscah Jepleting (14:44.51) and Ejegayehu Dibaba (14:45.22).

Britain’s Phillips Idowu beat the world's best triple jumpers on his way to a fine victory, the 28-year-old recorded a season's best leap of 17.35m, with Sweden's Olympic champion Christian Olsson finishing second. American Aarik Wilson was third and Loughborough University Sports Scholar and European Bronze medallist, Nathan Douglas, fourth, also recording a season's best distance of 17.18m.

Idowu said: "This is my first Golden League win and I hope Jonathan (World-record holder Jonathan Edwards, who was in attendance as a guest of the IAAF) was happy with it. "Some of his comments have been uncalled for but he's jumped 18.29m and he has the right to be harsh. I had fun here and if I can enjoy my competitions, I can definitely win gold medals."

A distance of just 2cm separated the duo in their first head-to-head of the year. Olsson took a first round lead with 17.33m to Idowu’s 17.21m, however, Idowu instantly responding with 17.35m in the second round. Although Olsson reached 17.30m with his fourth attempt he could not match Idowu’s consistency on the night. World season leader Jadel Gregorio was back in fifth (17.18) and World champion Walter Davis was one place behind (17.00).

The 2006 joint Golden League jackpot winner Sanya Richards in only her second race of the year was fabulous in the Women’s 400m, the smooth cool American easing to victory 50.26 victory finishing out of sight of the 2001 World champion Amy Mbackë Thiam of Senegal, second in 51.22, and third placed Jamaican Shericka Williams (51.32). Marilyn Okoro finished 6th with a time of 52.80.

“One down, still five to go,” confirmed a very pleased Richards, “But I have a better feeling than after my first race in Eugene. The beginning is always tough. This time it was better in all parts of the race.”

Fellow jackpot winner and training partner Asafa Powell was equally dominate in the Men’s 100m, the world’s fastest man running in lane 5 into the very bright eye-level evening sunshine demolished the field crossing the line in a time of 9.94secs.

"I'm very happy with my time," Powell said. "It was very cold earlier in the week and I'm glad the weather changed."

Powell eased up near the end, and finished 0.12 ahead of European champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal. Britain’s Marlon Devonish in his second race of the evening was third in 10.08. Powell, who went undefeated last season, has 27 sub-10secs races. Two weeks ago, the Jamaican clocked 9.97 in Bel