Olahraga

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Golden league Zürich, Switzerland

Richards and Bekele continue in Jackpot with world leads

In the women’s one lap, Sanya Richards in lane 3 was away well from the gun but so was Allyson Felix in 6, who approaching the 200m had already made up the stagger on the two athletes outside her. Exiting the final turn though Richards was already in close contention with the three-time World 200m champion and she powered away to the first sub-49 clocking of the year, improving her world lead (49.00 in Berlin) to 48.94sec. It was the third time in her career that Richards has ducked under 49secs barrier. Felix in second did not tie up much and clocked an excellent season’s best of 49.83.

Bekele was not to be outdone and a solo last kilometre in the men’s 5000m brought the Ethiopian World record holder home in 12:52.32, knocking just under four seconds off his 2009 best which he set in Rome on 10 July. While one of his usual challengers Edwin Soi came in runner-up (12:55.03), the Kenyan had been closely pursued by the surprise of the night USA’s 26-year-old Dathan Ritzenhein whose 12:56.27 finally wiped away the long standing Area record of compatriot Bob Kennedy (12:58.21) set here in Zurich on 14 August 1996. Before tonight’s race Ritzenhein’s best had been 13:16.06!

There was also a 5000m PB for Vincent Chepkok in fourth (12:58.17) while Moses Kipsiro of Uganda  (12:59.27) was the other runner under 13mins.

“Of course it’s good to remain in the Jackpot but I wanted a faster time today,” said Bekele.

Chris Turner

orgjauh

Golden league Zürich, Switzerland

Stewart out-gunned by Jeter

Kerron Stewart was the one Jackpot contender to lose out this evening, but the World silver medallist’s vanquisher was not the expected Shelly Ann Fraser, the World and Olympic champion, but USA’s Carmelita Jeter, who was the third place finisher behind these two Jamaicans last week in Berlin. The American obviously had a lot of angst to vent, and vent she powerfully did with a 10.86 sec 100m dash that made them into ‘also rans’ tonight; Stewart and Fraser clocking 11.04, split on the camera for second and third.

Chris Turner
__________________________________________________________________
kemenangan manis buat Jeter setelah membenam impian stewart merebut AS$1 juta selain mengalahkan pemenang pingat emas kejohanan dunia Shelly Ann Fraser.

orgjauh

Golden league Zürich, Switzerland

Thorkildsen and Foster-Hylton show why they are champions

It wasn’t just Isinbayeva, Richards and Bekele who were topping the 2009 world lists this evening, as two of their fellow Berlin gold medallists also discovered extra power.

The most dominant was World, Olympic and European Javelin Throw champion Andreas Thorkildsen who sent his spear soaring in the second round to 91.28m, which demolished the world season’s lead of Latvian Vadims Vasilevskis (90.71m /23 May) and came tantalizingly close to the Norwegian’s PB of 91.59 (2006), which currently positions him as the sixth furthest thrower of all-time.

Thorkildsen is a laid back character at the best of times much in the mould of Usain Bolt, and he’s been an extremely jovial relaxed figure in the meet hotel in the last few days and that ease transferred onto the runway this evening. It’s clear that, backed-up by his first round 88.13m, there is no one currently in his class and before very long the double Olympic champion should quickly start again to ascend the all-time list.

There was only one other world class javelin performer tonight and that was Finn Antti Ruuskanen who produced 85.39m in the fifth round to take second.

“I felt something special coming today in the stadium,” said the Norwegian World champion, “and all went great, I knew I had such a throw in me, I just could not do it. I already had the feeling before the season started then I was injured and unable to fulfill my potential.”

There was also a world season lead from newly crowned World champion Brigitte Ann Foster-Hylton in the women’s 100m Hurdles which did a lot to cement our understanding that the 34-year-old Jamaican has really at last made the top global championship grade. Her determined run showed the mark and grit of the gold medallist she now is, her 12.46 sec just enough to hold off a faster finishing Dawn Harper of the USA, who is the Olympic champion. These two were well clear of the field with 2003 World champion Perdita Felicien of Canada leading the rest home in 12.61.

Chris Turner

orgjauh

Golden league Zürich, Switzerland

Resounding success for Rudisha and Kemboi; Jamal holds on

The men’s 800m saw European champion Bram Som head the field behind the last pacemaker into the second lap with David Rudisha, Yuriy Borzakovskiy, and World champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi in close order behind the Dutchman. The same composition prevailed as the race entered the last 100 metres, and it was then that Rudisha applied top gear which took him home to victory in a PB of 1:43.52.

Coming home with a characteristic late attack was Alfred Yego, the 2007 World champion who had taken silver in Berlin, who powered past all but the eventual winner finishing second in his career best of 1:43.66, with Mulaudzi the man who beat him in Berlin, third in 1:44.03; Som hung on for fourth (1:44.10).

Three went under 4mins in the women’s 1500m and after the bumping of Berlin it was lovely to see a clean cut fight which culminated in a close call victory for double World champion Maryam Jamal in 3:59.15 in what amounted to a blanket finish with USA’s Anna Willard  - 3:59.38 PB, now the third fastest American of all-time - and Britain’s Lisa Dobriskey (3:59.50).

World champion Ezekiel Kemboi was on top again in the 3000m Steeplechase, a 8:04.44 victory achieved with an exhilarating turn of speed which held at bay France’s Berlin bronze medallist Bob Tahri who crossed in 8:05.29. Fourth at the Worlds but third here was Paul Koech (8:06.10)…back in sixth Finland’s Jukka Keskisalo, the reigning European champion, at last beat the 33-year-old national record (8:12.60), improving his PB from 8:12.93 to 8:10.67.

Kemboi whose return to the top of the Kenyan and of course global hierarchy this year has been a revelation commented: “I want to stay on the top as long as I can…the win in Berlin improved my shape mentally. I’m on a high. I hope to continue and try for another fast time in Brussels.”

Chris Turner

orgjauh

Golden league Zürich, Switzerland

Vlasic feels the fatigue

It was very much ‘after the party’ for the women’s High Jumpers who had provided one of the highlights of Berlin’s show last week. Only World champion Blanka Vlasic could manage to go above 2m, and with her first time clearance she gave what then seemed to be a premature victory wiggle, it wasn’t quite the usual full dance of celebration but it might as well have been, as no one else was to come close to that height with Anna Chicherova, the Berlin silver medallist, and Chaunte Howard split on count-back at 1.98, and Ariane Friedrich, the World bronze medallist no better than 1.94 for fourth on this occasion.

Vlasic summed up the feeling of many this evening: “I’m emotionally empty after Berlin. I wasn’t too fresh.”

As per schedule World and Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt won the men’s 400m, with Jeremy Wariner giving a good fight for 360 metres of the race before his nemesis pulled himself clear to a 44.21 win. There has been a similar script every time they have met this season. Wariner was second, 44.62, and Trinidad’s Renny Quow, third in 44.77.

In the absence of his Berlin vanquisher Phillips Idowu, Portugal’s Olympic champion Nelson Evora was back on top in the Triple Jump with a 17.38m victory, while in the men’s 1500m Augustine Choge’s 3:33.38 was more than a match for the tired legs of Berlin champion Yusuf Saad Kamel, fourth in 3:34.33. Second was Mansoor Ali (3:33.74) and Asbel Kiprop was third, 3:34.09.

Chris Turner

amazed

Bolt sengaja elak jumpa Tyson Gay

BOLT hanya mahu memberi tumpuan dalam acara 200m.

BRUSSELS - Pemenang tiga pingat emas Kejohanan Olahraga Dunia, Usain Bolt mengesahkan tidak akan menentang pencabarnya, Tyson Gay dalam acara 100 meter pada Kejohanan Liga Emas yang bermula hari ini.

Pada kejohanan di Berlin bulan lalu, Bolt mencatat rekod baru dunia dengan catatan 9.58 saat ketika menewaskan Gay. Dia juga mengungguli acara 200m, juga dengan catatan rekod baru dunia 19.19s.

Begitupun, ketiadaan Bolt pada aksi Liga Emas kali ini bakal menyaksikan Gay akan menentang bekas pemegang rekod dunia yang juga rakan senegara Bolt dari Jamaica, Asafa Powell.

"Saya telah beraksi dalam banyak perlumbaan 100m musim ini dan sebab itulah jurulatih saya memutus- kan agar saya hanya beraksi dalam acara 200m di Brussels," jelas Bolt yang turut akan beraksi dalam acara itu pada Kejohanan Akhir Olahraga Dunia di Thessaloniki, Greece pertengahan bulan ini.

"Sejak berakhirnya Kejohanan Dunia, saya hanya mempunyai dua minggu untuk kembali kepada prestasi sedia ada. Kini saya semakin baik dan saya harap saya dapat beraksi dengan baik di Zurich nanti."

Dalam pada itu, pemburuan hadiah wang tunai AS$1 juta (RM3.5 juta) pada saingan Liga Emas musim ini bakal menjadi rebutan tiga atlet.

Juara dunia dan Sukan Olimpik, Kenenisa Bekele akan beraksi dalam acara 5,000m dan menjadi pilihan untuk memenangi hadiah utama itu selepas dia memenangi kesemua perlumbaan tahun ini.

Turut menjadi perhatian ialah jaguh Amerika Syarikat, Sanya Richards yang akan beraksi dalam acara 400m wanita. Begitupun, Richards bakal berdepan pencabar utamanya dari Britain, Christine Ohuruogu.

Ratu lompat bergalah Rusia, Yelena Isinbayeva juga berada dalam senarai calon walaupun pemegang rekod dunia itu gagal memenangi sebarang pingat pada Kejohanan Dunia di Berlin bulan lalu. - AFP

orgjauh

IAAF World Athletics Tour (Zagreb)

Vlasic tops 2.08m in Zagreb

Zagreb, Croatia – For Blanka Vlasic, there’s no place like home. The two-time World champion capped the finest series of her career with a sensational 2.08m leap to become the second highest jumper of all-time at the Zagreb Grand Prix on Monday (31).

The Croatian heroine’s leap, which came on her first attempt, capped a thoroughly entertaining edition of the annual Zagreb meeting, perhaps the finest in its 59 years.

Zagreb 2009 is a Grand Prix status meeting as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2009.

Without a miss until 2.10m

In rare and impeccable form, Vlasic opened the competition at 1.90m, then cleared 1.94m, 2.00m, 2.05m all with her first attempt. Her 2.08m national record also came on her first go, sending the capacity crowd at the Sport Park Mladost into a rapturous frenzy. Adding a centimetre to her previous personal best, the 25-year-old took sole possession of the No. 2 spot all-time. Only World record holder Stefka Kostadinova, who has cleared 2.08m and 2.09m, has ever jumped higher.

“I really didn’t expect to clear 2.08 with my first attempt,” said Vlasic, who added another fond Zagreb memory to her scrap book. Her first 2.00m leap came at this meeting as well, back in 2003.

Her leap over 2.05m was a clean, elegant clearance with plenty to spare, signaling that her laborious and admittedly tired outing in Zurich three nights ago was well behind her. She was clear and clean at 2.08m as well, setting the stage for yet another World record attempt. But again, even on this night, 2.10m was beyond her means, although each of her three attempts weren’t that shy of success.

While Vlasic clearly rose to the occasion, others could not. Anna Chicherova, the Berlin silver medallist who jumped her 2.04m PB here last year, topped out at 1.94m to finish a distant second.

It was standing room only at the stadium again this year, largely because of Vlasic. How devoted are some of the popular jumper’s fans? Andra Cojocaru, a 13-year-old national age group champion from the eastern Romanian city of Bacau, made a 17-hour trek with her mother, father and brother to witness her hero jump.

Bob Ramsak
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Lompatan kedua terbaik sepanjang zaman dari Vlasic.....namun syg dia gagal menang olimpik bejing tahun lepas utk melengkapkan profil career nya

orgjauh

IAAF World Athletics Tour (Zagreb)

Kozmus momentum continues – World leading 81.77m

Setting the tone for the Croatian capital’s finest ever athletics evening, the meeting began with another world leader in the first event on the programme.

Picking up where he left off in Berlin, World Hammer throw champion Primoz Kozmus dominated the competition from the second round. After a foot foul on his first throw, the 29-year-old Slovenian reached 80.35m in the second to add 31 centimetres to the meet record set by Krisztian Pars a year ago. It was more than enough for the victory – Pars was well back in second with a 79.18m best effort – but Kozmus was just warming up.

After a lacklustre 78.49m in the third round, he hit 81.77m in the fourth, the fourth farthest throw of his career, followed up with 80.70m, before closing the proceedings with an 81.51m toss.

“Today showed what I was capable of this season,” said the 29-year-old, whose progress toward the World championships was slowed by early season injury. “I think a national record (82.30m, 2007) is within reach this season.” Kozmus still has a busy September ahead of him with four meets on his schedule before the season-capping World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki.

Bob Ramsak

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IAAF World Athletics Tour (Zagreb)

Cantwell again beyond 22m with world-leading 22.16m toss

Christian Cantwell and Tomasz Majewski, the reigning World and Olympic champions in the Shot Put, put on another stellar show in the ring, with the American again prevailing.

The Pole led after the first round with 20.89m opening effort, but Cantwell quickly took control with a 21.69m heave in the second, rendering Adam Nelson’s 21.28m meet record from 2002 as a mere meeting footnote. Majewski improved as well, tossing 21.41m in the second and 21.47m in the third, but wasn’t a match for the American on this pleasant and cloudless evening. Sealing the deal, Cantwell concluded with his world-leading 22.16m bomb in the sixth round, supplanting his own 22.03m gold medal-winning effort in Berlin.

In a quality competition, Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus was third with a 20.93m best, with American Dan Taylor (20.64m) fourth.

Bob Ramsak

orgjauh

IAAF World Athletics Tour (Zagreb)

Harper and Brathwaite impress, Spencer upsets Walker

The hurdles events generally take centre stage here, but this year couldn’t quite outshine the efforts of the night’s key highlights. But the chief protagonists in the sprint hurdles, Olympic champion Dawn Harper and recently minted World champion Ryan Brathwaite, did produce impressive victories.

Fairly even with Delloreen Ennis-London over the first six barriers, Harper began to chisel together a slight advantage by hurdle seven, a lead she extended over each of the remaining hurdles through the finish to take well-deserved win in 12.67. Ennis-London, fading over the final 15 metres, clocked 12.76.

In the men’s race, named to honour inter-war Croatian hurdler Boris Hanzekovic, nearly went down the wire, with Brathwaite edging American David Oliver 13.35 to 13.41 to collect his first victory in two outings since taking the World title.

The women’s 400m Hurdles was to feature a rematch between Jamaican Melaine Walker and Lashinda Demus of the USA, the Berlin gold and silver medallists, but a hamstring injury in training yesterday knocked the American onto the sidelines. But Walker still found a hefty challenge in compatriot Kaliese Spencer, one which turned out to be insurmountable.

Spencer carried a clear lead through the first five barriers and beyond the final turn with Walker simply leaving herself too much ground to cover. Spencer, who was fourth in Berlin, was the clear winner here in 54.69, with Walker next in 55.02. Russian, Natalya Antyukh (55.38) was third.

With a blazing first half, it was Felix Sanchez who went out fastest in the men’s race, and he nearly held on. But Jamaican Isa Phillips, who ran a much more conservative first half, reeled in the former two-time World champion just a few steps before the final hurdle to take the win in 48.51. Sanchez clocked 48.82, edging World bronze medallist Bershawn Jackson by just 0.01.

Bob Ramsak

orgjauh

IAAF World Athletics Tour (Zagreb)

Patton dashes 9.94

Another highlight was the meet’s first sub-10 performance thanks to Darvis Patton’s solid 9.94 dash in the 100m. The American, who reached the Berlin final, held off US champion Michael Rodgers who clocked 9.97. Jamaican Nesta Carter, who was third with a season’s best 10.04, also dipped under the previous meet standard which had stood for a decade.

Double Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown dominated the women’s race to repeat her victory of a year ago in 11.15. Germany’s Verena Sailer was a distant second clocking 11.39.

Russian Tatyana Firova scored an upset in the other sprint on the programme, taking down the favoured Jamaican duo of Novlene Williams-Mills (50.96) and Shericka Williams (51.14) in 50.80.

Bob Ramsak

orgjauh

IAAF World Athletics Tour (Gateshead, UK)

Manson upsets Rybakov, Idowu and Phillips prevail

Fast times were never likely with a gusty showers of up to -4m/s blowing straight down the home straight, so it was not surprising that the top marks of the day came from field events, not least the High Jump where Andra Manson leapt 2.33m to beat Russia’s World champion Yaroslav Rybakov, the American bouncing back from his Berlin disappointment to miss his world lead by just 2cm.

“It’s not the best day to high jump but it’s the same for all of us,” said Manson who was ninth in the World Championships. “I just wish I could have beaten him a couple of weeks ago.”

Though a hindrance to sprinters, the wind was a help to the horizontal jumpers, and world champions Dwight Phillips and Phillips Idowu made the most of it.

Jumping in front of a home crowd for the first time since winning his World triple jump gold, Idowu left it till the fourth round before giving them what they’d come for. Trailing Momchil Karailiev and Larry Achike after three rounds, Idowu leapt 17.31m to take the lead before extending it with 17.32m in the sixth.

“I’m glad I gave the crowd some entertainment,” he said before declaring that he will now go to the World Athletics Final. Probably. “I usually do badly after major championships but I guess things are different this year,” he said.

Unusually for this season, Idowu took five of his six attempts while Phillips only managed two valid efforts in the Long Jump. Nonetheless, his second round 8.39m was enough not only to secure the win over Australian Fabrice Lapierre but to take the stadium record too.

“People will always try to beat the champ, but I can take the pressure,” said Phillips who later contested the 100m, finishing seventh in 10.55.

There was a stadium record for Barbora Spotakova too as the Czech javelin thrower broke the nine-year-old mark by more than 2m with 65.57m. The World record holder used the tail wind to good effect to beat Christina Obergföll by 3.55m.

“The distance was good which shows that I am still in good shape,” said the World silver medallist. “I feel I still have some long throws in me. I want to do well at the World Athletics Final. Last year I broke the World record so a repeat would be nice.”

Matthew Brown

orgjauh

IAAF World Athletics Tour (Gateshead, UK)

Gay and Jeter beat back the winds

The track events produced some impressive victories for US sprinters Tyson Gay, Carmelita Jeter, LaShawn Merritt and Allyson Felix.

Gay returned to winning ways with an impressive 10.15, enough for victory over Kim Collins by 0.29s despite nursing his sore groin and easing up in the last two strides.

“It wasn’t about times today it was about winning the race,” said Gay. “The wind was strong so at around 60 metres I didn’t want to push too much as I knew I had the race in hand.”

If anything Jeter was even more impressive as she posted her second high class 100m in the space of three days. After her victory in Zurich on Friday night, the World bronze medallist clocked 11.07 to leave the two Bahamian veterans, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie and Chandra Sturrup, in her wake.

“There was a lot of headwind but I felt I reacted well at the start,” said the 29-year-old who won by nearly two tenths.

Gay and Jeter may be bouncing back from Berlin defeats but there were good wins for some US World champions too, especially Merritt who was satisfied to extend his 400m win-streak with another victory, while Felix who strode to a comfortable 23.13 in the 200m.

Merritt beat Britain’s Martyn Rooney in 45.10 and the 400m hurdlers Kerron Clement and Angelo Taylor. Rooney took second in 45.47 with Taylor third in 45.50 and Clement sixth in 45.77.

“I was just having fun,” said Merritt. “Now all I have left is the World Athletics Final. It should be a good end to a great season.”

Felix was in a similarly relaxed mood in the women’s 200m. She defied a -3.4 headwind, while former World champion Shawn Crawford clocked 20.80 to win the men’s 200m by 0.01s ahead of Wallace Spearmon.

“My body feels good but my mind wants to go back home to the US to figure out a way to beat Bolt,” said Crawford afterwards.

There was some fine sprint hurdling too, especially from Brigitte Foster Hylton who won the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.88.

“Not a bad time into -1.9,” was the Jamaican’s verdict. Perdita Felicien was second in 12.95 and Virginia Powell third, with Britain’s Heptathlon gold medallist Jessica Ennis fifth in 13.28, her hopes of a British record literally blown away.

In the men’s 110m version World bronze medallist David Payne ran 13.60 to just edge out William Sharman by 0.01s, the Briton again impressive after his fourth place in Berlin.

Matthew Brown

orgjauh

IAAF World Athletics Tour (Gateshead, UK)

Three of four middle distance wins for the US

US athletes even dominated the middle distances with Christy Wurth-Thomas taking the women’s 800m in 2:01.22 from the British pair Jemma Simpson and Jenny Meadows; Nick Symmonds winning the men’s in 1:47.30 ahead of Geoffrey Rono of Kenya; and Leonel Manzano clinching the men’s 1500m as he held off Britain’s fast finishing Andy Baddeley in the battering rain to clock 3:41.10.

There was a British winner in the women’s 1500m, though, as Berlin silver medallist Lisa Dobriskey gave the huddled crowd something to cheer when she stormed home from 150m out to win in 4:13.60.

“I was so worried before the race because I didn’t want to come here and finish second or third,” she said. “I wanted to celebrate properly and give the crowd something to cheer.”

In the women’s 3000m, the World 5000m champion, Vivian Cheruiyot, defeated her Kenyan colleague and the World 10,000m champion, Linet Masai, over the final lap of a slowish race.

Cheruiyot led early on before Masai injected some pace from half way. She was in front at the bell but Cheruiyot had the stronger finish and was a comfortable winner in 8:53.04.

Bernard Lagat suffered defeat in the men’s 3000m when Moses Kipsiro of Uganda held off the American in the home straight to finish first in 7:35.69.

There was another American victory in the men’s Pole Vault though as Derek Miles beat Viktor Chistyakov on count back after both cleared 5.70m.

Christine Ohuruogu won the women’s 400m in 50.94 from Debbie Dunn, some small consolation after the Briton’s frustrating performance in Berlin.

Donna Fraser finished seventh, after which the 36-year-old immediately announced her retirement, saying: “It was a mixture of emotions today. I just tried to run but going round, in my head I was thinking ‘This is my last race’.”

Unlike most other runners who were thinking, “This is one hell of a wind.”

Matthew Brown

orgjauh

Golden league Brussels, Belgium (Siri Terakhir Liga Emas 2009)

3 atlit telah berjaya merebut pembahagian wang tunai AS$1 juta setelah memenangi kesemua 6 siri jelajah liga emas 2009.



Dari kiri:Yelena Isinbayeva(lompat bergalah), Kenenisa Bekele(3000m/5000m), Sanya Richards(400m) dan President IAAF Lamine Diack

orgjauh

Golden league Brussels, Belgium

Bolt slows down to 19.57!

Usain Bolt with a respectable start ran a marvellous curve which brought him ahead of the entire field with little more than 70 metres expended of the 200 metres sprint. With victory more than secure he then shut down with at least 30 metres left to run and still crossed the outstanding victor in a meeting record of 19.57 seconds (nil wind) on what was a cold and damp evening in the King Baudouin Stadium.

The previous meet best was Tyson Gay’s 19.79 from 2006, and Bolt’s brilliance was further emphasised when we considered tonight’s run was the fourth fastest of all-time, only bettered by his two World records (19.19 and 19.30) and Michael Johnson’s previous mark of 19.32.

In second came Wallace Spearmon, the World bronze medallist in 20.19.

“At 25 metres (to go) I backed off. The crowd was extremely wonderful, they gave me energy,” said Bolt who next runs in the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final next weekend in Thessaloniki, Greece (12 / 13 Sep).


Chris Turner

orgjauh

Golden league Brussels, Belgium


Three share $1 Million - Bekele, Isinbayeva and Richards show their superiority

Sanya Richards played out the same game plan which has brought her home ahead of the rest of the world all season. A conservative first 180 was followed by a beautiful drive phase which fluently powered her to a 48.83 sec meet record, a world season lead which improved her previous 2009 best of 48.94 from Zurich last week.

The 24-year-old now surely has her own Area record of 48.70 in her sights. Richards set that at the end of the 2006 season in the warmth of Athens at the World Cup, and in similarly condusive weather conditions in Thessaloniki next week that time is sure to fall.

Britain’s Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu was well beaten in second (50.43) as was the rest of the field.

Isinbayeva with one leap prevailed in tonight’s Pole Vault and so secured her share of the Jackpot. That first time clearance at 4.70m was enough as the three women - Pyrek, Spiegelburg and Murer - who had also cleared that height did so on either their second or third attempts and then went out at the next height of 4.75 which the Russian World record holder passed. With victory secure Isinbayeva made three-attempts to increase by one centimetre her 5.06m record from last week but none of her tries could be considered close.

Bekele was the final contender to secure his claim to $333,333, and after taking the 5000m race by the scruff of the neck before 3000m (a point which he went through in 7:45.51) building up a lead of about 40 metres on the 22 athletes following, the World and Olympic champion then slowed down and let the large pack catch him, only to majestically ease away again when the final sprint was engaged. Bekele crossed supreme in 12:55.31.

The next four runners having taken such an imperious running lesson from the maestro all achieved personal bests - Merga (12:55.66), Chepkok (12:55.98), Abdosh (12:56.53) and Bett (12:57.43) - with Bett setting a season’s best of 12:57.43 in sixth, and Matt Tegenkamp in seventh becoming the second runner from the USA in a week (Dathan Ritzenhein 12:56.27 national record in Zurich) to dip under 13 minutes with his PB of 12:58.56.

Chris Turner

orgjauh

Golden league Brussels, Belgium

Powell all the way

Away exceptionally well, in total contrast to his chief opponent Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell was never troubled in the 100m. Not fully upright and into his running until 30 metres of the race was gone, the Jamaican already found himself in a clear lead. The World bronze medallist took the tape in 9.90 (-0.4m/s) with Gay, who had headed Powell by one place in the Berlin final, completing in 10.00. The US record holder was never truly in the race today. Darvis Patton was third (10.08).

The temperature was only 15C tonight and Powell now travels to the warmer climes of Rieti, Italy for the Grand Prix on Sunday (6), the track where he ran his last World record of 9.74 in 2007, and in this form he might very well challenge his 9.72 PB (Lausanne, 2008).

Chris Turner

orgjauh

Golden league Brussels, Belgium

Jeter heads Jamaicans again

USA’s Carmelita Jeter continued her post Berlin surge. The World 100m bronze medallist defeated Jamaica’s World champion and silver medallist Shelly Ann Fraser and Kerron Stewart, as emphatically as she did in Zurich a week ago. Fraser had the advantage until the midway point of the dash after which Jeter, running one lane outside the Jamaican (4 to 3), moved onto and past her shoulder, closing in 10.88 sec. Fraser, who also holds the Olympic title, was second (10.98), and a relatively lacklustre Stewart, who lost out on the Jackpot this time last week, brought home third (11.05).

Chris Turner

orgjauh

Golden league Brussels, Belgium

Foster-Hylton continues to revel in new found status

Brigitte Foster-Hylton is revelling, and rightly so, in her new role as the World champion. The multiple global medal winning Jamaican who at 34-year-old became the oldest ever women’s World 100m Hurdles champion in Berlin, a year after a poor Olympic performance had left her considering retirement, has blossomed into the supreme racer that her talent had always indicated she should be. With her first global title secure she has developed a confidence and tenacity which she has exhibited to full effect in her three races since Berlin.

Tonight Foster-Hylton was again gutsy enough to fight all the way holding off a persistent challenge from Canada’s World silver medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep; they crossed in 12.48 to 12.49, the latter a PB from the Canadian.

Chris Turner