Gatlin upstages Lyles
Controversial American Justin Gatlin outsprinted up-and-coming compatriot Noah Lyles in the 100m at Friday's Diamond League meet in Monaco, where Sifan Hassan also set a new world best in the women's mile.
In balmy conditions at a packed Stade Louis II, 37-year-old Justin Gatlin kept both his nerve and form after an average start, to streak through the finish line in 9.91 seconds, just one-hundredth of a second ahead of much-vaunted Noah Lyles, 21.
“It was a technical race tonight,” said Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic gold medallist and current world champion who served a doping ban between 2006 and 2010.
“I just kept focused, as I knew Noah would be coming after me like a bat out of hell!”
There was also an outstanding performance in the women's mile at Friday's Diamond League meet in Monaco, as Ethiopian-born Dutch runner Hassan came home in 4 minutes and 12.33 seconds, smashing by 0.23 seconds the previous best set in 1996 by Russian Svetlana Masterkova.
Hassan, twice European champion over 1 500m and once a 5 000m gold medallist, cracked the field with two laps to go and streaked through the line with teeth gritted, collapsing as the timer flashed up her feat.
“The first 800m was a bit slow, so I wasn't thinking it would be a world record,” said Hassan.
“When I crossed the line I was so surprised. After you run the last 400m like that and set a world record, it gives you so much confidence over 5 000m,” added Hassan, who will aim for a 1 500m/5 000m double in the 28 September to 6 October world championships in Doha.
Another experienced campaigner, Botswana's Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos, produced a stunning meet record in winning the men's 800m in 1:41.89 ahead of Kenya's Ferguson Rotich, France's world champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse only managed ninth in a high-quality race. Only four runners have gone faster than Amos' time, which was the 15th fastest ever run over the distance.
“Everything has been good in the last few weeks and I knew I could run 1:41 today,” said Amos.
“The world record is not on my mind but if I'm patient, it will come.”
Another star showing came in the men's pole vault, where Poland's in-form Piotr Lisek again went over the mythical 6-metre barrier, winning with a best of 6.02m, and going close three times at 6.06m.
Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot cruised to victory in the men's 1 500m in 3:29.97. European 1 500m and 5 000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, still just 18, came in second.
American teenager Sydney McLaughlin kicked off the evening in impressive style, setting a world-leading 53.32 seconds in the 400m hurdles.
The 19-year-old led from the first hurdle and scorched around the track in muggy conditions, with temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius and high humidity.
There was further US success, as world indoor champion Kendra Harrison streaked to a 100m hurdles win in a season's best 12.43 seconds.
There was no Caster Semenya in the women's 800m, won by American Ajee Wilson.
The South African double Olympic champion is not appearing in the principality, despite having been cleared to run during her appeal against attempts by the Monaco-based world governing body for athletics, the IAAF, to introduce rules requiring female athletes in events between the 400m and the mile to take medication to reduce high testosterone levels.
In her absence, Wilson won easily in 1:57.73, almost three seconds off Semenya's best for the season.
A loaded field in the women's 200m saw Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, the reigning Olympic 400m champion, win in 22.09 seconds, ahead of Jamaica's Elaine Thompson, who won the sprint double in Rio, and two-time defending world 200m champ Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands.
NAMPA/AFP
“It was a technical race tonight,” said Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic gold medallist and current world champion who served a doping ban between 2006 and 2010.
“I just kept focused, as I knew Noah would be coming after me like a bat out of hell!”
There was also an outstanding performance in the women's mile at Friday's Diamond League meet in Monaco, as Ethiopian-born Dutch runner Hassan came home in 4 minutes and 12.33 seconds, smashing by 0.23 seconds the previous best set in 1996 by Russian Svetlana Masterkova.
Hassan, twice European champion over 1 500m and once a 5 000m gold medallist, cracked the field with two laps to go and streaked through the line with teeth gritted, collapsing as the timer flashed up her feat.
“The first 800m was a bit slow, so I wasn't thinking it would be a world record,” said Hassan.
“When I crossed the line I was so surprised. After you run the last 400m like that and set a world record, it gives you so much confidence over 5 000m,” added Hassan, who will aim for a 1 500m/5 000m double in the 28 September to 6 October world championships in Doha.
Another experienced campaigner, Botswana's Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos, produced a stunning meet record in winning the men's 800m in 1:41.89 ahead of Kenya's Ferguson Rotich, France's world champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse only managed ninth in a high-quality race. Only four runners have gone faster than Amos' time, which was the 15th fastest ever run over the distance.
“Everything has been good in the last few weeks and I knew I could run 1:41 today,” said Amos.
“The world record is not on my mind but if I'm patient, it will come.”
Another star showing came in the men's pole vault, where Poland's in-form Piotr Lisek again went over the mythical 6-metre barrier, winning with a best of 6.02m, and going close three times at 6.06m.
Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot cruised to victory in the men's 1 500m in 3:29.97. European 1 500m and 5 000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, still just 18, came in second.
American teenager Sydney McLaughlin kicked off the evening in impressive style, setting a world-leading 53.32 seconds in the 400m hurdles.
The 19-year-old led from the first hurdle and scorched around the track in muggy conditions, with temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius and high humidity.
There was further US success, as world indoor champion Kendra Harrison streaked to a 100m hurdles win in a season's best 12.43 seconds.
There was no Caster Semenya in the women's 800m, won by American Ajee Wilson.
The South African double Olympic champion is not appearing in the principality, despite having been cleared to run during her appeal against attempts by the Monaco-based world governing body for athletics, the IAAF, to introduce rules requiring female athletes in events between the 400m and the mile to take medication to reduce high testosterone levels.
In her absence, Wilson won easily in 1:57.73, almost three seconds off Semenya's best for the season.
A loaded field in the women's 200m saw Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, the reigning Olympic 400m champion, win in 22.09 seconds, ahead of Jamaica's Elaine Thompson, who won the sprint double in Rio, and two-time defending world 200m champ Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands.
NAMPA/AFP
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article