Posted: September 9, 2005

Athletics: USATF News & Notes, Volume 6, Number 71

Gay, Demus, Washington enjoy record-setting wins at World Athletics Final

Tyson Gay, Lashinda Demus and Tyree Washington all set meet records Friday in winning their respective events on Day 1 of the 2005 IAAF World Athletics Final in Monaco. The competition will conclude on Saturday.

2005 World Outdoor Championships fourth-place finisher Tyson Gay was a winner in the men's 200 meters, setting a new meet record despite running into a 1.5 meters per second headwind. Running out of lane 6, Gay finished just three-hundredths slower than his personal best with his time of 19.96 seconds. Jamaica's Chris Williams posted a personal best with his runner-up finish in 20.19, while world outdoor silver medalist Wallace Spearmon finished third in 20.21. World and Olympic champion Justin Gatlin finished fourth in 20.25.

Helsinki silver medalist Lashinda Demus capped off a brilliant season with a commanding win in the women's 400m hurdles in a meet-record time of 53.37 seconds.

Demus defeated reigning world champion Yuliya Pechonkina of Russia, who was the runner-up in 53.80 seconds, and two-time reigning World Athletics Final champion Sandra Glover, who finished third in 54.09.

It was the tenth win in 13 competitions for the 22-year-old Demus, who grabbed the lead for good midway down the backstretch. "Not too bad for the end of the season," Demus said. Her performance was her third-fastest this year, trailing only her 53.27 personal best from Helsinki, and her 53.35 at the USA Outdoor Championships in June.

World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner was the heavy favorite in the men's 400 meters, and he held a small lead going into the home straight. The outcome of the race changed dramatically when Wariner suddenly stopped and began walking the final 20 meters to the finish line with his hand on his left hip.

As the field swept by Wariner, fellow American Tyree Washington was first to the finish in posting his fastest time of the season in setting a new meet record with his winning time of 44.51 seconds. Britain's Tim Benjamin was the runner-up in 44.56, with Christopher Brown of the Bahamas third in 44.68. Wariner finished last in 46.37.

Another U.S. winner on Friday was Bernard Lagat, who was a surprise entry in the men's 3,000 meters. Lagat, who is slated to compete in the 1,500 meters on Saturday, came out of the pack with 250 meters to go to win impressively in a season's best time of 7 minutes, 38 seconds. "I ran this 3,000 meters like a 1,500," he said afterwards. "The finish was great."

In the field, it only took three attempts for Helsinki world championships silver medalist Brad Walker to win the men's pole vault competition.

Walker watched as his remaining rivals all missed at 5.78 meters/18 feet, 11.75 inches before winning the event by clearing 5.86m/19-2.75 on his first attempt. Other Americans in the competition included Derek Miles (5th), Olympic gold medalist Tim Mack (6th) and Olympic silver medalist Toby Stevenson (7th), all clearing 5.60m/18-4.50.

Placing third in their events were world champion Lauryn Williams in the women's 100 meters (11.04), Helsinki gold medalist Walter Davis in the men's triple jump (17.23m/56-6.50) and world outdoor champs seventh place finisher Grace Upshaw in the women's long jump (6.67m/21-10.75).

World Championships silver medalist Chaunte Howard was fourth in the women's high jump (1.93m/6-4), while Elizabeth Jackson was eighth (9:46.10) and Lisa Galaviz 12th (10:05.01) in the women's steeplechase.

For complete results and event reports from the 2005 IAAF World Athletics Final, visit www.iaaf.org.

Tergat enters ING New York City Marathon

The world's fastest marathoner in history, Paul Tergat of Kenya, will join an already stellar field assembled to run the ING New York City Marathon 2005 on Sunday, November 6. The announcement was made at a press luncheon in his honor at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Monaco.

Tergat, who set the world record of 2 hours, 4 minutes, 55 seconds at the 2003 Berlin Marathon, joins a men's field that includes defending ING New York City Marathon Champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, 2004 Olympic silver medalist and last year's runner-up Meb Keflezighi of the United States and 2005 IAAF World Marathon champion Jaoud Gharib of Morocco.

Tergat, 36, has been an international success since 1995 when he burst on to the scene winning the first of his five consecutive IAAF World Cross Country Championships. A two-time World Half-Marathon champion, he was the Olympic silver medalist at 10,000 meters in 1996 and 2000 and finished 10th in the marathon at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

For more information on the 2005 ING New York City Marathon, visit NYRR.org.

Powell joins UCLA staff

Men's long jump world record holder Mike Powell, who competed for UCLA in 1986, is returning to the Bruins to coach UCLA's women and men's jumps and also to assist with the multi-event athletes.

UCLA women's head coach Jeanette Bolden announced Powell's hiring on Thursday. "It's great to have another UCLA alum return to join our coaching staff," said Bolden. "And in Mike Powell, this alum also happens to be a world record holder. Our athletes are excited to work with Mike. He brings to our program an expertise in the jumps area."

Powell, 41, set the world record in the long jump (29-4.50) at the 1991 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Tokyo, winning an epic dual against Carl Lewis and handing Lewis his first defeat in the event in 10 years.

During his heralded long jump career, Powell was a two-time world outdoor champion (1993/1991), two-time Olympic silver medalist (1992/1988) and six-time U. S. Champion (1996-95-94-93-92-90). He was the world's dominant long jumper in 1993 and '94, winning 34 competitions in a row. In 1991 he was named the AAU's James E. Sullivan Memorial Award winner as the nation's top amateur athlete.

"It feels good to be back home," Powell said. "This has been my dream coaching job and now I'm here. My goals are to help the program become stronger and I look forward to helping our athletes perform well at the conference, West Region and NCAA meets, and beyond. I plan on using the same determination, dedication and hard work in my coaching that helped me set the world record."