Posted: June 13, 2006

Athletics: Hometown favorite Diane Cummins sets new record at Victoria International Track Classic

June 11, 206 (Victoria, BC) - Top Canadian track and field athletes took to the track at Centennial Stadium for a two-hour showdown against rivals from over a dozen countries for the 18th annual Victoria International Track Classic.

Near perfect weather conditions set the tone for a near perfect race for Victoria’s Diane Cummins, who broke a twelve year record with a time of 1:59.73 on her way to victory in the women’s 800 meters. Encouraged by the cheering crowd of over two thousand, Cummins made a push in the final stretch to pass leader Aneta Lemiesz, of Poland, and grab the win by two tenths of a second.

“There’s nothing better than winning in front of a hometown crowd,” said Cummins, a South African native who has called Victoria home since 1998. Cummins reassured her fans, “When I’m done running, I’m not going to leave.”

Cummins admitted she did not feel good at the 400 meter point of the race after the leading pack took it out in 58 seconds, much faster than the 63 seconds she ran as part of the 800 meter race from Thursday’s Harry Jerome Classic in Vancouver where she finished in 2:04. “Running that fast never feels good,” said the 32-year-old referring to the fast start in Victoria. “Coming home in the last 150 meters I didn’t want to let the kids down,” she added nodding to her fan club of young runners cheering and waiting at the track’s edge for autographs. “I also wanted to win. I wanted to go sub 2. So I’m very thrilled.”

In the men’s 800 meters, Achraf Tadili, who moved to Victoria from Laval, Quebec last year to train under Cummins’ coach Brent Fougner, came just six one hundredths of a second from setting a meet record despite being unchallenged by the competition. Tadili, the silver medallist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, opened the gap at 500 meters and cruised to the finish 20 meters up on Canada’s Brian Roppelt and Kevin Sullivan, a former Olympian in the 1500 meters.

“It was easy for me. My focus was to go under 1:46. If I had started the kick early I would have,” said Tadili, who’s winning time of 1:46.18 is a season best. The Track Classic has provided him with the perfect season transition to prepare him for upcoming races in Europe where he hopes to beat his personal best of 1:45.05 and give fellow Victorian Gary Reed a run for the Canadian title.

Reed, the reigning Canadian champion in the 800 meters, opted to race the 400 meters where he was nipped by China’s Wang Youxin by six one hundredths of a second. Youxin won the 400 meters in 46.39 and was part of a strong contingent of two dozen Chinese athletes participating for the first time ever in the Track Classic.

China’s Javelin Throw record holder Li Rongziang beat Canadian champion Scott Russell with a strong throw of 78.68 meters, six meters better than third place Russell, and two meters better than second place Trevor Synder, of Canada. Another Canada versus China showdown in the men’s 110 meter hurdles saw China’s Shi Dongpeng, Asian Games silver medallist, win by two tenths of a second in 13.52.

The maple leaf reigned in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with Angela Whyte setting another meet record in 12.90. Megan Metcalfe and Julia Howard went one-two in the women’s 1500 meters with a very close finish, less than a second apart.

The Victoria International Running Society has hosted the Track Classic and other running programs in Victoria such as the Run with the Stars track camp, the Times Colonist 10K, and Learn to Run clinics. All funds generated through events are channeled back into the Victoria community to promote development of the sport and support of elite and development athletes.

In 2006, the VIRS established a special endowment fund and scholarship at the University of Victoria to encourage athletes to train in Victoria. The award will be named the Arthur Taylor Memorial Award in memory of dedicated Victoria coach Arthur Taylor.

For full results see www.trackclassic.com.

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