Posted: July 11, 2007

Athletics: News & Notes, Volume 8, Number 62

Gay blasts talented field in Lausanne MP>Reigning USA Outdoor 100 and 200m men's champion Tyson Gay demolished a strong field Tuesday at the 2007 Athletissima meet in Lausanne, Switzerland. Gay, who posted the second fastest 200m time (19.62 seconds) in history with his win at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships last month in Indianapolis, ran the fourth fastest time in the world this season with his winning time of 19.78 seconds. Gay's performance is even more impressive considering that it was a chilly 53 degrees when the gun sounded to start the race. Gay dominated a talented field that included Jamaican star Usain Bolt, who was the runner-up in 20.11 seconds. Other top finishers included 2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Wallace Spearmon (3rd-20.42), 2007 USA Outdoor Championships third-place finisher Rodney Martin (4th-20.42), 2004 World Junior champion LaShawn Merritt (5th-20.44) and reigning World and Olympic 400m champion Jeremy Wariner (6th-20.52). Reigning World Indoor champion and World Outdoor silver medalist Brad Walker set a new meet record in winning the men's pole vault with his clearance of 5.91 meters/19 feet 4.75 inches. Walker bettered the previous MR of 5.90m/19-4.25 set by world record holder Sergey Bubka in 1992. Others who equaled Bubka's meet record through the years include Dean Starkey (1994), Jean Galfione (1998) and American record holder Jeff Hartwig (2001). Other U.S. winners in Lausanne include reigning USA champion and 2003 World Outdoor champion Torri Edwards in the women's 100 meters. Edwards led from start to finish, stopping the clocks in 11.00 seconds. Jamaican star and Olympic 200m gold medalist Veronica Campbell was the runner-up in 11.07 seconds, with Lisa Barber finishing third in 11.11. Reigning world champion Michelle Perry enjoyed another successful outing in Lausanne in winning the women's 100m hurdles in 12.60 seconds. The winner already this year of Golden League Jackpot events in Oslo and Paris, Perry set the 2006 world's fastest time of 12.43 seconds in Lausanne. The men's 400m hurdles was won by reigning U.S. champion James Carter, who edged out 2007 USA Nationals runner-up Kerron Clement by the slimmest of margins. Carter won the race in 48.30 seconds, with Clement finishing close behind in 48.31. Other American finishers included 2000 Olympic gold medalist Angelo Taylor, who placed fifth in a seasonal best time of 48.68 seconds, and reigning world champion Bershawn Jackson, who held a slight lead over Carter before colliding with the final hurdle. He finished seventh in 49.12. World record holder Xiang Liu won the men's 110m hurdles in 13.01 seconds, with a group of six Americans in close pursuit. Anwar Moore was the runner-up with a personal best time of 13.12 seconds. Aries Merritt was third, finishing with a seasonal best performance of 13.18 seconds. In fourth place was David Payne (13.20) and crossing the line in fifth place was 1996 Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson in a seasonal best time of 13.24 seconds. American record holder Dominique Arnold was sixth in 13.26, with Ryan Wilson finishing seventh in 13.28. In the men's 5,000 meters, Dathan Ritzenhein finished fifth in 13 minutes 23.71 seconds, and 2007 U.S. Outdoor runner-up Matt Tegenkamp posted a seasonal best time of 13:27.06 with his sixth-place finish. Elsewhere, 2007 USA Outdoor champion Dee Dee Trotter finished third in the women's 400 meters in 51.48 seconds, and 2007 USA Outdoor Champs runner-up Hazel Clark was the runner-up in the women's 800 meters in 1 minute 59.43 seconds. For more information on the 2007 Athletissima in Lausanne, including the complete results, visit IAAF.org. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest