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BERLIN -- Sanya Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva each won a $500,000 share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot after their respective victories at the ISTAF meeting in Berlin today, the final meet of the six-meet Golden League series.
In front of a near-capacity crowd of 70,000 --the third consecutive announced Golden League sell-out – Richards yet again crushed all opposition en route to a 49.27 dash, another world-leading performance for the 22-year-old American.
“Nobody knows how hard this year has been for me,” said Richards, who after early-season illness, finished fourth at the U.S. championships in June and missed a spot on the world championships squad. “I feel much stronger now than I did two months ago.”
Yet again she stamped her authority on the event, beating the entire Osaka podium trio. World champion Christine Ohuruogo of the Great Britain was second more than a full second back in 50.40, with Osaka silver medallist Nicola Sanders, another Briton, third here in 50.70.
It was the second perfect six-for-six Golden League campaign for Richards, who last year took a smaller share of the prize pot. But for Isinbayeva, the world record holder in the pole vault and one of the sport’s biggest stars, it was the first time her event was given GL status, and she took full advantage over the three month campaign to share half of the sport’s biggest prize. Next up for the 25-year-old Russian, she said, was an assault on her own 5.02m world record which has stood for more than two years.
“(At the World Athletics Final) in Stuttgart I want to jump the world record,” she said. “Victory only is not enough for me any more.”
This time it Pole Monika Pyrek who took runner-up honors, beating Russian Svetlana Feofanova on the countback with both topping out at 4.72.
Swede Jenny Kallur continued her impressive late race season with yet another victory over a high caliber field in the 100m hurdles. After a controversial fourth place finish in Osaka, the 26-year-old Illinois grad took victories in Zurich and Brussels, before a dominating performance whose outcome was seemingly sealed before she reached the second hurdle. Her fast 12.49 was a career best, and nearly two-tenths of a second ahead of world champion Michelle Perry (12.67).
“The rhythm is perfect for me right now,” Kallur said. “I’ll just try to stick to the rhythm I’ve found in these last few days.”
After winning the high jump with a third attempt clearance at two meters, Blanka Vlasic said she was tired for two reasons: the first was that the competition came less than 24 hours after her victory in Brussels, and the second was that the schedule was an interruption of her daily routine.
“Jumping at 2 o’clock is terrible for me since I’m usually asleep at 2 o’clock,” she said. Vlasic nonetheless went on to try 2.06, and twice was reasonably close. The popular Croatian, her country’s first world champion, returns to action in Stuttgart next weekend before ending her season in Shanghai at the end of the month. Noteworthy is that her only loss this season in 16 competitions came in the Golden League opener in Oslo.
Russians Yekaterina Savchenko and Yelena Slesarenko, fifth and fourth respectively at the world championships, tied for second here with bests of 1.97, though both had a pair of near-misses at two meters as well.
Over the past month, Kenyan Janeth Jepkosgei has left little doubt that she is the dominant force in the women’s 800. In another front-running performance that has become an absolute joy to watch, the world champion again dominated the field en route to a clear victory in 1:58.62, well ahead of quick-closing Spaniard Mayte Martinez (1:59.83). Moving down in distance, Russian Yelena Soboleva, the world silver medallist at 1500m, was third in 2:00.20.
Men’s hurdles...
At 36, 1996 Olympic champion Allen Johnson is putting the breaks on his competitive calendar, but he’s not yet slowing down that much. The four-time world champion took his first win of the season comfortably in 13.33 ahead of Ukraine’s Sergiy Demidyuk (13.38), to most likely earn the points needed to gain entry to next weekend’s World Athletics Final. It should be noted that last year, Johnson saved his best for last when he took the IAAF World Cup title in a blistering 12.96 at age 35.
Poland’s Marek Plawgo, the bronze medallist in Osaka, won a nail-biter over the full-lap hurdles in 49.01, arguably the biggest win of his career. James Carter, fourth in Osaka, was just a hair behind in 49.02) with Kenneth Ferguson, who fell flat on his face as he crossed the line, taking third (49.05).
Sprints...
Midway through the men’s 400, there was little doubt that Jeremy Wariner’s return to business after taking his second world title would be a successful one. The Texan, who capped a perfect six-for-six Golden League record last year on this track, cruised to victory in 44.05, and, like his training partner Richards, won by more than a full second. Canadian Tyler Christopher took the race for second (45.10) with Angelo Taylor third (45.21). Next up for Wariner is Wednesday’s Pedro Cup meet in Warsaw.
Jaysuma Saidy Ndure took full advantage of the Golden League spotlight to nab the biggest victory of his career, albeit against a modest field. After runner-up finishes in Zurich and Brussels, the 23-yeare-old Gambian-born Norwegian won here in 10.14, just edging Britons Marlon Devonish (10.15) and Rikki Fifton (10.17).
Wallace Spearmon won his second 200m contest in less than 24 hours, crushing the field in 20.22, a whopping 0.34 seconds ahead of runner-up Rodney Martin.
Carmelita Jeter, perhaps the biggest surprise of the season after her third place finish at the U.S. championships and her bronze medal dash in Osaka, won her first big meet of the season. With a strong second half, she took the 100m in 11.15 over Osaka silver medallist Lauryn Williams (11.24), who held off Frenchwoman Christine Arron’s (11.24) late race surge. Two hours earlier, Williams won the 200 comfortably in 22.95 ahead of Bahamian Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (23.07).
Distances...
World champion Bernard Lagat didn’t get the fast performance he wanted as a season-capper, and in the end, ran out of steam to nab a win. Continuing to salvage his season, Brussels winner Daniel Kipchirchir Komen overtook the double world champion with about 150 meters to go to cross the line unchallenged in 3:34.09. Looking over his shoulder several times down the homestretch and clearly running out of gas, Lagat easily held on for second (3:34.79) with Osaka bronze medallist Shedreck Korir of Kenya taking third (3:35.55) here as well.
While an assault on the 14:29.32 meet record never fully materialized, the women’s 5000 was an entertaining race, in the end won by Vivian Cheruiyot over Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu in 14:50.78. Throughout the proceedings, the pair was joined at the front by American Kara Goucher, the surprise 10,000m bronze medallist in Osaka, New Zealand’s record holder Kim Smith, and Linet Masai, the winner of the junior race at the world cross country championships. Perhaps guided by a newfound confidence after her medal in Osaka, Goucher even took turns at the head of the pack and held on for third in 14:55.02, knocking more than 13 seconds from her previous personal best.
But the race was clearly Cheruiyot’s who decided to kick past Melkamu over the final 150 meters. Cheruiyot, who finished second to Meseret Defar during her world record run in Oslo in June and also dipped under the previous record, said she’s planning to contest both the 3000 and 5000 in Stuttgart next weekend.
On the infield...
Finland’s javelin world champion won for the third time in four outings since Osaka, spearing a best of 88.58. Rapidly improving Swede Magnus Arvidsson was second (84.50).
In a terrific competition in the women’s event, just nine centimeters separated the top three. Commanding the crowd’s full attention during the early afternoon’s program, Christina Obergfoll edged world champion Barbora Spotakova with a 64.58 throw in the fifth round to beat the Czech by just seven centimeters. Steffi Nerrius finished third (64.49) to round out a German 1-3.
Also on the early program, local fans were treated to a German 1-2 in the men’s pole vault, with Danny Ecker (5.86) beating back Bjorn Otto (5.81). World champion brad Walker, who also topped out at 5.81, was third.
In the triple jump, Aarik Wilson, this year’s U.S. champion indoors and out, beat world champion Nelson Evora, but it couldn’t have been closer. Each had a best of 17.07m, and their respective second best efforts of 17.02 matched identically as well, with Wilson getting the nod with this third best jump of the day, 17.00m even.
TPR’s on-site coverage continues later this week with the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart.
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