PHOTOS - <link lists-results programma-2015>RESULTS
Pichardo jumped further twice earlier this season with 18.08 in Havana and 18.06 in the Doha Diamond League meeting. It was a all-Cuban affair as Alexis Copello finished second second with 17.15 and Ernesto Revé, third with 16.89. “It is my first time here in this stadium and I felt that the track is too hard. The conditions wer very good in the end: warm weather was good and the crowd was very very helpful, cheering all the time. I was aiming the jump was over 18 metres but I got very close to it. I am glad I did not disappoint the organizers hoping for the meeting record which was one of my aims today”.
The meeting was also highlighted by five world best performances: four in middle distance races: Mohamed Aman’s 1:43.56 in the 800m, Yomif Kejelcha’s 12:58.39 in the 5000m, Jennifer Simpson’s 3:59.31 in the women’s 1500 and Hyvin Kyeng in the 3000 m steeplechase with 9:15.08 and one in the women’s high jump with Ruth Beitia’s 2.00m in the high jump. Pichardo’s 17.96 was not the only meeting record of the evening. In the 100 metres Justin Gatlin stormed to a jaw-dropping 9.75 smashing Usain Bolt’s 100m meeting record by 0.01 sec. The reigning world silver medallist missed his recent 9.74 personal best set in Doha by 0.01 sec. He also won the Rome 100m for the third time in a row. Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut finished runner-up with 9.98 edging out Michael Rodgers (9.98). “I have had a couple of very good races. I feel confident running times around 9.70s. This meeting is like the end of the first part of the season an I am now heading home and after the trials I will have a month to train and to spend with my son and my family. That will help me to keep the shape until Bejing. Rome is a tradition. I am glad I had a had a good start and managed to execute the first 60 metres to be confident with the victory. 9.60 should be possibleduring the summer”, said.
Pole vault: After Pichardo broke Edwards’ meeting record, another Rome meeting record set by another legend Sergey Bubka (set in the legendary 1984 competition when Thierry Vigneron and Sergey Bubka set two world records in the same evening with 5.91 and 5.94) came seriously under threat. “Le Roi” Renaud Lavillenie won in Rome for the third time with 5.91 in his first attempt. The world record holder and Olympic champion made three close attempts at Bubka’s meeting record height of 6.01. “I would say the best jump of the competition was the second attempt at 6.01. I was very close to it but I touched it a bit and the bar fell down. I was unlucky because sometimes it happens that the bar stays on the stands despite the touch. I felt a bit tired. It was a very long competition and all the travelling from Eugene, the jetleg, it was very difficult. The weather did not help us as it was a bit windy at the beginning”, said Lavillenie.
800 metres: Reigning world indoor and outdoor champion Mohamed Aman held off Olympic silver medallist and world junior record holder Nijel Amos setting the fastest time in the world this year with 1:43:56. Amos finished second with 1:43:80. Job Kinyor held off European champion Adam Kszczot for third place by 0.02 with 1:43.92.
5000 metres: Reigning world youth and junior champion Yomif Kejelcha followed up his first place in Eugene last Saturday with another win on the Olympic Stadium’s track improving his world seasonal best with 12:58.39 holding off Kenyan Paul Tanui and world silver medallist Hagos Gebrehiwet who shared the same time of 12:58.69. Two more men dipped the 13 minutes barrier: Imane Merga (12:59.04), Thomas Longosiwa (12:59.78). Muktar Edris completed the top-six with 13:00.30
Javelin throw: Reigning world champion Viteszlav Vezely won an excellent competition with 88.14 in his second attempt. Kenyan Julius Yego smashd his personal best with an impressive national record of 87.71 in second place. Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott completed the top-three with 86.20m.
110m hurdles: European champion Sergey Shubenkov won in his seasonal best of 13.23 edging out Frenchman Garfield Darien with the same time . .
400m hurdles: US Johnny Dutch clinched his second win in the Golden Gala with 48.13 improving his seasonal best set last Saturday when he won in Eugene by 0.07 sec.
200m: Greece’s Stefanos Tsakonas pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the evening winning the 200m in 20.09 beating European silver medallist Christophe Lemaitre (20.28)
Shot put: German David Storl won his second Diamond League competition after Doha with 21.46m improving his lead in the Diamond Race with 10 points. US Jordan Clarke improved his seasonal best of 21.28m in second place. "It was a long week and with all the travelling from the USA, it was very difficult for me. It seems it is going to be a battle between me and Joe in Bejing”, said Storl.
100m B race: Jamaican Julian Forte beat some of the best Italian sprinters in 10.07
Women’s competitions
1500 metres: US Jennifer Simpson, world champion in Daegu 2011 and Diamond Race winner in 2014, clinched her second consecutive Diamond League competition after Eugene clocking the fastest time in the world this year with 3:59.31 edging Sifan Hassan (3:59.68) and world junior champion Dawit Seyaum (3:59.75). Great Britain’s Laura Muir also performed very well finishing fourth with 4:00.61
3000 metres steeplechase: Kenyan Hyvin Kyeng set the fastest time in the world this year with 9:15.08 beating Doha winner Virginia Nyamura (9:15.75). Ethiopian Hiwot Ayalew completed the all-African affair finishing third with 9:16.57
High Jump: Reigning European champion Ruth Beitia cleared 2.00m setting the world seasonal best. The Spanish legend had a clean sheet until 1.94 before clearing 1.97 in her second attempt and 2.00 in her third attempt. Blanka Vlasic made a successful come-back to competitions finishing second with 1.97 on count-back over world indoor champion Kamila Licwinko who equalled her seasonal best. “It is unbelievable feeling to go over 2 metres and to win my first Diamond League. It was my first competition where I tried my run-up”, said Beitia.
100m hurdles - US Sherika Nelvis confirmed her excellent period of form winning in an excellent personal best of 12.52 ahead of 2014 Diamond Race winner Dawn Harper Nelson (12.59) and reigning European champion Tiffany Porter (12.60). With this win Nelvis took the lead in the Diamond Race with 6 points Sadly Olympic champion Sally Pearson seriously injured on her wrist. World champion Briana Rollins did not finish the race.
400m hurdles: US Georganne Moline, Olympic finalist in London, won in her seasonal best of 54.47 beating 2012 world junior champion Janeive Russell from Jamaica (54.83).
200 metres: US 200m champion Janeba Tarmoh won in 22.77. Double 100m and 200m sprint world champion Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce had to pull out of the meeting because of a minor pain during the warm-up.
400 metres: World Indoor champion Francena McCorory took her second win in the Diamond League this season after Doha with 50.36 beating Jamaican Stephanie Ann McPherson (50.53) and Natasha Hastings (50.67).
Women’s long jump: Dariya Klishina, European bronze medallist in Zurich last year, won with her seasonal best of 6.89m in her second attempt. Shara Proctor from Great Britain responded coming very close to Klishina in the third attempt with 6.85m. Sostene Moguenara from Germany improved her seasonal best to finish third with 6.80m. “I was very upset Eugene. It is my favourite track and I do’t know what happened there. I think it was the jetleg. I had a couple of jumps today in Rome but it is still not enough and I have to work on a couple of things to get over seven metres. I am confident I can make it this year”, said Klishina.
Women’s discus throw: Olympic, World and European champion and three time Diamond League champion Sandra Perkovic won her second DL competition of the year with 67.92m in her second attempt. Australia’s Dani Samuels, world champion in Berlin 2009, finished runner-up with 66.47m. “I expected to throw at the level of 69 metres in Rome, so I cannot say I am completely happy about my result. I know I am prepared for it but it will come in the following events”, said Perkovic.
In the pre-meeting programme focused on youth competitions Italian 16-year-old rising star Marta Zenoni set the Italian youth record and world youth seasonal best in the 800 metres with 2:03:40.
Diego Sampaolo
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