Trio triumphs in Brussels
Sanya Richards, Yelena Isinbayeva and Kenenisa Bekele did not disappoint securing the $1 Million Jackpot and Usain Bolt shut down as the final ÅF Golden League meeting closed out in dramatic fashion at the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme in the Belgian capital tonight (Fri 4).
Bolt slows down to 19.57!
Usain Bolt with a respectable start ran a marvellous curve which brought him ahead of the entire field with little more than 70 metres expended of the 200 metres sprint. With victory more than secure he then shut down with at least 30 metres left to run and still crossed the outstanding victor in a meeting record of 19.57 seconds (nil wind) on what was a cold and damp evening in the King Baudouin Stadium.
The previous meet best was Tyson Gay's 19.79 from 2006, and Bolt's brilliance was further emphasised when we considered tonight's run was the fourth fastest of all-time, only bettered by his two World records (19.19 and 19.30) and Michael Johnson's previous mark of 19.32. In second came Wallace Spearmon, the World bronze medallist in 20.19. "At 25 metres (to go) I backed off. The crowd was extremely wonderful, they gave me energy," said Bolt who next runs in the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final next weekend in Thessaloniki, Greece (12 / 13 Sep).
Three share $1 Million - Bekele, Isinbayeva and Richards show their superiority
Sanya Richards played out the same game plan which has brought her home ahead of the rest of the world all season. A conservative first 180 was followed by a beautiful drive phase which fluently powered her to a 48.83 sec meet record, a world season lead which improved her previous 2009 best of 48.94 from Zurich last week.The 24-year-old now surely has her own Area record of 48.70 in her sights. Richards set that at the end of the 2006 season in the warmth of Athens at the World Cup, and in similarly condusive weather conditions in Thessaloniki next week that time is sure to fall. Britain's Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu was well beaten in second (50.43) as was the rest of the field.
Isinbayeva with one leap prevailed in tonight's Pole Vault and so secured her share of the Jackpot. That first time clearance at 4.70m was enough as the three women - Pyrek, Spiegelburg and Murer - who had also cleared that height did so on either their second or third attempts and then went out at the next height of 4.75 which the Russian World record holder passed. With victory secure Isinbayeva made three-attempts to increase by one centimetre her 5.06m record from last week but none of her tries could be considered close.
Bekele was the final contender to secure his claim to $333,333, and after taking the 5000m race by the scruff of the neck before 3000m (a point which he went through in 7:45.51) building up a lead of about 40 metres on the 22 athletes following, the World and Olympic champion then slowed down and let the large pack catch him, only to majestically ease away again when the final sprint was engaged. Bekele crossed supreme in 12:55.31.
The next four runners having taken such an imperious running lesson from the maestro all achieved personal bests - Merga (12:55.66), Chepkok (12:55.98), Abdosh (12:56.53) and Bett (12:57.43) - with Bett setting a season's best of 12:57.43 in sixth, and Matt Tegenkamp in seventh becoming the second runner from the USA in a week (Dathan Ritzenhein 12:56.27 national record in Zurich) to dip under 13 minutes with his PB of 12:58.56.
Powell all the way
Away exceptionally well, in total contrast to his chief opponent Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell was never troubled in the 100m. Not fully upright and into his running until 30 metres of the race was gone, the Jamaican already found himself in a clear lead. The World bronze medallist took the tape in 9.90 (-0.4m/s) with Gay, who had headed Powell by one place in the Berlin final, completing in 10.00. The US record holder was never truly in the race today. Darvis Patton was third (10.08).
Chris Turner IAAF, read full story www.iaaf.org
