- Oct 14, 2006
- 1,369
- 2,524
Gatlin Blows away the field and lands first blow in the fight for 100m supremacy
The outdoor athletics season began with a sparkling curtain raiser in the diamond league in Doha. Justin Gatlin was in ominous form running an outstanding personal best 9.74! He has been extremely confident while hyping his pursuit of dethroning Usain Bolt in the world championships later this summer, and tonight certainly lived up to the hype becoming the fourth fastest man in history. On this form people will have to start believing he may well achieve the unthinkable regardless of their views on his doping past; while looking so strong and in the best shape of his life surely there is more to come. The rest of the field including Briton James Dasaulou were almost left in a different race as they managed only to chase Gatlin's shadow with just fellow USA athlete Rodgers also managing to break 10 seconds.
In an incredible triple jump competition containing USA's Olympic champion Taylor and the talented Frenchman Tamgho, two men broke the magic 18 meter barrier for the first time in history. It was unfancied Cuban Pichardo who took the victory by just two centimetres from Taylor jumping a fantastic 18.06. This is the 3rd longest jump in history and indicates that Jonathan Edwards' 20 year old world record may finally come under threat by the end of the summer.
Jasmine Stowers looked to continue her astonishing early season form in the 100 m hurdles alongside Olympic champion Sally Pearson, who along with Dawn Harper-Nelson and Queen Harrison gave the field a major final feel . It was the USA prodigy Stowers who destroyed the field to achieve the fastest diamond league race ever in 12.35, she has burst onto the scene since graduating in 2014 improving at a rapid rate. Britain's Tiffany Porter ran extremely well to take third place ahead of Olympic champion Pearson in her season's opener.
Olympic champion Alyson Felix won the 200 m in a field containing in form Ahoure from Ivory Coast along with Anthonique Strachan from the Bahamas. Young British athlete Bianca Williams ran in a world-class Field from lane one hoping to make a mark but struggled in such strong company. Ahoure attacked the bend well but as they came into the home straight Felix managed to pull away from her dipping under the line in a strong time of 21.98 seconds.
Beshawn Jackson rolled back the years once again in the 400 m hurdles running the fastest time of the year by more than one whole second. Jackson who was last world champion as long as 10 years ago, has been in sparkling form this season and looks a real threat for gold at the world Championships later this year in Beijing. He dismantled a world-class field including Olympic champion Sanchez as well as second placed Javier Culson; fast finishing Briton Jack Green made a great comeback to world-class athletics by coming fourth from lane 1. This was a great performance after his recent absence from the sport with a stress related illness and signals his return to the world stage.
It was a night of shocks in Doha beginning in the 1500 m women's race when youngster Seyaum ran a great race and won in a surprise result with a world leading 4.00.96. The men's 800 m race followed suit as favourite and world champion Aman started much too slowly and was made to pay as he was beat by Souleiman. Aman left himself far much too much to do resulting in him finding himself boxed at the back of the field, ending up in eighth. It was a great race between Kenyan pair Cheruiyot and Kipketer for second with an impressive winning time of 1.43.78, just outside of the meeting record. The shocks continued in the women's 400m as McCrory shocked the field winning in 50.21. The favourite Sanya Richards Ross ran a poorly constructed race after initially looking comfortable coming into the last hundred meters; Richards Ross obviously went off too fast as she tied up terribly and McCorory powered to a statement making victory.
In the final race of the night Mo Farah suffered a rare defeat running the 3000m in a stellar field. Gebrhiwet from Ethiopia took the surprise win when Farah's tactics backfired when a breakaway group managed to escape his grasp with a lap to go. Farah responded very well but it was too late and he came up two meters short finishing second.
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The outdoor athletics season began with a sparkling curtain raiser in the diamond league in Doha. Justin Gatlin was in ominous form running an outstanding personal best 9.74! He has been extremely confident while hyping his pursuit of dethroning Usain Bolt in the world championships later this summer, and tonight certainly lived up to the hype becoming the fourth fastest man in history. On this form people will have to start believing he may well achieve the unthinkable regardless of their views on his doping past; while looking so strong and in the best shape of his life surely there is more to come. The rest of the field including Briton James Dasaulou were almost left in a different race as they managed only to chase Gatlin's shadow with just fellow USA athlete Rodgers also managing to break 10 seconds.
In an incredible triple jump competition containing USA's Olympic champion Taylor and the talented Frenchman Tamgho, two men broke the magic 18 meter barrier for the first time in history. It was unfancied Cuban Pichardo who took the victory by just two centimetres from Taylor jumping a fantastic 18.06. This is the 3rd longest jump in history and indicates that Jonathan Edwards' 20 year old world record may finally come under threat by the end of the summer.
Jasmine Stowers looked to continue her astonishing early season form in the 100 m hurdles alongside Olympic champion Sally Pearson, who along with Dawn Harper-Nelson and Queen Harrison gave the field a major final feel . It was the USA prodigy Stowers who destroyed the field to achieve the fastest diamond league race ever in 12.35, she has burst onto the scene since graduating in 2014 improving at a rapid rate. Britain's Tiffany Porter ran extremely well to take third place ahead of Olympic champion Pearson in her season's opener.
Olympic champion Alyson Felix won the 200 m in a field containing in form Ahoure from Ivory Coast along with Anthonique Strachan from the Bahamas. Young British athlete Bianca Williams ran in a world-class Field from lane one hoping to make a mark but struggled in such strong company. Ahoure attacked the bend well but as they came into the home straight Felix managed to pull away from her dipping under the line in a strong time of 21.98 seconds.
Beshawn Jackson rolled back the years once again in the 400 m hurdles running the fastest time of the year by more than one whole second. Jackson who was last world champion as long as 10 years ago, has been in sparkling form this season and looks a real threat for gold at the world Championships later this year in Beijing. He dismantled a world-class field including Olympic champion Sanchez as well as second placed Javier Culson; fast finishing Briton Jack Green made a great comeback to world-class athletics by coming fourth from lane 1. This was a great performance after his recent absence from the sport with a stress related illness and signals his return to the world stage.
It was a night of shocks in Doha beginning in the 1500 m women's race when youngster Seyaum ran a great race and won in a surprise result with a world leading 4.00.96. The men's 800 m race followed suit as favourite and world champion Aman started much too slowly and was made to pay as he was beat by Souleiman. Aman left himself far much too much to do resulting in him finding himself boxed at the back of the field, ending up in eighth. It was a great race between Kenyan pair Cheruiyot and Kipketer for second with an impressive winning time of 1.43.78, just outside of the meeting record. The shocks continued in the women's 400m as McCrory shocked the field winning in 50.21. The favourite Sanya Richards Ross ran a poorly constructed race after initially looking comfortable coming into the last hundred meters; Richards Ross obviously went off too fast as she tied up terribly and McCorory powered to a statement making victory.
In the final race of the night Mo Farah suffered a rare defeat running the 3000m in a stellar field. Gebrhiwet from Ethiopia took the surprise win when Farah's tactics backfired when a breakaway group managed to escape his grasp with a lap to go. Farah responded very well but it was too late and he came up two meters short finishing second.
Please support my blog
[email protected]