News01 Sep 2002


Levorato heroine of Padua Meeting

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Manuela Levorato celebrates Munich medal (© Getty Images Allsport)

Padua, ItalySunday’s EAA meeting in Padova produced some good results including 4.62 by pole vault record holder Stacy Dragila (USA) and marked the comeback of Ivan Pedroso, runner-up in 8.30 behind the American Dwight Philips winner in a impressive 8.36.

Athletics fans in Padua gave a standing ovation to their local heroine Manuela Levorato an easy winner of the 100 metres in 11.25.

The two bronze medals won by Manuela Levorato in Munich, the first Italian woman ever to win medals in the history of the European Championships, aroused great enthusiasm in Italy. “For me these bronze medals are like gold”, she said in Munich. Manuela was born in Arino di Dolo, a small village on the banks of the river Brenta only few kilometres from Padua.

She was delighted with her weekend efforts. She finished seventh in the 100 metres in 11.21 (seasonal best) and sixth in the 200 metres in 22.82 at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels last Friday. In both races she managed to beat Belgian local favourite Kim Gaevert and was beaten by only six hundredths of a second by Muriel Hurtis of France in the 100 metres.

“The invitation to compete at a Golden League meeting abroad against Marion Jones and Zhanna Pintusevich has been a result I have achieved after years of hard work. It has been a step forward in my career”, said a happy Levorato.

“In Padua I felt I could not disappoint my friends and parents who came to support me. For many of them the Padua meeting is the only opportunity to come and see me. This has been a very long season for me but I still want to compete and I am looking forward to competing at the Rieti Grand Prix 2 meeting.”

Padua has always had a special reputation for high-level pole vault competitions. In this town Sergey Bubka set one of his 35 world records ten years ago. This year the pole vault made the headlines thanks to Stacy Dragila who cleared 4.62 in her second attempt before failing her three attempts at 4.72. Stacy who cleared 4.72 at Rovereto last Wednesday was delighted with the result. She is getting used to new poles which could enable her to jump higher in the next meetings. “In Padua I found an ideal place, a friendly atmosphere. Italian fans, who were very friendly, gave me their support. I am spending nice days in Italy, the country where my grandfather was born and lived before emigrating to the United States. My trip to Italy will continue next week with the Rieti meeting. I will probably miss the World Cup in Madrid because I need more time to prepare the World Championships season.”

The Padua meeting featured the return of Ivan Pedroso, who had won four times in Padua and set the meeting record with an impressive 8.70 in 1995. After two fouled jumps in his first two attempts he produced 8.30, an encouraging result after a disappointing season affected by injuries. But the US jumper Dwight Phillips responded immediately to Pedroso with 8.36 and won the competition. “Padua is a special meeting for me because two years ago I made my debut in Europe here when I jumped 7.80, so I found extra motivation to give my best today”, said Phillips, one of the major surprises of the season in this discipline with a personal best of 8.38 set at the Grand Prix 2 meeting in Linz.

Another field event to savour was the female triple jump. Magdelin Martinez, who became an Italian citizen shortly before the Edmonton World Championships, produced an impressive series of jumps (14.14; 14.29w; 14.09; 14.33; 14.55; 14.59) and finished only one centimetre off her personal best set last year at Edmonton and seven centimetres off the Italian record of Fiona May. Magdelin, sixth in Munich,  took her revenge on the Finn Heli Koivula, silver medallist in Munich and runner-up also in Padua with 14.38 (her new pb). Magdelin’s form is peaking only now probably because of a knee injury she suffered from during the winter and she could improve in the next meetings of the season starting from Rieti next week.

The female hammer throw event was won by Ypsi Moreno, the reigning World Champion from Cuba who produced 68.40 in her third attempt. Runner-up was her compatriot Yunaika Crawford with 66.13 ahed of the Italians Esther Balassini third with 64.88 and Clarissa Claretti, fourth with 64.85 who beat the Olympic champion Kamila Skolimowska only fifth with 64.41. Esther, the Italian record holder with 68.54 and Clarissa, the Italian under 23 record holder, respectively sixth and eigth in Munich, represent the future of hammer throw in Italy.

Coby Miller, winner at the Brussels Golden League meeting over 200 metres in 20.07, came in first in 10.10 in the 100 metres dash ahead of Darvis Patton, second in 10.14 and Asafa Powell third in 10.22. Patton who improved his PB in Brussels over 200 metres to 20.12 competed also in the long jump in Padua immediately after the 100 metres and finished fourth with 8.04. Anier Garcia, reigning Olympic champion from Cuba, confirmed his supremacy in the 110 hurdles by finishing first in 13.37 for his third consecutive win in Padua ahead of his compatriot Yoel Hernandez, second in 13.58. The 400 hurdles saw the victory of Joey Woody, back from his third place in Brussels, in 48.91 ahead of Pawel Januszewski of Poland (49.28) and Ruslan Maschchenko of Russia (49.71).

Astrid Kumbernuss of Germany, three times world champion and fourth in Munich, had no rivals in the women’s shot put with 19.43. The Italian Paolo Dal Soglio, fourth at the Atlanta Olympics, produced a massive effort in his second attempt with 20.61.

It was a very good meeting staged in a friendly and nice atmosphere where the local crowd supported the athletes throughout.

Selected results from the  Padua EAA meeting:

Men:

100 metres (wind +1.4 m/s): 1 Coby Miller (USA) 10.10; 2 Darvis Patton (USA) 10.14; 3 Asafa Powell (JAM)) 10.22; 4 Greg Saddler (USA) 10.41; 5 Marco Torrieri (ITA) 10.42

400 metres: 1 Davian Clarke (JAM)) 46.08; 2 Mike Kenyon (USA) 46.14 ; 3 Pat Dwyer (AUS) 46.81

800 metres : 1 Japhet Kimutai (KEN) 1:46.33 ; 2 Wilson Kirwa (FIN) 1:46.67; 3 Alex Kipchircir (KEN) 1:46.71

1500 metres: 1 Kamel Boulahfane (ALG) 3:40.72; 2 Kevin Sullivan (CAN) 3:40.80; 3 Jose Cereo (ESP) 3:40.98; 4 Abdulrahman Suleiman (QAT) 3:41.01

110 hurdles (wind +0.7 m/s): 1 Anier Garcia (CUB) 13.37; 2 Yoel Hernandez (CUB) 13.58; 3 Emiliano Pizzoli (ITA) 13.78; 4 Devis Favaro (ITA) 13.85; 5 Duane Ross (USA) 13.90

400 hurdles: 1 Joey Woody (USA) 48.91; 2 Pawel Januszewski (POL) 49.26; 3 Ruslan Maschchenko (RUS) 49.71; 4 Ian Weakley (JAM)) 49.86; 5 Anthony Borsumato (GBR)) 49.96

Long Jump: 1 Dwight Phillips (USA) 8.36; 2 Ivan Pedroso (CUB) 8.30; 3 Joan Lino Martinez (CUB) 8.11; 4 Darvis Patton (USA) 8.04

Shot Put: 1 Paolo Dal Soglio (ITA) 20.61; 2 Paolo Capponi (ITA) 18.25; 3 Marco Dodoni (ITA) 18.21

Women:

100 metres (+1.5 m/s): 1 Manuela Levorato (ITA) 11.25; 2 Brianna Glenn (USA) 11.48; 3 Vincenza Calì (ITA) 11.52 (PB; junior 19 years old)

400 metres: 1 Mireille Nguimgo (CMR) 52.26; 2 Bewouda Hortense (CAM) 52.46; 3 Daniela Reina (ITA) 54.63

800 metres: 1 Mardrea Hyman (JAM)) 2: 01.60; 2 Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:01.78; 3 Judit Varga (HUN) 2:02.03

100 hurdles: 1 Anay Teyeda (CUB) 12.89 (PB); 2 Angela Atede (NGR) 13.00; 3 Yahumara Neyra (CUB) 13.05

Triple Jump: 1 Magdelin Martinez (ITA) 14.58; 2 Heli Koivula (FIN) 14.38 (PB; 14.83 windy in Munich); 3 Yelena Oleynikova (RUS) 14.19; 4 Kene Ndoye (SEN) 14.15; 5 Barbara Lah (ITA) 14.02

Pole Vault: 1 Stacy Dragila (USA) 4.62; 2 Kristzina Molnar (HUN) 4.32; 3 Francesca Dolcini (ITA) 4.07

Shot Put: 1 Astrid Kumbernuss (Ger) 19.43; 2 Yumileidi Cumbà (CUB) 18.98; 3 Assunta Legnante (ITA) 18.20; 4 Cristiana Checchi (ITA) 17.11; 5 Chiara Rosa (ITA) 16.53 (junior)

Hammer throw: 1 Yipsi Moreno (CUB) 68.40; 2 Yunaika Crawford (CUB) 66.13; 3 Ester Balassini (ITA) 64.88; 4 Clarissa Claretti (ITA) 64.85; 5 Kamila Skolimowska (POL) 64.41

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