News12 Feb 2005


Merritt and Lagat blaze to third-ever fastest times in Fayetteville

FacebookTwitterEmail

LaShawn Merritt of USA wins 400m final (© Getty Images)

The thirdquickest times in the history of the men’s Mile and 400m were posted last night in the Powered by Tyson Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Centre, Fayetteville, the third stop of USA Track & Field's 2005 Visa Championship Series. There were also world season leading times established in both the men’s 60m Hurdles and the women’s 60m dashes.

World Junior champion Merritt excels

LaShawn Merritt, 18, became the second-fastest indoor 400m runner in history and the owner of the third-fastest time ever with a winning time of 44.93. Only Michael Johnson’s 44.63 World record (1995) and 44.66 (1996) are quicker. Merritt who went through 200m on route in 21.04, is now of course the fastest ever junior and was confident in his appraisal of his own performance.

"I knew coming in that I could run 45, and I knew this was the fastest track in the country,” confirmed Merritt. “I wanted to set my race up. When I came in (the final turn), I knew no one was around, and I just wanted to finish strong. I knew the field was full of Olympians, and I was the only collegiate athlete. I wasn't going to back down. I wanted to set the pace, and that's what I did."

Merritt won three gold medals at the 2004 IAAF World Junior Championships in Grosseto - the individual 400 metres (45.25) and as anchor of the USA’s World record relay teams at 4x100 (38.66) and 4x400m (3:01.09).

Hurdler Bershawn Jackson was second in the 400 in 45.70, with Andrew Rock third in 46.01.

 Lagat runs 3:49 Mile

Kenya’s World Indoor 3000m champion Bernard Lagat was close to the World Indoor Mile record last night with a 3:49.89 clocking. Led by pacesetter Fred Sharpe - 400m in 56.4 and 800 in 1:51.8 - Lagat was ahead of Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj's 1997 World record pace of 1:53.7 (3:48.45 WR).

Laban Rotich Lagat took the race through 1200m (2:50.7), but Lagat ran alone through 1500m in 3:33.34, to clock 3:49.89 the third-fastest time in history behind the World record and Ireland’s ‘Chairman of the Boards’ Eamonn Coghlan who ran 3:49.78 back in 1983.

"The pace was fast, and I wanted the guys to get out fast and that happened,” confirmed Lagat, the two-time Olympic medallist. “It's tough (being so far ahead), because I need someone to push me. It was better in the last 2 laps. It's nice to have the fans support you and get behind you. I thought I would come here and attempt to break the record and why not after what I had done in Boston and New York. I might as well try while I'm felling good, because I can't go at this pace forever."

World leads for Johnson and Campbell

Following on from his win at the Millrose Games, the reigning World champion for the high hurdles - both indoors and out - easily won the 60m Hurdles in a world-leading time of 7.51, while Danielle Carruthers took the women’s race in 7.98 in a photo-finish ahead of Michelle Freeman of Jamaica (7.99), Melissa Morrison-Howard (8.01) and 2003 World indoor and outdoor gold medallist Perdita Felicien of Canada (8.06).

Olympic women’s 200m champion Veronica Campbell of Jamaica also took women's 60m in a world season’s lead. Her time was 7.09.

Pate and Stringfellow back from injury

The men's Long Jump provided comeback opportunities for two stars. Continuing his comeback from a severe knee injury in 2003, the 2002 USA indoor champion Miguel Pate won the competition with his first-round jump of 8.16m. World Indoor champion Savante Stringfellow, returning from a ruptured Achilles, was second with 8.14m, and Olympic silver medalist John Moffitt was third with 8.11m.

USATF and IAAF

CLICK HERE for FULL RESULTS

 

Pages related to this article
Disciplines
Loading...