Krisztian Pars spinning to victory in Dubnica (© Peter Jelinek)
In front of a capacity crowd of 5000, seven meeting records fell at the 10th Athletics Bridge - Zdenek Hrbacek Memorial in Dubnica, Slovakia, on Sunday (26).
Rain fell during much of the meeting but stopped by the start of the men's 100m where the first sub-10 second performance in Slovakia was anticipated.
It nearly happened as Nesta Carter, after great start, ran 10.01 (0.0), a Slovak All-comers record that more precisely was clocked at 10.007.
"The weather definitely played a role, so I must return next year to break the barrier," said Carter with a smile. His Olympic 4x100m relay gold medal colleague Michael Frater was second in 10.12 just edging Dwain Chambers who was credited with the same time.
Timothy Kitum, the 17-year-old Olympic bronze medallist in the 800m, tried to attack the World junior record over 1000m but the runners did not follow the pacemakers. At the end Abraham Rotich clocked a meet record 2:17.08 ahead of Australian Jeff Riseley 2:17.63 with Kitum third 2:17.96.
Earlier in the 800m another young Kenyan, junior Edwin Melly, produced a meet record 1:45.82 beating Nicholas Koech (1:46.82).
Dawn Harper tried hard to attack her own meet record but in the rain came up short. She still produced a high calibre 12.68 (-0.4) victory ahead of Queen Harrison (12.81) and Canadian Priscilla Lopes-Schliep who celebrated her 30th birthday with a 12.94 performance for third.
Another meet record and Slovak all-comers mark came in the women's 3000m Steeplechase by Lydia Chepkurui who clocked 9:30.82 beating Fancy Cherotich (9:35.03) and Ukrainian Helsinki medallist Svitlana Shmidt who clocked 9:37.90.
There was a dramatic finish in the women's 1000m where Brenda Martinez of the U.S. was given the win ahead of Marina Arzamasava of Belarus, who was credited with the same time. Interestingly Arzamasava began the race as a pacemaker. Slovak Olympic 1500m finalist Lucia Klocova was next 2:38.72, a national record. The next two finishers also dipped under 2:40: Angelika Cichocka of Poland in 2:38.78 for fourth and Amela Terzic fifth with a 2:39.79 Serbian record.
Olympic champions captured two of the three throws victories.
Hungarian Krisztian Pars dominated the Hammer Throw with 79.84m over a strong field where sixth place was worth 76.16m. In a slippery circle, shot putter Tomasz Majewski attacked the 21-metre barrier with a 20.98m best. In the women's Hammer Throw German Betty Heidler ruled with 75.19m as Cuban Yipsi Moreno, with a 74.86m last throw, beat London gold medallist Tatyana Lysenko (74.76m).
Another meet record fell in the women's High Jump where Svetlana Shkolina first cleared 1.93m and then 1.97m to twice improve the event best during a rain fall. Despite the unfavourable weather she also gave the enthusiastic crowd three tries at two metres.
Pole vaulters were in shape but unfortunately due to the rain their event was stopped at 5.74m where three were still jumping. Before then Czech Jan Kudlicka cleared 5.67m with his first attempt for another meet record.
World leader Vitezslav Vesely won the Javelin Throw with 80.47m and also saved his energy for the Samsung Diamond League final in Zurich when passing his last two throws.
The only Slovak win of the day produced another meet record with Matej Toth, who was eighth at the Olympic Games, winning the 3000m Race Walk in 11:05.95.
Elsewhere Laverne Jones-Ferrette of the US Virgin Islands beat a good field in the women's 100m field in 11.29 (-1.0) and Aliaksei Tsiapik of Belarus, a Helsinki medallist, won the Triple Jump with 16.58m (-0.2).
Organisers for the IAAF
Rain fell during much of the meeting but stopped by the start of the men's 100m where the first sub-10 second performance in Slovakia was anticipated.
It nearly happened as Nesta Carter, after great start, ran 10.01 (0.0), a Slovak All-comers record that more precisely was clocked at 10.007.
"The weather definitely played a role, so I must return next year to break the barrier," said Carter with a smile. His Olympic 4x100m relay gold medal colleague Michael Frater was second in 10.12 just edging Dwain Chambers who was credited with the same time.
Timothy Kitum, the 17-year-old Olympic bronze medallist in the 800m, tried to attack the World junior record over 1000m but the runners did not follow the pacemakers. At the end Abraham Rotich clocked a meet record 2:17.08 ahead of Australian Jeff Riseley 2:17.63 with Kitum third 2:17.96.
Earlier in the 800m another young Kenyan, junior Edwin Melly, produced a meet record 1:45.82 beating Nicholas Koech (1:46.82).
Dawn Harper tried hard to attack her own meet record but in the rain came up short. She still produced a high calibre 12.68 (-0.4) victory ahead of Queen Harrison (12.81) and Canadian Priscilla Lopes-Schliep who celebrated her 30th birthday with a 12.94 performance for third.
Another meet record and Slovak all-comers mark came in the women's 3000m Steeplechase by Lydia Chepkurui who clocked 9:30.82 beating Fancy Cherotich (9:35.03) and Ukrainian Helsinki medallist Svitlana Shmidt who clocked 9:37.90.
There was a dramatic finish in the women's 1000m where Brenda Martinez of the U.S. was given the win ahead of Marina Arzamasava of Belarus, who was credited with the same time. Interestingly Arzamasava began the race as a pacemaker. Slovak Olympic 1500m finalist Lucia Klocova was next 2:38.72, a national record. The next two finishers also dipped under 2:40: Angelika Cichocka of Poland in 2:38.78 for fourth and Amela Terzic fifth with a 2:39.79 Serbian record.
Olympic champions captured two of the three throws victories.
Hungarian Krisztian Pars dominated the Hammer Throw with 79.84m over a strong field where sixth place was worth 76.16m. In a slippery circle, shot putter Tomasz Majewski attacked the 21-metre barrier with a 20.98m best. In the women's Hammer Throw German Betty Heidler ruled with 75.19m as Cuban Yipsi Moreno, with a 74.86m last throw, beat London gold medallist Tatyana Lysenko (74.76m).
Another meet record fell in the women's High Jump where Svetlana Shkolina first cleared 1.93m and then 1.97m to twice improve the event best during a rain fall. Despite the unfavourable weather she also gave the enthusiastic crowd three tries at two metres.
Pole vaulters were in shape but unfortunately due to the rain their event was stopped at 5.74m where three were still jumping. Before then Czech Jan Kudlicka cleared 5.67m with his first attempt for another meet record.
World leader Vitezslav Vesely won the Javelin Throw with 80.47m and also saved his energy for the Samsung Diamond League final in Zurich when passing his last two throws.
The only Slovak win of the day produced another meet record with Matej Toth, who was eighth at the Olympic Games, winning the 3000m Race Walk in 11:05.95.
Elsewhere Laverne Jones-Ferrette of the US Virgin Islands beat a good field in the women's 100m field in 11.29 (-1.0) and Aliaksei Tsiapik of Belarus, a Helsinki medallist, won the Triple Jump with 16.58m (-0.2).
Organisers for the IAAF
