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News01 Jul 1999


Superb conditions in Lausanne produce rain of season bests.

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Sean WallaceJones for IAAF

2 July 1999 - With a magnificent burst of speed, Ato Boldon dethroned, the space of an evening, his training partner Maurice Greene in the men’s 100m. Getting away at the third attempt, after two false starts, the race was fast, very fast, but off the blistering world record set by Greene in Athens on 16 June: Boldon crossed the line in 9.86,matching his second place time in Athens, ahead of Greene in 9.93. Britain’s Jason Gardner took third place in 9.98.

"The day, the heat and the race have been ideal," said Boldon. "I was disappointed in Oslo, but I am happy here with my time of 9.86, even if it’s the fourth time that I have run this time.

"I needed this race to feel better after Oslo. Before I left home, I promised my mum I wouldn’t run 9.86 again, But I did. Sorry Mum!"

Not too be outshone by John Smith’s 100m men, Michael Johnson gave yet another demonstration of his supremacy as he utterly dominated the men’s 400m. Johnson geared up as he came into the final bend, powering like a slingshot onto the final straight to take the tape in a season’s best performance of 43.92, giving the lie to reports that his persistent quadriceps problems had taken the steam out of the Waco Express.

The scoring was opened in Lausanne’s Athletissima 99 meeting by Cuba’s Osleidys Menendez. She clinched victory in the women’s javelin with a magnificent final throw of 66.45, demolishing by nearly a metre the previous leading mark of 65.49 metres established by world champion Trine Hattestad of Norway on 26 June in Kuortane. The performance by the 19 year –old Osleidys puts her in line for the world record in the event, following the introduction of the new women’s javelin at the start of this season. The new world record for the women’s javelin throw will be established at the end of 1999 on the basis of the leading performance established with the new javelin during the 1999 season.

American sprint queen Marion Jones took her place back a t the head of the women’s 100m rankings as she set a new season’s best of 10.80 to win ahead of the Bahamas Sevatheda Fynes (10.91).

Buoyed by her 800m victory in the first stage of the IAAF Golden League in Oslo, Svetlana Masterkova was a convincing winner in the women’s 1500m, as she crossed the line over a second ahead of second-placed Violetta Szekely, in a winning time of 4:06.45. A sprint for the line in the last metres gave local favourite Anita Weyermann third place in 4:07.71, a hairsbreadth behind Szekely’s 4:07.70.

Ashia Hansen (GBR) confirmed her form in the women’s triple jump in Lausanne, winning the event with her fifth attempt of 14.65 metres, snatching victory from Paraskevi Tsiamita of Greece, who took second place with her second attempt of 14.59 m.

In the men’s event, Jonathan Edwards (GBR) confirmed his return to form winning the event on his third attempt with a bound of 17.34m, three centimetres ahead of the fifth attempt of second-placed Denis Kapustin (RUS).

Morocco’s Nezha Bidouane got some revenge for a disappointing appearance in Oslo as she set a new season’s best in the near perfect conditions offered by this year’s Athletissima meeting. The world champion was well off her best form in the first stage of the IAAF Golden League, but was back in shape for this evening’s performance in Lausanne and must be burning at the thought of losing her shot at the IAAF Golden league Jackpot.

Another world leading mark in the women’s 100m hurdles for Melissa Morrison who won ahead of Nigeria’s Glory Alozie, clocking 12.74 to Alozie’s 12.75, despite a slight headwind of –0.4m/s. Canada’s Keturah Anderson pulled away in the early stages, but stumbled at the third hurdle, losing all her impetus and finally coming in fifth place.

Morocco’s Hasna Benhassi set a new national record of 1:57.45, demolishing her previous record of 1:58.47, as she walked away with victory in the women’s 800m., ahead of Tina Paulino of Mozambique, who took second place with 1:59.16, following the withdrawal of Stella Jongmans.

US high hurdles revelation Larry Wade followed his world leading performance of 13.11 in Athens on 16 June with another world leading mark here this evening. The 24 year-old set a new personal best of 13.01 secs to win the event ahead of countryman Mark Crear, who clocked 13.04 to take second place ahead of Olympic champion Allen Johnson and world record holder Colin Jackson of Great Britain. Fifth-placed Robin Korving (NED) set a new national record with his clocking of 13.15.

"I love Lausanne’s track and I hope to come back next year and improve my time," said Wade after the race. "I will think of a new record later. First I must try to improve".

Leading Nigerian 400m runner Falilat Ogunkoya also profited from the perfect sprint conditions in Lausanne to knock three-quarters of a second off the earlier season best performance for the one-lapper of 50.37, established by German'ys Grit Breuer in Dortmund  on 26 June. Ogunkoya pulled away from the field coming into the final straight and crossed the line in 50.01, nearly 4 tenths ahead of second-placed Lorraine Graham of Jamaica.

Kenya’s Daniel Komen excelled in the men’s 3000m race, crossing the finish line in 7:30.62, after running the final 800 metres alone. Komen built up his lead from the 2000m mark (crossed in 4:59.36 – 1000m in 2:28.27) before leaving the following group of Paul Tergat, Paul Bitok and Richard Limo far in his wake. The final time was well off the world record mark of 7:20.67 Komen set in Rieti back in September 1996, but was the second best performance this year for the distance, behind Haile Gebrselassie’s clocking of 7:26.03 in Helsinki on 10 June.

In the pole vault, Dmitry Markov of Australia was the only competitor to clear 5.80m and won the competition with Nick Hysong (USA) taking second place with 5.75m.

The men's discus competition saw a rare defeat for Lars Riedel, as Anthony Washington unleashed a final effort of 67.81 to take first place and set a new stadium record. Jürgen Schult took second place with his final throw of 67.17m.

 

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