News24 Apr 2010


Wlodarczyk blasts out 75.13m release in Dakar – IAAF World Challenge

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Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland in the hammer throw cage in the women's Hammer final at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (© Getty Images)

It was World Hammer Throw champion Anita Wlodarczyk who lived up to expectations here in Dakar, with a dominant performance in the Senegalese capital this afternoon at the Meeting Grand Prix IAAF de Dakar - IAAF World Challenge meeting.

But the Polish World record holder didn’t have it all her own way as Moldova’s 23-year-old Marina Marghieva was near her own national record (72.53m – 2009) with a second round 71.14m which briefly challenged Wlodarczyk who had opened with a 73.29m heave. If Wlodarczyk had been worried she didn’t show it, bagging the win with a mighty 75.13m in the following round. Game over!

It wasn’t a bad return to competition for the Pole considering that her last meet had been the World championships in Berlin in August 2009 when, celebrating after setting her 77.96m World record, she injured her ankle.

Her win here in Dakar wasn’t a world season lead though, as that distinction is currently held by Russian Tatyana Lysenko, well beaten here in Senegal (3rd 70.03), who has a 75.66m performance from back in February.

Mulaudzi, also a victor as expected; Badji delights locals

The other Berlin World champion on show in Dakar was Mbulaeni Mulaudzi  in the men’s 800m, and he duly took victory too but his 1:46.15 win was typically close and hard fought, the 29-year-old South African out sprinting Britain’s Michael Rimmer (1:46.29) and Kenyan Richard Kiplagat (1:46.36).

In the men's Long Jump, Senegal got their expected victory from Ndiss Kaba Badji with a fine 8.27m (+0.7) leap which was the other infield mark of distinction after the women's Hammer Throw. That performance by Badji, who was sixth at the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 World Indoors, came in the first of a four round event, and he topped off his competition with a windy 8.22m (+5.40) on his last, after two previous fouls.

In second place came Oleksandr Soldatkin of Ukraine with a 8.12m jump (+1.0), his second best effort (7.98w) taking the runner's up spot from Algeria's Issam Nima who also had a best of 8.12 (+2.4). Britain's Christopher Tomlinson was third with a windy 8.05 (+3.7), with Ghana's Ignisious Gaisah blown to a best of 8.01 (+5.7).

Volcanic upset

With a start list greatly upset by the world travel chaos inflicted by the recent volcanic ash crisis, the rest of the meeting in Dakar didn’t bring too many other highlights, though there were a number of creditable solo victories across the international programme.

Montsho keeps in the groove

Botswana’s African 400m champion Amantle Montsho, who presently leads the world this season with her 50.34sec run last weekend in Abidjan, stole the show again with a 50.94 performance which was most of two seconds ahead of her nearest challenger today.

It was a double celebration for Botswana, as their continental champion Kabelo Kgosiemang won the men’s High Jump with a third time clearance at 2.26m. Kgosiemang, who was sixth at the recent World Indoors in Doha, was well clear of many other top names. USA’s Jamie Nieto (2.23) was second, while usually high leapers like USA's Dusty Jonas and Russian Andrey Tereshin couldn't improve on 2.19m.

Clarke and Brooks – Jamaican sprinting remains on top

Jamaica’s Lerone Clarke, one of their team at the World Indoors this winter (60m), was the third quickest away in the men’s 100m but ended-up dominating a very one-sided sprint which saw the 28-year-old flying home in 10.19 sec (+0.8 m/s). Nigeria’s Obinna Metu was a distant second in 10.32.

Clarke’s compatriot Sheri-Ann Brooks was an equally assured winner of the women’s dash (11.33 sec / +2.4) and also closed out the sprint double; 200m, 23.27 / +0.7.

There was also a Jamaican victory in the women’s 400m Hurdles by Nickiesha Wilson (57.82 sec), though South Africa’s Cornel Fredericks (49.33) beat another Jamaican, Markino Buckley (49.75) in the men’s one lap hurdles.

Bekele defeated again

The longest race on the programme the men’s 3000m brought the best track result in depth with five men going sub-7:50. Ethiopia’s Tariku Bekele (7:45.81) was beaten by Kenya’s Suleiman Simotwo in 7:45.15, with Benjamin Kiplagat (7:46.50) in third.

The victory marked a substantial personal best for the 30-year-old Kenyan who had a previous outdoor PB of 7:48.38 from way back in 2003 (also 7:47.03 indoors in 2009). But this news will come as no consolation for the 23-year-old Bekele, who has an outdoor best of 7:29.11, and ran 7:40.10 when finishing outside the medals at the World Indoors when attempting to defend his 3000m title in Doha last month.

USA’s Olympic finalist Funmi Jimoh took the women’s Long Jump with an extremely windy 6.87m (+5m/s) effort. Compatriot Brianna Glenn, a finalist last summer in Berlin, was second (6.58m / +4.7). Back in third was 2008 African champion Janice Josephs (6.39m / +4.1).

In an extremely lacklustre women’s 800m race, Kenya’s Olympic 1500m champion Nancy Jebet Langat was beaten into second (2:10.71) by Morocco’s Malika Akkaoui (2:10.66).

Ivory Coast’s Ben Youssef Meité won the men’s 200m (20.86 / +2.2); the only man inside 21sec! African record holder Gary Kikaya of the Democratic Republic of Congo (44.10 – 2006) was the men’s 400m victor in 46.90sec. Enough said of those two events!

Two low key Shot Put competitions took place on Friday (23) on Goree Island, which were won by Portuguese record holder Marco Fortes with 19.65m and USA’s Jill Camarena-Williams with 18.81m.

Chris Turner for the IAAF

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