Report22 Jun 2018


Sprint records fall in Madrid

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Chinese sprinter Su Bingtian in the 100m (© Getty Images)

China’s Su Bingtian provided the main highlight of the Meeting Madrid 2018 as he took the men’s 100m in a blistering 9.91 (0.2m/s) at the IAAF World Challenge meeting on Friday (22).

The 28-year-old regained the Chinese record he had lost barely three days ago when Xie Zhenye clocked 9.97 in Montreuil. He also equalled the Asian record, held by Qatar’s Femi Ogunode.

“Today’s win is very satisfying as I’ve improved my time from 9.99 to 9.91 and beaten the national record again in the process,” said the world indoor silver medallist, whose next race will be at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris on 30 June.

Italy’s emerging talent Filippo Tortu confirmed his talent in Madrid as he bettered the iconic 10-second barrier for the first time in his career.

Just one week after turning 20, the European junior champion clocked 9.99 to beat the long-standing Italian record of 10.01 set by Pietro Mennea back in 1979, 19 years before Tortu was born.

“To run the 100m under 10.00 seconds is a dream I have had since I was a kid,” said the world U20 silver medallist. “Today that dream came true. I can’t believe it. My main focus now is the Europeans in Berlin.”

Commonwealth champion Akani Simbine Simbine had to be satisfied with third on this occasion in a season’s best of 10.01 after clocking 9.98 in his heat earlier in the evening. Tortu and Su were both timed at 10.04 in the second heat.

Santos wins, Hortelano impresses

The men’s 400m was billed as a thrilling encounter between Spanish stars Bruno Hortelano and Óscar Husillos. Although neither of them won, the race did not disappoint.

In his previous outings this outdoor campaign, Hortelano had already shown he had fully recovered from the car accident which put his athletics career in serious jeopardy. Husillos, meanwhile, had been the first to cross the line in the 400m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018 in March with a 44.92 championship record but his victory was short lived as he was disqualified for a lane infringement.

Drawn in lane six tonight, Hortelano set off extremely fast and led at halfway. Husillos, running in lane four, had almost caught Luguelin Santos who ran just outside him, but the Dominican Republic star began to make up ground on the second bend and entered the home straight with a narrow lead over the Spanish pair who were virtually even.

In a blanket finish, Santos won in a season’s best of 44.66, his fastest time for three years, while Hortelano broke the 29-year-old Spanish record of 44.96 set by Cayetano Cornet with 44.69, a full second improvement on his previous best (45.67) and a European leading time. Husillos also finished inside the previous mark thanks to a 44.73 clocking, a massive half a second faster than his previous best.

“My primary goal this campaign is to retain the European 200m title I grabbed in Amsterdam two years ago,” said Hortelano. “In addition, I would like to be part of the 4x400m relay in Berlin as we have a very powerful team.”

Wlodarczyk and Tsegay dominant

The women’s hammer in Madrid formed part of the IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge.

Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyck, arguably the finest ever female hammer thrower, opened with a modest 71.72m but moved to the top spot in the second round after throwing 76.17m, tantalisingly close to her season’s best.

The world and Olympic champion didn’t improve with her following attempts (70.09m, foul, 75.28m and 69.51m) but she was never threatened by her fellow Pole Joanna Fiodorow, as the 2014 European bronze medallist finished runner-up with 73.46m to better Alexandra Tavernier’s 72.68m.

Wlodarczyk’s victory in Madrid means she now moves into the lead in the Hammer Throw Challenge standings, just five points ahead of USA’s Gwen Berry.

Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay was in a class of her own in the women’s 1500m.

The 21-year-old was paced through the opening lap in 1:03:91 and reached 800m in 2:08:52. Once the pacesetters dropped out, she ran solo against the clock and was rewarded with the third sub-four-minute clocking of her career.

The 2016 world indoor bronze medallist finished unopposed in 3:59.60, comfortably ahead of Poland’s Sofia Ennaoui (4:02.93) and Sweden’s Meraf Bahta (4:03:36). Spain’s Marta Pérez managed a PB of 4:04:88 to finish fifth.

Constantino defeats Ortega

Brazil’s Gabriel Constantino was something of a surprise winner of the men’s 110m hurdles as he defeated the home star and pre-race favourite Orlando Ortega.

The Brazilian, fresh from setting a South American record of 13.23 three days ago, produced a rocket start and was a clear leader by half way. Although Ortega found his rhythm over the second half, the Olympic silver medallist couldn’t reach Constantino and had to settle for the second spot in 13.32 behind the Brazilian’s 13.31 (-1.0m/s).

European indoor bronze medallist Álvaro de Arriba was an outstanding winner of the men’s 800m. By the bell (50.18) the 24-year-old Spaniard was in penultimate place but he moved to the front with ease over the second bend and took an unchallenged win in 1:45.50, nearly one second clear of Morocco’s Mostafa Smaili (1:46:33).

Poland’s Michal Rozmys (1:46.64) was third while Saúl Ordoñéz, who earned world indoor bronze earlier this year and was the fastest entrant today, had to settle for fourth place today.

Alexis Copello was victorious in a below-par triple jump contest, taking the spoils with a 17.01m effort ahead of Spain’s Pablo Torrijos (16.72m). Portugal’s 2008 Olympic champion Nelson Evora and 42-year-old Italian Fabrizio Donato both managed 16.62m.

World indoor champion Danil Lysenko succeeded in the high jump on countback from Australia’s Brandon Starc. While the Russian had a clean card up to and including 2.30m, the Commonwealth champion needed his three attempts to surpass that height.

In the women’s long jump, 2015 world silver medallist Shara Proctor and 2016 world indoor bronze medallist Lorraine Ugen secured a British 1-2, jumping 6.73m and 6.60m respectively.

Germany’s Christina Hering took a narrow 800m victory from Spain’s Esther Guerrero (2:01.72 to 2:01.78), while Uganda’s Albert Chemutai was fastest in the 3000m steeplechase in 8:22.31.

Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

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