Report08 Sep 2018


Report: men's 200m - IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018

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Alonso Edward (l) edging Ramil Guliyev in the Continental Cup 200m in Ostrava (© Getty Images)

Alonso Edward earned maximum points for Team Americas in the first men’s track event, the 200m, as he moved past Turkey’s world and European champion Ramil Guliyev in the closing 50m to finish in 20.19.

At 28, the Panamanian is a contemporary of Guliyev. But he has a greater weight of experience, having set his personal best of 19.81 back in 2009 as he took world silver in Berlin behind the man setting a world record of 19.19, Usain Bolt.

Edward brought all that experience to bear after Guliyev, who ran a personal best of 19.76 to win the European title in Berlin last month, had reached the finishing straight with a clear lead.

The Turk began to grimace and labour as his rival, who has a best of 19.90 this season, moved smoothly up on his right shoulder.

Meanwhile the second Team Americas runner, Alex Quinonez of Ecuador, one place below Edward in this season’s world rankings with 19.93, was also moving into a challenging position in lane one.

Guliyev had indicated that he was still in full competitive mode as he chased Noah Lyles home in the 200m at the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich, clocking 19.98.

But on this occasion he had no answer to the Panamanian challenge, taking second place in 20.28.

Quinonez secured Team Americas’ overall points superiority by finishing third in 20.36, one place ahead of Asia Pacific’s Yuki Koike of Japan, who clocked 20.57.

Botswana’s 400m specialist Baboloki Thebe, representing Africa, ran a season’s best of 20.79.

Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF

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