Toby Stevenson (USA) (© Getty Images)
The usual festive atmosphere at this traditional mid-summer Sunday afternoon competition was even more spirited this year, as the Bayer Meeting formed part of the centennial celebration of the multisports program sponsored by Bayer, the German chemical and pharmaceutical giant.
The deepest competitor field of the day was in the Men’s Pole Vault, as all of the local spectators awaited the first Leverkusen appearance of the helmeted American, Toby Stevenson. The world leader at 6.00 did not disappoint, winning at 5.82 before exiting with three attempts at 5.92, as a fellow member of the six-metre club, Danny Ecker, finished second with a season-best 5.72. Yet a third member, Tim Lobinger, continued his up-and-down season with an eighth-place 5.52.
Bartels approaches PB
One of Germany’s best chances for an Olympic medal rests with shot putter Ralf Bartels, and the sixth-placer from last year’s World Championships demonstrated that the expectations of him are well warranted with his 20.85 win, only three centimetres off his PB of 20.88 from earlier this spring.
“That was really a strange competition,” said Bartels of his day which included only two legal throws. “Today, I had a great result, but I’m really dissatisfied with my series.”
Far behind Bartels at 19.98 was Slovakia’s Milan Haborak, who is still trying to find his early-season form.
Fast times clocked in sprint races
Marcus Brunson of the USA gave the capacity crowd the best 100 metres performances on German soil since the Berlin meeting late in 2002 with his PB-equalling 10.06. Brunson had given hints of such a performance with a 10.09 heat time ninety minutes earlier.
“This is really a fast track,” said Brunson of his feat today. But he also added that “I knew all along that I was in good shape. It just all came together for me today.” He added that his time in the final was not totally unexpected. “I really didn’t think I had run that hard in the heats,” he admitted.
Agreeing with Brunson’s assessment of the Manfort Stadion running surface was Germany’s Alexander Kosenkow, who breezed to a PB 20.55 in the men’s 200 metres, improving the 20.63 he had run three years ago in the heats in the Edmonton World Championships. A high-profile victim of Kosenkow’s prowess today was European 400 metres champion Ingo Schultz who, with 20.82, was checking his final form for Athens. American Joel Brown was a close third at 20.83.
Brown had earlier won the men’s 110 Hurdles in 13.43, ahead of Dutchman Gregory Sedoc’s PB 13.51.
It was the second year in a row that Kosenkow had managed a great breakthrough at the Bayer Meeting, as the 2003 edition saw his 10.14 performance in the men’s 100 metres.
Also peaking well for the Olympics is Germany’s Rene Herms, who ran away from the field for an easy PB 1:45.17 win in the men’s 800 metres. Kenya’s Henry Rotich (1:46.77) and Paskar Owor of Uganda (1:46.81) waged a tight battle for the next places.
The women’s 800 metres was won by Anna Zagorska of Poland as she overtook Ghanaian Akosua Serwaa in the final sixty metres for a 2:02.13 win to Serwaa’s 2:02.67. Anita Brägger of Switzerland finished strongly in third with 2:02.81.
Just like sprinter Kosenkow, Kenyan runner Suleiman Simotwo professed his love for the Bayer stadium as he registered his second PB in as many years in the men’s 1500 metres with an unchallenged 3:34.48, helped immeasurably by the pacing of countryman Isaak Sang. Driss Maazouzi of France, the bronze medallist in Edmonton, was a distant second with 3:38.81 as only two runners dipped under 3:40.
World junior bronze medallist upsets Beckford
Australian John Thornell, the World junior bronze medallist in the men’s Long Jump two weeks ago, kept his form well throughout the lengthy season and ended the year with an upset of Jamaican James Beckford, 7.99 to 7.92. Thornell’s performance represented a new Oceania junior record, breaking the one he previously held at 7.97.
“It was fantastic today not only to get two PBs [his series also included a 7.97], but also to beat one of my all-time long-jumping heroes, James Beckford,” said the affable Thornell at the end. “It was a great way to end the year, although I regret missing out on the eight-metre jump. Now I’m going back to Australia after my seven-month season, take some time off, and watch the Olympic on the telly.”
The women’s 400 metres was controlled by a pair of Jamaicans. After Allison Beckford posted a 51.77 in the first race, ahead of Poland’s Grazyna Prokopek (52.00), Beckford’s countrywoman Ronetta Smith clipped her in the overall placing with a 51.75 in the second race.
Paris bronze medallist Steffi Nerius took the women’s Javelin easily with 63.64, almost two metres ahead of Laverne Eve’s year-best 61.65.
For complete results click here
Ed Gordon for the IAAF
