Meet Records--Pan Am's 14, London 4

It's probably unfair to compare a single Diamond League meet to an every-4th-year regional extravaganza.
But my title makes a couple of key points.
1. This DL season has seen more "downs" than "ups" re quality of meets.
2. This edition of the Pan American Games was one of the best!

I'm putting my thoughts together for an upcoming "extra" post, which will take an in-depth look at the entire DL concept.
But let's see why this Pan Am was so good!

This meet only started in 1951.
Canada has now held it 3 times, with the other 2 both in Winnipeg (1967 & 1999).
The US has held it just twice, in Chicago in 1959, and in Indianapolis in 1987.

This being the 17th edition, breaking Meet Records becomes tougher each time.
So taking down 14 of them--6 for the Men, 8 for the Women--puts this right up there with other long-time "regionals" best editions.
Anyway, let's take a look at these MR's.

(In chronological order.)

Gladys Tejeda won the Women's Marathon, running a MR time of 2:33:03.
The 1st three finishers all broke the previous MR!

Women's 100
Barbara Pierre ran 10.92 in her heat for the first sprint MR.

Shawn Barber easily won the Men's PV with his MR of 19-0.25.
(He actually TIED the MR first set by Cuba's Lazaro Borges in 2011.)
See below for more on Barber!!

Jamaica's O'Dayne Richards got two for the price of one.
His SP winner measuring 71-3.25 got the Pan Am Meet Record, as well as his own Jamaica National Record!
However, he still misses my World DDD list by 9.50 inches!

Queen Harrison destroyed the field in the Women's 100H with her MR of 12.52.

Yarisley Silva of Cuba took down the Pan Am MR with her PV of 15-11.
And it wasn't easy, as the field included Jenn Suhr, Demi Payne, and Fabiana Murer!
BTW, she got her own MR!
And she added the Age 28 Record!

Andre De Grasse was EXPECTED to be the one to break the Pan American Games MR in the Men's 200.
And he DID win the event, running 19.88.
That broke his own National Record of Canada, as he became Canada's first-ever sub-20.00 man!

BUT.....he didn't break the Meet Record.
That was accomplished in the semis by a virtual unknown from Jamaica's Sprint Factory.
His name is Richard Dwyer, and his MR time was 19.80.
This ranks him 17th A-T World, tied with 1 other!

Shoved OFF my World list were 3 men, two of whom can be considered legends of the sport!
Isaiah Young's 19.86 (from 2012) is OFF my list.
So are the 19.86's of the iconic Maurice Greene (from 1997) and Don Quarrie (from 1971!!).

The first distance MR to fall was in the Women's 10000.
Brenda Flores ran 32:41.23 to defeat Desiree Linden for the MR.
(The Women's 5000 was also an easy target (15:30+), but survived.)

One of the most impressive MR's was broken by Damian Warner's Decathlon score of 8659 points!
His previous best, dating from the 2012 Olympics, was 8512.
It's the new National Record of Canada.
And it ranks him 23rd A-T World!

David Oliver's MR of 13.07 in the Men's 110H didn't come easy!
It wasn't that his competition was so great (although it wasn't so bad!).
It was that he had to run the race TWICE!!

Someone false started, but either the gun to recall the runners didn't go off soon enough, or Oliver just didn't hear it.
So he wound up running the entire distance "winning" in 13.18.
The officials scheduled a second race for a half hour later!
In THAT one is where Oliver ran his 13.07 MR!!

Another distance MR to fall came from Ashley Higginson in the Women's 3000SC.
Her time of 9:48.12 beat Shalaya Kipp by a second or so.

The Men's 4X100 Relay produced the MR in the heats!
Antigua (somewhat surprisingly!) was the team to do it, running a National Record of 38.14.
(That turned out to be the fastest of the meet, as the final was won in 38.27 by the US in a race that saw 1 team not finish, and TWO get DQ'ed, including the "winner"!!)
Antigua's time makes them the 15th fastest Nation!

Two other National Records fell in that heat!
Barbados ran 38.65 for their fastest time.
And the Dominican Republic followed with theirs in 38.67.
(Neither team's marks make my Top 24 World list!)

The US Women's 4X100 Relay team not only won the race, but broke the MR (dating from 1999!) with their 42.58.
The team was anchored by 17 year old HS PRO Kaylin Whitney!
She took the baton even with Jamaica's team, ran side by side for 40 meters, then shot ahead in the final 30.
It appeared she was running at sub-11.00 speed!!
She also won the Women's 200, in 22.65, after also winning her semi in 22.88.
A busy woman, as she also ran the Relay heats, anchoring that one too!

The last of Pan Am's 14 MR's was gained in the Women's Heptathlon.
Yorgelis Rodriguez scored 6332 points for the win.

One more mark of note from the Pan Am's before moving from Toronto to London.
Angela Tenorio, one of the stars of the 2014 World Junior Championships, ran the 100 in 10.99 for the National Record of Ecuador.
She also ran her 200 heat in 22.59, a PR.
(But was beaten by Whitney in the final!)

Rain pelted down the first of the two days of the London DL meet.
In fact, the Men's PV was pushed to the 2nd day, as it was raining too hard on Friday!

Opening the 2nd day, the event didn't disappoint!
Renaud Lavillenie won with the MR height of 19-9.25.
He then missed his 3 tries at 6.10, or 20-0.25!!

But Shawn Barber made things interesting.
He made 19-5.25 on his 3rd try for a new Canada National Record--breaking his own mark!
But he JUST misses making the World Top 24---by one quarter inch!!!

Both Demi Payne and Jenn Suhr, who had competed at the Pan Am's on Thursday, were on the entry list, but didn't compete in the Saturday London event!
In fact--though I'm not certain--I don't think they even left North America!

But Anzhelika Sidorova PR'ed, her 15-8.75 moving her from 14th A-T World, tied with 2 others, to 12th!

Shara Proctor LJ'ed 22-10.75 for the win.
It also gets her the National Record of Great Britain!

Jasmin Stowers won the (always!) loaded Women's 100H, running 12.47--her fastest since her springtime 12.3's and 12'4's!--for another London Meet Record!

The 3rd London MR came in the Women's 4X100 Relay, where the US team ran 42.32.
In fact, the Women sprinters performed well in the open races too.

Elaine Thompson continues to prove her emergence on the world scene isn't a fluke.
She won the London 200 in a fast 22.10.
Second was Tori Bowie's 22.32.
Thompson's mark is the 4th London Meet Record!

The Women's 100 produced some good marks.

Dina Asher-Smith won her heat in the time of 10.99, which is also the new National Record of Great Britain.
It's (obviously!) the first sub-11.00 run by a Brit also!

But it was Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands who won the final.
Her 10.92 is a new National Record.
(Asher-Smith ran 11.06 in the final.)

The distance races were mostly FLOPS!
One prime example was the Men's 3000, won by Mo Farah in 7:34-ish.  (Rhymes with Whore-ish!!  LOL)
While his London Mo Farah Fan Club didn't think so, jogging the first 2600 is NOT the best way to demonstrate your star-power!

Bernard Lagat had a busy two days in LondonTown!
In "Mo's" 3000, he finished just 7th, but ran 7:42.78, coming within 0.03 seconds of his own Age 40 Record!

The Men's mile was another HUGE Flop!
There was talk before the meet of a possible World Record attempt, but that quickly fizzled.
The race was won in 3:54-ish (See above remark!) by someone--fill in the name!

But back in 13th place was Mr Lagat!
His 3:57.91 broke Tony Whiteman's old Age 40 mark
So now Lagat holds BOTH the INdoor and OUTdoor Age 40 Records for the Mile--as well as a slough of other Age 40 Records!!

The Women's 1500 was won by Laura Weightman in 4:06.10 over a good field.
Bur young Mary Cain had another poor race, finishing next to LAST--in 13th place in 4:12.89.
So her lousy 2015 continues.

I tend to ignore those who blame her bad year on "Freshman Blues", or homesickness, or on her gaining weight, or even because she has a boyfriend!
No, I believe there's just one reason she's suffering, and HIS name is Alberto Salazar!
His insane training methods have ruined her!

Looking back, her fantastic 2013 season can be at least 98% attributed to a natural teenage progression.
Her connection to Salazar hadn't yet made enough of an indent to despoil that natural rhythm.

And even her INdoor season of 2014 could be seen more as continuing that natural progression of a teenager, rather than because of anything Salazar did, regarding form corrections, etc.

But after that, Salazar's INSANE training methods began Cain's downfall.
What might be good for Galen Rupp, or anyone else, might NOT be okay for Mary Cain!
SOMEthing needs to change!

I strongly suggest she LEAVE Salazar (and NOP)--the sooner the better!
There's 3 groups that I think would fit her needs.

Mike Hickey's little enclave, which includes the vastly improved McKayla Fricker, and that "other" teenage middle distance phenom, Alexa Efraimson, who's ALSO having a pretty good 2015!!

Or the New Balance group where Abbey D'Agostino landed.
It's much closer to her NY home, and she's spoken of her admiration for Abbey, and even friendship with her!

Then there's Oiselle, which is a group that nurtures the emerging female runner, focusing on their strengths, and NOT trying to change them!

Wherever she might go, she really needs to think long and hard about continuing with Salazar!
And I'm NOT saying this because of any possible connection to the Salazar drug scandal.
In no way, shape, or form am I connecting Cain to that!
(Although I think she might be being psychologically burdened by what's happening with him, and that's something she doesn't need!)

BTW, her next scheduled race is in the Stockholm DL 3000--this Thursday!
But the 3000??!!

Sorry for the little detour!
Back to London!

And to USAIN BOLT!!

Yes, he actually showed up in London!
Yes, he really raced there too!
And YES, he's BAAAACCKK!!!!!

He ran his heat 100 in 9.87, by far his best mark of 2015!
Second was Mike Rodgers in 9.92.
And this was AGAINST a wind of 1.2.

He won the final in the same time--9.87--also against a wind!
(And Rodgers finished 2nd again, this time in 9.90!)

So maybe it's time you reconsider Mr Bolt's standing in the sprint wars.
And start placing your bets---or hedging them??---for Beijing!

Another popular person entertained the London (sold-out) crowds.
Her name is Jessica Ennis-Hill.
She competed well in 4 events.
But as of late yesterday, she was still undecided about competing in Beijing's Heptathlon!
Although, IMHO, she seemed to be leaning towards competing!

I have some "old" marks I missed from the World Youth Championships.

Josephus Lyles ran the 400 in 45.46.
This makes him 16th A-T HS.

I made an error on Chris Taylor's time in the 400.
I reported it as being 45.30.
It was actually 45.27.
He's 15 years old!

Lynna Irby's winning 51.79 in the Women's (Girl's??) 400 makes her 17th A-T HS.

Alexis Duncan ran a fantastic time in the 100H.
I'm pretty sure the hurdle heights in  the Youth meet were the same as for US HS's.
The eTN reported it as seeming so!
Thus, her time of 12.95 ties Candy Young's Junior Class Record!
(But misses Dior Hall's HSR by 0.03 seconds!)

It also moves her from 18th A-T HS to 2nd, where she's tied with Young!

Brittley Humphrey also ran well in the 100H, her 13.22 making her 11th A-T HS.

In the Women's 400H, finishing behind Sydney McLaughlin was Brandee Johnson, whose 57.47 moves her up 3 spots on the A-T HS list, from 20th to 17th.

Finally (!!), there's the LJ mark of Tara Davis.
Her leap of 21-0.50 makes her 13th A-T HS.

As I noted above, the Stockholm DL is the next "major" meet on the calendar.
Based on this year's history of previous DL's, we'll have to wait and see if it's worth an in-depth report!

See you soon!

ADDED 15 MINUTES LATER!

I want to add some important news that's not related to Records and Marks---at least not directly.

Connie Price-Smith (and husband John), the coaches at Southern Illinois, have moved on to become the coaches at Ole Miss!!

This has major ramifications, already set in motion!

Raven Saunders, who improved from under 57 feet in the SP to over 61 feet under their direction, has gotten her release from SIU, and almost certainly will follow the Smiths to Ole Miss!

Other notable transfers that were tweeted about over the weekend involved a sprinter and an 800 woman.

The sprinter is Hannah Cunliffe, who has said she's transferring from Oklahoma to the Oregon Ducks!
Following her---and in fact becoming Cunliffe's roommate at Oregon!--is Brooke Feldmeier, who ran well in the 600 INdoors and the 800 OUTdoors this year!

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Because of a bad technical mistake I made, a large portion of my original post was LOST to the Cyber Void!
I was forced to rewrite that portion of this post.

The loss began where I mentioned Elaine Thompson's 22.10 run.
From that sentence to where I talked about "hedging one's bets" on Usain Bolt was COMPLETELY LOST!!

So what you just read above is a fairly close approximation of what I'd written earlier---but NOT EXACT!!
I apologize for that, and hope I never make that same mistake again!!
(I'm really a rookie when it comes to computers---even after being on them for over 6 years!!)

See you soon!