Saturday, September 1, 2018

Last DL's (& more)

If you read my last TWO posts, you know how I feel about the entire DL set-up---AND that a few events might bring on a sea change in the way DL distance races are run!
Yes, Boys & Girls, they really DID run a 12:43 in the 5000!
And yes, Consesius Kipruto might have put paid to the running shoe industry!
(A joke on Twitter went something like---When you buy new Adidas racing spikes, they'll send you the STRIPES with instructions on how to attach them to your FEET!)

Anyway, those 4 races described in my previous post weren't the whole story from those DL's in Switzerland and Belgium!
In fact, the Zurich Men's SP could also change people's way of thinking about those "unbeatable" marks in the Throws from the 1980's!!

It wasn't just Tom Walsh's Weltklasse Meet Record of 74-1.75!
No, it was the fact that Darrell Hill's 73-6 and Ryan Crouser's 72-9.25 removed the final pair of Place Records dating from the '80's--or just the whole previous century!!
EVERY Place Record in the Men's SP now dates from either 2017 or 2018!!
Hill gets the best 2nd Place mark, while Crouser nabs the best 3rd Place mark!

But it didn't stop there!
Darlan Romani's 71-11.75 gives him the best 4th Place mark, and Tomas Stanek's 71-9 gets the best 5th Place mark!!

Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman might make people forget their lamenting that soccer is Usain Bolt's new sport!!
Lyles JUST missed removing Bolt's Zurich Meet Record, running 19.67 for an easy win!
Ramil Guliyev was a distant 2nd in 19.98!
And in Brussels, Coleman's new PR dipped to 9.79!
This moves him from 9th A-T World, tied with 1 other, to 7th, also tied with 1 other!
On the A-T US list, he moves from 4th to 3rd, tied with 1 other!
And on my US C-E list for the 100 & 200, his 9.79 and 19.85 adds to 29.64.
He moves from 11th to 9th there!
Ronnie Baker was a far back 2nd in 9.93.
Yohan Blake ended 3rd in 9.94!

The PV's had some notable results!
At an earlier meet, Katie Nageotte upped her PR to 15-9 OUTdoors!
While she remains 4th A-T US, she moves from 22nd A-T World, tied with 4 others, to 17th, tied with 1 other!
The Zurich meet's Men's PV was held INdoors---in the Zurich train station!!
Timor Morgunov won it, clearing 19-4.75.
This makes him 20th A-T World, tied with 2 others!
Remember, that mark is for my INdoor list!!

The Weltklasse also held a Women's event---but it was OUTdoors!!
Nageotte---among others---went out early, leaving Anzhelika Sidorova, Sandi Morris, and Ekaterina Stefanidi to duke it out!
When the dust had settled, Stef was on top, having cleared 15-11.75.
Morris and Sidorova both got over 15-9.75, with Morris getting 2nd!

But it was the Men's event at the Brussels meet that most excited us.
Could Mondo Duplantis beat the Vets--Sam Kendricks and Renaud Lavillenie--AGAIN??
Sorry, but no---despite the fact he was wearing his uni from LSU---where he'll start classes soon!
Mondo could only clear 18-7.50, and finish 7th!!
Lavillenie didn't do much better, his 18-9.50 giving him 5th!
Kendricks cleared 19-3.50.
But when the Russian Morgunov topped 19-5.50, Kendricks went for 19-7.50.
But he failed, and the Russian won---again!!

Were the 4 distance races detailed in my previous post the only good races over 400 meters?
Nope!
As stated, Sifan Hassan ran the Brussels 1500 after taking 2nd to Helen Obiri in the Zurich 5000, then DRIVING 7 hours to Belgium!
But, like Obiri, Hassan was going against Shelby Houlihan and Laura Muir, as well as some other good ones!
Many were waiting for Houlihan to unleash her fierce kick---and she did!!
But it wasn't enough to catch Muir, who had begun HER kick much earlier!!
Muir's 3:58.49 survived Houlihan's 3:58.94!
As for Hassan, her wild frizzed mane carried her to 3:59.41--and 3rd!
Not a bad double!!
Gudaf Tsegay's 3:59.68 took 4th, while Jenny Simpson could finish just 10th in 4:04.57!!

The Men's race in Zurich was good also!
SOME of the excitement was removed when young Jakob Ingebrigtsen was a late DNS, due to a sore throat!
But Tim Cheruiyot didn't mind!
He won it in 3:30.27!
Elijah Manangoi's 3:31.16, Ayanleh Soulehman's 3:31.24, and Abdelaati Iguider's 3:31.59 followed!
Jakob would have had to break a sweat to match those times!!

Other Zurich events---
Mariya Lasitskene won the HJ with ease, but her 6-5.50 topper seems pedestrian!
Caterine Ibarguen was another---like Hassan---to double dip!
She began with a TJ win in Zurich measuring 47-9.50.
(See below for her Brussels result!)
Daniel Stahl took the DT with a solid 228-9!
The Women's JT saw Kara Winger wing one out to 212-5--her 2018 best!
But Tatsiana Khaladovich's 219-9 and Shiying Lui's 216-6 beat her!
Luvo Manyonga;s 27-5.50 took the LJ with that 6th round leap!

Minus the usual 3 unnamed, Ajee Wilson took the Women's 800 in 1:57.86.
Fred Kerley won the 400 in 44.80.
Muriel Ahoure's 11.01 took the 100 over the favored Marie Josee Ta Lou and Dina Asher-Smith, who took 2nd in 11.08!
BTW, DAS's anchor won the 4X100 Relay, Great Britain's time of 42.28 beating Switzerland's 42.49--with Mujinga Kambundji running 3rd leg for the Swiss!
Andreas Hofmann's 300-0 JT took the W!
Delilah Muhammed surprised Shamier Little in the Women's 400H--53.88 to 54.21.
And Kyron McMaster did the same to Karsten Warholm in the Men's event--48.08 to 48.10.

Other Brussels events---
Held OUTdoors, but downtown, the Women's SP saw Raven Saunders almost win!!
But Lijiao Gong's 65-0.75 prevsiled over the HULK's 64-5.25!!
Christina Schwanitz was 3rd!!
Sandra Perkovic left her "perky" side at home, as her 211-0 DT couldn't match Yaime Perez's 213-3!
Caterine Ibarguen completed her impressive double---taking the LJ with an almost-PR leap of 22-3.75!

Not a DL event, but Lynsey Sharp's 1:59.93 was the lone sub-2 in the 800!
Fedric Dacres took the DT with 225-4, while Australia's Brandon Starc took the HJ with his 7-7.75!

After some solid performances in the Asian Games, Salwa Naser flew to Belgium and took the 400 in 49.33---winning over Phyllis Francis by 1.18 seconds!!
Sergey Shubenkov easily nabbed the 110H title with his quick 12.97.
Orlando Ortega was 2nd in 13.10.

The Men's TJ saw PPPP---aka Pablo Pichardo--and Chrstian Taylor go at each other again!
The P's man prevailed---57-4.75 to 56-9.50!
Emmanuel Korir jogged the 800 in 1:44.72--after a 51.10 first 400.
Brianna McNeal nipped Kendra Harrison in the 100H--12.61 to 12.63!
And Shaunae Miller-Uibo---her long wavy hair divided into two distinct colors---one side purple, the other green---
(I might have the colors wrong---but they WERE flashy!!!!)
---took the 200 in 22.12.
Dafne Schippers---who ran several steps in the lane inside of her, but was NOT DQ'ed!!---took 2nd in 22.53!!

And in OTHER news---
Yomif Kejelcha presaged his Brussels 5000 with a PR over 3000 meters!
His 7:28.00 gave him the Age 21 record.
He remains 14th A-T World!

Ronnie Baker also PR'ed--his 9.87 in the 100 moving him from 9th A-T US, tied with 4 others, to 9th, but with no ties!!
He also becomes 23rd A-T World, tied with 2 others!

Colleen Quigley won a 1500 in 4:03.02, making her 17th A-T US!
Alexa Efraimson ran 3000 meters in 8:52.53, ending 3rd about 9 seconds back!
It's her first 3K under 9 minutes!!

The Asian Games produced some notable marks---
As noted earlier, Salwa Naser was HOT here!
Her 50.09 in the 400 broke the Meet Record.
And her anchor leg on Bahrain's 4X100 Relay helped them break their National Record by TWO SECONDS!!
Their 42.73 makes them 22nd A-T Nation!!

Bingtian Su sped the 100 in 9.92 for the W.
Abderahman Samba ran here instead of in the DL--his 47.66 over 400H also nabbing the Meet Record!
Japan took the 4X100 Relay in 38.16.
Qatar won the 4X400 in 3:00.56, making them 20th A-T Nation!!

In the Murphey Mile in Tennessee (on a track!), Eric Avila won the Men's race in 3:55.43.
Tripp Hurt, a Steepler, was 5th in 3:56.02!
Shannon Osika won the Women's race in 4:25.47, making her 15th A-T US!

In the Falmouth 7 Miler, Ben Flanagan's 32:21 won over Scott Fauble's 32:23, and Len Korir's 32:28.
Caroline Chepkoech destroyed the field in the Women's race, winning by 55 seconds over Margaret Wangani--35:48 to 36:43!
The Women's race was notably devoid of top Americans!!

After taking 2nd in the Zurich PV, Sandi Morris returned to her hotel room to find her beau--Tyrone Smith--who twice surprised her---first with his unplanned visit, and then by proposing to her!
(She accepted!!)
A video on Twitter has her giddily displaying her ring to the media, and giggling, explaining what happened!!

Jarrion Lawson has apparently been busted for the same reason Ajee Wilson was---tainted food!
Not sure what will happen in his case!

And Josh Hoey has gone Pro---his main claim to fame his HSR in the INdoor 800!!

The Continental Cup (or whatever it's called!) is coming next week!!
And---believe it or not!!--Cross Country season has begun!!

Also upcoming---my blog's picks for Collegiate & HS Athletes of the Year!!
See you soon!

No comments:

Post a Comment