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The men's 1,500 meters showcased two
of the world's finest athletes Sunday at the second
event of USA Track & Field's 2006 Outdoor Visa
Championship Series, the adidas Track Classic in
Carson, California.
A two-time Olympic medalist and
the U.S. 1,500m record holder, Bernard Lagat
grabbed the lead at the bell signifying the
beginning of the final lap from Rashid Ramzi
of Bahrain, the reigning world outdoor champion. A
few seconds later, Ramzi returned to the lead and
held on to it for the remainder of the race.
Ramzi's winning time of 3 minutes,
32.34 seconds, is the fastest time in the world this
season, and the fastest time ever on American soil,
bettering the 3:32.53 gold medal winning performance
by Great Britain's Sebastian Coe at the 1984
Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Lagat's runner-up time
of 3:32.94 is the fastest by an American this year
and the fastest time ever by an American at a U.S.
All-Comers meet, bettering the 3:33.1 by National
Track & Field Hall of Famer Jim Ryun from
1966.
Spearmon posts 200m world
leader, Brunson wins men's adidas 100 meters
2005 World Outdoor Championships
silver medalist Wallace Spearmon posted the
fastest time in the world this year with his victory
in the adidas 200 meters in 20.06 seconds. Spearmon
faced a strong challenge from reigning world and
Olympic men's 400m champion Jeremy Wariner,
who finished as the runner-up in a new personal best
time of 20.19 seconds, which bettered his previous
career best of 20.37 seconds earlier this season at
Arlington, Texas. Jamaica's Omar Brown was
the third place finisher in 20.33.
Reigning world indoor 60m champion
Leonard Scott got off to a great start in the
adidas men's 100 meters, but faded in the final 15
meters as 2001 World University Games 100m gold
medalist Marcus Brunson came from behind to
win in the second-fastest time by an American this
year of 10.01 seconds. Tyson Gay, the
fourth-place finisher in the 200 meters at the 2005
World Outdoor Championships, was the runner-up in
10.04 seconds, with Trinidad's Marc Burns
third in 10.04. Scott finished fourth in 10.05.
Campbell, Richards win women's
sprints
2004 Olympic gold medalist and the
#1 ranked women's 100m competitor Veronica
Campbell of Jamaica faced a tough challenge from
reigning World Indoor Championships 60m gold
medalist Lisa Barber in the adidas women's
100 meters.
Campbell grabbed the lead 30 meters into the race
and crossed the line first in the fastest time in
the world this year of 10.99 seconds. Barber
finished as the runner-up in 11.06 seconds, which
equals the second-fastest time in the world this
year by an American. 2003 world champion Torri
Edwards placed third in a seasonal best time of
11.17 seconds.
2005 World Outdoor Championships
400m silver medalist Sanya Richards, who
entered this season ranked #1 in the world at that
event, grabbed an early lead in the adidas women's
200 meters and held on to win in 22.42 seconds (+2.3
mps). Richards defeated a strong field that included
runner-up and 2004 U.S. Indoor champion Crystal
Cox (22.61) and 2004 NCAA champion LaShauntea
Moore, who was third in 22.64.
Rock victorious in men's 400
meters
Reigning World Outdoor
Championships silver medalist Andrew Rock
took command down the main straightaway to win the
men's 400 meters in the fifth-fastest time in the
world this year of 44.83 seconds. Rock's winning
performance was the third-fastest this season by an
American. Jermaine Gonzalez of Jamaica was
the runner-up in 45.00, with his countryman
Michael Blackwood third in 45.22. 2004 Olympic
Games silver medalist Otis Harris was fourth
in 45.30.
2005 World Outdoor champion and the #1 ranked
straightaway hurdler in the world Michelle Perry
grabbed the lead from Jenny Adams at the
eighth hurdle and held on to win the Visa women's
100m hurdles in a windy (+2.3 meters per second)
time of 12.61 seconds. Adams, who owns the
second-fastest time by an American this year of
12.68 seconds, was the runner-up in 12.66, with
Canadian star and 2003 world champion Perdita
Felicien finishing third in 12.72
Russell wins 3,000 meters with
U.S. leader
The first event of the day was the
women's 3,000 meters, where 2005 USA Outdoor
Championships 10,000m runner-up Blake Russell
grabbed the lead just past the halfway point of the
race and held on to win in the fastest time by an
American this season of 8 minutes 51.57 seconds.
Russell's performance is the third-fastest women's
3,000 meters in the world this year. Two-time NCAA
champion Kara Goucher was the runner-up in
8:55.05, with Sara Slattery finishing third
in 8:58.09.
The men's 400m hurdles turned into
a terrific three-man race to the wire with 2003 JUCO
national champion Derrick Williams winning
the race with a lean at the finish in a personal
best time of 48.96 seconds. Michael Tinsley
was the runner-up in 48.98 seconds, with LeRon
Bennett third in 49.99.
Robinson sets men's 800m meet
record
2004 Olympian and reigning U.S.
Indoor and Outdoor champion Khadevis Robinson
took command in the second lap and won the American
Track and Field men's 800 meters in the second
fastest time by an American this year of 1 minute,
45.23 seconds. His performance bettered the previous
meet record of 1:46.82 by Jebreh Harris in
1:46.82. Tim Ramirez was the runner-up in
1:46.89.
More winners
Australia's Sarah Jamieson
continued her world domination of the women's 1,500
meters this season with her convincing win in 4
minutes, 5.54 seconds. The silver medalist at the
2006 Commonwealth Games, Jamieson currently owns the
four-fastest times in the world this season in that
event. Jamaica's Kenia Sinclair was the
runner-up in 4:08.89, with Christin Wurth-Thomas
placing third in 4:08.91.
The highly anticipated men's two-mile run was won
by 2004 World Indoor Championships 3,000m bronze
medalist Markos Geneti of Ethiopia,
who won the race in 8 minutes, 19.61 seconds.
Ireland's Alistair Cragg was the runner-up in
8:23.75, with 2005 USA Championships runner-up
Ian Dobson third in 8:25.86. 2005 NCAA 5,000m
champion Ryan Hall was fourth in 8:26.26,
with 2005 U.S. 5,000m champion Abdi Abdirahman
fifth in 8:29.26. U.S. men's two-mile record
holder Alan Webb was sixth in 8:33.92.
2004 Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist Dee
Dee Trotter took command with 80 meters to go
and held on to win the women's 400 meters in 51.19
seconds, the third-fastest time by an American this
season. Jamaica's Shellene Williams was the
runner-up in 51.38, with 2005 World Outdoor
Championships finalist Monique Henderson
third in 51.49.
In the only field event of the day, 2006 USA
Indoor Championships third-place finisher Jenn
Stuczynski, was the winner in the women's pole
vault with a clearance of 4.41m/14 feet, 5.50
inches. China's Gao Shuying was the
runner-up, also with a clearance of 4.41m/14-5.50.
Stuczynski was the winner with fewer misses during
the competition. |
