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More news articles Dibaba’s two-mile win climaxes Aviva Grand Prix
Double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba outsprinted Vivian Cheruiyot in one of the highlights at the Aviva Grand Prix at the NIA in Birmingham
Fast distance times but no world records
IN a thrilling climax to the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham, Tirunesh Dibaba outsprinted world 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot and the rapidly emerging Sentayehu Ejigu in a hotly contested two-mile contest.
The double Olympic champion took the victory in the second fastest time ever of 9:12.23 but Dibaba had to work hard all of the way as Cheruiyot was closing quickly on the last lap but narrowly missed out on the win, finishing second in a Kenyan record of 9:12.35.
Ejigu, who posted the third fastest 3000m time of all-time at the Sparkassen Cup in Stuttgart of 8:25.27, moved to No.4 on the all-time two-mile lists with a 9:12.68 PB.
Great North Run winner Jessica Augusto from Portugal set a European record of 9:19.39.
Dibaba and Cheruiyot both mentioned the possibility of an attack on Meseret Defar’s world record of 9:06.26 but the pacemaker did not provide the necessary tempo in the opening stages.
World indoor 1500m champion Gelete Burka won the mile but Doina Melinte’s world record of 4:17.14 from 1990 was never seriously threatened due to the limited assistance from the pacemaker.
Burka pulled away on the final lap to set a PB of 4:23.53, defeating her 18-year-old team-mate Kalkidan Gezahegn, who set a world junior indoor record of 4:24.10.
Two-time world 1500m champion Maryam Jamal from Bahrain faded to third on the last lap.
UK indoor champion Helen Clitheroe set a PB of 4:29.46 for seventh.
Deresse Mekonnen will also be defending his world indoor title in Doha and the 22-year-old looked in a very good shape as the Ethiopian set a stadium record in the 1500m of 3:33.10 to move to No.5 on the all-time lists.
Mekonnen outsprinted Commonwealth 5000m champion Augustine Choge, who settled for second in a lifetime best of 3:33.74 while former world 1500/5000m champion Bernard Lagat was a distant fourth in 3:35.49.
Commonwealth champion Nick Willis from New Zealand lowered John Walker’s national 1500m record to 3:35.80.
Kenya’s Sammy Mutahi took victory in the 3000m, using his superior closing speed to take the win. With a closing kilometre of 2:28.51, the winner of the Glasgow International clocked 7:44.58 to defeat Ethiopian youngster Dejene Gebremeskel, who set a PB of 7:45.42.
The British athletes enjoyed very good performances as Andy Vernon finished fifth in a PB of 7:49.84, while Scott Overall placed sixth in 7:50.66, which was also a PB.
Vernon’s lifetime best run also surpassed Overall at the top of the UK rankings.
Poland’s No.1 Marcin Lewandowski defeated 2008 NIA winner Richard Kiplagat in the 800m. Lewandowski, who is a sub-1:44 competitor, clocked 1:47.50 to defeat the Kenyan by five-hundredths while UK indoor champion Andrew Osagie finished third in a lifetime best of 1:47.71.
Ed Aston and Paul Bradshaw also set PBs of 1:48.24 and 1:48.99 for fifth and sixth respectively.
Robles eases to victory while Jeter works hard against Jones-Ferrette
OLYMPIC 110m hurdles champion Dayron Robles from Cuba continued his unbeaten streak as the world outdoor record-holder took a very comfortable win. Robles clocked 7.44 for a season’s best but Terrence Trammell’s world-leading mark narrowly eluded the Cuban.
Carmelita Jeter narrowly out-duelled world No.1 Laverne Jones-Ferrette in a battle royal in the 60m. Jeter, who trailed Jones-Ferrette in Dusseldorf and Stuttgart, came from behind to defeat the US Virgin Islands athlete in a very high quality competition.
Both athletes were timed at 7.06 but Jeter was given the verdict over Jones-Ferrette in the photo finish.
Bahamian veteran Chandra Sturrup took third in a season’s best of 7.20.
Rodgers wins 60m as Smith finishes as No.1 Brit in PB
WORLD indoor finalist Michael Rodgers from the USA won the 60m in 6.57, defeating Daniel Bailey from Antigua & Barbuda by two-hundredths.
The surprise of the race was Shaftesbury & Barnet’s Nick Smith as the 27-year-old came through for third in a PB of 6.60 and his lifetime best performance also provides an extra option for the Doha selectors, as Smith finished ahead of former world indoor medallist Mark Lewis-Francis, fourth in 6.61 and Aviva UK Indoor Trials runner-up Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who took fifth in 6.62.
Former world silver medallist Novlene Williams from Jamaica scored a comfortable win the 400m, clocking a season’s best of 52.03.
Danielle Carruthers from the USA won the women’s 60m hurdles in 7.95, narrowly edging out world indoor bronze medallist Anay Tejeda from Cuba by one-hundredth.
World champs Rybakov and Savigne take victories while Olsson scores comeback win on in-field
FORMER world and Olympic champion Christian Olsson made a very pleasing return to form in the triple jump, as the Swede won a very high calibre competition in a world-leading mark of 17.32m.
Former world outdoor silver medallist Yoandri Betanzos from Cuba took second in a season’s best of 17.30m while compatriot David Giralt was third in 17.26m.
After inauspicious form in the run-up to the Aviva Grand Prix, world champion Phillips Idowu improved his season’s best from 17.00m to 17.25m to take fourth, which shows the Belgrave Harrier is rounding into form prior to the World Indoor Championships in Doha, where he will be defending his gold medal.
Berlin world champion Yaroslav Rybakov from Russia took victory in the high jump with a clearance of 2.31m while leading British pair of Samson Oni and Tom Parsons continued to impress.
Oni took second with a first time clearance of 2.28m to equal his season’s best while Parsons also cleared a PB of 2.28m at the first time of asking but lost out to Oni for second on countback.
World indoor champion Naide Gomes from Portugal won the long jump with a season’s best of 6.69m, defeating two-time world triple jump champion Yargelis Savigne, whose fourth round effort of 6.55m was good enough for second.
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