Johnson and Phillips' world leaders highlight Monaco competition
MONACO- 2010 USA Outdoor champions Alysia Johnson and Dwight Phillips are two of several athletes who finished with new world-leading marks at the Heculis Samsung Diamond League meeting at the Stade Louis II in Monaco.
Johnson had an incredible kick in the women's 800m to pull ahead of the pack on the last stretch, winning in a new world-leading 1:57.34. Johnson beat Jemma Simpson (GBR) by more than 1.6 seconds. Although Simpson squeezed in for second, Anna Pierce finished in a close third with a season best time of 1:58.89.
Phillips also found his name on top of the leader board with his first round leap of 8.46m/27-9.25 in the men's long jump. His jump not only claimed first at the meet, but also furthered his previous world leading mark of 8.42m/27-7.5 from the Golden Gala in Rome.
In the women's 100m hurdles, world-leader and two-time World Indoor champion Lolo Jones made a move over the final few hurdles to finish ahead of Danielle Carruthers and take the win in 12.63. That mark maintains her lead in the event in the Samsung Diamond Race.
Two-time World Outdoor bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter also maintained her Diamond Race lead with a strong 10.82 win in the women's 100m. Jeter led the field the entire race, easily beating world-leader and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM) by a margin of .16 seconds and tie Shelly-Ann Fraser (JAM) for the second fastest time in the world so far this year.
In the final event of the meet, 2009 World Outdoor 1,500m bronze medalist Shannon Rowbury, who finished third at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships, cut more than 15 seconds off her season-best time to finish third in the women's 3,000m with a time of 8:31.38.
Tyson Gay set a meeting record in the men's 200m with a swift 19.72 second finish. He got a great start to lead the race in its entirety and lead third-place finisher Wallace Spearmon (19.93), fourth-place finisher Xavier Carter (20.14) and fifth-place finisher Shawn Crawford (20.53).
Also setting a meeting record, American record holder David Oliver won the men's 110m hurdles event, posting a 13.01 second finish. Oliver's victory marked his 13th consecutive victory, including finals only. Finishing not far behind Oliver, Ryan Wilson claimed second with a time of 13.13 seconds.
Andrew Wheating was the first American to cross the finish in the powerhouse field of the men's 1,500m race. In what proved to be a fast track, the top eight finishers all ran season or personal bests, with Kenya's Silas Kiplagat posting a world leading time of 3:29.27. Finishing third, Wheating ran a strong last 100m to cross the line in a personal best time of 3:30.90. Lopez Lomong was the second American to cross the line, also finishing in a personal best of 3:32.20 to claim sixth. Right on Lomong's heels, Bernard Lagat finished seventh after running a season best of 3:32.51.
Americans finished first through fourth in the men's 400m hurdles with two-time World Outdoor medalist Bershawn Jackson barely finding victory over two-time Olympic gold medalist Angelo Taylor. Jackson won by a lean in 47.78 while Taylor finished right behind him in a season best 47.79. Justin Gaymon, also running a season best, finished third in 48.65 with USA Outdoors runner-up Johnny Dutch behind him in 48.73 to take fourth.
In the men's high jump, Jesse Williams finished third at 2.28m/7-5.75 and Dusty Jonas finished fifth at 2.25m/7-4.5. Rounding out a competitive field in the event, four of the five men who shared the world leading height of 2.33m competed, with Russia's Ivan Ukhov finding the win and a new world leading clearance of 2.34m/7-8.
For more information and complete results from the Samsung IAAF Diamond League Monaco Meeting, visit http://www.diamondleague-monaco.com/en/Home/.
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