In weather conditions perfect for distance running, and in front of a packed stadium, Molly Huddle broke the American record in the women's 5,000 meters, and four Americans claimed Diamond League trophies at the Belgacom Memorial van Damme, the final meeting of the Samsung Diamond League in Brussels, Belgium.
The IAAF Samsung Diamond League encompasses 32 individual event disciplines, with a points scoring 'Diamond Race' which runs throughout the 14 meeting series. Winners of each Diamond Race will get a Diamond Trophy and a cash prize. For complete rules and regulations, CLICK HERE.
The 2010 USA Outdoor runner-up in the 5,000, Huddle took .04 seconds off Shalane Flanagan's previous American record when she finished tenth in Brussels 14:44.76. Her time is also an Area and NACAC record.
After getting left in the blocks at the start of the men's 100m, Tyson Gay closed strong to win the race in 9.79. Gay has now run sub-9.80 six times, tying him with Usain Bolt and trailing only Asafa Powell's seven. With the win, Gay claimed the Diamond League trophy with 16 points.
On his last throw of the competition, 2007 World Outdoor champion Reese Hoffa won the men's shot put with a meet record and season's best throw 22.16m/72-8.5. However, Hoffa's win was not enough to overtake reigning World Outdoor champion Christian Cantwell's place atop the Diamond League standings in the event. Cantwell, who took second in Brussels with 21.62m/70-11.25, won the Diamond League trophy with 25 points.
Bershawn Jackson, who has been dominating the Diamond League circuit all year, had a decisive victory in the men's 400m hurdles. Coming off the final hurdle in the lead, he went on to win in 47.85 and claim his trophy with 28 points. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Angelo Taylor ran aggressively on the backstretch but couldn't hold his pace and faded to sixth in 49.72.
Allyson Felix picked up her second Diamond League trophy when she won the women's 200m in 22.62. Felix also won the prize for the women's 400m.
In the women's 800m, current world leader Alysia Johnson was sitting in third place before taking the lead with about 150m to go. But she was overtaken in the stretch and finished fourth in 1:59.89.
Lisa Aguilera set a personal best by almost four seconds in taking fifth in the women's steeplechase in 9:24.84. Her time places her fifth on the U.S. All-Time list. Continuing his hot streak, Leo Manzano set another personal best when he took runner-up honors in the men's 1,500m in 3:32.37.
For complete results from the Belgacom Memorial van Damme, visit http://www.diamondleague-brussels.com.
Kastor expecting
American record-holder and 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor has announced she and husband Andrew are expecting their first child, due in March 2011.
Kastor won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics in the women's marathon, and she set the American record with her 2:19:36 victory at the 2006 London Marathon. She has won two World Marathon Majors titles: Chicago in 2005 and London in 2006.
About USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.
For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org
No comments:
Post a Comment