Saturday, July 03, 2010

Oliver equals American record at 36th Nike Prefontaine Classic

EUGENE - 2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist David Oliver equaled the third-fastest time ever in the men's 110m hurdles and the Hayward Field record book was shredded Saturday at the 2010 Nike Prefontaine Classic on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene. The action took place on a beautiful sunny day in front of an appreciative standing room only crowd for the 15th consecutive year.



The Nike Prefontaine Classic is the fourth and final event of the 2010 USATF Outdoor Visa Championship Series and a member of the prestigious new IAAF Samsung Diamond League series consisting of 14 of the greatest invitational track meets in the world. For more information visit: www.diamondleague.com



Oliver named Visa Athlete of the Meet



2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist David Oliver equaled the American record in the 110m hurdles by dominating a strong field with his time of 12.90 seconds, and for his efforts he was named the Visa Athlete of the Meet.



Oliver had a strong start and grabbed the lead by the fourth hurdle and continued to lengthen it all the way to the finish. His performance equals the American record first posted by noDominique Arnold on July 11, 2006 in Lausanne.



2010 USA Outdoor Championships runner-up Ryan Wilson finished second in a season's best 13.16, with USA Outdoor Champs third-place finisher Ronnie Ash placing third again in 13.19, which equals his personal best set last week at Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa. Two-time World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist and 2008 Olympic Games silver medalist David Payne finished fourth in a seasonal best 13.24.



Patterson stays on roll in women's javelin throw



2008 Olympian Kara Patterson, who set an American record in winning her third consecutive U.S. women's javelin throw title last week, won again this afternoon in impressive fashion.



Patterson posted a Prefontaine Classic record with her winning sixth round toss of 65.90m/216-2, which is second on the all-time U.S. list only to her AR of 66.67m/218-8 set last week in Des Moines.



Martina Ratej (SLO) was the runner-up with a best of 64.40m/211-3, with Barbora Spotakova (CZE) third with a toss of 61.12m/200-6. 2010 USA Championships runner-up and 2009 World Outdoor Championships finalist Rachel Yurkovich was fourth with her sixth round throw of 58.42m/191-8.



Cantwell can't be stopped in Visa Men's Shot Put



Reigning World Outdoor champion Christian Cantwell, who is ranked #1 in the world, entered the Nike Prefontaine Classic with the world's best throw this season of 22.35m/73-4, and he captured the lead on his first throw of the day of 21.78m/71-5.5.



Cantwell would never relinquish the lead throughout the competition, and he put an exclamation mark on the day with his final throw of 22.41m/73-6.25, which is the new world leader.



Canada's Dylan Armstrong finished second with a best of 21.33m/69-11.75, with two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson third with his fourth round throw of 21.16m/69-5.25, which is his best this outdoor season.



Demus dominates women's 400m hurdles



Current world leader and two-time World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Lashinda Demus set a new Hayward Field and Pre Classic record with her never-in-doubt winning performance in the women's 400m hurdles.



By the time she rounded the fourth turn and approached the final two hurdles, Demus held a commanding lead prior to crossing the finish line first in 53.03 seconds. Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica was the runner-up in 53.78, with Trinidad's Josanne Lucas third in 55.08 and 2008 Olympic Games silver medalist Sheena Tosta finishing fourth in a season's best 55.53.



Dix victorious in men's 200 meters



Two-time Olympic medalist Walter Dix has come storming back following an injury-plagued 2009 season to win the 100m and finish second in the 200m at the USA Outdoor Championships prior to winning the men's 200m this afternoon in a blistering Hayward Field record time of 19.72 seconds. His performance is the second-fastest in the world this year.



It was Dix and American 100m record holder Tyson Gay virtually even heading into the main straightaway before Dix grabbed a slight lead with 80 meters to go. Dix's lead remained unchanged through to the finish with Dix winning the race with Gay close behind in finishing second in 19.76. For Gay it was his first race since May 16 due to a sore right hamstring.



2009 national JUCO 100m champion Ryan Bailey finished third in a personal best of 20.17, with Xavier Carter fourth in a 2010 best of 20.30.



Felix wins Nike Women's 400 Meters



Two-time Olympic silver medalist and three-time World Outdoor Champion in the 200 meters Allyson Felix continued to display her remarkable versatility as a sprinter this afternoon after winning the USA Outdoor 100m title last week for the first time in her career.



Felix, who entered this season ranked #4 in the world at 400 meters, won this afternoon in a highly competitive race in 50.27 seconds. Finishing as the runner-up was Amantle Montsho (BOT), who crossed the finish line in a season's best time of 50.30, with Shericka Williams of Jamaica finishing third in 50.31 and reigning USA Outdoor champion Debbie Dunn finishing fourth in 50.56.



Barrier finally broken in Nike Men's 5,000 Meters



Prior to this afternoon the 13-minute barrier had never been broken in the United States. Now it's happened twice.



Coming down the final stretch the Hayward Field crowd was delirious as Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia approached the finish line looking as though he would finish before the clock hit 13 minutes. Bekele crossed the finish line in 12:58.93 in setting a Hayward Field record. Bekele was closely followed by Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopia, who also bettered the 13-minute barrier with his runner-up, personal best time of 12:59.30. Imane Merga of Ethiopia was third in 13:00.18, with Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge finishing fourth in 13:01.17.



Kiprop captures Nike Men's Bowerman Mile



Kenyan Asbel Kiprop entered the 2010 season ranked #1 in the world and he lived up to that billing this afternoon in winning the famed Nike Men's Bowerman Mile for the second year in a row with his time of 3:49.75.

Amine Laalou (MAR) was the runner-up in 3:50.22, with Mekonnen Gebremedhin (ETH) third in 3:50.68. In his final race in a University of Oregon singlet, double 2010 NCAA champion and 2008 Olympian Andrew Wheating set a monster personal best of 3:51.74 in finishing fifth. Wheating's performance bettered the previous University of Oregon mile record of 3:53.0 set in 1984 by Joaquim Cruz.



Lysenko wins over Heidler in women's hammer throw



The Prefontaine Classic got off to a rousing start as Tatyana Lysenko of Russia and 2009 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Betty Heidler of Germany staged a tremendous battle that wasn't decided until the final round of the competition.



Heidler took what seemed to be a commanding lead on her fourth attempt when she threw the hammer 74.48m/244-4, which was the farthest throw ever on American soil. She followed that with another long toss in Round 5 when she extended her lead to 74.55m/244-7.

Sitting in second place with a best of 74.31m/243-9, Lysenko came through in a big way on her final attempt by taking the lead for good with a toss of 75.98m/249-3. Between the two of them, Lysenko and Heidler posted the five longest women's hammer throws ever on U.S. soil.



Sultana Frizell of Canada finished third with a best of 70.76m/245-3, with 2008 Olympian and reigning U.S. champion Amber Campbell fourth with a best of 70.21m/230-4.



Malachowski wins men's Discus



2009 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Piotr Malachowski of Poland won the men's discus with his second round toss of 67.66m/221-11.



Zoltan Kovago of Hungary was the runner-up with a best of 67.55m/221-7, with 2010 USA Outdoor Championships runner-up Jason Young third with a toss of 66.95m/219-8, and two-time USA Outdoor champion Casey Malone finishing fourth with his best throw this year of 66.03m/216-7.



Alekhina posts meet record in women's triple jump



Russia's Nadezhda Alekhina, who ended the 2009 season ranked #9 in the world by Track & Field News, was the dominant force in the women's triple jump.



Alekhina posted her winning leap of 14.62m/47-11.75 on her first attempt of the day, which is a new Hayward Field and Prefontaine Classic record. Olga Rypakova (KAZ) finished as the runner-up with a best of 14.45m/47-5 and 2010 USA Outdoor champion Erica McClain finished third with her leap of 14.33m/47-0.25, which is the fourth-best triple jump ever by an American woman.



Gregson wins International Mile



A highly competitive men's international mile was won by Australia's Ryan Gregson, who led 10 competitors under the 4-minute barrier with his winning time of 3:53.19. 2007 U.S. Junior champion A.J. Acosta of the University of Oregon performed magnificently in front of his home crowd in finishing as the runner-up in a stunning 3:53.76, which took five seconds off of his personal best time.



Juan Van Deventer of South Africa finished third in 3:54.12, with 2010 USA Outdoor Championships 1,500m fourth-place finisher David Torrence crossing the line fourth in 3:54.47.



Murer wins women's pole vault



Brazilian standout Fabiana Murer, who ended the 2009 season ranked #4 in the world, was the winner in the women's pole vault with a clearance of 4.58m/15-0.25. Anna Rogowska of Poland, who is the reigning World Outdoor champion and currently ranked #2 in the world, cleared the identical height but was declared the runner-up after tallying more misses than Murer during the competition.



Yuliya Golubchikova of Russia placed third with a best of 4.48m/14-8.25, with Lacy Janson, who finished fourth last week at the USA Outdoor Championships, finishing fourth in clearing the same height.



Dibaba sets stadium record in Women's 5,000 meters



World record holder Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia, who won the 5,000m at the Diamond League event in New York on June 12, captured another Diamond League event this afternoon and she made it look easy.



With three laps remaining Dibaba held a 40-meter lead over the rest of the field and she extended it to as much as 65 meters in cruising to the victory in 14:34.07, which is a new Hayward Field and Prefontaine Classic record. 2008 Olympic Games 10,000m bronze medalist and U.S. 5,000m record holder Shalane Flanagan finished as the runner-up in the third-fastest time ever by an American of 14:49.08. Sally Kipyego of Kenya finished third in 14:54.50.



Kaki Khamis wins men's 1,000 meters in American all-comers record



Abubaker Kaki Khamis of Sudan captured the seldom contested men's 1,000 meters in 2:13.62, which bettered the previous U.S. soil record of 2:14.54 set at Hayward Field by Joaquim Cruz of Brazil in 1984. His performance is the fastest in the world this year and the seventh-fastest ever in this event.



Boaz Lalang of Kenya was the runner-up in 2:14.83, with three-time U.S. Outdoor 800m champion Nick Symmonds finishing third in 2:16.35.



Hayward Field record falls in women's steeplechase



Current world leader Milca Chemos Cheywa of Kenya proved herself to the Hayward Field crowd by setting a new stadium and Prefontaine Classic record with her winning time of 9:26.70.



2009 world steeplechase champion Marta Dominguez of Spain, who is ranked #1 in the world, was the runner-up in 9:29.61, with Sofia Assefa of Ethiopia third in 9:30.05 and Korene Hinds of Jamaica fourth in 9:32.20. Penn State University's Bridget Franek, who is the 2010 NCAA champion and finished fifth at last week's USA Outdoor Championships, placed fifth in a personal best time of 9:32.35.



Savinova wins women's 800 meters



Russia's Mariya Savinova, who began the 2010 season ranked #4 in the world, set a Hayward Field record and ran the fastest time in the world this year in winning the women's 800 meters in 1:57.56.



Nancy Jebet Langat of Kenya was the runner-up in a personal best of 1:57.75, with fellow Kenyan Janeth Jepkosgei posting a seasonal best of 1:57.84 in finishing third. Two Americans set personal bests in finishing fourth and fifth respectively, Phoebe Wright (4th-1:58.22) and Alysia Johnson (5th-1:58.84).



Men's long jump belongs to Saladino



Irving Saladino of Panama, who ended the 2009 season ranked #4 in the world and finished second at the Pre Classic last year, grabbed the lead in Round 2 of the men's long jump and that effort was enough to claim the victory.



Saladino defeated a strong field with his best leap of 8.46m/27-9.25, with reigning World Outdoor champion 2010 USA Outdoor Championships winner Dwight Phillips finishing as the runner-up with a best of 8.41m/27-7.25. Jinzhe Li of China finished third with a best of 8.29m/27-2.5 and 2008 Olympian Trevell Quinley was fourth from his final round leap of 8.19m/26-10.5.



Campbell-Brown dominates Visa Women's 100 Meters


Olympic 200m gold medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica posted a world-leading time with her convincing victory in the Visa Women's 100 Meters.



Campbell-Brown got out well and was never seriously challenged in setting the Prefontaine meet record time of 10.78. Olympic and World champion Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica finished as the runner-up in a season's best time of 10.82, with two-time World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter posting a seasonal best time of 10.83 in finishing third. 2010 USA Outdoor Championships runner-up LaShaunte'a Moore finished fourth in 10.99.



For more information on the 2010 Nike Prefontaine Classic and the USATF Visa Championship Series, visit: www.visachampionshipseries



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

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