European Athletics (EAA) – News – Men’s sprints & hurdles

European Athletics continues its 2012 End of Year Review with the men's sprints & hurdles.

100m
The Netherlands' Churandy Martina established himself as Europe's number one man over the distance, running a Dutch record 9.91 in the semifinals at the London 2012 Olympic Games before finishing sixth in the final, the only European on the start line with the likes of Usain Bolt.

Martina's new Dutch record moved him up to third in the European all-time lists and was the fastest by a European sprinter since 2004. He was the only European under 10 seconds this year.

France's Christophe Lemaitre was the star performer at this summer's European Athletics Championships and defended the title he won in 2010 in10.09 but he didn't contest this event at the Olympics and didn't dip under 10 seconds this year, his best time being 10.06 at the Rome Samsung Diamond league meeting.

The evergreen British sprinter Dwain Chambers, now 34, showed that he still is able to peak for the big occasion and ran his best time of the year, 10.02, in front of his home crowd in his Olympic semifinal but it wasn't enough for him to advance.

By contrast, just starting his career was Chamber's compatriot Adam Gemili, who took the World junior title in Barcelona, clocking a national junior record of 10.05, and he then went on to run 10.06 to finish third in his Olympic semifinal.

Also impressing was France's 2011 European junior champion Jimmy Vicaut, who took the silver medal behind Lemaitre in Helsinki and later improved his best to 10.02 at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne.

Gemili and Vicaut look set to be the next European sprinters to go under 10 seconds barring accident or injury.

200m
Martina was also the dominant force on the continent at this event, taking the European title in difficult conditions in 20.42, in a race in Helsinki which saw his compatriot Patrick van Luijk take the silver medal but almost half a second in arrears.

The Dutch sprinter was also the leading European at the Olympics, finishing fifth in 20.00.

Before the European Athletics Championships, back in early June, Martina ran a national record of 19.94 at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in New York and after his Helsinki triumph he warmed up for his Olympic exploits with and outing of 19.95 in London, although he finished second best behind Lemaitre on that occasion.

Martina then improved further to the 2012 European-leading time of 19.85 in Lausanne two weeks after the Olympics.

Lemaitre finished one place behind Martina at the Olympics but had possibly peaked fractionally too soon as he had beaten his Dutch rival two weeks beforehand in London, where he ran a season's best of 19.91.

After the leading pair, there was quite a gulf to the next best sprinters.

Belgium's Jonathan Borlée, primarily known for his prowess over one lap of the track but who placed fourth over 200m at the European Athletics Championships, was the next fastest with his early season personal best of 20.31 in the United States.

Germany's Alex-Platini Menga, the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships silver medallist, showed great promise when he ran 20.34 on home soil in Mannheim on 9 June but injury brought his season to a premature end just two weeks later.

Britain's Adam Gemili gathered the plaudits for his performances over 100m but he also finished the season over 200m in September with a run of 20.38 to go fifth on the European junior all-time list.

400m
Belgium's Kévin Borlée can once again claim bragging rights over his brother Jonathan with the 2010 European champion finishing as the leading European at the Olympics in fifth place, crossing the line in 44.81.

He came home one place and two-hundredths in front of his sibling.

However, there is the feeling that Jonathan may have mistimed his effort in London after he sizzled to a national record and European-leading time of 44.43 in his Olympic heat. It was the fastest time by a European for 14 years.

Jonathan's London run reclaimed the Belgian record from his brother who had clocked 44.56 at their national championships in June.

Kevin was also the more consistent runner across the summer and clinched the Samsung Diamond League 400m title, with a cheque for $40,000, after a fine victory in 44.75, in front of a delirious home crowd at the final in Brussels in September.

After their 2012 performances, both brothers should have the European record of 44.33, which has stood to Germany's Thomas Schönlebe since 1987, in their sights next summer.

After the Borlée brothers, the only other European to go under 45 seconds was Czech Republic's 2012 European Athletics Championships gold medallist Pavel Maslak.

The extrovert Maslak, still only 21, reduced the Czech record three times during the summer.

He won his continental title in Helsinki in 45.24, just a shade outside his then best of 45.17 and then went under the 45-second barrier for the first time when he ran 44.91 in the Olympic heats.

His performances saw Maslak, who was also the only European in the 2012 World Indoor Championships 400m final, later pick up the 2012 European Athletics Rising Star of the Year Award.

110m hurdles
There is considerable hope for the future in this event as two of Europe's leading names are still only 22, including Russia's 2012 European leader Sergey Shubenkov.

Shubenkov went to Helsinki as Europe's fastest man after setting a Russian record of 13.18 at Herouville, France in late May and fulfilled his role as favourite.

He flew to a time of 13.09 in his Helsinki semifinal, which moved him up to sixth on the European all-time list and followed it up by grabbing the gold medal in 13.16 in less favourable conditions.

The silver medal for the second successive Championships went to France's Garfield Darien, who finished behind Shubenkov in 13.20 after setting a personal best of 13.15 in the semifinals.

The top European at the Olympics, where Shubenkov and Darien didn't progress beyond the semifinals, was Great Britain's Lawrence Clarke, another 22-year-old.

Clarke reduced his best to 13.31 in the London semifinals and then finished fourth as the only European in the final.

Mention should also be made of Artur Noga, who set a Polish record of 13.27 when finishing third at the European Athletics Championships and Emanuele Abate, who registered an Italian record of 13.28 at the European Athletics Outdoor Premium Meeting in Torino on 8 June.

400m hurdles
Great Britain's 2011 IAAF World Championships winner Dai Greene couldn't get a medal on home soil at the London 2012 Olympic Games but he still retained his position as Europe's top man in the event by a considerable margin.

He finished fourth at the Olympics in 48.24, after running 48.19 in his semifinal, and had four races faster than any other European hurdler.

Among them was an outstanding outing at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Paris, where he reduced his personal best to 47.84 for sixth place on the European all-time list.

The next fastest European hurdler was Greene's compatriot, regular training partner and near-namesake Jack Green, who has just turned 21, and who clocked 48.60 at the Diamond League meeting in London just before the Olympics.

However, the 2011 European Athletics U23 Championships gold medallist came to grief in his Olympic semifinal, hitting a hurdle and falling.

Great Britain dominates this event in Europe at the moment and the European title went to Rhys Williams, who was third in 2006 and then second to Greene in 2010, to complete his hat-trick after being the European Junior champion in 2003 and under 23 winner in 2005.

Williams won in Helsinki in 49.33 and ran his fastest time of the year, 49.17, in the Olympic heats.

Greece's former European champion Periklis Iakovakis ran 49.04 on home soil early in the season but didn't show his best form in either Helsinki or London while Belgium's Michaël Bultheel ran a personal best of 49.10 in his Olympic semifinal and now has the long-standing Belgian record of 48.91, which has stood to Marc Dollendorf since 1996, in his sights.

The 2012 European top 30 lists can be found here.

 

European Athletics (EAA)