Athletics Australia – News – PEARSON WINS IN LONDON

Sally Pearson made it a third Flame victory at the Samsung Diamond League in London, when she won the 100m hurdles.

Friday night had already seen Mitchell Watt win the long jump in 8.45m, which added to his previous three furthest jumps in the world this year, and Craig Mottram’s 5000m victory

Pearson added to that winning tally when she took the hurdles title in 12.58 (w: -0.4). The 24-year-old will head to the IAAF world championships in Daegu undefeated for the season.

In the two-heat format, which Pearson previously ran in the UK at the Samsung Diamond League in Birmingham, where she set the new national record, the Olympic silver medallist cruised past the line in 12.55 (w: -0.6) in the first heat. Danielle Carruthers (USA) took the second heat in 12.81 (w: -0.6).

Flanked by American pair Carruthers and Virginia Crawford in the final, Pearson led the race from start to finish, while Carruthers took second in 12.67 and Tiffany Ofili-Porter (GBR) came third in 12.78.

Pearson said: “I was a bit disappointed with the time today, I thought I could run a lot faster, but I think the time difference between the heat and final was a bit too long.

“But it’s good, I know there’s still a lot left in the tank. My coach and I, our goal was to get our best time in the final at the world championships and it looks like it’s going that way.

“It was all about winning my four competitions this European season and then going into the world championships as a favourite and then also win there as well. So I wasn’t really chasing times at all this season it was more about continually being in the front.”

“I definitely want to win the world championships, that’s my main priority, but it would be nice to finish off the season after the world championships on top as well. I want to win the Diamond League. Any one of us girls, I think it’s Danielle (Carruthers) or Kellie (Wells), can win the Diamond League final and take home the cash prize but hopefully it’s me.

With four from four Samsung Diamond League wins, and a new national title, Pearson has firmly cemented herself as the number one hurdler in the world, which is the position she wanted to be in ahead of Daegu.

“It’s about running and if you’re not running fast then no-one wants to talk about you, but if you’re running fast then everyone wants to talk about you so I’d rather be running fast and everyone talking about me.

“I’m conscious of it [the added pressure], but that’s what I wanted because I want to win. If you want to win you have to expect everyone to put pressure on you but it’s pressure that I’m confident to have this time around, in other years perhaps not quite as confident, simply because I know I’m in good shape, my body’s holding up well and I’ve finished the European season undefeated and going in as a favourite at the world championships. So definitely I’m a lot more confident to take on that role as the best in the world at the moment.

In the Emsley Carr Mile, the field ran equidistant for the first two laps then when the second pacemaker dropped off the front four broke away and took eventual winner Leonel Manzano (USA) with them, which left Ryan Gregson to lead the second group that also included James Kaan.

Manzano, Bernard Lagat (USA) and Augustine Choge (KEN) battled it out to the finish line, less than one second separated them, and it was Manzano who won in 3:51.24. Kaan clocked a new Personal Best of 3:57.70 to finish seventh while Gregson finished two places behind in 4:01.60

Richard Colman was the first Australian on the track and he finished in third in the T53/54 1500m, with a time of 3:17.55. Marcel Hug won in 3:15.74.

Scott Reardon set a new Personal Best in the T42/44 200m when he clocked 27.70 (w: -0.9) to finish seventh. Jack Swift finished ahead of Reardon in 25.88, while Britain’s Jonathan Peacock won the race in 23.76.

Kaila McKnight acted pacemaker in the women’s 5000m, which Lauren Fleshman (USA) won in 15:00.57.

There was no Benn Harradine in the men’s discus but Gerd Kanter (EST) was in the field and he started the day as the Diamond Race leader. Kanter was forced to give up his lead to Virgilijus Alekna after the Lithuanian heaved 66.71m in the fourth round to take the win. Kanter finished in fourth with 64.56m.

Walter Dix (USA) looks good for the 200m Diamond League title after his 20.16 (w: -2.0) was enough to take victory and a maximum four points. And another American enjoyed success in the sprints, when Carmelita Jeter (USA) won the 100m in 10.93 (w: -0.4).

Reigning world champion Sanya Richards-Ross looks to be coming into form at exactly the right time. The American won the 400m in 49.66, which is the second fastest time in the world this year. Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu (GBR) finished last

Another world champion, Phillips Idowu (GBR) was in action away from the track in the men’s triple jump, however, he was unable to give the home crowd the victory they wanted and finished third with an effort of 17.07m (w: +0.8). America’s Christian Taylor (USA) won the competition with a third round jump of 17.68m (w: +1.3).

New Zealand’s Valerie Adams wrapped up the shot put competition with her third-round throw of 20.07m, which was the only in the field beyond the 20-metre mark.

The Samsung Diamond League will return, after the IAAF world championships (27 August – 4 September), in Zurich and Brussels where double points will be on offer as athletes, including Mitchell Watt and Pearson, look to secure their Diamond Race titles.

Athletics Australia – News