Australia Athletics – News – Birmingham hits new low, Zamel-Paez on a high in Rieti

Personal bests by Collis Birmingham in the 3000m (7:38.77) and Liam Zamel-Paez in the high jump (2.26m) provided the Australian highlights in Rieti (ITA) overnight as Kenyan David Rudisha thrilled the crowd with his second 800m world record in seven days.

In the final event of a jaw-dropping two hours of athletics, Australian 10,000m record-holder Birmingham trailed in 12th place at the 1000m-mark behind in-form Ethiopian Tariku Bekele, the younger brother of 5000m and 10,000m world record-holder Kenenisa, and American Bernard Lagat.

Going through the second 1000m, Birmingham appeared to lose a little ground on the leaders before a customary resurgence over the final 400m.

Coming off a new personal best over 1500m in Brussels (BEL) on Friday night the Victorian's good form took him past several runners in a late-finishing rush to the line, which he crossed in seventh place in 7:38.77 to move past Shaun Creighton and Lee Troop into second place on the Australian all-time list, trailing only Craig Mottram, who set the Australian record of 7:32.19 at the World Athletics Finals in Athens (GRE) in 2006.

Liam Zamel-Paez's personal best of 2.26m grabbed second place in the men's high jump behind reigning world champion Yaroslav Rybakov (RUS).

The Queenslander had a very close first attempt at 2.30m, which Rybakov went on to clear at his second try to take victory.

In other events the Aussies were in great form, rewriting their own personal all-time lists.

National 400m hurdles champion Lauren Boden opened the day's proceedings with a time of 55.48 for fourth place. The time was her second fastest ever behind her personal best mark of 55.25 set at the Osaka Grand Prix in Japan in May.

American Sheena Tosta took out the race in 54.71, as last week's Diamond Race winner Kaliese Spencer from Jamaica, running one lane outside Boden, took a tumble at the final hurdle and failed to finish.

National 100m champion Aaron Rouge-Serret ran his second fastest time over 100m with 10.32 in the first of two heats, the time not enough to progress to the finals with personal best efforts from American Ryan Bailey (9.95), an equal French national record from Christopher Lemaitre (9.98) and a personal best for Jamaican Mario Forsythe (9.99) setting the standard in the qualifying round.

Western Australian Jody Henry, a recent arrival in Europe, placed fifth with a time of 52.64 in the women's 400m behind the fast-starting Tatyana Firova (RUS), who won in 50.25. Henry has only run faster on four prior occasions, topped by her personal best of 52.20 set when winning her first national title in Perth in April.

Canberra's Melissa Breen was sixth in the women's 100m with 11.59 (w:0.6) behind 2006 Commonwealth Games champion Sherone Simpson from Jamaica (11.11).

National 800m champion Lachlan Renshaw looked a winner into the final straight of the 800m 'B' race but faded over the final 50m to place fifth in 1:47.18.

Queenslander Matt Davies crossed the line in fifth place in the 200m with 20.82 behind an easy-looking 19.85 from American Wallace Spearmon.

The highlight of the meet was Kenyan David Rudisha, who trimmed his seven-day-old world record in the 800m by eight hundredths of a second with an almost barrier-breaking 1:41.01.

The phenomenon of the 2010 season provided a glimpse of the year ahead when taking victory in Rieti with an African record of 1:42.01 last year. Twelve months on and Rudisha has fast become a giant of the sport, perhaps second only to injured 100m/200m world record-holder Usain Bolt (JAM).

With an elevation of 405m and conditions conducive to great performances, the Rieti meet delivered meet records, national records and personal bests galore, the men's 100m personifying what's possible here with Jamaican Nesta Carter becoming the fourth fastest man of all time with 9.78 and leading a field to such feats as the French and Norwegian national records and the equal best mark for place as Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (NOR) found 10.00 good enough for only seventh.

With thanks to Pat Birgan in Rieti  

Australia Athletics – News