European Athletics (EAA) – News – Men’s hurdles and steeplechase: Turner and Greene rule the roost; Mekhissi-Benabbad reigns supreme

110m hurdles

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Briton Andy Turner made his mark in 2006 when he grabbed his first major medal at the European Athletics Championships in Göteborg with a bronze medal in the 110m hurdles.

After a few mediocre years, Turner was ready for bigger glory in 2010. The Manchester athlete showed ample signs of his form clocking 13.37 at the Great City Games in Manchester in May and a wind aided 13.34 in Hengelo later that month.

The first big test for the Briton was the SPAR European Team Championships where he lived up to the expectations winning in 13.48. William Sharman delivered a surprising blow to Turner’s season in Birmingham defeating the favourite 13.45-13.48.

At the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, Turner was one of the many vying for the gold medal. Others included Czech Petr Svoboda, who placed sixth in Berlin last year at the World Championships and had set a promising 13.27 national record in June and Pole Artur Noga who set a 13.29 personal best before the championships. 28-year-old Dániel Kiss also had set Hungarian record 13.32 at the European Team Championships First League in Budapest, but in addition to these names two French hurdlers stepped up a notch in a big competition with both setting a personal best in the European final.

Turner lived up to the expectations winning in 13.28 season’s best into headwind, but the silver medal for 22-year-old Frenchman Garfield Darien with a 13.34 personal best was a surprise. Dániel Kiss was third in 13.39 and another young French Dimitri Bascou just narrowly missed a medal in 13.41 PB. Artur Noga was fifth and Petr Svoboda sixth, both finishing lower than expected.

400m hurdles

European 400m hurdling is used to strong characters and it looks like another one has landed now. 24-year-old Welshman David Greene broke into the world elite in Berlin last year at the World Championships. In particular his performance in the semifinal there showed a lot of potential and the seventh place finish in the final was maybe a bit lower than what he was hoping for after the semis.

At the start of the 2010 season it was clear Greene was going to be the number one European. Start of the season was a bit slow, but he did win in Bergen at the European Team Championships before winning the UK title in Birmingham then moving on to Lausanne in July to set a fast 48.49 personal best before the European championships.

David Greene's breakthrough year.

In Barcelona, there was only one favourite and Greene was exactly as strong as expected. The fast finishing Briton took his first European title in a personal best 48.12, well ahead of another Welshman Rhys Williams, who also set a 48.96 for a personal best and first sub 49-second race for a rare Welsh 1-2 at this level and second European medal for Williams, who had been third in Gothenburg 2006.

The next two in Barcelona both grabbed personal bests as well with surprise bronze medallist from Ukraine, Stanislav Melnykov in 49.09 and Frenchman Heni Kechi, who was timed 49.34 for fourth place.

The 2006 European champion Greek Períklis Iakovákis was fifth in a 49.38 season's best time. Greene however was not done with his season yet. A fast 48.26 race in Brussels was a nice prelude for his first magical race under 48 seconds at the inaugural IAAF Continental Cup in Split where he took a big win in 47.88 ahead of favourites from Americas – Javier Culson (PUR 48.08) and Bershawn Jackson (USA 48.62).

Furthermore Greene added gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi winning in 48.52 for an almost perfect season.

Steeplechase

In terms of steeplechase in Europe, the French duo Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad and Bouabdellah Tahri were miles ahead of others during the 2010 season. 31-year-old Tahri came very close to winning a gold medal at the World Championships in Berlin last year, but settled with a bronze medal eventually.

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad of France.

Mekhissi-Benabbad won the silver in Beijing at the Olympics and after a disappointing 2009 season was in good form in 2010. A 5:10.68 world record in 2000m steeple and 7:44.98 personal best in the flat 3000m showed what he is capable of.

In Barcelona, the Frenchmen didn't leave the others any chance for surprise and went for a fast race from the start. Mekhissi-Benabbad emerged as the winner in 8:07.87 while his compatriot Tahri got a silver this time in 8:09.28.

Later on Mekhissi-Benabbad made a fierce attack at Tahri's 8:01.18 European record from Berlin 2009 winning in Brussels in 8:02.52 personal best at the end of August, the fastest time in Europe this season and second on the European all time list.

At the IAAF Continental Cup in Split Mekhissi-Benabbad finished in third place narrowly losing to Africans Richard Matelong (KEN) and Roba Gari (ETH).

Notable stats:

110m hurdles

New entries on the European all time list:

Tied for 18^th place 13.27 Petr Svoboda CZE

Tied for 25^th place 13.29 Artur Noga POL

2010 head-to-head between best Europeans:

Garfield Darien FRA – Andy Turner  GBR 4-2

Garfield Darien FRA – Petr Svoboda CZE 2-2

Andy Turner  GBR – Petr Svoboda CZE 4-3

Petr Svoboda CZE – Dániel Kiss HUN 2-1

Andy Turner  GBR – Dániel Kiss HUN 2-0

Career head-to-head between best Europeans:

Garfield Darien FRA – Andy Turner  GBR 2-2

Garfield Darien FRA – Petr Svoboda CZE 2-2

Petr Svoboda CZE – Andy Turner  GBR 9-6

Petr Svoboda CZE – Dániel Kiss HUN 4-3

Andy Turner  GBR – Dániel Kiss HUN 3-2

400m hurdles

New entries on the European all time list:

6^th place 47.88 David Greene GBR

2010 head-to-head between best Europeans:

David Greene GBR – Rhys Williams GBR 6-0

David Greene GBR – Stanislav Melnykov UKR 2-0

David Greene GBR – Períklis Iakovákis GRE 2-0

Rhys Williams GBR – Períklis Iakovákis GRE 1-1

Career head-to-head between best Europeans:

David Greene GBR – Rhys Williams GBR 11-5

David Greene GBR – Stanislav Melnykov UKR 5-0

David Greene GBR – Períklis Iakovákis GRE 5-2

Rhys Williams GBR – Períklis Iakovákis GRE 1-1

3000m steeple

New entries on the European all time list:

2^nd place 8:02.52 Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad FRA

2010 head-to-head between best Europeans:

Bouabdellah Tahri FRA – Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad FRA 2-1

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad FRA – Ion Luchianov MDA 3-0

Bouabdellah Tahri FRA – Ion Luchianov MDA 2-0

Career head-to-head between best Europeans:

Bouabdellah Tahri FRA – Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad FRA 3-3

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad FRA – Ion Luchianov MDA 4-0

Bouabdellah Tahri FRA – Ion Luchianov MDA 2-0