Robles missed Jackson’s World record by a hair’s breadth

Two athletes from Cuba provided the sporting hightlights at the “3rd International Athletics PSD Bank Meeting Duesseldorf 2008”: Yargelis Savigne, World champion in the women’s triple jump, and Dayron Robles, the World’s Final hurdles champion.

Dayron Robles in Duesseldorf

In front of a sell-out crowd of 1,600 spectators at the Arena-Sportpark, the 21-year-old youngster from Cuba achieved the second best time ever in the 60m hurdles event, clocking 7.33 seconds and thus missed the World record of Great Britain’s Colin Jackson, set up in 1994 (7.30 seconds) by a mere three seconds. Savigne won the women’s triple jump in a world-best performance of 14.77 metres. The 23-year-old failed to improve her last year’s meeting record by just three centimeters and defeated World Championship fifth-placed, Marija Stestak of Slovenia, who set up a new European best (14.60m).

Her compatriot Sonja Roman achieved another European best in the women’s 3000m in 8:54.24 minutes. Roman, seventh-placed at the European indoor championships, had to bow only to Kenia’s Sylvia Kibet (8:52.53).

Germany’s World student champion Alexander Straub won the top-class men’s pole vault ahead of German record holder Tim Lobinger (both 5.71 metres). Olympic champion Timothy Mack (USA) already failed at 5.51 metres.