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MADRID, July 20: Mozambique’s Olympic and world champion Maria Mutola clocked the fastest women’s 800 metres of the year on Saturday with a blazing run of one minute 55.55 seconds at the Madrid grand prix.
Mutola ran the first lap in 55.97 and surged to the front of the pack with 300 metres to go.
Her time bettered the 1:56.57 she set in Lausanne this month and was all the more remarkable since Madrid’s altitude of 700m is hardly suited to middle distancing running.
Namibia’s former world champion Frank Fredericks, one of the other crowd favourites racing on a warm night in Madrid, coasted to victory in the men’s 200 metres in a time of 20.24 seconds to show that even at 35 he cannot be written off for the world championships.
Leading results:
MEN’S:
200 metres: 1. Frank Fredericks (Namibia) 20.24 seconds; 2. Francis Obikwelu (Portugal) 20.59; 3. Claudio Roberto Souza (Brazil) 20.70.
400 metres: 1. Alleyne Francique (Grenada) 44.78 seconds; 2. Derrick Brew (US) 45.03; 3. Brandon Simpson (Jamaica) 45.17.
800 metres: 1. Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (South Africa) 1:44.42; 2. Hezekil Sepeng (South Africa) 1:44.53; 3. Wilson Kipketer (Denmark) 1:45.03.
1,500 metres: 1. Juan Carlos Higuero (Spain) 3:34.54; 2. Abdelkader Hachlaf (Morocco) 3:35.03; 3. Michael East (Britain) 3:35.49.
3,000 metres: 1. Luke Kipkosgei (Kenya)
7:49.39; 2. David Chemweno (Kenya) 7:49.72; 3. Sergiy Lebid (Ukraine) 7:49.84.
110 metres hurdles: 1. Maurice Wignall (Jamaica) 13.39 seconds; 2. Arend Watkins (US) 13.55; 3. Micah Harris (US) 13.65.
400 metres hurdles: 1. Bershawn Jackson (US) 48.23 seconds; 2. Periklis Iakovakis (Greece) 48.51; 3. Ian Weakley (Jamaica) 49.04.
High jump: 1. Matt Hemingway (US) 2.30 metres; 2. Mikhail Tsvetkov (Russia) 2.30; 3. James Nieto (US) 2.30.
Pole vault: 1. Aleksandr Averbukh (Israel) 5.93 metres; 2. Nick Hysong (US) 5.78; 3. Vadim Strogalyov (Russia) 5.73.
Long jump: 1. Joan Lino Martinez (Cuba) 8.20 metres; 2. Savante Stringfellow (US) 8.13; 3. Yago Lamela (Spain) 8.09.
Shot put: 1. Manuel Martinez (Spain) 20.96 metres; 2. Christian Cantwell (US) 20.89; 3. Kevin Toth (US) 20.87.
Discus: 1. Robert Fazekas (Hungary) 67.07 metres; 2. Virgilijus Alekna (Lithuania) 66.20; 3. Dmitriy Shevchenko (Russia) 65.02.
WOMEN’S:
200 metres: 1. Kim Gevaert (Belgium) 22.66 seconds; 2. Natalya Safronnikova (Belarus) 23.00; 3. Lauren Hewitt (Australia) 23.18.
800 metres: 1. Maria de Lourdes Mutola (Mozambique) 1:55.55; 2. Faith Macharia (Kenya) 1:59.67; 3. Hayley Tullett (Britain) 2:00.49.
1,500 metres: 1. Suzy Favor Hamilton (US) 4:02.89; 2. Joanne Pavey (Britain) 4:03.91; 3. Yuliya Kosenkova (Russia) 4:04.38.
3,000 metres: 1. Benita Johnson (Australia) 8:38.45; 2. Zhor El Kamch (Morocco) 8:42.46; 3. Olga Yegorova (Russia) 8:51.44.
100 metres hurdles: 1. Brigitte Foster (Jamaica) 12.62 seconds; 2. Donica Merriman (US) 12.69; 3. Glory Alozie (Spain) 12.75.
Long jump: 1. Inessa Kravets (Ukraine) 6.76 metres; 2. Jade Johnson (Britain) 6.69; 3. Elva Goulbourne (Jamaica) 6.68.
Javelin: 1. Nikolett Szabo (Hungary)
62.12 metres; 2. Tatyana Shikolenko (Russia) 61.55; 3. Laverne Eve (Bahamas) 59.68.—Reuters
