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LAUSANNE (Switzerland), July 6: Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva lived up to a pre-meeting promise at Lausanne’s Super Grand Prix on Tuesday — setting a world record for the 14th time in her career.
The 23-year-old Olympic champion comfortably cleared 4.93 metres, adding a centimetre to the previous best mark which she herself set in Brussels last September.
Despite that claim, the former gymnast says she has already cleared five metres in training though she intends to take her world record attempts “one centimetre at a time.”
Her long term aim is to surpass the haul of Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka who set 35 world records during his career.
“I don’t know how high I can jump,” the Russian added. “Maybe 5.10 or even 5.15. I just don’t know my potential.”
Tuesday’s performance earned Isinbayeva her seventh outdoor world record, with the other seven achieved at indoor meetings.
While the world record dominated the night, there were plenty of other strong performances, as well as the odd upset.
French sprinter Ronald Pognon provided perhaps the biggest shock by winning the men’s 100 metres ahead of Ghana’s Aziz Zakari and American Olympic champion Justin Gatlin.
Posting a personal best of 9.99 seconds, Pognon finished 0.03 ahead of Zakari with Gatlin a further 0.01 away.
Gatlin added that he still intended to compete at Friday’s Golden League meeting in Rome.
Gatlin’s compatriot and fellow Olympic gold medallist Jeremy Wariner was never in danger of suffering a similar upset as he cruised to victory in the 400 metres in 44.96.
Bahamas sprinter Chandra Sturrup was also in commanding form as she stormed through the women’s 100 metres to set a year’s best of 10.84.
America’s Lauryn Williams finished second, 0.07 seconds behind, while last week’s Paris Golden League winner Christine Arron of France took third, a tenth of a second behind Sturrup.
Fellow Bahaman Tonique Williams-Darling had less to smile about after finishing second in the women’s 400 metres.
The Olympic champion and 2004 Golden League jackpot winner lost out by 0.19 seconds to America’s Sanya Richards, who crossed the line in 49.95
Chinese Olympic champion Liu Xiang was forced to share victory in the 110 metre hurdles after tying with America’s Terrence Trammell in 13.05 seconds.
The much-anticipated face-off between Liu and American world champion Allen Johnson failed to materialise after a reported knee injury forced Johnson to pull out just before the start.
Leading results:
MEN’S:
100 metres: 1. Ronald Pognon (France) 9.99 seconds; 2. Aziz Zakari (Ghana) 10.02; 3. Justin Gatlin (US) 10.03.
200 metres: 1. Francis Obikwelu (Portugal) 20.58 seconds; 2. Brian Dzingai (Zimbabwe) 20.60; 3. Marc Schneeberger (Switzerland) 20.79.
400 metres: 1. Jeremy Wariner (US) 44.96 seconds; 2. Chris Brown (Bahamas) 45.02; 3. Tyree Washington (US) 45.37.
800 metres: 1. Rashid Ramzi (Bahrain) one minute 44.73 seconds; 2. William Yiampoy (Kenya) 1:45.75; 3. Dmitrijs Milkevics (Latvia) 1:45.84.
1500 metres: 1. Suleiman Simotwo (Kenya) three minutes 34.12 seconds; 2. Rui Silva (Portugal) 3:34.50; 3. Alan Webb (US) 3:34.78.
3000 metres: 1. Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) seven minutes 34.57 seconds; 2. Tariku Bekele (Ethiopia) 7:38.18; 3. Markos Geneti (Ethiopia) 7:38.42.
110 metres hurdles: 1. Xiang Liu (China) 13.05 seconds; 2. Terrence Trammell (United States) 13.05; 3. Dominique Arnold (United States) 13.26.
400 metres hurdles: 1. James Carter (United States) 48.47 seconds; 2. Louis van Zyl (South Africa) 48.82; 3. Periklis Iakovakis (Greece) 48.89.
High jump: 1. Vyacheslav Voronin (Russia) 2.31 metres; 2. Stefan Holm (Sweden) 2.31; 3. Germaine Mason (Jamaica) 2.24, 3. Yaroslav Rybakov (Russia) 2.24, 3. Grzegorz Sposob (Poland) 2.24
Triple jump: 1. Marian Oprea (Romania) 17.81 metres; 2. Momchil Karailiev (Bulgaria) 17.36; 3. Jadel Gregorio (Brazil) 17.34.
Discus throw: 1. Virgilijus Alekna (Lithuania) 70.53 metres; 2. Gerd Kanter (Estonia) 68.32; 3. Zoltan Koevago (Hungary) 65.61.
WOMEN’S:
100 metres: 1. Chandra Sturrup (Bahamas) 10.84 seconds; 2. Lauryn Williams (US) 10.91; 3. Christine Arron (France) 10.94.
400 metres: 1. Sanya Richards (US) 49.95 seconds; 2. Tonique Darling (Bahamas) 50.14; 3. Christine Amertil (Bahamas) 50.98.
800 metres: 1. Zulia Calatayud (Cuba) one minute 59.35 seconds; 2. Svetlana Cherkasova (Russia) 1:59.99; 3. Svetlana Usovich (Belarus) 2:00.31.
1500 metres: 1. Maryam Yusuf Jamal (Bahrain) four minutes 01.73 seconds; 2. Natalya Yevdokimova (Russia) 4:02.75; 3. Jebet Langat (Kenya) 4:03.89.
100 metres hurdles: 1. Michelle Perry (US) 12.61 seconds; 2. Anjanette Kirkland (US) 12.65; 3. Susanna Kallur (Sweden) 12.70.
Pole vault: 1. Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) 4.93 metres (world record); 2. Stacy Dragila (US) 4.60; 3. Thorey Elisdottir (Iceland) 4.40, 3. Pavla Hamackova (Czech Republic) 4.40, 3. Monika Pyrek (Poland) 4.40.
Triple jump: 1. Tatyana Lebedeva (Russia) 15.05 metres; 2. Anna Pyatykh (Russia) 14.88; 3. Trecia Smith (Jamaica) 14.81.—Reuters
