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Post by Dale on Sept 18, 2006 7:00:47 GMT -6
Gay wins 100 at World Cup
Former Arkansas Razorback Tyson Gay won the 100 meters in 9. 88 seconds and Sanya Richards broke the 22-year-old American 400-meter record at the World Cup on Saturday in Athens, Greece.
Taking advantage of the absence of the world record coholder Asafa Powell, who chose to run only in the relay, Gay ran close to his personal best of 9. 85. The world record is 9. 77.
Gay’s run made him the second-fastest 100 winner in the history of the 10-year competition. Obadele Thompson of Barbados won the 1998 race in Johannesburg in 9. 87.
“I didn’t expect to run that fast, so I am excited,” Gay said. “It was hard being in the outside lane.”
Richards breezed home in 48. 70, the fastest time of the year. Richards, a world silver medalist last year, was the first woman to break 49 seconds this year and became the seventh fastest 400 runner of all time. She is undefeated this year.
“I got into the blocks thinking ’I want to break the record, ’ and that’s what I did,” she said.
Valerie Brisco held the old mark of 48. 83 since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I am overwhelmed. I was shocked,” Richards said. “My dad said watching the clock slowed me down, so I didn’t look at the clock. Everything he said came true.”
European champion Vania Stambolova of Bulgaria was second in 50. 09.
Gay never was threatened in the 100 and crossed the line well ahead of European champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal, who clocked 10. 09. Marc Burns of Trinidad was third in 10. 14.
Jamaica’s Powell never got to run in the relay — his teammates dropped the baton before they reached him.
Sherone Simpson of Jamaica stretched her winning streak to eight races when she cruised home in 10. 97 in the 100. Former world champion Torri Edwards, who replaced Marion Jones on the U. S. team, was a distant second in 11. 19.
LaShawn Merritt compensated for the absence of world and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner, giving the United States a victory in the 400 in 44. 54.
Merritt held off African world record holder Gary Kikaya of Congo, who was second in 44. 66.
After the first day of the two-day event, Europe led the men’s standings with 76 points, two more than the United States. Russia led the women’s events with 65 points and Europe had 60. The U. S. was fifth at 49.
Spearmon clocks third-fastest 200
Former Arkansas Razorback Wallace Spearmon of Fayetteville completed the United States’ sweep of men’s sprints by clocking the third-fastest 200 meters of the year, a personal best and a meet record of 19. 87 seconds at the World Cup on Sunday in Athens, Greece.
Running in light rain, Spearmon surged past Jamaican Usain Bolt, who finished in 19. 96.
“I wanted to finish the season with a fast time,” Spearmon said.
Former Olympic champion Allen Johnson beat 110-meter hurdles world-record holder Liu Xiang of China.
Europe defeated the United States 140-136 for the men’s team title, and Russia defended its women’s crown 137-128 over Europe. The U. S. women came in fourth.
The 35-year-old Johnson led from start to finish to cross the line in 12. 96 seconds. It was a meet record, his quickest this season, and only 0. 04 seconds off the personal best he set 10 years ago.
Liu set the world record of 12. 88 seconds in July in Lausanne, Switzerland, but he started slowly Sunday to finish second in 13. 03 at the stadium where he won Olympic gold in 2004.
Cuba’s rising star, Dayron Robles, was third in 13. 06.
Darold Williams rallied the U. S. 1, 600 relay team to victory. Williams was third coming out of the final bend but powered ahead and nipped Americas ’ Alleyne Francique at the line.
The U. S. team clocked 3: 00. 11, beating the Americas by. 03.
Sanya Richards of the United States completed a double when she won the 200 in 22. 23, ahead of European champion Kim Gevaert of Belgium, who clocked 22. 72. Richards won the 400 Saturday and broke the 22-year-old American record by running 48. 70. Australian Craig Mottram held off Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele in the 3, 000, setting a meet record in 7: 32. 10.
Jamaican Brigitte Foster-Hylton gave the Americas team nine points by winning the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 12. 67. European champion Susanna Kallur of Sweden was second in 12. 77 and Virginia Powell of the U. S. was third in 12. 90.
World champion Walter Davis of the U. S. won the triple jump at 17. 54 meters.
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