Hooker Makes Competitive Return in Monaco

Australian Flame captain and WAIS scholarship holder Steve Hooker returned to competition for the first time since defending his Commonwealth title in New Delhi last October when he competed at the Monaco Diamond League meet.

Hooker opened with a height of 5.45m, which he was able to clear on his second attempt. The world and Olympic champion was unable to go higher, but did get his pre-competition aim of runway practice as he builds towards his world championship campaign in Deagu, South Korea. Former world champion Brad Walker (USA) failed to clear a height.

Renaud Lavillenie (FRA), who had said in his press conference how much of an inspiration Hooker is to him, came into the competition at 5.60m, and was one of only two athletes in the field to move beyond that height, when he cleared 5.75m, by some distance.

Malte Mohr (GER) followed suit before bowing out, while Lavillenie went on to clear 5.90m on his third attempt, which is a new world-lead for 2011.

At the Spitzen Leichtathletik meet in Lucerne, Switzerland, WAIS athletes Alana Boyd and Ben Offereins were in action. Boyd competing in just her second event since knee surgery, performed well to clear 4.30m in the women’s pole vault for fourth position. American Mary Saxer won the competition on 4.40m, whilst dual Olympic Champion Yelena Isinbayeva pulled out in the warm up through injury.

Offereins competed in the men’s 400m sprint, qualifying for the B-final, running a 46.46sec for second place, tenth overall.

In other Monaco Diamond League results:

Sally Pearson headlined the Herculis Meeting International d’Athletisme in Monaco with a 12.51 win in the 100m hurdles, while Jeff Riseley ran an impressive 3:33.42 in the 1500m.

Pearson arrived in Monaco with two resounding Samsung Diamond League wins already to her name, and more importantly scalps over American rivals Kellie Wells and Danielle Carruthers.

Pearson started well but found herself under pressure from Wells in the closing metres of the race. However, she held her off to cross the line in 12.51, with Wells in 12.58 and then Tiffany Ofili-Porter (GBR) in third in a new British record of 12.60, Carruthers placed fourth. The win now puts Pearson at the forefront of the Diamond Race with a total of 12-points.

Pearson said: “It wasn’t the best race but it was a win. It was still 12.51, so I’ll take that. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the race and I know there’s still more to come in London (Grand Prix).

“I wasn’t happy with the start part as it took a while to get going. But then I know we’re working more from the middle to the end of the race at the moment and have kind of neglected the start, as we’re not training on that at the moment. When we do I will be super fast out of the blocks, but we will wait until nearer the world champs to work on that.

“I felt her (Wells) more at the start of the race but then got my legs going. I knew she would be a threat, as she hadn’t had great runs in Lausanne or Birmingham but you know, as always with the hurdlers, everyone’s a threat on the day.

“It wasn’t a super fast race but still a quality one and I’m leading the Diamond Race. I’m looking forward to the two-round format in London, like it was in Birmingham because you know what, after the run tonight I was in warm down and thought ‘I could go run again now’.”

Riseley ran a season’s best and IAAF world championship qualifying time of 3:33.42 in the 1500m. Silas Kiplagat (KEN) took the field around in a world-leading pace of 3:30.47, while there were national records for both Abukaker Kaki (SUD) and Nick Willis (NZL). Ryan Gregson clocked 3:51.05.

Dani Samuels was the first Flame athlete in action and she opened with 59.42m in the discus. Her best effort was in the fifth round with 60.59m, which was enough for fifth place. Germany’s Nadine Muller wrapped up the women’s discus with a first round heave of 65.90m. Yarelis Barrios (CUB) came close with an effort of 65.44m.

Craig Mottram took part in a loaded 5000m, which included the silver medallist from the Berlin world championships, Bernard Lagat (USA) and the two fastest athletes of the year, Imane Merga (ETH) and Isaiah Kiplangat Koech (KEN).

With only one lap to go it was the inform athlete Mo Farah (GBR) who led the pack, with Lagat just behind him. As they came into the final bend there were five athletes battling for positions but Farah kicked again to take the win in a world-lead time of 12:53.11, with Lagat in second. Meanwhile Mottram crossed the line in 15thand a time of 13:29.56.

The women’s 1500m saw the American pacemaker Molly Beckwith stretch out ten metres beyond the pack, who remained bunched together until the final lap when Maryam Jamal (BRN) broke to the front and held her position to the line. She won in 4:00.59 while Kaila McKnight crossed in 13th in a time of 4:07.62.

At the XVII Miting Internacional d’Atletisme in Barcelona, David McNeill ran 13:29.37 to finish 17th in a 5000m which was won by Zersenay Tadese (ETH) in 12:59.32.

Jeremy Roff clocked 3:40.73 in the 1500m B Final which saw him cross the line in fifth place, the winner Andrew Acosta (USA) ran 3:38.12.

In the field Henry Frayne led the triple jump competition after the third round when he cleared 17.04m. But Nigerian Tosin Oke surpassed him in the penultimate round with a jump of 17.20m.

Finally Benn Harradine’s third round heave of 63.65m in the discus competition secured him a top three finish. The Spanish pair Frank Yennifer Casanas Hernandez and Mario Pestano finished ahead of him with throws of 65.68m and 64.43m respectively.

The next stop of the Samsung Diamond League will be in London on August 5 and 6.

–With Athletics Australia