 |
| Bernard Lagat © Gallo Images |
World champion Bernard Lagat made a winning start to an Olympic year, defending his 1 500 metres title on Saturday at the Norwich Union International indoor meet in Glasgow, Scotland.
Lagat opened his season in three minutes, 45.89 seconds after moving
into the lead in the final 200 - repeating his first victory as an
American citizen at this event last year.
"That was absolutely the kind of start I was looking for," the
Kenyan-born Lagat said. "That was a good test of how I've been doing in
my training. This is where I am supposed to be right now."
Lagat, who won silver for Kenya in the 1 500 at the 2004 Olympics,
finished ahead of former compatriot Shadrack Korir, who timed 3:46.96.
Wearing a traditional Scottish tartan hat after the race, the
33-year-old Lagat ruled out competing in the World Indoors in Seville,
Spain, in March.
Instead, Lagat set his sights on the Beijing Games, where he aims to
repeat last year's double triumph in the 1 500 and 3 000 at the World
Championships in Japan.
"That is my absolute goal for this year," Lagat said. "I am going to
take one step at a time. I will go to the Olympics in either one event
or two events, but I want to qualify in both from the trials."
Another American Olympic hopeful - pole vaulter Brad Walker - had a
setback in Glasgow.
Blaming the mislabeling with the flex on a new set of poles in
Europe, Walker landed awkwardly attempting 5.60 metres, the winning
leap for Germany's Alexander Straub.
"I came up really short and as I came back down I landed in my feet,
slammed on the plant box and I got a bit of a strain in my right (foot)
and then I bruised my left," Walker said. "I'm a
bit frustrated because if I had a normal series of poles it would have
been a different outcome."
The 26-year-old world indoor and outdoor champion said no bones were
broken but he could miss Friday's Millrose Games in New York.
"I'm hoping it calms down in the next day or two but the way things
feel right now, there's a slim chance," Walker said. "If that doesn't
happen I may bag the whole indoor season altogether."
American David Oliver won the 60 hurdles in 7.60 after three false
starts led to disqualification for Germany's Helge Schwarzer and
Britain's Allan Scott.
In the women's 200, Shareese Woods fought off a challenge from
Britain's Joice Maduaka to win in 23.76.
But after a sluggish start in the 400, Monique Hennagan struggled to
close the gap on Jamaican Shereefa Lloyd, who won in 53.08. Hennagan
came second in 54.56.
"I think I fell asleep on the first lap and allowed the race to get
away from me," Hennagan said.
Sweden's Susanna Kallur dominated the hurdles, coming within 0.01 of
her personal best to claim a sixth straight 60 hurdles title at Kelvin
Hall in 7.81.
"I'm very surprised," the 26-year-old European indoor champion said.
"It's the next best I've ever run and it's the best opening time for an
indoor season."
The British athletes edged the United States by one point to win the
international meet, which also included teams from Sweden, Germany and
a Commonwealth select squad.
There were victories for Craig Pickering in the 60, Richard Buck in
the 400 and Christopher Tomlinson in the long jump.
For the British women there were wins for Jeanette Kwakye in the
sprint, Jenny Meadows in the 800 - ahead of America's Sasha Spencer -
Lisa Dobriskey in the 1 500 and Katrina Wooton running her first 3 000
indoors.
RESULTS
MEN
60
1Craig Pickering, Britain, 6.57. 2, Simeon Williamson, Britain,
6.65. 3, Ryan Scott, Britain, 6.69.
200
1.Johan Wissman, Sweden, 21.18. 2, Alexander Kosenkow, Germany,
21.60. 3, Darvis Patton, United States, 21.68.
400
1.Richard Buck, Britain, 47.76. 2, Jamaal Torrance, United
States, 47.99. 3, Simon Kirch, Germany, 48.55.
800
1.Abraham Chepkirwok, Uganda, 1:50.02. 2, Rene Herms, Germany,
1:50.35. 3, Sam Ellis, Britain, 1:50.68.
1500
1.Bernard Lagat, United States, 3:45.89. 2, Shadrack Korir,
Kenya, 3:46.96. 3, Stefan Eberhardt, Germany, 3:47.44.
60 Hurdles
1. David Oliver, United States, 7.60. 2, Robert Kronberg,
Sweden, 7.71. 3, Chris Baillie, Britain, 7.74.
Long Jump
1.Christopher Tomlinson, Britain, 7.86. 2, Nils Winter,
Germany, 7.62. 3, John Moffitt, United States, 7.54.
Pole Vault
1.Alexander Straub, Germany, 5.60. 2, Steve Lewis,
Britain, 5.45. 3, Alhaji Jeng, Sweden, 5.30.
WOMEN
60
1.Jeanette Kwakye, Britain, 7.23. 2, Lena Berntsson, Sweden,
7.39. 3, Verena Sailer, Germany, 7.42.
60 Hurdles
1.Susanna Kallur, Sweden, 7.81. 2, Lolo Jones, United
States, 8.05. 3, Judith Ritz, Germany, 8.15.
200
1.Shareese Woods, United States, 23.76. 2, Joice Maduaka,
Britain, 24.04. 3, Aleen Bailey, Jamaica, 24.16.
400
1.Shereefa Lloyd, Jamaica, 53.08. 2, Monique Hennagan, United
States, 54.56. 3, Claudia Hoffmann, Germany, 55.51.
800-1
Jenny Meadows, Britain, 2:02.89. 2, Sasha Spencer, United
States, 2:04.70. 3, Celia Brown, Britain, 2:04.84.
1500-1
Lisa Dobriskey, Britain, 4:16.30. 2, Korine Hinds, Jamaica,
4:19.48. 3, Kajsa Haglund, Sweden, 4:19.85.
3000-1
Katrina Wootton, Britain, 9:03.87. 2, Antje Moldner,
Germany, 9:04.97. 3, Veronica Nyaruai, Kenya, 9:08.57.
High Jump-1
Ariane Friedrich, Germany, 2.00. 2, Emma Green, Sweden,
1.93. 3, Sharon Day, United States, 1.90.
Long Jump-1
Bianca Kappler, Germany, 6.37. 2, Jessica Ennis,
Britain, 6.33. 3, Rose Richmond, United States, 6.17.
 | |  | | | Remember to go to www.supersport.com on your Mobile phone and keep in touch with the latest scores wherever you are. |  |
| |  | |  |
|
