Americans Impress At World Athletics Final

USATF News & Notes, Volume 9, Number 48

Jeter Dominates At World Athletics Final

2009 World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter posted the fastest women’s 100m time in 12 years with her victory over the weekend at the IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Jeter, who captured the U.S. title in June and posted a career best time of 10.83 seconds at the World Championships last month in Berlin, stormed out of the blocks and was never challenged before crossing the finish line first in 10.67 seconds, which is the third-fastest performance in history.  World and Olympic champion Shelly Ann Fraser (JAM) was the runner-up in 10.89, with world silver medalist Kerron Stewart (JAM) finishing third in 10.90.

“When I saw the clock, I was in shock and in tears,” Jeter said after the race. “When I got into the race and the gun went off I didn’t think; I just ran to the line. Everything felt slow and when my coach says that it feels slow it’s actually fast. So when I saw the clock I could not believe it because I felt like I was running 10.9.”

Jeter, who also won the World Athletics Final in 2007, has been undefeated since the Berlin World Championships, posting wins in Zurich, Gateshead and Brussels. She intends to wrap up her season this month with meets in Shanghai and Daegu.

Other U.S. winners in Thessaloniki included Sanya Richards, who earlier this year won the women’s 400m gold medal at the World Championships in Berlin, and secured a one-third share of the 2009 IAAF Golden League $1,000,000 jackpot with her win recently at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, Belgium.

Richards won the 400m in 49.95 seconds, and also ran well in the women’s 200 meters with her seasonal best time of 22.29 seconds. Three-time World Outdoor Champs 200m gold medalist Allyson Felix posted the identical time and was declared the victor in a photo finish.

World Outdoor Championships men’s silver medalist Tyson Gay faced a huge deficit to former world record holder Asafa Powell (JAM) in the men’s 100 meters before storming back to take the lead and the victory in 9.88 seconds. Powell was the runner-up in 9.90, with 2009 World Outdoor Championships and 2008 Olympic Games finalist Darvis (“Doc”) Patton finishing third in 10.00.

Reigning world and Olympic men’s 400m champion LaShawn Merritt won his second consecutive World Athletics Final in 44.93 seconds, with Chris Brown (BAH) the runner-up in 45.49 and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist David Neville finishing third in 45.60. Elsewhere, two-time world champion and 2008 Olympic Games silver medalist Kerron Clement won the men’s 400m hurdles in 48.11 seconds.

Americans took the top two spots in the women’s 800 meters with 2009 USA Outdoor Championships 1,500m third-place finisher and former American 3,000m steeplechase record holder Anna Willard winning the race in 2:00.20, with 2009 World Champs team member Maggie Vessey the runner-up in 2:00.31.

In field event action, 2009 World Outdoor champion Brittney Reese set a WAF record with her win in the women’s long jump with her best leap of 7.08 meters/23 feet 2.75 inches. Reese owns the top four jumps in the world this outdoor season.

2008 Olympic silver medalist and reigning world champion Christian Cantwell won the men’s shot put with a new WAF record heave of 22.07m/72-5. Cantwell owns the three best throws in the world during the 2009 outdoor campaign.

Other impressive performances were turned in by two-time Berlin World Championships medalist Bernard Lagat, who was the runner-up in the men’s 3,000 meters in 8:04.00. Also finishing second in their respective events were 2008 Olympic Games gold medalist Dawn Harper in the women’s 100m hurdles (12.61), Dexter Faulk in the men’s 110m hurdles (13.26), three-time World Outdoor Championships medalist Wallace Spearmon in the men’s 200 meters (20.21), 2008 Olympian Leonel Manzano in the men’s 1,500m (3:35.40), reigning men’s long jump world champion Dwight Phillips (8.24m/27 feet.50 inch) and 2008 Olympic Games fourth place finisher Derek Miles in the men’s pole vault (5.60m/18-4.50).

For more information on the 2009 World Athletics Final, including the complete results, visit: www.iaaf.org.