Xiang (CHN) on his way to his Asian record in Osaka, heads Johnson (© AFP/Getty Images)
World bronze medallist Liu Xiang of China set a new Asian record in the men's 110 metres Hurdles at the Osaka GP - IAAF Grand Prix - meeting earlier today.
In the race that was billed as the re-match of the World championships, or perhaps more appropriately the prelude to the upcoming Olympic Games, Liu Xiang won the 110m Hurdles in the world leading mark of 13.06, thus improving his own Asian record of 13.12 from 2002.
Allen Johnson started well, but Liu slowly made up the ground. By the fifth hurdle Liu was side by side with Johnson from which point Liu slowly drew away from Johnson and won by 7/100 of the second.
Liu, 22, the World Junior record holder won the race despite hurting his knee during warm-up shortly before the race. "I'm not in good shape, I feel pain in my leg, but I'm satisfied with the result very much," said a jubilant Liu, the 2002 Asian Games gold medallist.
"It was the first time I took part in an international competition this season. Maybe the other two (Johnson and Wignall) had already run, but I was able to beat them today. I'm really happy about it. I believe this win will remain in my mind for a long time," Liu, world indoor silver medalist, continued. Johnson improved his season best time to 13.13 (from 13.25 from Mt. SAC), but that was not fast enough.
Liu, who was not satisfied with his first three hurdles, explained: "If I had been a bit faster to clear the first three hurdles, my time would have been much faster. If I can keep believing in myself, I can do very well in the Olympics, but honestly speaking, he (Johnson) is a better athlete."
To put his mark in perspective, since 2000, only Allen Johnson and Anier Garcia have run faster than Liu ran today. Finishing behind Liu and Allen Johnson were Maurice Wignall and Terrence Trammell, medallists from the World Indoor and Outdoor Championships respectively.
Greene wins 100m
Defending Olympic Champion Maurice Greene won the 100m in 10.04, ahead of two Americans JJ Johnson and Mickey Grimes. After having a troubled year in 2003, with two fastest times of the still early 2004 season so far, Greene once again is re-establishing himself as the premier sprinter.
"As far as my race, it was OK. I planned to run faster than I did, but I have to take the win as I did it," said Greene, three time World 100m champion in 1997, 1999 and 2001.
Japanese relay success
With Shingo Suetsugu, Paris’ World bronze medallist at 200m, running the second leg of 4x100m Relay, the Japanese national team not only won the relay but came within 0.04 seconds of the national record (38.31, 1997). However, Suetsugu who felt some tightness in his left leg, pulled out of the 100m as a precautionary measure, and thus his season debut at individual event must wait until a later date.
While the men’s relay team failed to produce the national record, the women’s team was successful. The Japanese quartet of Tomoko Ishida, Ayumi Suzuki, Kaori Sakagami and Motoka Kojima (formerly Arai) set a national record of 43.77 for the women’s 4x100m relay, improving on the previous record of 44.10 set by the same quartet last year at the Nambu memorial meet.
Francique prevails at 400m
In the 400m, another race billed as the battle of the World Championships medallists, the World Indoor Champion, Alleyne Francique not only prevailed, but annihilated the field which included the gold and silver medallists from the 2003 World outdoor Championships, Jerome Young and Tyree Washington.
Francique, who was only eighth in Paris a year ago, won the 400m by nearly a second. In the process he recorded the world leading time of 44.47, which is also his personal best, and naturally a national record of tiny Grenada.
Murofushi takes Hammer
For the second consecutive year, Koji Murofushi won the Hammer in 82.18m.
"I threw further than I expected. It is a good start. I have a good feeling that I can make good progress from here," said Mufofushi after the competiton.
Although he twice threw further at the Osaka GP, 82.59m in 2001 and 82.95m in 2003, it was still the world leading mark, an auspicious start of this Olympic season for two-time World Championships medallist.
The previous world leading thrower Adrian Annus (HUN) finished second, while the defending Olympic champion Szymon Ziolkowski (POL) finished a disappointing 7th. Ziolkowski has yet to capture the form that made him a Sydney Olympic champion as well as the 2001 World Champion. He has not thrown over 80m, the hallmark of the world class hammer thrower, since 2001.
Tamesue runs 48.87 for 400m Hurdles
After struggling with his event for the last two years, Dai Tamesue may be back in form, just in time for the Olympic Games. In his season debut at the 400m Hurdles, Tamesue went out fast from the start as he did in Edmonton. Although he struggled in the last 100m, he still won in 48.87. His old racing style is back.
To put this mark in perspecive, it was faster than his season best for the 2003, and only slightly slower than his season best for the 2002.
Japan's Kumiko Ikeda won the women’s Long Jump in 6.65m, ahead of Grace Upshaw (USA) and the World Championships bronze medallist Anju George (IND) who finished fourth.
However, with the national championships, which doubles as the Olympic Trials only four weeks away, what may be more important for Ikeda is that she defeated her arch rival Maho Hanaoka once again, and thus gained a psychological advantage over her.
Other highlights included, the double World medallist Torri Edwards blowing away the field in the women’s 100m with 11.05, Philip Mosima, a former World junior record holder, winning the 5000m with a slowish 13:24.94, John Kosgei taking the 3000m Steeplechase in relatively modest but still world leading time of 8:23.95, Sandro Glover winning the women’s 400m Hurdles in 54.95, thus improving her season's best by 5/100 of the second and double World champion Yipsi Moreno dominating the women’s Hammer with 72.92m, the mark only she has exceeded this season.
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
with assistance from Akihiro Onishi
