Dwain Chambers running 100m in Glasgow - 2003 (© Getty Images)
European 100m champion Dwain Chambers demonstrated, yet again, in Glasgow this afternoon – at the annual triangular match between Britain, USA and Russia - his enduring ability to bounce back just when everybody is writing him off.
Having not won a race all season, and squirming from two defeats to his younger British rival, Mark Lewis Francis – the latest on Friday night in Oslo – Chambers must have been wondering whether his self-proclaimed status as chief challenger to the American sprinters would ever be justified.
But on an unusually warm and sunny Scottish afternoon at the Norwich Union International, Chambers produced a flying start from lane seven and powered home to inflict defeat by a tenth of a second on the World record holder Tim Montgomery, with Lewis Francis another two hundredths behind. His time, 10.15, won’t set the world alight, but considering it steals Maurice Greene’s 1999 Scotstoun stadium record by a hundredth he had every reason to feel pleased with his first victory of the season.
“I am feeling better with every race,” said Chambers. “On this form I should be good for the World Championships.”
Montgomery, in lane 3, had expected Lewis Francis in lane 4 to be his main rival and was surprised by Chambers’ start on the outside. “Was that a fast start or was that a fast start?” exclaimed Montgomery before rushing back to the States to be with his partner Marion Jones, who gave birth to a son, Tim, on Sunday, three weeks ahead of schedule. “I knew Mark was the man in form, so I was glad to be next to him in the race. I was very surprised to see Dwain so far ahead, but that’s the way these races go.”
Kelli White was another much fancied American sprinter who was surprised by the start, in her case because she thought she’d heard two sounds and assumed there had been a recall. The new US champion over 100m and 200m, was contesting the longer sprint here, but got out of the blocks so slowly as a result that the race was lost long before she hit the straight.
Russia’s Anastasia Kapachinskaya took the victory in 23.34, an impressive stadium record, one of nine on the day, given the swirling headwind of -4.1m/s. Svetlana Pospelova was second in 23.49, with White back in fourth in 23.60. “I have had bad starts before but it sounded like there was one gun and two noises out there,” said White afterwards. “I am just tired I guess. I needed a work out and that’s what I got. But with all that wind there was just too much to do.”
The wind played havoc with a number of events, illegally aiding the long jumpers and hindering the sprinters and hurdlers. Not that Britain’s 400m hurdler Chris Rawlinson seemed to notice. He posted the second fastest time in the world this year, 48.44, to win by more than five metres from USA’s Joey Woody, second in 49.13. Despite running into the teeth of the wind, Rawlinson seemed to grow in strength over the final two hurdles, stretching his lead impressively at the end.
Eric Thomas, whose stadium record Rawlinson eclipsed by four tenths, fell at the second hurdle but jogged home to ensure his team a point. It would hardly have mattered, USA won the match easily with 137 points, from Russia (113), leaving the home side in third on 109.
USA’s cause was helped by two unexpected victory’s in the women’s field events: Grace Upshaw ending the 18 month undefeated run of Russia’s European champion Tatyana Kotova in the Long Jump, and Amy Acuff getting the better of the world leading high jumper Marina Kuptsova.
Upshaw benefited most from the strong tailwinds – up to +4.9m/s on some efforts – and posted three marks beyond 6.90m, the longest at 6.99m (+4.9m/s). Kotova’s best of 6.94m (+3.8m/s) was good enough for second, with Britain’s Jade Johnson in third (6.77m, +3.7m/s).
Like Upshaw, Acuff also produced a season’s best, clearing 1.98m on her second attempt, with Kuptsova well below her best at 1.95m. Indeed, Acuff must have been virtually the only athlete competing who was utterly unfazed by the breeze. “The wind doesn’t bother me at all,” she said. “Back in Texas I have seen small animals floating by in practice.”
European champion Hammer thrower Olga Kuzenkova was almost another unexpected Russian loser. Trailing to Anna Mahon’s 69.77m after the third round, she left it until the last effort of the competition to produce the only 70m-plus effort of the day – 70.03m.
Given the blustery conditions, Russia’s Svetlana Pospelova produced an impressive victory in the women’s 400 flat, clocking 51.20, ahead of Britain’s European bronze medallist Lee McConnell. USA’s Derrick Brew took the men’s 400m in 45.32 from Daniel Caines (45.44), with Scotland’s ex-100m man Ian Mackie pipping former European champion Iwan Thomas for third. Mackie’s 46.13 was a personal best by 0.70 seconds in only his third race at the distance.
The women’s 100m went to Russia’s Marina Kislova, who clocked 11.34 into a -2.2m/s wind, ahead of a below par Gail Devers (11.50). “The wind is so strong I feel like I have just run 200m, not 100m,” said Kislova afterwards.
American 100m champion Bernard Williams battled through the -4.1m/s head wind to win the men’s 200m in 20.95m. Britain’s Christian Malcolm was second in 21.26 with Darren Campbell third (21.37). “The wind hits you like a wall as soon as you get into your stride,” said Malcolm. “It knocks everything out of proportion.”
That, it seems, was the story of the day. That, and Dwain Chambers return to winning ways.
