Markov and Vizaniari highlights of
Optus Finale
Athletics Australia
8 March 2000 - A return to form by 1999 World Championships silver medallist Dmitri Markov in the pole vault and another exceptional performance by Queensland thrower Lisa-Marie Vizaniari in the discus entertained a large Adelaide crowd at the Optus Grand Prix Finale tonight.
Markov cleared a season’s best of 5.80m in the vault to beat Victor Chistiakov who also stood up at the culmination of the season with a 2000 best of 5.70m.
Vizaniari continued her consistent year with a winning discus throw of 64.25m to beat the national champion Alison Lever who threw 60.44m.
Long jump star Peter Burge also maintained a consistency at a high level with a strong series of jumps including a best of 8.14m.
Emma George finished the season on a high with a winning vault of 4.40m to edge out World Championships bronze medallist Tatiana Grigorieva who cleared a season’s best of 4.30m.
Facing strong headwinds Melinda Gainsford-Taylor took out the 100m, 200m double for the fourth time this season winning in 11.61s and 23.13s respectively.
National record holder Matt Shirvington won the men’s 100m in 10.48s while form sprinter Patrick Johnson proved too strong in the 200m in 20.95s ahead of Patrick Dwyer who clocked 21.20s and national champion Darryl Wohlsen (21.23s).
Kenyan Naomi Mugo pulled Australians Susie Power (15:27.07) and Kylie Risk (15:33.43) through to Olympic A qualifying times in the women’s 5000m. Mugo won in 15:25.13.
In the 400m Mexican Ana Guevara took the women’s race in 50.84s from Nova Peris-Kneebone (52.75s) while fellow Mexican Juan Toledo won the men’s in 46.10s from dynamo Daniel Batman (46.33s).
Kenyan William Chirchir set a meet record in the 800m. After beating world number two Noah Ngeny in the 1500m last week, Chirchir powered to the line to win in 1:45.15 from Swiss athlete Andre Bucher (1:45.35) and rising Australian star Kris McCarthy who clocked another Olympic A qualifier of 1:46.05.
Another Kenyan Albert Chepkurui won the 5000m in 13:43.14 from Kim Gillard (13:43.62) and Shaun Creighton (13:44.05).
In other events Andrew Currey won the javelin with 79.41m, Melanie Collins powered home in the 800m in 2:04.63, Rosa Rokotozafy from Madagascar won the 100m hurdles, Baya Rahouli leapt out to 14.42m for victory in the women’s triple jump, local boy Ronald Garlett won the high jump clearing 2.18m, Larry Achike from Great Britain took out the triple jump and Miroslav Menc from the Czech Republic heaved a 19.49m throw in the shot put.
National champion Tim Ewen comfortably won the 110m hurdles in 14.31s and Blair Young from Queensland clocked 50.01s in winning the 400m hurdles.
Results from the Optus Grand Prix – Adelaide (AUS)
Women's 100 metres (w:-1.9)
1. Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (NSWI) 11.61; 2. Rosa Rakotozafy (MAD) 11.82; 3.Jodi Lambert
(WAIS) 11.89; 4. Suzanne Broadrick (VIS) 11.89; 5. Sharon Cripps (QAS) 11.90; 6. Rachael
Massey (NSWI) 12.03; 7. Melissa Medlicott (NSW) 12.18; 8. Sandra Porter (VIS) 12.38.
Women's 200 metres (w:-2.3)
1. Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (NSWI) 23.13; 2. Jodi Lambert (WAIS) 24.06; 3.Sharon Cripps
(QAS) 24.24; 4. Tamsyn Lewis (VIS) 24.62; 5. Sandra Porter (VIS) 24.84; 6. Melissa
Medlicott (NSW) 24.90; 7. Rachael Massey (NSWI) 25.14; 8. Sonia Brito (VIC) 25.25; 9. Anne
Mooney (PNG) 25.74.
Women's 400 metres
1. Ana Guevara (MEX) 50.84; 2. Nova Peris-Kneebone (NTIS) 52.75; 3. Claudine Komgang (CMR)
53.00; 4. Jane Arnott (NZL) 53.94; 5. Rosemary Hayward (NSWI) 54.01; 6. Lauren Poetschka
(WAIS) 54.03.
Women's 800 metres
1. Melanie Collins (NSW) 2:04.63; 2. Marg Crowley (VIS) 2:06.05; 3. Gladys Wamuyu (KEN)
2:06.38; 4. Kelly Roberts (ACTA) 2:07.50; 5. Benita Willis (AIS) 2:07.75; 6. Erin Hargrave
(NSWI) 2:09.13; - Christy Watson (SA) DNF.
Women's 5,000 metres
1. Naomi Mugo (KEN) 15:25.13; 2. Susie Power (VIS) 15:27.07; 3. Una English (IRL)
15:31.93; 4. Kylie Risk (TAS) 15:33.43; 5. Samukeliso Moyo (ZIM) 15:40.43; 6. Kate
Richardson (VIS) 15:42.96; 7. Haley McGregor (VIC) 16:38.30; 8. Jane Mudge (SA) 17:31.58.
Women's 100 metres Hurdles (w:-2.8)
1. Rosa Rakotozafy (MAD) 13.47; 2. Valerie Manning (USA) 13.79; 3. Tacko Diouf (SEN)
13.83; 4. Sally Bult (WA) 13.84; 5. Debbi Edwards (NSWI) 13.88; 6. Jacquie Munro (NSWI)
13.96; 7. Sherryl Morrow (VIS) 14.09; 8. Phillippa McGuffog (SA) 15.61.
Women's Pole Vault
1. Emma George (WAIS) 4.40m; 2. Tatiana Grigorieva (SASI) 4.30m; 3. Bridgid Isworth (VIS)
4.15m; 4. Kym Howe (WAIS) 4.00m; 5. Tracey Shepherd (WAIS) 3.85m; 6. Rosanna Ditton (NSWI)
3.65m; - Emma Draisey (NZL) NH; - Tracy Young (SA) NH.
Women's Triple Jump
1. Baya Rahouli (ALG) 14.42m w:2.6; 2. Connie Henry (GBR) 13.39m w:3.2; 3. Michelle
Apostolou (SA) 12.46m w:2.0; 4. Jane Denning (VIC) 11.98m w:1.7; 5. Amy Walker (QLD)
11.98m w:2.6; - Paula Lodge (SA) ND.
Women's Discus Throw
1. Lisa-Marie Vizaniari (QAS) 64.25m; 2. Alison Lever (QAS) 60.44m; 3. Deborah Lovely
(QLD) 52.64m; 4. Debbie Pickersgill (QAS) 51.41m; 5. Melehifo Uhi (TON) 48.07m; 6.
Alifatou Djibril (TOG) 47.03m.
Men's 100 metres (w:-2.7)
1. Matt Shirvington (NSWI) 10.48; 2. Paul di Bella (QAS) 10.60; 3. Antoine Boussombo (GAB)
10.61; 4. Keiran Noonan (NSWI) 10.69; 5. Adam Basil (VIS) 10.73; 6. Tim Williams (VIS)
10.96; 7. Tim Matthews (VIS) 11.08; 8. Campbell Tonkin (VIC) 11.11; 9. Gavin Hunter (QAS)
14.01.
Men's 200 metres (w:-2.0)
1. Patrick Johnson (AIS) 20.95; 2. Patrick Dwyer (NSWI) 21.20; 3. Darryl Wohlsen (QAS)
21.23; 4. Damien Marsh (MTC) 21.24; 5. Antoine Boussombo (GAB) 21.27; 6. Tim Williams
(VIS) 21.71; 7. Ben Koschade (SA) 22.28.
Men's 400 metres
1. Juan Toledo (MEX) 46.10; 2. Daniel Batman (NSWI) 46.33; 3. Brad Jamieson (SASI) 47.19;
4. Casey Vincent (VIS) 47.70; 5. Jason Kougellis (NSW) 48.40; 6. Tom Hassell (SA) 48.65;
7. Ben Koschade (SA) 49.04; 8. Keith Sheehy (SA) 49.89; 9. Mark Ormrod (SA) 50.14.
Men's 800 metres
1. William Chirchir (KEN) 1:45.15; 2. Andre Bucher (SUI) 1:45.35; 3. Kris McCarthy (VIS)
1:46.05; 4. Frederick Onyancha (KEN) 1:47.14; 5. Martin Byron (NSWI) 1:47.31; 6. Brendan
Hanigan (TIS) 1:47.35; 7. Heath Fitzpatrick (AIS) 1:47.63; 8. Malcolm Muir (QLD) 1:48.42;
- Jai Thomas (VIC) DNF.
Men's 5,000 metres
1. Albert Chepkurui (KEN) 13:43.14; 2. Kim Gillard (NSWI) 13:43.62; 3. Shaun Creighton
(ACT) 13:44.05; 4. Sisay Bezabeh (AIS) 13:46.32; 5. Andrew Letherby (QLD) 13:47.46; 6.
Sammy Mutai (KEN) 13:53.00; 7. Dean Cavuoto (ACT) 13:58.40; 8. Martin Dent (AIS) 14:31.25;
9. Ryan Cox (SA) 14:37.30; - Jon Creasey (SA) DNF.
Men's 110 metres Hurdles (w:-2.1)
1. Tim Ewen (SASI) 14.31; 2. Martin Barrow (VIC) 14.52; 3. Berlioz Randriamihaja (MAD)
14.53; 4. David Rose (SASI) 14.58; 5. Stuart Anderson (QLD) 14.66; 6. Jagan Hames (AIS)
14.69; 7. Ashley Mahoney (QLD) 14.74; 8. Gregory Eyears (NSW) 14.93.
Men's 400 metres Hurdles
1. Blair Young (QLD) 50.01; 2. Zion Armstrong (NZL) 50.61; 3. Matt Beckenham (AIS) 51.26;
4. Peter Bate (AIS) 52.53; 5. Brendan Mallyon (QLD) 52.93; 6. Sean Avery (VIS) 53.46; -
Brendan Cole (VIC) DNF.
Men's High Jump
1. Ronald Garlett (SASI) 2.18m; 2. Nick Moroney (NSWI) 2.18m; 3. Shannon Craddock (NSW)
2.18m; 4. Thomas Donovan (VIC) 2.09m; 5. Chris Hogan (TAS) 2.04m; 5. Mark Watts (SA)
2.04m; 7. Andrew Clift (SA) 1.99m.
Men's Pole Vault
1. Dimitri Markov (WAIS) 5.80m; 2. Victor Chistiakov (SASI) 5.70m; 3. Paul Burgess (WAIS)
5.40m; 4. Alex Mirotnichenko (RUS) 5.40m; 5. Patrick Jesser (SASI) 5.25m; - Igor
Potapovich (KZK) NH.
Men's Long Jump
1. Peter Burge (NSWI) 8.14m w:1.6; 2. Leigh Stuart (VIC) 7.71m w:3.0; 3. Mark Dalton (SA)
7.56m w:3.3; 4. Richard Marian (WA) 7.41m w:3.1; 5. Clint Lucas (SA) 7.29m w:4.5.
Men's Triple Jump
1. Larry Achike (GBR) 16.58m w:1.6; 2. Thomas Crago (SA) 14.38m w:1.6; - Tim Moran (CAN)
ND; - Jiri Kuntos (CZE) ND.
Men's Shot Put
1. Miroslav Menc (CZE) 19.49m; 2. John Minns (VIC) 18.10m; 3. Rhys Jones (QAS) 17.42m; 4.
Jakob Vujcic (NSWI) 17.14m; 5. Scott Martin (VIS) 16.20m.
Men's Javelin Throw
1. Andrew Currey (NSWI) 79.41m; 2. Adrian Hatcher (NSWI) 78.36m; 3. Andrew Martin (VIS)
76.09m; 4. Daniel Kratzmann (QAS) 66.91m; 5. Andrew Hall (WA) 63.67m.
This information has been provided by Athletics Australia.
