Olijar
star of the Meeting Val d’Oise
Ed Gordon for the
IAAF
13 February 2002 -
Eaubonne, France - Stanislav Olijar provided the highlight of the 7th Val de
Oise meeting in suburban Paris Wednesday night with a splendid personal-best of 7.49 to
easily win the 60-metres hurdles.
The 22-year-old Latvian led from the start and posted a time which has been bettered this season only by Colin Jackson of Britain and Yevgeniy Pechonkin of Russia, two of the rivals Olijar can expect to see when he attempts to defend his European indoor hurdle title in just over two weeks’ time.
South African Shaun Bownes placed second in 7.62, just ahead of 18-year-old Chinese hurdler Xiang Liu (7.63).
“My start was quite good,” he said, indicating satisfaction with his winter regimen which has emphasized this part of the race.
“I really wanted to run in front, and I did that tonight. In past seasons, I have relied too much on my finish. Now, both parts are coming together.”
Under the watchful eye of his trainer-mother, Lyudmila Olijar, herself a standout hurdler in the Soviet era, Olijar thickened the plot for a European Championship hurdle showdown with his run tonight.
“After what Colin and Elmar [Lichtenegger] had been doing the last two weeks, I had to make a response. This proves I’m ready [to defend my title].”
Olijar will run in Birmingham and Athens before returning home to Riga for final preparations for the Vienna championships.
The most highly-decorated athlete in the hall tonight was former world indoor and outdoor 800-metre champion Ludmila Formanová, who was making her first competitive start since walking off the track with an injury during her heat in the Sydney Games.
An achilles operation more than a year ago necessitated the long layoff for the Czech runner. That hiatus ended tonight with her 2:04.5 performance, just behind the 2:04.1 of winner Sandra Stals of Belgium. She is slated to run this coming weekend at the Czech Championships in Prague.
Many of the 2000 spectators had come to see former world 400-hurdles champion Stéphane Diagana run that distance, but without hurdles. But they were disappointed when the affable Frenchman withdrew because of a tender hamstring. The race was won by Djabir Said-Guerni of Algeria, dropping down from his usual 800-metre distance, in a creditable 46.71.
RESULTS (all FRA unless otherwise noted)
MEN
60 METRES: 1. Streete-Thompson (CAY) 6.61; 2. Chernovol (KAZ) 6.61; 3. Mayola (CUB) 6.65; 4. Nthepe 6.67; 5. Asahara (JPN) 6.68; 6. Emedolu (NGR) 6.78.
Heat 1: 1. Mayola 6.64; 2. Streete-Thompson 6.70; 3. Nthepe 6.71; 4. Moussambani 6.90; 5. Bouop da Zock 6.91; 6. Gnoan 7.04. Heat 2: 1. Chernovol 6.67; 2. Asahara (JPN) 6.68; 3. Zami 6.88; 4. Nazical 6.98; 5. Beyong (CMR) 7.06; 6. Ducros 7.07. Heat 3: 1. Emedolu 6.77; 2. Bongelo (BEL) 6.82; 3. Eyana 6.87; 4. Ayangma (CMR) 6.89; 5. Djaffar 6.93.
400 METRES: 1. Said-Guerni (ALG) 46.71; 2. Elhaouzy (MAFR) 47.64; 3. Q Douglas (NOR) 47.70.
800 METRES: 1. Mutua (KEN) 1:47.75; 2. H Rotich (KEN) 1:49.28; 3. Jansen (BEL) 1:49.49; 4. Omey (BEL) 1:49.65; 5. De Bock 1:49.90; 6. W Botha (RSA) 1:50.22; 7. E Kemboi (KEN) 1:51.31; 8. Didouhe 1:52.14. Pace: R Chirchir (KEN).
60 HURDLES: 1. Olijar (LAT) 7.49; 2. Bownes (RSA) 7.62; 3. X Liu (CHN) 7.63; 4. Clarico 7.79; 5. Videnov (BUL) 8.00. Disqualified: Lavanne (two false starts)
Heat 1: 1. Olijar 7.60; 2. Bownes 7.69; 3. Clarico 7.81; 4. Videnov 7.94; 5. Grava 8.05; 6. Bassette 8.32. Heat 2: 1. X Liu 7.82; 2. Lavanne 7.86; 3. Sissoko 7.97; 4. Cursaz 8.20; 5. Dreher 8.39.
LONG JUMP: 1. Moudrik (MAR) 7.95; 2. Martinez (CUB) 7.93; 3. Beckford (JAM) 7.92; 4. Cankar (SLO) 7.84; 5. Ziuskov (UKR) 7.77; 6. Dilworth (USA) 7.70; 7. Streete-Thompson (CAY) 7.57; 8. Marciniszyn (POL) 7.57; 9. Ledraoullec 5.72.
WOMEN
60 METRES: 1. Ajunwa (NGR) 7.19; 2. Sidibe 7.26; 3. Benavides (CUB) 7.31; 4. Ojokolo (NGR) 7.34; 5. Felix 7.35; 6. Ekah (NGR) 7.41.
Heat 1: 1. Ajunwa 7.18; 2. Felix 7.39; 3. Ekah 7.43; 4. Mballa Eloundou 7.47; 5. Losange 7.78. Heat 2: 1. Benavides 7.35; 2. Ojokolo 7.36; 3. Sidibe 7.37; 4. Ivanova-Guner (TUR) 7.44; 5. Safronnikova (BLR) 7.51.
200 METRES: 1. Ivanova-Guner (TUR) 23.47; 2. Sidibe 23.96. Did not finish: Dia.
800 METRES (all hand times): 1. Stals (BEL) 2:04.1; 2. Formanova (CZE) 2:04.5; 3. Kirilova (BUL) 2:04.8; 4. Grousselle 2:05.1; 5. Fredon 2:05.5; 6. Ionescu (ROM) 2:06.3. Pace: Tagodoe.
60 HURDLES: 1. Girard 8.10; 2. Ferga 8.11; 3. Ramalalanirina 8.13; 4. Gerance 8.22; 5. Allahgreen (GBR) 8.26; 6. Aron 8.35.
Heat 1: 1. Ferga 8.16; 2. Gerance 8.17; 3. Ramalalanirina 8.17; 4. Buval 8.24; 5. Neyra (CUB) 8.29; 6. Conjungo 8.61. Heat 2: 1. Girard 8.08; 2. Allahgreen 8.19; 3. Aron 8.23; 4. Abrantes (POR) 8.24; 5. Bujak 8.39; Casy 8.42.
HIGH JUMP: 1. Vlasic (CRO) 1.92; 2. Pop (ROM) 1.89; 3. Mykhalchenko (UKR) 1.89; 4. Gulevich (BLR) 1.80; 5. May Dijksrta (CAN) and Ota (JPN) 1.77; 7. Passe-Coutrin 1.74; 8. Bounouail 1.71.
POLE VAULT: 1. Gao (CHN) 4.35; 2. de Wilt (NED) 4.25; 3. Auer (AUT) 4.05; 4. Lindor 3.35. No height: Ryshich (GER) at 4.05; Koleva (BUL) at 4.15.
