Yarisley Silva in action in Padua (© Organisers / Antonio Muzzolon)
World champion Yarisley Silva was the top performer at the Atletica Mondiale meeting in Padua after twice improving the meeting record in the pole vault.
Her second-attempt clearance at 4.63m added one centimetre to the meeting record that had been set by Stacey Dragila back in 2002. The Cuban then sailed over 4.71m at the first time of asking before ending her series with three failed attempts at 4.81m.
Italy’s Sonia Malavisi finished second with 4.51m, adding one centimetre to her own national under-23 record, and now looks set to be added to Italy’s Olympic team for Rio.
“I love competing in front of Italian fans, they were very supportive,” said Silva. “This was my penultimate competition before Rio. I will compete next week in London. I am happy for Sonia; she is young and has a good future.”
“After clearing 4.50m, I had some ups and downs,” said Malavisi. “I needed another qualifying standard to book my ticket to Rio. I am the happiest girl in the world.”
Double Olympic and three-time world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won in Padua for the second year in a row, clocking 11.25 to finish comfortably ahead of Janeba Tarmoh from the USA (11.47). Last year the Jamaican broke Merlene Ottey’s meeting record with 10.98.
“Italy is my second home, as I am based in Lignano during the summer season,” said Fraser-Pryce. “I enjoy competing in Padua in front of a lot of children. I am looking forward to defending my title.”
Italian champion Yusneisy Santiusti, who finished fifth at last week’s European Championships, won the 800m in Padua for the second time in her career. She crossed the line in 2:01.04 to finish ahead of British 1500m specialist Laura Muir (2:01.23) and 2011 world 1500m silver medallist Hannah England (2:01.34).
“I came yesterday from Monaco where I set my seasonal best (2:00.04) but I really wanted to run a good race in front of my fans and friends before competing in my first Olympic Games for Italy in Rio de Janeiro,” said Santiusti, who has been living in Padua since 2008.
Alexis Copello, winner at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Oslo last month, came close to 17 metres to win the men’s triple jump with 16.96m on his second attempt.
NCAA indoor 60m champion Ronnie Baker followed up his triumph in Lignano Sabbiadoro with another victory in the 100m in 10.15 over his compatriot Quentin Butler (10.29)
World 4x400m champion Stephenie-Ann McPherson dipped under 51 seconds to win the women’s 400m in 50.98 beating 2014 European silver medallist Olga Zemlyak, who set a season’s best of 51.19.
African 1500m silver medallist Jacob Rozani from South Africa won the men’s 800m in 1:46.40, scoring his second consecutive win on Italian soil this week after his first place in Lignano Sabbiadoro last Wednesday. World University Games champion Shaquille Walker came off the final bend in the lead before Rozani and Giordano Benedetti launched their kick in the final straight. Rozani held off Benedetti by 0.07.
USA’s Amanda Ecleston broke the meeting record in the women’s 1500m by clocking 4:04.90 ahead of her compatriot Heather Kampf (4:05.31). The USA scored a 1500m double as Eric Avila won the men’s race, smashing his personal best with 3:36.37.
NCAA indoor champion Cindy Ofili clinched a close win in the 100m hurdles in 13.12 (-0.9m/s) over Jamaican champion Megan Simmonds.
Tatsiana Khaladovic from Belarus scored her third consecutive win in the women’s javelin with 61.85m following her European title in Amsterdam and her first IAAF Diamond League victory in Monaco.
Jamaica’s world bronze medallist O’Dayne Richards won the men’s shot with 20.78m, while USA’s Olympic finalist Terea Brown won the women’s 400m hurdles in 55.95.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
