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The AT&T USA Outdoor Championships got off with a bang in Indianapolis yesterday when Breaux Greer extended his own national record in the javelin throw to 91.29m [299-6].
"I didn't hit it hard but I hit it clean," said Greer, whose massive effort eclipsed the 90.71 [297-7] mark he set at last month's adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif. It was the fourth national record for the 30-year-old, and the performance extended his own 2007 world lead in the event.
"If you are healthy it's going to be fun and it's going to be easy," said Greer, whose career has been marred by several injuries over the years. "If you're healthy everything is fun. And I know there is still more there. I don't think I'll ever be satisfied. I don't know if an Olympic gold or world record would satisfy me, but I want to find out." The throw also solidified his No. 9 spot on the all-time world list.
The weekend meet serves as the selection competition for August's IAAF World Championships. The top-three in each event who also achieve the qualifying 'A' standard will earn their spots to Osaka. In two of the three other finals contested on the opening day, only one winner --10,000 victor Abdi Abdirahman-- have that standard.
Running with Dathan Ritzenhein, Ryan Hall and later Galen Rupp, the 30-year-old Abdirahman made a move in the ninth kilometer to win unpressed in 28:13.51 to collect his third national title in the event. Rupp, the collegiate standout at the University of Oregon, was second in 28:23.31, while a tiring Ritzenhein held on for third (28:31.88). All three had the 'A' standard prior to the competition, so the Osaka spots are theirs. But Abdirahman indicated afterwards that he hasn’t yet decided if he’ll take his spot. Should he decline, Alan Culpepper, fourth in 28:34.01 who also has the ‘A’, will be offered the spot.
Deena Kastor, the reigning Olympic bronze medallist in the marathon, went on a one-woman time trial in the women's 10,000, leading by a gaping margin from wire to wire after throwing in a 3:08 second kilometer. Kastor went on to win her fifth career title in this event in 31:57.00, with Kara Goucher second in 32:33.80 and Katie McGregor third in 32:44.69. While she was shy of the 31:40.00 ‘A’ standard, a revision in the entry rules this year allows two ‘A’ and one ‘B’ entry on the team, Kastor’s solo run was enough for inclusion on the team.
Shani Marks won the triple jump with a career best 14.08 [46-2 1/2] leap, shy of the Osaka 'A' standard of 14.20, but with the competitive lull in the event in the U.S. at the moment, her 'B' standard will be enough for the World Championships.
EARLY ROUND ACTION...
There were some impressive performances in the opening round of the sprints, topped by Tyson Gay's 9.98 in the 100. Gay, who emerged last summer as the world's best all-around sprinter, has 9.79 and 9.76 wind-aided performances to his credit this season.
"The wind was kind this time," said Gay. “It's prelims, but I felt real good. I'm looking forward to (Friday)."
NCAA 100/200 champion Walter Dix, also the world's fastest thus far on both dashes this season, advanced easily with a 10.08 performance, while Trindon Holliday, who finished second to Dix at the NCAA's, continued his sizzling year with a 10.03, just .01 seconds off of his career best. No surprised emerged; 200m standout Wallace Spearmon, entered in the event, did not start.
There were no casualties in the opening round of the women's 100, with Torri Edwards (11.01), Oslo Golden League winner Stephanie Durst (11.09) and Me'Lisa Barber (10.95 wind +2.6) producing the quickest performances.
NCAA champion Natasha Hastings (51.07) produced the quickest clocking in the opening round of the women's 400, with Mary Wineberg (51.15) and world athlete of the year Sanya Richards (51.38) also cruising to comfortable wins. LaShawn Merritt (45.20) and Angelo Taylor (45.44) were the fastest in the men's opening round; reigning world champion Jeremy Wariner has a bye for Osaka, and is entered in the 200 this weekend.
Erin Donahue (4:09.81) led all qualifiers in the first round of the women's 1500. The major casualty of the opening round was NCAA champion Brianna Felnagle who was a distant ninth (4:22.10) in the second of two heats.
Elsewhere, reigning world champion Bershawn Jackson didn't start in the opening round of the 400m hurdles, but he is entered in the flat 400, thus fulfilling USATF's 'must compete' obligation to secure his bye entry to the World Championships.
Nick Symmonds (1:46.17), who defeated Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy at the Prefontaine Classic two weeks ago, led all qualifiers in the 800. Hazel Clark (2:04.16) was the fastest in the women's race.
Today's program includes finals in the men's and women's 100m and 5000, men's pole vault, long jump and hammer throw, and the women's discus and javelin throws.
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