Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers announced her rising status in short-sprint by winning 60m in the fourth leg of Glasgow’s IAAF World Indoor Tour on Saturday. By extending her winning streak in the indoor meets, Schippers is a commanding favorite in 60m for next month’s World Indoor Championships at Portland. Schippers’ exploits in last November’s World Championships at Beijing are still fresh. She won the 200m sprint and missed the 100m by a whisker. Canada’s world pole-vault champion Shawn Barber showed his true capability by leaping over 5.89m in front of a capacity crowd. However there was huge disappointment in store for St. Kitts’ veteran sprinter Kim Collins, who needed a stretcher for being taken away from the track after developing cramps. Collins’ unceremonious pull-out benefitted two Brits, Sean Safro-Antwi and Richard Kitty, who took the first and second places.
In women’s 60m, Dafne Schippers was a picture of confidence in her heats and just before settling on blocks for the final. Somehow, Dafne couldn’t get out of the blocks smoothly and lsot some time. Regardless, the Dutchwoman managed to cut through the field and led after the halfway mark. She won in 7.10 ahead of Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson, who clocked 7.14. In 7.15, Poland’s Ewa Swoboda finished third. Incidentally, it was Thompson, who trailed Schippers in her 200m victory in world Championships at Beijing last November.
Dafne Schippers
Canadian pole-vaulter Shawn Barber has recently had some poor results but he shrugged off past history with a crowd-pulling performance at Glasgow to take the top spot with 5.89m. Last week in Berlin, Brazil’s Thiago Braz da Silva created a South American record, when he leapt over 5.93 but at Glasgow, Braz left the competition at 5.77 and finished a lowly fifth overall. In contrast, Barber cleared 5.77 and 5.89 in his first attempts and went for the Canadian national record of 6.01. He didn’t succeed but still finished the winner at Glasgow. Barber had taken second places at Karlsruhe and Boston and looks in good shape for Portland. Before that, however, Barber has to contend with French Olympic champion Renauld Lavillenie at Clermont on Sunday. At Glasgow, the second place went to GBR’s Luke Cutts (5.70) and third to Robert Sodera of Poland (5.60).
Kim Collins had only disappointment at Glasgow. After Karlsruhe and Stockholm, Collins looked on course after completing his heat in the season’s best time of 6.51. But the veteran sprinter was overcome by severe cramps in the final and had to be stretchered away. Britain’s Sean Safo-Antwi won the event in 6.56 while another Brit Richard Kilty finished second at 6.57. USA’s Mike Rodgers was third in 6.60.
In men’s 60m hurdles, China’s Wenjun Xie won in 7.63, USA’s Kevin Craddock was second in 7.71 and Frenchman Dimitri Bascou third also in 7.71. In women’s 60m hurdles, USA’s Kendra Harrison clinched her second Indoor Tour win in 7.92 but the series win belonged to Harrison’s compatriot and world indoor champion Nia Ali, who was second in 7.98 at Glasgow. Tiffany Porter of GBR took the third place in 7.99. In women’s long jump, GBR’s Lorraine Ugen not only took the first place ahead of Shara Proctor with a leap of 6.80m but also sealed a tour win. Proctor was second in 6.76 while another Brit Jazmin Sawyers finished third in 6.58.
The men’s 400m, Czech Republic’s Pavel Maslak, Bahrain’s Chris Brown and Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald led the field with authority and provided a great spectacle. But on top bend of second lap, Maslak, went past the veteran Brown, who slowed down considerably. Maslak won the race in 46.02 with USA’s Calvin Smith and GBR’s Jarryd Dunn finishing second and third in 46.45 and 46.65 respectively. In women’s 400m, Jamaican newcomer Stephenie-Ann McPherson recovered from a setback on final bend to win in 52.05, GBR’s Seren Bundy-Davies was second in 52.10 while Dutchwoman Lisanne De Witte finished third in her lifetime best of 52.49. Witte also won the Series with great performances in other indoor meets.
In men’s triple jump, USA’s Omar Craddock won with 16.93 to top the series. He had recorded a win at Boston as well. Craddock’s compatriot Chris Carter was second with 16.54 while Karol Hoffmann finished third in 16.59. In women’s high jump, Alessia Trost of Italy went over 1.93m to win the first place. The second place was taken by Levern Spencer of St. Lucia while GBR’s Isobel Pooley finished third. However the series win was scored by Germany’s fourth-placed Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch, who had done enough already during the World Indoor Tour.
After breaking the world indoor 1000m record in Stockholm, Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman looked set to win 1500m at Glasgow but in final stretches, Souleiman conceded defeat to Morocco’s Abdalaati Iguider, who clocked 3:34.94 to Souleiman’s 3:36.30. The two athletes could have another showdown in the IAAF World Indoor Championships at Portland in less than months’ time. In women’s 1500m, Netherland’s Sifan Hassan led the pack with a victory in 4:01.40. With 4:01.81, Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay was second and another Ethiopian Axumawit Embaye third in 4:06.11.
Mo Farah
In an eagerly awaited 300om contest, celebrated British runner Mo Farah just missed the world lead time. But the double world and Olympic champion won in 7:39.55 ahead of Kenya’s Augustine Choge, who clocked 7:40.66. In men’s 800m, Poland’s Adam Kszczot won in 1:46.23 despite running in the middle until 400m. After that, the Pole pulled away to leave behind everyone. Ireland’s Mark English was second in 1:46.99 and USA’s Erik Sowinski third in 1:47.11. In women’s 800m, Canada’s Melissa Bishop took the first place with 2:00.19 while GBR’s Laura Muir was second in 2:00.70. Poland’s Joanna Jozwik finished third in 2:00.88. In women’s 3000m, Kenyan Nancy Chepkwemoi topped in her personal best time of 8:49.06. Poland’s Sofia Ennaoui settled for the second place in 8:49.07 and Netherland’s Maureen Koster was third in 8:49.18.