A round-up of Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic action

Fans were treated to an action-packed programme which saw some record-breaking performances on Saturday as the Prefontaine Classic meeting resumed in Eugene.

Genzebe Dibaba was among the winners and following her 5000m victory in a time of 14:19.76 for a meeting record and to go fourth on the world outdoor all-time list, the multiple world indoor record-holder received the Maria Mutola outstanding athlete award.

Her largely solo-run time is just 8.61 seconds off the world record held by her sister Tirunesh and places the Ethiopian behind her compatriot Almaz Ayana, who herself only recently ran 14:14.33 at the Shanghai leg of the Diamond League series, on the all-time list. Competing over the distance for the first time, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon clocked 14:31.95 in second for the fastest ever debut over 5000m.

Sprints action was also superb, with six women going sub-10.90 for 100m combining both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ races, with the results led by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Murielle Ahoure with their 10.81 in the Diamond League event. Fraser-Pryce got the win in the ‘A’ race while Ahoure broke the Ivory Coast record with the time, as English Gardner with a 10.84 PB won the ‘B’ from Elaine Thompson with the same time.

Over in the men’s event and Tyson Gay clocked 9.88 for victory from Mike Rodgers with 9.90 as Su Bingtian ran a Chinese record 9.99 in third. Britain’s sub-10 man James Dasaolu was sixth in 10.13. Justin Gatlin won the 200m in a 19.68 world lead to equal his PB as Anaso Jobodwana ran a South African record 20.04 for the runner-up spot.

Kirani James took another 400m victory with ease, the Olympic champion striding away to cross the line in a 43.95 world lead for more than a half a second victory ahead of world champion LaShawn Merritt with 44.51.

Kenya’s world and Commonwealth champion Eunice Sum pipped USA’s Ajee Wilson in the 800m – a world-leading 1:57.82 to 1:57.87. Britain’s 2014 European and Commonwealth silver medallist Lynsey Sharp was seventh in 2:00.61. USA’s 2011 world champion Jenny Simpson clocked 4:00.98 to win the 1500m as Alexa Efraimson broke Mary Cain’s US junior record with 4:03.39 in seventh. World indoor 1500m champion Ayanleh Souleiman retained his Bowerman Mile title in a time of 3:51.10 from Matthew Centrowitz with 3:51.20 as Asbel Kiprop was third in 3:51.25.

France’s European indoor 60m hurdles champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde got the 110m hurdles win in a 13.06 world lead from USA’s world record-holder and Olympic gold medallist Aries Merritt with 13.12 as world champion David Oliver clocked 13.14 in third.

World pole vault record-holder Renaud Lavillenie moved from seventh to joint second on the outdoor all-time list with his clearance of 6.05m for a Diamond League record. The Frenchman, who withdrew from the Doha Diamond League meeting after injuring his shoulder in a fall after running as part of his club’s 4x100m relay team, went on to attempt 6.16m to break his own world record but he failed all three goes. A meeting record was also broken over in the men’s high jump as world indoor champion Mutaz Essa Barshim cleared 2.41m on his first attempt and then decided to call it a day with victory secured. China’s Zhang Guowei had earlier cleared a PB of 2.38m for the runner-up spot, a height that Barshim chose to pass.

Colombia’s world champion Caterine Ibarguen claimed her 24th successive triple jump victory with her final leap – her 15.18m was wind-assisted but bettered the 15.04m managed by Russia’s Yekaterina Koneva in the second round. Germany’s world champion Christina Obergfoll won the javelin with 63.07m.

Two-time Olympic and three-time world champion Ezekiel Kemboi won the 3000m steeplechase in a sprint finish from his fellow Kenyan Jairus Birech, the Commonwealth silver medallist, 8:01.71 to 8:01.83. Both times bettered the previous meeting record. USA’s Johnny Dutch won the 400m hurdles in 48.20 ahead of his fast-finishing compatriot Bershawn Jackson with 48.22. Michael Tinsley completed a US 1-2-3 with 48.79.

Ahead of the Diamond League action a great head-to-head battle saw Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix claim 400m victory in 50.05 from Olympic 400m champion Sanya Richards-Ross with 50.29, while world indoor and outdoor gold medallist Mohammed Aman won the 800m in 1:44.92 from Commonwealth champion Nijel Amos with 1:45.06.

Full results can be found here, while a round-up of Friday night’s Pre Classic action, including Mo Farah’s 10,000m win, can be found here

The post Dibaba, James, Ibarguen and Lavillenie among winners at Pre Classic appeared first on Athletics Weekly.