TOKYO, Japan, May 5 – Olympics 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist Abel Mutai was out-sprinted by Jairus Kipchoge for the honours, Africa Javelin record holder, Julius Yego finished fourth as London finalist Anthony Chemut reigned supreme as the Kenyan charge decorated the Seiko Golden Grand Prix on Sunday.
In the most anticipated race of the IAAF Permit Meet showdown American Mike Rodgers won the men’s 100m comfortably with Japanese teenage sensation Yoshihide Kiryu finishing third in his international debut.
Rodgers clocked 10.19 seconds to beat Derrick Atkins of Bahamas into second in 10.24. High-school student Kiryu, who is only 17 years old, equalled the world junior record of 10.01 a week ago raising expectations that he could become the first Japanese athlete ever to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m.
But it was not his day and he clocked a disappointing 10.40.
“I admit that I have an intention to run under 10 seconds somewhere in my mind, but as the race came close, I thought I must try to take a better position rather than a time,” said Kiryu.
“I didn’t have any pressure. Since it’s still early in the season, I have a possibility to break the 10-second barrier. I will do my best,” added Kiryu, who dreams of running with Usain Bolt in the same race at the World Championships in Moscow in August.
In the men’s steeple, Birech, the African junior silver medallist stopped the London bronze winner in the dash for the honours with 8:15.26 against 8:19.31 on the clocks as Bernard Nganga (8:19.63) came third to complete a ‘routine’ podium sweep for Kenya at the water and barriers race.
Olympics 800m semi-finalist, Anthony Chemut also scored victory in the two-lap race, running 1:46.51 to beat compatriot Robert Biwott (1:46.98) to second in a tight finish.
On the field, Javelin star Yego, who recently signed an endorsement with telecommunications firm Orange was way off his season’s best of 76.86m he threw in Nairobi as his best effort of 76.43m landed him in fourth.
Home athlete, Yukifumi Murakami won the contest with 81.16m with Stuart Farquhar (78.81m) of New Zealand and Hamish Peacock (78.05) of Australia sealing the podium ahead of the African and All Africa Games titleholder.
In the women’s events, Ethiopian athletes swept the boards in the 5000m race with Haftamnesh Tesfay (15:34.39), Alemetu Haroye (15:34.73) and Genet Yalew (5:37.69) taking the medals ahead of Sally Kaptich Chepyego (15:38.27).
The 10-second barrier has been broken by only about 80 male runners, nearly all of them of West African descent, since American Jim Hines clocked 9.95 at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
The Seiko Golden Grand Prix was the third leg of the 15-round IAAF World Challenge series.
– Additional reporting by AFP
RESULTS
Men
100m
1. Mike Rodgers (USA) 10.19sec
2. Derrick Atkins (BAH) 10.24
3. Yoshihide Kiryu (JPN) 10.40
4. Rakieem Salaam (USA) 10.43
5. Justyn Warner (CAN) 10.50
6. Masashi Eriguchi (JPN) 10.50
7. Jason Rogers (SKN) 10.53
8. Yusuke Kotani (JPN) 10.57
200m
1. Jared Connaughton (CAN) 20.70
2. Shinji Takahira (JPN) 20.84
3. Kei Takase (JPN) 20.87
3= Derrick Atkins (BAH) 20.87
5. Hitoshi Saito (JPN) 20.88
6. Manteo Mitchell (USA) 20.97
7. Tremaine Harris (CAN) 20.99
800m
1. Anthony Chemut (KEN) 1:46.51
2. Robert Biwott (KEN) 1:46.98
3. Tyler Mulder (USA) 1:47.22
4. Gareth Warburton (GBR) 1:48.11
5. Sho Kawamoto (JPN) 1:48.53
6. Takeshi Kuchino (JPN) 1:48.98
7. Prince Mumba (ZAM) 1:49.27
8. Yasuhiro Nakamura (JPN) 1:49.69
9. David Mutinada Mutua (KEN) 1:50.73
110m hurdles
1. Omo Osaghae (USA) 13.45
2. Barrett Nugent (USA) 13.67
3. Tyrone Akins (USA) 13.78
4. Kenji Yahata (JPN) 13.85
5. Hideki Omuro (JPN) 13.94
6. Kim Byung-Jun (KOR) 14.01
7. Hiroyuki Sato (JPN) 14.02
Selim Nurudeen (NGR) disqualified
400m hurdles
1. Bershawn Jackson (USA) 49.11
2. Eric Alejandro (PUR) 49.52
3. Mahau Suguimati (BRA) 49.54
4. Tristan Thomas (AUS) 49.56
5. Takayuki Kishimoto (JPN) 49.92
6. Akihiko Nakamura (JPN) 50.05
7. Marek Plawgo (POL) 50.98
8. Takatoshi Abe (JPN) 51.11
3000m steeplechase
1. Jairus Kipchoge Birech (KEN) 8:15.26
2. Abel Kiprop Mutai (KEN) 8:19.31
3. Bernard Mbugua Nganga (KEN) 8:19.63
4. Cory Leslie (USA) 8:20.08
5. Alex Genest (CAN) 8:30.30
6. Chris Winter (CAN) 8:33.09
7. Tsuyoshi Takeda (JPN) 8:33.48
8. Aoi Matsumoto (JPN) 8:40.12
9. William Nelson (USA) 8:47.13
10. Hiroyoshi Umegae (JPN) 8:50.41
11. Minato Yamashita (JPN) 8:55.95
12. Takafumi Sueyama (JPN) 9:04.95
Long jump
1. Mauro Vinicius Da Silva (BRA) 7.99
2. Zack Visser (RSA) 7.84
3. Tyrone Smith (BER) 7.61
4. George Kitchens (USA) 7.57
5. Shinichiro Shimono (JPN) 7.51
6. Lin Hung-min (TPE) 7.47
7. Daisuke Arakawa (JPN) 7.46
8. Luis Felipe Meliz (ESP) 7.16
Pole vault
1. Seito Yamamoto (JPN) 5.50
2. Nikita Filippov (KAZ) 5.40
3. Hiroki Ogita (JPN) 5.30
4. Mark Hollis (USA) 5.00
Daichi Sawano (JPN), Brad Walker (USA), Jordan Scott (USA), Tyler Wallace (USA) no records
Hammer
1. Lukas Melich (CZE) 79.00m
2. Dilshod Nazarov (TJK) 77.61
3. Sergej Litvinov (RUS) 76.49
4. Olexiy Sokyrskiyy (UKR) 74.93
5. Aleksey Zagornyi (RUS) 74.65
6. Pavel Kryvitski (BLR) 73.01
7. Hassan Mohamed Mahmoud (EGY) 72.90
8. Libor Charfreitag (SVK) 71.54
Javelin
1. Yukifumi Murakami (JPN) 81.16
2. Stuart Farquhar (NZL) 78.81
3. Hamish Peacock (AUS) 78.05
4. Julius Yego (KEN) 76.43
5. Roderick Genki Dean (JPN) 76.03
6. Ryohei Arai (JPN) 73.92
7. Kazuki Yamamoto (JPN) 72.82
8. Ken Arai (JPN) 72.26
Women
100m
1. Ivet Lalova (BUL) 11.46
2. Candyce McGrone (USA) 11.49
3. Aleen Bailey (JAM) 11.50
4. Chisato Fukushima (JPN) 11.56
5. Chelsea Hayes (USA) 11.59
6. Mayumi Watanabe (JPN) 11.80
7. Melissa Breen (AUS) 11.81
8. Saori Kitakaze (JPN) 12.04
100m hurdles
1. Lolo Jones (USA) 12.92
2. Kellie Wells (USA) 13.07
3. Janay Deloach (USA) 13.11
4. Ayako Kimura (JPN) 13.20
5. Chelsea Carrier Eades (USA) 13.23
6. Hitomi Shimura (JPN) 13.35
7. Eriko Soma (JPN) 13.48
Yvette Lewis (USA) did not start
5000m
1. Haftamnesh Tesfay (ETH) 15:34.39
2. Alemetu Haroye (ETH) 15:34.73
3. Genet Yalew (ETH) 15:37.69
4. Sally Kaptich Chepyego (KEN) 15:38.27
5. Misaki Onishi (JPN) 15:38.30
6. Ayuko Suzuki (JPN) 15:39.20
7. Pauline Kaveke Kamulu (KEN) 15:55.43
8. Beatrice Wainaina Murigi (KEN) 16:05.27
9. Mastassia Staravoitava (BLR) 16:07.91
10. Kaila McKnight (AUS) 16:17.52
Long jump
1. Janay DeLoach (USA) 6.82
2. Funmi Jimoh (USA) 6.68
3. Sachiko Masumi (JPN) 6.62
4. Chelsea Hayes (USA) 6.35
5. Saeko Okayama (JPN) 6.29
6. Chelsea Carrier Eades (USA) 5.99
7. Hanako Kotake (JPN) 5.96
8. Renata Medgyesova (SVK) 5.87
High jump
1. Anna Chicherova (RUS) 1.95
2. Kamila Stepaniuk (POL) 1.92
3. Marina Aitova (KAZ) 1.92
4. Daniela Stanciu (ROM) 1.84
5. Miyuki Fukumoto (JPN) 1.84
6. Oldriska Maresova (CZE) 1.80
Shot put
1. Anca Heltne (ROM) 18.43
2. Nadine Kleinert (GER) 18.35
3. Jeneva McCall (USA) 18.04
4. Anita Marton (HUN) 17.78
5. Yukiko Shirai (JPN) 15.53
6. Chiaki Yokomizo (JPN) 15.09
Javelin
1. Madara Palameika (LAT) 60.92
2. Yuki Ebihara (JPN) 60.79
3. Krista Woodward (CAN) 60.15
4. Sinta Ozolina-Kovala (LAT) 59.25
5. Brittany Borman (USA) 57.59
6. Nora Aida Bicet (ESP) 55.49
7. Risa Miyashita (JPN) 54.68
8. Ai Yamauchi (JPN) 52.84
9. Yu Kawanobe (JPN) 49.72
