RIETI summary: RUDISHA fulfills potential with another global mark

RIETI (ITA) - The jubilee 40th edition of Rieti Meeting (IAAF World Challenge) was very special. The Raul Guidobaldi Stadium registered superb 800 m world record by David Rudisha 1:41.01, the best 100 m race of the year (Carter equalled world lead 9.78 and top five went under 10), world leading 3000 m by Tariku Bekele and meet records in men´s 200 m, 110 m hurdles and women´s pole vault and hammer throw. Excellent work of 40 years and this very special edition by meet director Sandro Giovannelli applauded also by IAAF Senior Vice-President Sergey Bubka and Italian Olympic Committee boss Gianni Petrucci.

Men

100 m: Sensational race, top five sub 10 seconds for first time this season. Nesta Carter improved after Brussels again to 9.78 (+0.9) and is number four performer ever after super-trio Bolt, Gay and Powell. Personal bests also for second US Ryan Bailey 9.88 and Jamaican Mario Forsythe 9.95, new French record for European Champion Christophe Lemaitre 9.97 (after 0.199 starting reaction) and fifth under 10 Michael Frater with 9.98. Mike Rodgers as 6th 10.00 and Jaisuma Saidy Ndure new Norwegian record 10.00 and equalled the best ever mark for 7th place. Bailey 9.95, Lemaitre 9.98 and Forsythe 9.99 (+1.1) achieved personal bests already in their heat. It is known this track is fast when in 2007 Asafa Powell achieved here world record 9.74.

TrackAlerts is quoting Nesta Carter after his life.time best 9.78. "Even though I noticed my times were coming down and everyone kept saying the Rieti track is fast, I was only expecting to run and do my best here, not run 9.7 at this time of the season. I ran a race like two days ago and my body was not fully recovered from that run as yet, so I was not expecting to do that here. I feel good. Hard work is the key to success and I have been putting in the hard work and I am really pleased with the results at the moment. I've been taught to never put a limit on one's self, so I don't ever limit myself ... I wanted to PR this year, and I want to PR again next year, so I am just going to keep working hard," he said. His next race is in Zagreb on Wednesday against Tyson Gay.

200 m: Diamond Race winner Wallace Spearmon is winning again, this time new meet record 19.85 (+0.6). 400m hurdles olympic winner Angelo Taylor improved his best here as second to impressive 20.23. Third Swiss Marc Schneeberger also PB 20.42,

800 m: Unbelievable world record David Rudisha 1:41.01 in his third race in one week. Sammy Tangui and Jackson Kivuva came to first lap with 48.20, Rudisha had 49.0. At the 600 m Rudisha had 1:14.59, his last 200 m 26.42 and second lap 52.0. Rudisha promised after the race to return in 2011 and try for faster time. Personal bests for second Boaz Lalang 1:42.96, third Nick Symmonds 1:42.95 and third Briton Michael Rimmer who with European leading time 2010 1:43.89 beat European Champion Marcin Lewandowski 1:44.10. Sixth 1500 m European Champion Arturo Casado also improved to 1:44.74.

1500 m: Diamond Race winner Asbel Kiprop in tough battle was better than world leader Silas Kiplagat (3:31.78 vs. 3:31.97). Third Nixon Chepseba improved to 3:32.42 over world champion Yusuf Saad Kamel of Bahrain 3:33.06. Former European champion Mehdi Baala improved his season best as 10th to 3:34.59.

3000 m: Tariku Bekele improved the world lead to 7:28.70 and took in the best race of the year at the distance Bernard Lagat to new North American Record 7:29.00. Under 7:30 also Edwin Soi in 7:29.75. Sixth Bob Tahri of France achieved European leading 7:35.50. Lagat and Soi became the 26th and 27th runner to go under 7:30 barrier. Lagat became only the 6th runner to go under 3:30 for 1500 m, 7:30 for 3000 m and 13:00 for 5000 m.

110 m H: David Oliver remains unbeaten with new meet record 13.01 (+0.8) ahead of Dwight Thomas who clocked 13.26.

HJ: World champion Yaroslav Rybakov as only one went over 230 cm. World indoor champion Ivan Ukhov coming from Eberstadt on Saturday achieved 212 for 8th.

LJ: European indoor champion 2009 Sebastian Bayer of Germany is retuning into shape with 806 (-0.2) win ahead of Li Jinzhe of China (802, -0.1). Local star Andrew Howe was 8th (769).

HT: In the hammer final Olympic winner from Athens Koji Murofushi confirmed his superb shape with 80.96 (also had 80.83 and 80.07 in the series), just 3 cm shy of his Saturday´s world lead. European Champion Libor Charfreitag was clear second (79.62) ahead of Dilshod Nazarov (78.34) and Sergey Litvinov (76.77).

Women

100 m: Sherone Simpson is in good late season shape with 11.11 (+0.6) win over Bahamian veteran Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (11.15).

400 m: European Champion Tatyana Firova gets 50.25 win over US Natasha Hastings (50.87) with home European fourth placer Libania Grenot third (51.20).

1500 m: Second fastest of the year for Maryam Jamal of Bahrain in 3:58.93, her team-mate Mimi Belete lifetime best 4:00.25 and third French Hind Dehiba 4:01.07. Norway´s Ingvil Makestad improved to 4:02.20 as fifth.

3000 m: Sylvia Kibet wins in 8:39.07, top three for Kenya.

400mH: Sheena Tosta was the best in 54.71 over Czech Euro finalist Zuzana Hejnova 54.99. Diamond Race winner Kaliese Spencer fell at last hurdle and was 8th.

PV: Fabiana Murer confirmed her position with 474 win, new meet record.

HT: In the final Tatyana Lysenko won with 74.80 meet record over Yipsi Moreno 73.78. Chinese Zhang Wenxiu got 73.70 over world record holder Anita Wlodarczyk who with 73.57 missed the 75.02 to win the IAAF Hammer Challenge. Inaugural winner is so German Betty Heidler.

Picture of Rudisha by Ales Graf, www.graf.cz