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Wariner, Vlasic move up to
No. 3 All-Time in Stockholm

Posted August 7th, 2007 at 5:00 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Jeremy Wariner underscored his dominance in the men’s 400m after his blistering 43.50 victory at the DN Galan Super Grand Prix in Stockholm tonight.

Wariner, the reigning world and Olympic champion and still just 23, won by nearly a full second over fellow American Kerron Clement (44.48, personal best), to move up a notch on the all-time world list, tying American Quincy Watts as the third fastest in history. Only world record holders Michael Johnson (43.18) and Butch Reynolds (43.29) have run faster.

Wariner’s effort was one of several outstanding performances at what was the finest single-day meet of the season.

Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic improved yet again this season in the high jump, after her second attempt clearance of 2.07. Only two women have ever jumped higher than the 23-year-old Croatian, who clearly underscored her favorite’s role for the upcoming world championships. She again attempted a would-be world record of 2.10, but Stefka Konstadinova’s 20-year-old global standard of 2.09 remained intact. For now.

In the meet’s biggest upset, Allyson Felix, the reigning world 200m champion, defeated 2006 World Athlete of the Year Sanya Richards in the 400m. In a photo finish, Felix dipped under 50 seconds for the first time to win in 49.70, .02 seconds ahead of Richards. Neither woman will contest the event at the world championships, but will go head-to-head in the 200.

Displaying the speedwork she’s been tuning since her disappointing fourth place finish in the 400 at the U.S. championships, Richards produced a massive 11.05 personal best in the 100 earlier in the meet, finishing second to Me’Lisa Barber’s 11.03. Richards, only 22, had a previous best of 11.28 over the short dash.

Meanwhile, Felix ran her third career best of the season over the full lap and has illustrated short dash speed as well. She ran a personal best 11.01 in New York in early June before finishing fourth at the U.S. championships. Both fiercely competitive, their showdown at the world championships is shaping up to be a key highlight in Osaka.

In another upset, Swede Susanna Kallur, the European champion, defeated world champion Michelle Perry in the 100m hurdles in 12.66 to Perry’s 12.73, ending the American’s win streak at four. Like Richards, Perry is still alive in the $1 million Golden League Jackpot chase which resumes in Zurich on Sept. 7.

Bahamian Derrick Atkins nearly scored an upset over world record holder Asafa Powell in the 100m, with the Jamaican getting the edge in 10.04, just .01 seconds ahead of the increasingly consistent Atkins.

Kenenisa Bekele’s final outing before his 10,000m title defense in Osaka was a shining success. The 25-year-old Ethiopian again thrashed the field in the 3000m, winning in 7:25.79. Jonas Cheruiyot of Kenya was the distant runner-up, nearly 10 seconds behind (7:35.44).

Kenyan Paul Kipsiele Koech dominated the 3000m steeplechase in 7:59.42, the season’s first sub-eight minute performance. Koech was not named to the Kenyan team for the world championships. Elsewhere, Olympic champion Stefan Holm of Sweden improved to 2.35 to win the men’s high jump and American Deena Kastor, the Olympic marathon bronze medallist and U.S. record holder, upset Kenyan Linet Masai to win the 5000m by more than three seconds in 14:52.21.

The tradition in the Stockholm meet, held in the 1912 Olympic stadium, is the one-karat diamond awarded to athletes setting stadium records. In addition to Wariner, Vlasic, Felix and Koech, American Aries Merritt nabbed one as well with his 13.09 victory in the 110m hurdles.

The Stockholm meet is the final major stop prior to the upcoming world championships, which begin in 17 days in Osaka.