Culson on form at Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix
The 400m hurdles proved to be the race of the night at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix, as Puerto Rico’s Olympic bronze medallist Javier Culson – the fastest in the world this year – tore apart the field to go joint top of the Diamond League rankings alongside American Michael Tinsley. Culson’s time of 48.35 was also the fastest ever seen in Scotland, with Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton revising his personal best again clocking 48.69 in second.
“I’m so happy I won the race. I have 13 points in the Diamond Race and I’m consistent with my times. I’m now going back home to train hard for the next Diamond League, but I am very pleased with my performance here in Glasgow.”
One hundredth of a second separated the top three athletes in a dramatic men’s 100m, with Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade powering through in the closing stages to steal the win in 9.97 seconds, the fastest time ever seen in Scotland. Diamond Race leader Michael Rodgers took second in the same time with Nesta Carter third in 9.98 and GB & NI’s James Dasaolu (Steve Fudge) fourth in 10.03.
“I’m really pleased with that. I felt good; the crowd is nice and the weather is lovely so I’ve got to be happy with that. I came here to execute and then the time speaks for itself; that’s all I can do.”
There was a thrilling finish to the men’s 5,000m as the two Ethiopians Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yenew Alamirew sprinted down the home straight shoulder to shoulder – and it was Gebrhiwet who upset the form book, securing his first Diamond League win ahead of the Diamond race leader.
Home favourite Eilidh Child (Malcolm Arnold) made the most of the Scottish sunshine on the opening night of competition at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix as she stormed home to win the 400m hurdles, much to the delight of the Scottish crowds.
Although not a Diamond Race at this meeting, Child already has three third place finishes to her name this year, and she quickly made her intentions clear on the Hampden Park track, powering to the line to clock a season’s best 54.39 ahead of American Cassandra Tate. The 27-year-old is now looking forward to returning to the track in less than three weeks’ time for the Commonwealth Games.
“I really wanted to execute a good performance today, and to nail my stride. I managed to do that and I think that’s why it looked such a dominant performance. It was an amazing ovation from the crowd here, so I can only imagine what it will be like at the Commonwealth Games. I’m ranked number four in the Games, so I will have to fight for a medal, but with a crowd like that behind me I’m sure I will succeed.”
British 110m hurdles champion William Sharman (Jerzy Maciukiewicz) equalled his personal best as he powered over the final four hurdles to pull clear of the field and cross the line in 13.21, beating a top class field including the world leader from Jamaica, Hansle Parchment.
“I expected to perform as I performed but I thought I’d face much closer opposition. It was two rounds in quick succession so it’s good preparation for the Commonwealth Games. I just want to try my best there.”
American Francena McCorory upset the odds in the women’s 400m as she pulled away in the home straight to set a new all-comers record of 49.93, to push Sanya Richards-Ross and Novelene Williams-Mills into second and third place. That moves her up into second place in the Diamond League standings, with Jamaican Williams-Mill still way out in front.
There was yet another Scottish all-comers record in the men’s shot put, as Reece Hoffa overhauled Tom Walsh to take victory, and in doing so go top of the Diamond League standings. Hoffa’s season’s best of 21.67m came after Walsh had taken the lead in round one with a New Zealand record. David Storl moved up to second with 21.38m in the fifth round, however third place and a national record was a good night’s work for youngster Walsh.
There was a rare defeat for Sandra Perkovic, as she was beaten in the Diamond League for the first time in 2014. It took a personal best for American Gia Lewis-Smallwood to stop her though, albeit Perkovic’s second place has all but secured her the 2014 Diamond League title.
GB & NI’s star heptathlete Katrina Johnson-Thompson (Mike Holmes) smashed her long jump personal best to finish second in 6.92m, just 5cm short of the British record. That still wasn’t enough to stop American Tianna Bartoletta though, with KJT’s fellow Brit Shara Proctor (Reider) in third.
Laura Weightman (Steve Cram) followed up her impressive run in Paris last week as she finished a highly credible fourth in the women’s 1,500m, clocking 4:03.98 in a race won by the Netherland’s Sifan Hassan – who was also first in the French capital. Hassan battled all the way down the home straight with Aregawi of Sweden, in what turned out to be a great two horse race.
In the men’s 200m, it was another victory for Alonso Edward from Warren Weir, the top two in the world this year, with 20.25 and 20.30 clockings respectively.
London 2012 Paralympic silver medallist Stef Reid (Reider) bettered her own world record in the F44 long jump as she leapt to 5.47m with her first attempt to receive a check of $15,000 as well as the Sainsbury’s Performance of the Day award.
In the other Paralympic event of the evening, multiple time Paralympic champion David Weir (Jenny Archer) enjoyed a convincing victory in the 1,500m T54, speeding to the front with 300m remaining and cruising over the line to lay down his marker ahead of the Commonwealth Games as well as next month’s IPC European Championships.
In the women’s 4x100m relay, the Great Britain & Northern Ireland 4x100m women’s ‘A’ team – made up of Asha Philip (Christine Bowmaker), Ashleigh Nelson (Michael Afilaka), Jodie Williams (Bowmaker) and Desiree Henry (Reider) – stormed home to clinch an impressive victory in 42.74, with the GB & NI ‘B’ team (Sophie Papps (Cossins), Anyika Onuora (Reider), Hayley Jones (Donald Moss) and Louise Bloor (Tony Minichiello)) second and the USA third.