Sanya Richards Among Six Golden League Jackpot Contenders

Six performers remain in contention for the Golden League Jackpot after last weekend’s meet in Oslo, Norway. Kenenisa Bekele (3000/5000 meters), Tero Pitkamaki (javelin throw), Kerron Stewart (100), Sanya Richards (400), Damu Cherry (100 hurdles) and Yelena Isinbayeva (pole vault) all won their events for the second consecutive meet. They need to win the remaining four Golden League meets to earn at least a share of the jackpot. The third event of the six-meet series will be held Friday (July 10) in Rome.

Richards, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, bettered her own 2009 world lead by winning the 400 in 49.23 seconds. Beijing silver medalist Shericka Williams was second in a season-best 49.98 while fellow Jamaican Christine Ohuruogu, last year’s Olympic gold medalist, was sixth (51.19).

Stewart captured the women’s 100 fairly easily, as the Beijing 100-meter silver medalist won in 10.99 seconds.

Cherry, who was fourth in Beijing, won the sprint hurdles race in a season-best 12.68, followed by Brigitte Foster-Hylton (a season-best 12.75) and defending Olympic bronze medalist Priscilla Lopes Schliep (12.78).

Isinbayeva shocked nobody in winning the pole vault by clearing 4.71 meters (15 feet, 5½ inches) on her second attempt. Runner-up Monika Pyrek topped 4.71 on her third try. The shock will occur if Isinbayeva, the world record-holder and two-time Olympic champion, does not win all six Golden League meets.

On the men’s side, three-time Olympic gold medalist Bekele held off James Kwalia to win the 5000 in 13:04.87. Kwalia finished in 13:05.46. Pitkamaki won his second consecutive Golden League javelin title with a fifth-round throw measuring 84.63 meters (277-7). Teemu Wirkkala, the fifth-place finisher in Beijing, was second (83.54/274-1) while two-time Olympic gold medalist Andreas Thorkildsen placed third (83.15/272-9).

One of the Golden League’s opening-meet winners, Chris Brown from the Bahamas, withdrew from the Oslo meet due to injury, opening the door for Renny Quow to win the men’s 400 (45.18).

Oslo’s annual Dream Mile resulted in two winners. World Indoor champion Deresse Mekonnen won the race in 3:48.95, while runner-up William Biwott set a new World Junior record of 3:49.29. Biwott’s mark is subject to the standard IAAF verification procedures.

Anton Hicks won the 110 hurdles in 13.41 while fellow American Dexter Faulk, who won the first Golden League event in Berlin, fell to sixth in Oslo (13.80). Daniel Bailey, who won the 100 in Berlin, was literally out-leaned at the finish line by Asafa Powell. Both recorded times of 10.07.

Blanka Vlasic, who lost in Berlin to Ariane Friedrich, won the women’s high jump by clearing two meters (6-6¾). American Chaunte Howard took second (6-5¾).

For the first time since 2006 there was no world record in the women’s 5000 at Oslo. Beijing double-gold medalist Tirunesh Dibaba, who set the current world mark in Oslo last year, withdrew due to injury. Meseret Defar, who broke the existing world record in Oslo in 2007, did compete, pulling away early in the final lap to won in 14:36.38. Vivian Cheruiyot took second (14:37.01) and Meselech Melkamu third (14:37.50).

Yuriy Borzakovskiy won the 800 (1:44.42) as World Indoor champ Abubaker Kaki fell early in the race, reportedly due to a leg cramp.