Johnson Confirms Domination As Felicien Again Surprises

Favourites Allen Johnson and Gail Devers had mixed fortunes in seeking to retain their IAAF World Indoor titles that they had won in Birmingham in 2003 as the 2004 Championship in Budapest gave insight into the way contestants for the Olympic Games later in Athens are shaping up.

For Johnson it was an especially impressive display setting a new American and Area record of 7.36 in the process and moving to second on the all time lists behind Colin Jackson's 7.30 World Record. This after he had only qualified fo the final as a fastest loser, in the strongest semi final. It was Johnson's third Indoor title to add to his four outdoor crowns and 1996 Olympic title.

In second place Chinese prodigy Liu Xiang improved not only on his bronze medal of 2003, but also on the 7.51 Area Record he had set recently in Shanghai, his 7.43 silver medal winning performnce leaving him narrowly outside the all time World top ten. Jamaican Maurice Wignall captured the bronze with a new national record 7.48 despite hitting the last hurdle hard which possibly cost him a shot at second place in the run in, leaving Stanislav Olijars without a medal despite running below 7.50.

Devers to had gone into the championships a clear favourite as world leader [7.76] and had shown her form in taking the 60m flat title on day 1 of the meeting. However, World Outdoor Champion Canada Perdita Felicien again demonstrated that she is the emerging talent in the women's sprint hurdles, with an outstanding 7.75 victory, elevating her to equal 6th on the all time list [uncannily equalling Bettine Jahn's Budapest set mark ,almost twenty one years ago to the day].

Felicien also improved her Candian record in each round , eventually moving the mark on by by 0.15 seconds and like Johnson's winning time, recorded a championship best. In Bronze medal place Linda Ferga Khodadin clocked a pb of 7.82 infront of the second American Joanna Hayes.

Of the British hurdlers, Mohamme Silah Freckleton was the pick , progressing to the semi final with a 7.74 heat time before exiting in 7.80, the same time as training partner Rob Newton recorded in the heats. Sarah Claxton the sole British women's contestant also did not progress beyond the 1st round.

 

60m Hurdles Women's Final
1	Perdita Felicien [CAN]	7.75
2	Gail Devers [USA]	7.78
3	Linda Ferga-Khodadin [FRA]	7.82
4	Joanna Hayes [USA]	7.86
5	Susanna Kallur [SWE]	7.89
6	Lacena Golding-Clarke[JAM]	7.89
7	Flora Redoumi [GRE]	7.94
8	Nicole Ramalalanirina [FRA]	8.01

Results

60m Hurdles Men's Final
1	Allen Johnson [USA]	7.36
2	Liu Xiang [CHN]	7.43
3	Maurice Wignall [JAM]	7.48
4	Stanislav Olijars [LAT]	7.49
5	Yuniel Hernandez [CUB]	7.58
6	Robert Kronberg [SWE]	7.59
7	Yoel Hernandez [CUB]	7.78
8	Dwight Thomas [JAM]	7.87

 

7 March 2004