Ostrava, Czech Republic, September 08—Sifan Hassan, taking the women’s 3000 in season-leading time as the curtain on the year nears its drop, got the most sparkling victory of the first day at the Continental Cup, a gathering marked by field event upsets (well, of a sort) and a novel competition format in the horizontal jumps and throws.
Eager to finish the campaign a winner after placing a close 2nd to Hellen Obiri in a dramatic Diamond League 5000 final then driving to Brussels overnight and earning 3rd in the DL 1500, Euro 5K champ Hassan found some redemption here as Konstanze Klosterhalfen’s early solid pacing (69-range laps) rendered the Cup’s devil-take-the-hindmost format for the 7½-lapper a non-issue for the top contenders. Teferi and Obiri, a Kenyan and an Ethiopian for once pursuing a common goal—points for Team Africa—took over after 1600 until Hassan struck just before the bell (7:27.41).
Lifting on the backstretch, Hassan rushed through the next 200 in 30.1, leaving prime rival Obiri flatfooted. She held the throttle open as she rounded the bend and strode the final straight to finish in a Dutch Record 8:27.50, more than 30m and 4.99 in front of Teferi (8:32.49). She covered her last lap in 60.09 and final 200 in 29.95. “It was a no-fight race for me,” said the elated Nike Oregon Project star. Certainly not from 5000 world champion Obiri, whose 8:36.20 finish appeared to reflect tired legs at the end of a long year.
The pressure of the 5-round elimination throws format sat rather well with American hammer thrower DeAnna Price, who became the second American this year, after Gwen Berry, to best the usually indomitable WR holder Anita Włodarczyk. The cutthroat format nicked favored Sandra Perković in the discus (her 224-6/68.44 was longest of the day but she lost the Cup crown to Cuba’s Yaimé Pérez). Not so in Włodarczyk’s case. Price beat her fair and square—albeit sans opportunity for a sixth-round rebuttal. Price was mixed in her reaction of the protocol used, explaining, “I found out about the new rules format about a week ago and it made me feel a little nervous because we are normally used to push in every ongoing attempt. Now I knew that my first goal was to beat my teammate, which is weird to me, and then I had to keep going with beating two and then the last one. I felt pressure I must say. I believe this has to be super-interesting for the fans but for athletes I think it takes their chances to perform. For an event like this it is a great idea though.”
The American Record holder, in just her third meet since the USATF Champs, bettered the Pole in round 1, her 238-4 (72.64) close to 10ft longer than Włodarczyk’s atypical 228-9 (69.72), and was never headed. Her 246-6 (75.13) led out of the first three rounds, her 245-11 (74.97) led the “semis” round from Włodarczyk’s 240-7 (73.34), and Price hit her longest, 247-7 (75.46) in winner-takes-all round 5. The World and Olympic champ managed 240-2 (73.20) on her for-all-the-marbles heave and threw her farthest in round 3 (240-11/73.45).
That convoluted methodology somewhat defused the men’s shot drama, as Ryan Crouser lofted the comp’s second-longest throw, 70-11¾ (21.63), but because he was the No. 2 Americas putter had to retire after round 3. His “teammate” Darlan Romani of Brazil—after a 71-10 (21.89) comp best in round 2—got the better of world champion Tom Walsh in both the semi and final rounds, prevailing as his 71-1¾ (21.68) last bested Walsh’s 70-3¾ (21.43) in the decider frame.
The women’s vault was run off without format twists and while it was hardly an earth tremor upset, it was a hard-fought season-closer that tickled the formchart—had there been one. For the first time Russian Anzhelika Sidorova outvaulted both World/Olympic champ Katerína Stefanídi and indoor world champ Sandi Morris in the same comp. The trio topped out at 15-11 (4.85) on second attempts and Sidorova won on the countback before 16-¾ (4.90) defied all three.
Price was the day’s only U.S. winner, but the 800 result in a tactically-run 2-lapper was perhaps encouraging for Clayton Murphy. After a run of in-the-ruck races in August and four days ago in Zagreb, he couldn’t catch Emmanuel Korir (1:46.50) in the homestraight here but got his chest 0.003 in front of fellow Olympic medalist Nijel Amos for 2nd, both timed in 1:46.77. Shelby Houlihan, too, earned a runnerup finish, in the 1500. Her devastating kick, so often on display this year, took an early vacation and Winny Chebet won 4:16.01–4:16.36. Keni Harrison’s seasonal clock also seems to have wound down 6-plus months after her World Indoor 60H win. The 100H WR holder got out fast but was caught by ’15 world champion Danielle Williams over the last hurdle and wound up on the wrong end of a 12.49–12.52 result.
Abderrahmane Samba wrapped his year undefeated. His 47.37 won by 1.09 from Jamaican Rio finalist Annsert Whyte (Karsten Warholm 3rd in 48.56) and was the Qatari sub-47 man’s seventh sub-48 race of the season.
The Americas team, having won both the men’s and women’s 4x1s at afternoon’s end, led day 1 team scoring with 135 points, 12 more than Europe, the only continent with a fair chance to catch up on Sunday.
CONTINENTAL CUP MEN’S RESULTS, DAY 1
Ostrava, Czech Republic, September 08—
200(-1.6): 1. Alonso Edward (AM) 20.19; 2. Ramil Guliyev (EU) 20.28; 3. Alex Quiñonez (AM) 20.36; 4. Yuki Koike (AP) 20.57; 5. Churandy Martina (EU) 20.68; 6. Ncincihli Titi (AF) 20.78; 7. Babaloki Thebe (AF) 20.79; 8. Joseph Millar (AP) 21.68.
800: 1. Emmanuel Korir (AF) 1:46.50; 2. Clayton Murphy (AM) 1:46.77 (1:46.766); 3. Nijel Amos (AF) 1:46.77 (1:46.769); 4. Andreas Kramer (EU) 1:47.03; 5. Michal Rozmys (EU) 1:47.05; 6. Jamal Al-Hayrani (AP) 1:47.93; 7. Jinson Johnson (AP) 1:48.44; 8. Wesley Vázquez (AM) 1:49.60.
St: 1. Conseslus Kipruto (AF) 8:22.55; 2. Matt Hughes (AM) 8:29.70; 3. Yohanes Chiappinelli (EU) 8:32.89; 4. Fernando Carro (EU) 8:33.76;… dnf—Kosei Yamaguchi (AP), John Koech (AP), Soufiane El Bakkali (AF) (inj);… dnc—Evan Jager (AM). (Scoring order: 1. Kipruto; 2. Hughes; 3. Chiappinelli; 4. Carro; 5. Yamaguchi; 6. Koech)
400H: 1. Abderrahmane Samba (AP) 47.37; 2. Annsert Whyte (AM) 48.46; 3. Karsten Warholm (EU) 48.56; 4. Yasmani Copello (EU) 48.65; 5. Abdelmalik Lahoulou (AF) 49.12; 6. Takatoshi Abe (AP) 49.80; 7. Cornel Fredericks (AF) 50.54; 8. Kyron McMaster (AM) 52.62.
4 x 100: 1. Americas 38.05 (Mike Rodgers, Noah Lyles, Yohan Blake, Tyquendo Tracey); 2. Europe 38.96 (Emre Zafer Barnes, Jak Ali Harvey, Yigitcan Hekimoglu, Ramil Guliyev); 3. Asia-Pacific 39.55 (Trae Williams, Joseph Millar, Jin Su Jung, Jake Doran);… dnf—Africa (Henricho Bruintjies, Simon Magakwe, Emile Erasmus, Akani Simbine).
Field Events
HJ: 1. Donald Thomas (AM) 7-6½ (2.30); 2. Brandon Starc (AP) 7-6½; 3. Maksim Nedasekau (EU) 7-5¼ (2.27); 4. Majed El Dein Ghazal (AP) 7-4¼ (2.24); 5. Ilya Ivanyuk (EU) 7-4¼; 6. Bryan McBride (AM) 7-2½ (2.20); 7. Chris Moleya (AF) 7-½ (2.15); 8. Mathew Sawe (AF) 7-½.
LJ: 1. Ruswahl Samaai (AF) 26-9¼ (8.16); 2. Miltiadis Tentoglou (EU) 26-3 (8.00); 3. Jeff Henderson (AM) 26-2¼ (7.98); 4. Henry Frayne (AP) 26-1½ (7.96); 5. Jianan Wang (AP) 26-1 (7.95); 6. Emiliano Lasa (AM) 25-4½ (7.73); 7. Serhii Nykyforov (EU) 25-3½ (7.71); 8. Yahya Berrabah (AF) 25-½ (7.63). (Scoring order: 1. Samaai; 2. Tentoglou; 3. Henderson; 4. Frayne; 5. Jianan; 6. Lasa; 7. Nykyforov; 8. Berrabah)
SP: 1. Darlan Romani (AM) 71-10 (21.89) (69-8¼, 71-10, 69-10¼, 69-1½, 71-1½) (21.24, 21.89, 21.29, 21.07, 21.68); 2. Ryan Crouser (AM) 70-11¾ (21.63) (64-10, 70-11¾, 70-8) (19.76, 21.63, 21.54); 3. Tom Walsh (AP) 70-3¾ (21.43); 4. Michał Haratyk (EU) 70-1 (21.36); 5. Tomás Stanek (EU) 69-7½ (21.22); 6. Chuk Enekwechi (AF) 68-3¾ (20.82); 7. Hamza Mohamed (AF) 63-9¾ (19.45); 8. Damien Birkinhead (AP) 60-9¼ (18.52). (Scoring order: 1. Romani, 2. Walsh; 3. Haratyk; 4. Enekwechi; 5. Crouser; 6. Stanek; 7. Mohamed; 8. Birkinhead)
DT: 1. Fedrick Dacres (AM) 223-0 (67.97) (191-6, f, 218-8, 209-6, 223-0) (58.38, f, 66.64, 63.86, 67.97); 2. Andrius Gudžius (EU) 219-8 (66.95); 3. Daniel Ståhl (EU) 212-9 (64.84); 4. Matt Denny (AP) 209-11 (63.99); 5. Reggie Jagers (AM) 208-3 (63.49); 6. Victor Hogan (AF) 208-3 (63.49); 7. El Bachir Mbarki (AF) 177-3 (54.03); 8. Joseph Millar (AP) 89-1 (27.15) PR. (Scoring order: 1. Dacres; 2. Denny; 3. Gudzius; 4. Hogan; 5. Stahl; 6. Jagers; 7. Mbarki; 8. Millar)
CONTINENTAL CUP WOMEN, DAY 1
100(-0.4): 1. Marie-Josée Ta Lou (AF) 11.14; 2. Dina Asher-Smith (EU) 11.16; 3. Jenna Prandini (AM) 11.21; 4. Dafne Schippers (EU) 11.23; 5. Ángela Tenorio (AM) 11.44; 6. Yongli Wei (AP) 11.51; 7. Hajer Saad Al-Ameeri (AP) 11.52; 8. Janet Amponsah (AF) 11.74.
400: 1. Salwa Eid Naser (AP) 49.32; 2. Caster Semenya (AF) 49.62 NR; 3. Stephenie Ann McPherson (AM) 50.82; 4. Lisanne De Witte (EU) 51.51; 5. Shakima Wimbley (AM) 51.59; 6. Justyna Święty-Ersetic (EU) 51.64; 7. Christine Botlogetswe (AF) 52.47; 8. Anneliese Rubie (AP) 52.50.
1500: 1. Winny Chebet (AF) 4:16.01; 2. Shelby Houlihan (AM) 4:16.36; 3. Rababe Arafi (AF) 4:17.19; 4. P. Unnikrishnan Chithra (AP) 4:18.45; 5. Linden Hall (AP) 4:18.82; 6. Simona Vrzalová (EU) 4:19.46; 7. Sofia Ennaoui (EU) 4:22.56; 8. Angelin Figueroa (AM) 4:33.88.
3000: 1. Sifan Hassan (EU) 8:27.50 NR (WL);
2. Senbere Teferi (AF) 8:32.49 PR; 3. Hellen Obiri (AF) 8:36.20; 4. Konstanze Klosterhalfen (EU) 8:38.04;… dnf—Genevieve LaCaze (AP), Nozomi Tanaka (AP), Lauren Paquette (AM), Muriel Coneo (AM). (Scoring order: 1. Hassan; 2. Teferi; 3. Obiri; 4. Klosterhalfen; 5. LaCaze; 6. Tanaka; 7. Paquette; 8. Coneo)
100H(-0.1): 1. Danielle Williams (AM) 12.49; 2. Keni Harrison (AM) 12.52; 3. Pamela Dutkiewicz (EU) 12.82; 4. Elvira Herman (EU) 12.91; 5. Tobi Amusan (AF) 12.96; 6. Ayako Kimura (AP) 13.39; 7. Marthe Koala (AF) 13.42; 8. Michelle Jenneke (AP) 13.50.
4 x 100: 1. Americas 42.11 (Angela Tenorio, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Jenna Prandini, Vitoria Cristina Rosa); 2. Europe 42.55 (Kristal Awuah, Imani Lansiquot, Bianca Williams, Dina Asher-Smith); 3. Asia/Pacific 42.93 (Lingwei Kong, Yongli Wei, Manqi Ge, Qiqi Yuan);… dq—Africa (Janet Amponsah, Blessing Okagbare, Tobi Amusan, Marie-Josée Ta Lou).
Field Events
PV: 1. Anzhelika Sidorova (EU) 15-11 (4.85) (14-7¼, 15-3, 15-5, 15-7, 15-9 [x], 15-11 [2], 16-¾ [xxx]) (4.45, 4.65, 4.70, 4.75, 4.80 [x], 4.85 [2], 4.90 [xxx]); 2. Katerína Stefanídi (EU) 15-11 (15-3, 15-7 [3], 15-9, 15-11 [2], 16-¾ [xxx]) (4.65, 4.75 [3], 4.80, 4.85 [2], 4.90 [xxx]); 3. Sandi Morris (AM) 15-11 (14-7¼, 14-11, 15-3, 15-5 [3], 15-7 [2], 15-9, 15-11 [2], 16-¾ [xxx]) (4.45, 4.55, 4.65, 4.70 [3], 4.75 [2], 4.80, 4.85 [2], 4.90 [xxx]); 4. Yarisley Silva (AM) 14-11 (4.55); 5. Lisa Campbell (AP) 13-1½ (4.00); 6. Dora Mahfoudhi (AF) 13-1½; 7. Donia Ahmed El Tabagh (AF) 12-5½ (3.80).
TJ: 1. Caterine Ibargüen (AM) 48-5¼ (14.76) (46-11½, 46-8¼, p, 48-5¼, 47-8½) (14.31, 14.23, p, 14.76, 14.54); 2. Tori Franklin (AM) 46-10 (14.27); 3. Olga Rypakova (AP) 46-9½ (14.26); 4. Paraskeví Papahrístou (EU) 46-8 (14.22); 5. Kristin Gierisch (EU) 45-9¾ (13.96); 6. Parinya Chuaimaroeng (AP) 44-4¾ (13.53); 7. Zinzi Chabangu (AF) 42-3½ (12.89); 8. Odile Ahouanwanou (AF) 37-½ (11.29). (Scoring order: 1. Ibargüen; 2. Rypakova; 3. Papachristou; 4. Chabangu; 5. Franklin; 6. Gierisch; 7. Chuaimaroeng; 8. Ahouanwanou)
DT: 1. Sandra Perković (EU) 224-6 (68.44) (224-6, f, 213-0, 215-1, f) (68.44, f, 64.92, 65.57, f); 2. Yaimé Pérez (AM) 214-3 (65.30); 3. Yang Chen (AP) 207-10 (63.34); 4. Dani Stevens (AP) 205-10 (62.74); 5. Andressa de Morais (AM) 191-9 (58.44); 6. Nadine Müller (EU) 191-5 (58.34); 7. Chioma Onyekwere (AF) 185-11 (56.68); 8. Ischke Senekal (AF) 164-8 (50.21). (Scoring order: 1. Perez; 2. Perković; 3. Chen; 4. Onyekwere; 5. Stevens; 6. de Morais; 7. Müller; 8. Senekal)
HT: 1. DeAnna Price (AM) 247-7 (75.46) (238-4, f, 246-6, 245-11, 247-7) (72.64, f, 75.13, 74.97, 75.46); 2. Anita Włodarczyk (EU) 240-11 (73.45) (228-9, 236-0, 240-11, 240-7, 240-2) (69.72, 71.95, 73.45, 73.34, 73.20); 3. Alexandria Tavernier (EU) 231-0 (70.40); 4. Jenny Dahlgren (AM) 225-0 (68.59); 5. Na Luo (AP) 221-1 (67.39); 6. Alexandra Hulley (AP) 204-6 (62.35); 7. Temi Ogunrinde (AF) 194-0 (59.15); 8. Soukaina Zakkour (AF) 190-7 (58.09). (Scoring order: 1. Price; 2. Włodarczyk; 3. Luo; 4. Ogunrinde; 5. Tavernier; 6. Dahlgren; 7. Hulley; 8. Zakkour)
First-day team scores: 1. Americas 135; 2. Europe 123; 3. Asia-Pacific 89; 4. Africa 74.
