Tyson Gay beat fellow American Justin Gatlin in the 100m while Kenenisa Bekele’s Olympic hopes were diluted at the Paris Diamond League meeting on Friday as five world season’s best times were set on the Stade de France track.
Gay won in 9.99 seconds after Gatlin failed to sustain a good start and finished with a time of 10.03 seconds, just three weeks before the start of the London Olympics. Eleven days ago Gay was beaten by Gatlin at the US trials.
“I took my revenge. Maybe I made some mistake at the start. I want to win the gold medal [in London],” Gay said.
Photo: EPA
Gatlin added: “The goal is the gold, my chances are good. I don’t want to train to be second or third. I was a bit tired tonight. I could have done better.”
Twice European champion Christophe Lemaitre of France took third place in 10.08 seconds as light drizzle fell on the stadium.
Dejen Gebremeskel led an Ethiopian one-two in the 5,000m, clocking a world-leading 12 minutes, 46.81 seconds to beat Hagos Gebrhiwet, who set a junior world record of 12:47.53.
Bekele, however, conceded he would not defend his title in London after being only the fifth Ethiopian to cross the line.
“I won’t compete at the Olympics in the 5,000 meters, but I’m not that disappointed because I’ll run the 10,000 meters,” he said.
Referring to the calf problems he has suffered for three years, he added: “What can I do about an injury?”
David Rudisha was one of five athletes to set a world season’s best, but the Kenyan failed in his attempt to break his own world record in the 800m, clocking 1:41.54 — 0.53 seconds outside the mark he set in 2010.
“I’m happy and I’m impressed with the way I ran today. The Olympic title is what I’m aiming for now,” said Rudisha, who beat second-placed Antonio Manuel Reina of Spain by more than four seconds.
“I’ll go back home to train and get ready for the Olympics and then I’ll be looking for a fast race and the world record,” he added.
Australian Sally Pearson was again in a class of her own when she destroyed the field in the women’s 100m hurdles with a world-leading 12.40 seconds.
“I was expecting a fast time and if I would have a clear race it could be a 12.3. I’m excited to see my shape,” she said.
The world record of 12.21, held by Bulgarian Yordanka Donkova since 1988, is one of the oldest in athletics.
French pole-vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, who is unbeaten outdoors this year and will be the hot favorite in the Olympics, only needed to clear 5.77m to win.
He then failed with three attempts at 5.82m.
“The incredible jump will have to come in London [at the Games],” he said.
Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson won the 400m hurdles in a world season’s best time of 47.78, ahead of world champion David Greene of Britain (47.84).
Culson, however, does not see himself as favorite to win the Olympic race.
“I’m not considering myself as the Olympics favorite, I’m not the only one, there are other athletes, especially Greene, who will be at home,” he said.
Moroccan Mariem Alaoui Selsouli also set a world season’s best when she won the 1,500m in 3:56.15.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB