Great Day Of Sport, Manchester 15 May (& weekend domestic action)

The Great Day Of Sport that takes place in Manchester on Sunday towers dominantly over the home scene this weekend with a glow that reaches the furthest corners of the planet as the event has gathered enormous success through the years. So much so that many global brightest track and field stars come to line up over a diverse range of events and surfaces, with even an open water race incorporated since last year.

As a matter of fact, the timing of the street sport showpiece could have hardly been better as Manchester will be buzzing with excitement, anticipation and fever since the two football legends of the city, United and City, are gearing up to sweep the domestic and international board through the following few weeks. Manchester United are within half a stride of securing a record 19th Premier League title and clash with Barcelona in the Champion League's final at Wembley while City faces Stoke in the FA Cup final.

Haile Gebrselassie, Tyson Gay, Jessica Ennis, Allyson Felix, Angelo Taylor, Christine Ohuruogu, Bershawn Jackson, Shawn Crawford, Andy Turner, Terrence Trammelle and Francis Obikwelu will be among the stars on show and fireworks should be anticipated blazing up the Manchester skyscape on Sunday.

Great City Games Official Website:
http://www.greatcitygames.org/Events/Great-Manchester-City-Games/Default.aspx

Here's BBC thorough guide through the events on display on a potentially magic Sunday:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/13374344.stm

European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion Andy Turner will be on a double mission down the Deangate on Sunday:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/13351073.stm

World's fastest man last season Tyson Gay, contesting the odd 150m in Manchester, reckons he will have to step up his game a gear to challenge double Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/13387965.stm

Christine Ohuruogu relishes the Manchester street racing experience:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/13396323.stm

Haile Gebrselassie on yet another Manchester experience as well as weighing into... Manchester United's prospects at the end of the football season:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/13396319.stm

At the PAC-10 Championships in Tucson, Arizona, James Alaka enjoyed a strong first day on the track to qualify by right to both the 100 and 200m finals later today.

In the short dash, he won his heat in an equal PB of 10.32 secs, second fastest in the UK currently, into a slight headwind of -0.4m/sec and came back late into the programme to secure a second automatic qualifying slot in the 200m in 20.85 secs (0.1m/sec), winning his section.

The latter time takes him top overall of the UK lists this season as he moves past Danny Talbot's indoor mark of 20.89 secs.

James seems to be fighting off some cold but hopefully he will manage well.

Jeshua Anderson's 48.92 secs (SB) in the 400m hurdles and Brendan Ames (USA) massive PB of 13.39 secs (0.1m/sec) in the 110m hurdles were the standout performances yesterday.

First Day results:
http://www.flashresults.com/2011_Meets/outdoor/05-13-Pac10Champs/Day1.htm

Here are the starting lists of the men and women's 10km races in Manchester tomorrow:

Men
http://www.greatrun.org/Events/Information.aspx?ctid=250&id=4

Women
http://www.greatrun.org/Events/Information.aspx?ctid=250&id=4#Women

Chris Thompson will go in with Britains best chance in the 10k do you think he can pull it off Isabre?

Should be a fairly east victotr for 'The Great One'.
Strange isn't it that their are no athletes from Kenya
in the race.
Might have spoiled the party !

Watch out for Angelo Taylor in the 200hurdles. Surely this event is made for him with a low 20. clocking to his name

To be honest, Liam, I was looking at the starting list earlier and was thinking of exactly the same thing. And I feel that Chris may have also identified this race as the scene where he could step up his game further by means of a great scalp and some good headlines in the international press around.

No disrespect whatsoever to great Haile, of whose I'm a great fan, but while he may have returned in good shape as shown in a half marathon several weeks ago he's still some way off his best at the moment. He missed lots of training during late autumn to early winter so I suspect that his 10km speed could be suffering a little since he may have placed far greater weight on restoring his endurance base in training first.

This is half the distance that he ran some weeks ago so some variables and circumstances are going to be substantially different, forming a much different context that could play more to the strengths of the Briton.

Furthermore, Chris goes into the race on the back of a 27:27.36 clocking over 10000m on the track so he's going to be definitely sharper - there's nothing like a good track race to hone your racing - and I don't think Gebre could easily better that right now.

The Ethiopian will definitely be the favourite to win but I feel it's going to be much closer than many may think and a lot will turn on the shape of the race, while I don't know whether Craig Mottram could play some part in this. If Chris is right up there with Gebre when it comes to the late stages, then he's going to have a good chance of pulling off the upset.

I'm also very interested to see how some other Brits involved like Mark Draper, Ryan McLeod and Scott Overall will fare tomorrow as well as how Simon Horsfield, set to make a strong comeback after an indifferent last summer, copes over a distance even beyond the upper end of his range.

Excellent start for UK Indoor 800m champion Joe Thomas in the form of a big PB of 47.2 secs over 400m in Cardiff earlier on, run from lane eight at that! His previous best was 47.94 secs set indoors this winter.

A huge PB and European U20 qualifier of 10.52 secs (1.1m/sec) for talented 19-year-old Sam Watts to erase that 10.75 secs set at Eton only last Saturday. That bodes well for some big improvements over his main distance, the 200m, down the season.

Stacey Smith, the UK Indoor 1500m champion, opened up in a low-profile solo 2:05.93 over 800m up in Gateshead today. I think she is down to race over 400m as well.

Meanwhile, Tom Farrell easily qualified to the 1500m final as fourth fastest out of the heats in 3:48.69 at the Big 12 Conference in Norman, Oklahoma.

Sam Hynes, 25, sneaked over the 60m mark for the first ever time in her career for a big PB of 60.10m, shattering her previous best of 56.24m from way back in 2005. Apparently she retired for a few seasons before she made her way back last year.

Perri Shakes-Drayton won the flat 400m but I'm yet to find out what her time was.

As already reported in other threads, Lawrence Okoye has set a huge debut of 63.25m with the senior implement in the discus at the Surrey County Championships earlier on, which doubles both as a B qualifying standard for Daegu and a new English U23 record.

Abdul Buhari was second at a very useful 60.26m for a second time over 60m in as many competitions at the beginning of the season so looks as though he could be a factor in the event proceedings.

Helen Pryer won the 100m in 12.12 secs into a -1.5m/sec headwind.

Alright, Perri Shakes-Drayton's time was 52.03 secs to go second in the UK rankings behind Shana Cox, but even more importantly that was easily her fastest ever season opener over the flat.

Leevan Yearwood won the men's 100m in 10.49 secs (SB) in still conditions and evergreen veteran Julian Golley took the triple jump at 15.21m (1.9m/sec).

Things are starting warming up in the women's discus too as European U23 champion Eden Francis landed a UK-leading 57.49m at the Leicestershire & Rutland County Champs.

Jordan McGrath won the men's 400m in 47.8 secs and U20 Roweena Cole started her season well in a solo 2:06.8 over 800m.

At the Lancashire County Champs, Alison Leonard won the 400m in 56.40 secs.

Helen Clitheroe seems to be riding the crest of the wave and brimming with confidence as she comes home strong to claim the women's 10km race in a big personal best over the distance of 31:45, with Christelle Daunay (FRA) in second and Commonwealth champion Grace Momanyi (KEN) in third.

What a difference an international title, in her case that European Indoor gold, as a lengthy injury-free run can make and she looks like a totally different athlete since the turn of the year improving all the way.

"I'm really pleased, as I wanted to win with it being so close to home. I felt like I dominated the race but I kept thinking they're going to come flying past me. I felt strong although I'm surprised with the time in those conditions. I'm hoping to get selected for the European 10km challenge on the track in June. I just want do one on the track and see what happens but I'm focusing on 5,000m for rest of the summer," she told BBC after the race.

Equally superb performance from Chris Thompson, faced with a far tougher task at that, who really went for it and fought all along against great Haile Gebrselassie in the men's 10km race before the Ethiopian pulled away in the late stages to claim a convincing win in 28:10, with the European 10000m silver medallist second in 28:22.

Haile on BBC after the race, ""I didn't expect it from this boy. He's so great. Thompson amazing. I'm so happy just to come back again and again. It's a beautiful place. This is the last chance to run the marathon in London in 2012 but first I have to qualify. My big challenge is how can I be better than the youngsters coming through."

Chris on his performance, "I'm pleased. I was pretty nervous before. I got to halfway and I was pleased with the speed of the race. I was trying to cover every move but at 7km I was labouring and it's a shame. I'd like to have pushed him a bit more but he had quite a bit on me in the end. He said he won't come back next year, I want to double his appearance fee and race him again. This is going to give me confidence. Today was about racing Haile and I wont be afraid to do it again."

Taking a short break from Manchester and over to the PAC-10 Championships in Tucson, Arizona, last night where James Alaka picked up where he left off on Friday to complete a fabulous sprint double over 100 and 200m.

James, fighting off a cold too, swept to a convincing win in a new PB of 10.29 secs in still conditions in the men's 100m, first time under 10.3 and moving a mere hundredth behind Harry Aikines-Ayreety in the UK lists, from Ryan Milus (USA) and returned later on to equal his UK-heading 20.85 secs (0.3m/sec) as he narrowly fended off 400m Joey Hughes, runner-up in 20.87.

Jeshua Anderson turned equal to his heat promise as he stormed to an impressive 48.13 secs in the men's 400m hurdles, a big PB and marginally past South African Cornel Fredericks to second in the world rankings, leaving Reggie Wyatt and Nigerian Amaechi Morton reeling in his wake in 49.41 (PB) and 49.43 secs (SB) respectively.

Mike Berry, just 19, fashioned the turn-up of the day in staggering manner by means of a huge PB of 44.91 secs to hold off Joey Hughes, a second runner-up on the day but in a PB of 45.05 secs as well, and surge through to fifth in the global rankings this season.

Sensational English Gardner starred as she stormed to equal third in the global U20 all-time 100m lists through a huge PB of 11.03 secs (0.6m/sec), down from 11.30 secs, followed home by also impressive U20 Jessica Davis in 11.19 secs (PB) and U23 Amber Purvis in 11.21 (PB) in a striking display of depth by the new generation of female American sprinters.

Davis shone even more later on as she got the better of Purvis in a second tussle between them over 200m to set a big PB of 22.84 secs (1.1m/sec) against the latter's 22.97 secs (SB) in a meet seasoned with many good performances across the board.

Results:
http://www.flashresults.com/2011_Meets/outdoor/05-13-Pac10Champs/Day2.htm

Let's have a look at the results from the men and women's 10km races in Manchester earlier on:

Men 10km
1.Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 28:10 (14:18 - 13:52 5km splits)
2.Chris Thompson (GBR) 28:22 (14:18 - 14:04)
3.Sergiy Lebid (UKR) 28:25 (14:19 - 14:06)
4.Craig Mottram (AUS) 28:36 (14:19 - 14:17)
5.Martin Fagan (IRL) 28:39 (14:18 - 14:21)
6.James Walsh 28:42 (14:19 - 14:23)
7.Scott Overall 28:49 (14:17 - 14:32)
8.Jonny Mellor 28:50 (14:17 - 14:33)
9.Andrew Ledwith (IRL) 29:02 (14:17 - 14:43)
10.Ryan McLeod 29:04 (14:20 - 14:44)
11.Mark Draper 29:09 (14:28 - 14:41)

I don't know what happened to Simon Horsfield, European U20 silver medallist over 1500m, that was in that as well.

Women 10km
1.Helen Clitheroe 31:45 (16:07 - 15:38)
2.Christelle Daunay (FRA) 31:58 (16:08 - 15:50)
3.Grace Momanyi (KEN) 32:04 (16:07 - 15:57)
4.Sara Moreira (POR) 32:11 (16:07 - 16:04)
5.Anna Incerti (ITA) 32:35 (16:07 - 16:28)
6.Berhane Adere (ETH) 33:07 (16:09 - 16:58)
7.Katrina Wooton 33:14 (16:16 - 16:58)
8.Hannah Whitmore 33:37 (17:00 - 16:37)
9.Sonia Samuels 33:43 (17:00 - 16:43)
10.Laura Whittle (nee Kenney) 33:47 (17:00 - 16:47)

Charlie Purdue was also due to compete in the race but doesn't appear anywhere.

http://www.cbat.org.br/competicoes/gp_para/resultado.asp

don't think any home interest besides DC in brazil

DC 10.16 +0.6m/s not bad at all

Thanks Iamian, it seems to me that Dwain Chambers is heading for his best season ever! That's the best time set by a Brit this season and an A qualifier for Daegu.

Andy Turner betters Terrence Trammelle for a second time in a week to take the men's 110m hurdles in a sound 13.41 secs (2.0m/sec) given the rainy conditions. Andy is really flying this season and there's more to come!

Strong comeback for Jessica Ennis, shrugging off any concerns over her early form and fitness, to finish third in the women's 100m hurdles tied with fellow Brit Tiffany Offili, both athletes credited with the same time of 12.88 secs (0.4m/sec). That's an A standard for Daegu for both although Jessica won't be bothered with the individual hurdles there.

A rejuvenated Danielle Carruthers, who ran her fastest time of 12.64 since 2004 last weekend, was a comprehensive winner in 12.74 secs while Ginnie Crawford just creeped ahead of the two British girls for runner-up in 12.87 secs. Very good times particularly seeing the prevailing conditions in Manchester.

MLF, by the way, comfortably won the men's 100m in 10.33 secs (2.7m/sec) but what really matters at the moment is that he's back racing far sooner than anyone could predict a couple of months ago.

Allyson Felix looks really awesome as well as fearsome at the start of this season and storms to a sizzling 22.16 secs (2.6m/sec) over the 'straight' 200m on a wet track, that's a gale warning issued across the world! "Catch me if you can" she looks like signalling around.

Decent run from veteran Joice Maduaka in third in 23.67 secs but Christine Ohuruogu was left miles behind in just 24.48 secs...

Andy Turner completes the double over the hurdles in style with a new world best of 22.10 secs over the odd 200m on a perfect tailwind (2.0m/sec), albeit the track and weather aren't anywhere near perfect today.

Did you just see Tyson Gay? Great sprinting!

Just as I thought in the run-up to the event, Abi Oyepitan holds off Jessica Ennis to grab the women's 150m in a solid 17.34 secs (1.6m/sec) and looks like getting steadily back to her best, a very good mental boost ahead of the main season.

Jessica, however, has got to come away content with the readings of her opening double outing, setting 17.40 secs for second, whilst Laura Turner looks better and stronger than ever as a close third in 17.43 secs - I sense that something good is in the works there.

Good also to see Ashlee Nelson back in action even if well beaten into fourth in 17.64 secs today.

Yeah, I can tell that Tyson Gay looks on fire and I wonder what he would have been capable of running today if he was firing on all cylinders, having missed nearly a whole month of training due to injury last month, or conditions in Manchester were at least better. Something tells me he's poised for some extraordinary runs through the summer.

It will be Great to see him Vs Bolt at the world championships.

whoa, very good day for the brits. Clitheroe continues her remarkable renaissance. Good stuff from Thompson too.

In the sprints, very impressed by Turner. He seems to be beating some quality guys and is in great form at the moment. Promising stuff from Ennis too, and good on Tiffany for getting that A standard. Also, DC's run suggests that the decision to focus on the outdoor season could pay handsome dividends.

Shana Cox ran a big SB and a European leading mark of 51.24 secs, also an Olympic B qualifier, in coming second behind winner Natasha Hastings (USA) at the Ponce Grand Prix in Puerto Rico last night, bolstering up her promise as a new asset of the British team.

Hastings's prevaling time was a marginal SB of 50.97 secs as favourite Novlene Williams-Mills (JAM) pulled up during the race.

Astonishingly enough, there was the same jinx that hit hot favourite Jeremy Warriner who was also forced out of the men's equivalent affair. Hopefully, both are going to recover fast and be back on the track soon!

Michael Bingham suffered disappointment in a different manner as he was disqualified due to a false start in the very same race that was coloured by sorts of incidents.

The highlight of the meeting was a cutthroat dash that saw last weekend's revelation Nickel Ashmeade (JAM) outlean Justin Gatlin to the line of the mens' 100m in a PB of 10.05 secs to the latter's SB of 10.06 secs.

Nevertheless, that was a definite sign that the former Olympic champion returns to his best and he's going to add further weight to what is already anticipated as a pulsating season in the sprints.

Trinidad's Keston Bledman was third in a SB of 10.09 secs where sprinter-cum-long jumper Merchevet Myers saw off compatriot Lauryn Williams in a SB of 11.09 against the runner-up's 11.19 secs in the women's version.

Results:
http://www.poncegrandprixdeatletismo.com/resultados2011/index.htm

By the way, Joe Thomas's new PB over 400m was more precisely 47.29. At the same meet, Lianne Clarke missed the 50m mark by a mere cm on her season debut in the women's javelin.

Some more particulars from Manchester earlier on:

Marlon Devonish and Christian Malcolm's splits through 100m en route to the men's 150m were 10.26 secs, missing the Daegu B standard by a mere hundredth, and 10.34 secs respectively, both potential SBs since there hasn't been a wind-reading attached to.

In the same light, Ricky Fifton's respective split in the men's 200m race of 10.42 secs will have to wait to be ratified too.

Gianni Frankis set a SB of 13.84 secs in the 110m hurdles (2.0m/sec), second fastest in the UK this season.

The times for the girls in the 100m (1.8m/sec) were 11.60 secs for Jeanette Kwakye, 11.65 for Anyika Onuora (SB), 11.79 for Shaunna Thompson (SB) and 11.95 for Joey Duck (SB).

The 100m split times from the women's 150m race were 11.66 secs for Laura Turner, 11.72 for Abi Oyepitan and Jessica Ennis, and 11.78 for Ashlee Nelson - again without a wind indication.

By the way, Charlie Purdue seems to have opted for a tough training day rather than competing in Manchester, at least given she was in the starting list, so there's nothing to worry about as concerns her.

Meanwhile, Nicola Sanders looks to reckon to launch her competitive season around mid June.

Tom Farrell has extended his good run of form as he ran away with the 1500m title in a time of 3:43.95 at the BIG12 Championships in Oklahoma, carving out a solid gap on runner-up Patrick McGregor (3:44.55).

The performance of the final day so far belongs to Omo Osaghae (USA) who conquered the 110m hurdles in a big PB of 13.23 secs (0.8m/sec).

Results:
http://www.deltatiming.com/results/events_byschedule.aspx?yf=2011&mf=2011-big-12-outdoor-championships&ts=true

Angelita Broadbelt-Blake ran a windy 13.20 secs (2.7m/sec) in the heats of the 100m hurdles down in Florida but I've come to understand that her final was postponed or delayed the following day on Saturday. At any rate, she didn't compete there.

Also at the BIG12 in Oklahoma, swiftly-rising American Rakieem Salaam stormed to a world-class big PB of 20.05 secs in the men's 200m in totally still conditions, sneaking ahead of Walter Dix as second in the global rankings, way in front of Tran Howell who set a solid 20.39 secs himself.

The 21-year-old had also comfortably notched up the 100m in 10.23 secs from Gerald Phiri (10.35) into a strong -2.5m/sec headwind, completing a very successful weekend.

Jeneba Tarmoh carved a strong impression around as she surged to a huge PB of 22.46 secs in the women's 200m despite faced with a slight headwind of -0.3m/sec, with Tiffany Townsend and Candyce McGrone dipping also under 23 secs in 22.74 and 22.90 secs respectively.

Tarmoh had led the same trio in the short dash earlier on in 11.25 secs into a much stronger wind of -1.6m/sec but with the following two swapping places on the podium.

Bahama's Demetrius Pinter was a class act in the men's 400m to comprehensively win in a fast 44.87 secs, a SB and fourth fastest in the world, well ahead of Tabary Henry (ISV) who had to do with 45.28 secs on the occasion.

Finally, in the women's equivalent U20 Diamond Dixon reserved a stunner for Jessica Beard as she came virtually out of nowhere to snatch victory in a massive PB of 51.55 secs, the latter setting 51.68.

Tom Phillips won the 400m hurdles in 51.11 secs at the Big West Conference in Irvine, California, where a very competitive 800m saw Ryan Martin (USA) edge out compatriot Charles Jock in a PB of 1:45.34 to 1:45.40. The latter has already run a faster PB of 1:45.19 this season.

Results:
http://www.flashwest.com/11Meets/11BigWest/

Season's middle distance find Chris O'Hare made a commanding double of victories over 800 and 1500m in Houston, Texas, in 1:49.66 and 3:42.81 respectively. In that latter one, U23 Tom Marshall was fourth in a big PB of 3:45.53, shaving over three secs off his previous mark.

Results:
http://www.flashresults.com/flashtexas/2011/cusaoutdoor11/

As I've just seen, the wind in the men's 150m in Manchester was +1.5m/sec meaning that the times of Marlon Devonish (10.26) and Christian Malcolm (10.34) count as SBs.

By contrast, the men's 200m was windy (2.3m/sec) so Ricky Fifton's split 10.42 can't go down as a SB.

Likewise, the women's 150m was legal (1.6m/sec) so Anyika Onuora's 11.66, Jessica Ennis's 11.72 and Ashlee Nelson's 11.78 secs count as SBs.

Tyson Gay felt good through and pleased with his winning run as he exceeded even his own pre-race expectations over 150m in Manchester yesterday. He now awaits Usain Bolt's response over 100m in Rome on the 26th of the month since his next outing will be in New York on June 11:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/more/05/16/olympic.notebook/index.html

I think even after Bolts lay off he's just the quicker of the two and can only see Tyson winning if Bolt still has any nagging injuries or his time away from facing the highest level of runners has affected him.

There is good news about Jeremy Warriner who actually suffered a cramp, rather than a widely speculated hamstring injury, about 70m into the race and opted to drop out of the 400m at the Ponce GP in Puerto Rico on Saturday. He is undergoing treatment and expects to be fully fit for the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon.