Usain Bolt wins close 100m dash in Monaco

BY Racquel Smith and Susan Beckford

Usain Bolt had to dig deep into his reserves, but managed to come back to win a very close the men’s 100 metres at Friday’s Herculis 2011 Meeting, the 10th leg of the Samsung Diamond League in Monaco.

The Jamaican found himself trailing countryman Nesta Carter for most of the race, but pulled ahead in the closing metres to win in a seasonal best of 9.88seconds. Carter, a training partner of world-leader Asafa Powell, was second in a seasonal best also, of 9.90secs.

American Michael Rogers ran 9.96 for third with Michael Frater of Jamaica fourth in 10.01.

World 800m record holder David Rudisha of Kenya looked very sharp when winning he men’s race in a world-leading 1:42.61. The quick race also saw Kenyan Asbel Kiprop running a personal best of 1:43.15 for second.

Angelo Taylor sounded his early warning in the men’s 400m hurdles with a strong performance that saw him taking the title in 47.97secs.

Left in his trails were fellow American Bershawn Jackson, who produced 48.22 for second and David Greene of Great Britain, who finished at 48.43.

South African world-leader LJ van Zyl, who has already blazed 47.66 this year, was fourth in 48.72.

Sally Pearson continued her good form in Europe with another win over a quality field in the women’s 100m hurdles. The Australian world-lead clocked 12.51secs to beat USA’s Kelli Wells (12.58) and Tiffany Ofili-Porter, who set a new Great Britain national record of 12.60 for third.

Amantle Montsho from Botswana, the hottest female quarter-miler this season, sizzled to a national record time of 49.71 to take the one lap race. Her performance improved the previous world best of 49.81, set by American Allyson Felix in May.

American Francena McCorory was second in PB, 50.29, while Novlene Williams-Mills was third in 50.61 and fellow Jamaican Rosemarie Whyte was fourth in 50.87.

Meanwhile, Carmelita Jeter upset three-time world champion Felix in the women’s 200m, after she ran a remarkable bend on her way to clocking a personal best of 22.20.

Felix powered hard down the stretch, but was unable to catch her USA teammate, and finished in 22.32. American champion Shalonda Solomon was third in 22.63.

Mo Farah won the battle of sprinting to the stretch on his way to winning a very exciting men’s 5000m race. The Great Britain representative won the race in a new personal best of 12:53.11, ahead of American Bernard Lagat, who ran an Area record of 12:53.60 for second.

In field event action, Brittney Reese of USA leaped 6.84m for first in the women’s Long Jump, Blanka Vlasic won the women’s high jump with 1.97m and Reese Hoffa threw a meet record 21.25 to top a strong men’s Shot Put field.