Jamieson Runs 1500m Personal Best - Weekend Wrap
Posted Tuesday, 9 May, 2006
Sarah Jamieson has continued the strong form that saw her just miss 1500m gold in Melbourne, winning the Osaka event with a personal best and the second fastest 1500m ever by an Australian woman.
Wins by Jamieson in the 1500m and Paul Burgess in the Pole Vault highlighted a strong weekend for Australian competitors at both the World Athletics Tour in Osaka, Japan and the Lilac Bloomsday 12km race in Spokane, Washington.
Commonwealth silver medallist Jamieson comfortably won the 1500m by more than 4 seconds in a personal best time of 4:03.51. The time was the second fastest ever by an Australian woman and a full three seconds faster than her Melbourne time. Jamieson bettered her previous personal best of 4:04.73 set in 2004 and now trails only Margaret Crowley, on the Australian all time list, who ran 4:01.34 in 1996 in Oslo. Erica Sigmont finished fourth in the same race in a time of 4:16.11.
Paul Burgess found the form that eluded him in Melbourne, to clear 5.75 and win the pole vault competition. Only three men cleared a height in a disappointing competition, with Dimitri Markov finishing third at 5.60m. For Burgess it was a timely win after the disappointment of not clearing a height at the Commonwealth Games.
Kym Howe finished second in the women's pole vault, clearing 4.30m, the same as winner Jillian Schwartz from the USA who won on count back. Bronwyn Thompson jumped a solid 6.70m to also finish second. Japan's Ikedo Kumiko won with a leap of 6.86m.
Daniel Batman ran a strong 20.56 to finish second in a tight 200m, however Ambrose Ezenwa was disappointing in the 100m finishing last in a time of 10.64. Reigning World Champion Justin Gatlin (USA) won in 9.95 to set an early benchmark for the European season ahead.
In other results, Rosemary Hayward was third in the 400m in 52.79 and Eloise Wellings was sixth in 15:30.67 over 5000m.
Across the globe, Benita Johnson has finished third in the Lilac Bloomsday 12km race, whilst fellow Australian Shane Nankervis came in 15th. Commonwealth 5000m champion Kenya's Isabella Ochichi won the race in a time of 38:38, with Johnson finishing in 39:04.
Finally, Collis Birmingham became Australia's latest sub 4 minute miler when he ran 3.59.84 to place 5th in the Bannister mile in Portland, Oregon last Thursday, May 4. The race was won in 3.57.35 by Commonwealth 800m champion Alex Kipchirchir, also from Kenya.
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