Americans take gold in 100m, falter in 400m at Brazil meet
Posted Tuesday, 23 May, 2006
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Gary Kiyaka of the Republic of Congo streaked past favored Americans Derrick Brew and Leonard Byrd to win the 400 meters at the 22nd Brazilian Athletics Grand Prix on Sunday.
Kiyaka was the only runner to break the 45 second mark, finishing in 44.85 seconds. Drew was second at 45.31 seconds, and Byrd -- who set the meet record of 44.45 in 2002 -- was third at 45.42.
Brazilian triple jumper Gregorio Jardel also came away with gold, to the delight of the 33,000 fans who crowded Mangueirao stadium in Belem. He won with a jump of 57 feet, 3 inches, while fellow Brazilian Jefferson Sabino took silver.
U.S. sprinter Jason Smoots beat Canada's Anson Henry and Jamaica's Ainsley Waugh to take gold in the 100 with a time of 10.24 seconds. Waugh was second at 10.35 and Henry was third at 10.41.
Waugh got his revenge in the 200, edging countryman Chris Williams to take the gold in 20.49 seconds. Williams finished in 20.58 and Dominic Demerite of the Bahamas was third at 20.83.
World and Olympic champion Osleidys Menendez led Cuba's sweep of the top two spots in the women's javelin. Cuban Guillermo Martinez also the men's event.
Other U.S. gold-medal winners were Tiffany Ross-Williams, who won the women's 400 hurdles in 54.69 seconds, and Carrie Messner, winner of the 3,000 steeplechase in 9 minutes, 41.55 seconds.
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