5th September 2012 09:51
After fading badly to sixth in the Olympic final, the Russian champion had failed to finish in the top three of her subsequent races in Stockholm and Zurich, finishing well outside 50sec on both occasions, the race in Rovereto was a sort of return to form for the Russian.
Three other meeting records highlighted an exciting evening of track and field action in the Italian city.
Kenyan Mary Kuria achieved a lifetime best 4:03.18 in the women's 1500 m, ahead of 2011 World champion Jenny Simpson of the USA who ran a season's best 4:04.07. Third was another Kenyan Eunice Sum (4:05.85) and fourth Ethiopian Senbera Teferi, 17, who achieved a world 2012 youth lead of 4:06.06.
The other two meeting records came in the men's events. Czech European champion Vitezslav Vesely with his final throw sent the javelin out to 85.66m, Greek thrower Spiridon Lebesis finished second with 80.00m while Olympic medallist Oleksandr Pyatnytsa of the Ukraine third with a best of 79.84.
Azerbaijani Hayle Ibrahimov clocked a meeting and national record 13:11.34 to win the 5000m. He missed the European U23 record of Germany's Hansjorg Kunze 13:10.40 set in 1981. The United States' Andrew Bumbalough was second in 13:28.34 ahead of home star Daniele Meucci 13:28.91.
Kenyan junior Edwin Melly clocked 1:45.01 to win the 800m ahead of Andreas Bube of Denmark 1:45.33.
World junior champion Sergey Morgunov of Russia took the long jump (8.02 0.0). Local hero and Olympic triple jump medallist Fabrizio Donato, who for a change was competing in the long jump finished 4th (7.66).
Russian Dmitriy Starodubtsev cleared 5.46m to win the pole vault.
Rabah Yusif of Sudan won the 400m in 45.46 just 0.01ahead of Cuban hurdler Omar Cisneros who equalled his PB of 45.47.
In the remaining women's events, the Ukraine's Marya Ryemyen won the 100m in 11.20 (+0.6w), Czech record holder Lucie Skrobakova was the only one to go sub-13 in the 100m hurdles clocking 12.95.
Slovenia's Marija Sestak won the triple jump with a leap of 14.10m ahead of Brazil's Keila Costa 14.05 and the legendary Russian Tatyana Lebedeva 13.99.
Click here for full results.