3rd September 2012 04:25
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| Local hero Fabrizio Donato thrilled the home crowd by winning the triple jump title at the Citta di Padova meeting on Sunday. |
In the 100m, Jamaica once again prevailed over the USA when Olympic relay gold medallist Nesta Carter clocked 10.09 (+0.7) 0.05 ahead of USA's Trell Kimmons.
Then in the hurdles Olympic silver winner, Jason Richardson USA, clocked 13.18 (+0.1) to equal the 14-year-old event best ahead of Olympic finalist Lehann Fourie of South Africa who improved his PB by 0.01 to 13.27.
But the biggest celebrations were reserved for Italy's homecoming triple jumpers, Fabrizio Donato and Daniele Greco. At 36, Olympic bronze medallist and European champion Donato probably won't experience another day like this as he was mobbed by adoring fans after his 16.84 win over Greco (16.56), the winning distance being of minor significance on this occasion.
Cuba's Omar Cisneros confirmed his top shape after Zurich with a 45.47PB 400m win ahead of American pair of Calvin Smith 45.51 and Angelo Taylor 45.74.
Jeff Riseley of Australia beat a good 800m field crossing the line in 1:46.38, with Qatari Mohamed Al-Garni collecting a personal best 1:46.63, leaving behind the likes of Nicholas Kipkoech and Andrew Rotich of Kenya and Nick Willis of New Zealand.
The women's 200m saw another Jamaica – USA face-off with Anneisha McLaughlin beating USA's Olympic relay gold medallist Jeneba Tarmoh 22.70 to 22.83. Down the order there were two fascinating results with Italy's 400m specialist, Libania Grenot, clocking the second fastest Italian performance of all time, 22.85, while Russian 400m champion, Antonina Krivoshapka, also went away with a personal best 23.03.
There was a Russian women's middle distance double, the 800m was won by Yelena Kofanova in 2:00.93 ahead of Kenyan Eunice Sum (2:01.27) and Briton Hannah England (2:01.63) while Yulia Fomenko Chizenko took the 1500m (4:11.50).
In the field events, Belarussian Anastasiya Shvedova cleared 4.55 in the pole vault (and tried unsuccessfully for a meet and national record 4.66), compatriot Natalia Mikhnevich put the shot 18.80 while for the men Justin Rodhe of Canada (20.34) got the better of the former world champion and Beijing bronze, Andrei Mikhnevich, husband to Natalia.
In the long jump battle Russian Darya Klishina leaped to 6.63 (+0.7) ahead of American Chelsea Hayes 6.60 (+0.2) and Belarussian Nastasya Mironchik-Ivanova 6.59 (+0.5).