Idowu leaps world-leading 17.55m Triple Jump in Chania

The city of Chania hosted the 60th annual edition of "Venizelia International Meeting" on Saturday (7) in which about 150 athletes from 30 countries around the world were participated.

Phillips Idowu set the best performance of the meeting setting a world leading 17.55m in the men's Triple Jump, while during the competition of the women's Long Jump Canadian Tabia Charles improved her personal best to 6.82m to get a rather unexpected win.

Idowu jumps world leading 17.55m

The two favorites of the men's triple jump verified the forecasts and gave a strong competition leading to the best world performance of the season. British World Indoor Champion in Valencia Phillips Idowu and Grenada's Randy Lewis were the only contender who produced jumps beyond 17 metres. Idowu was the winner with 17.55m, while Lewis followed with 17.24m.

The bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games, Russia's Danila Burkenya also participated in the event, taking fifth with 16.55m. Greece's national record holder Dimitrios Tsiamis had his best attempt at 16.88m to take third and meet the low standard for the Olympic Game, while his compatriot Konstantinos Zalagitis was fourth with 16.70m.

Gillick clocks 45.70 in the 400m

The European reigning indoor 400m champion David Gillick dominated the men's 400m race, achieving to fight off the strong resistance of Bahamas' Michael Matthieu in the last 50m of the race. The Irish champion clocked a season's best 45.70, while Matthieu was second with 46.02, leaving on third place Zimbabwe's Lewis Banda with 47.26

Charles jumps 6.82m

In the women's Long Jump Canadian triple jumper Tabia Charles impressed not only by winning the competition, but also setting a personal best at 6.82m. Charles went to Chania with a personal best of 6.52m in the Long J from last year, while she also holds the national Triple Jump record with 13.94m.

The favorites of the event followed the Canadian in the final classification. Russia's Olga Kucherenko improved her season's best to 6.70m to take the second place and Greece's Styliani Pilatou jumped 6.60m, also a season's best for the silver medallist of the European Indoor Championships in 2005.

Scales, Douglas take the sprints

After the second place he took in the 100m at the Papaflessia 2008 Meeting held in Kalamata at the beginning of the week, American Mardy Scales improved to 10.18 to win in Chania without difficulty. His compatriot Ernest Wiggins was second in 10.34.

In the second men's 100m race Russia's Roman Smirnov clocked a wind assisted 10.26, while later he was the winner of the 200m with 20.57 (+1.1). In this race Scales was second with 20.68 and South Africa's Christian Krone third with 21.02.

In the women's 100m Briton Montell Douglas won with 11.42, in front of Greece's Georgia Kokloni (11.56) and Nigeria's Shola Ogundemi (11.64)

Elsewhere...

The competition between the World Champion of 2005 Netherland's Rens Blom and Germany's Lars Borgeling did not produce the expected high performances. Influenced by the warm weather and the shifting winds the German finally won with 5.40m, leaving Blom in second place with 5.30m

Poland's Marci Starzak and Dane Morten Jensen gave a close competition in the Long Jump. The Pole was the winner with 8.10m, the same performance as Jensen, while Algeria's Issam Nima followed with 8.07m.

One more win by an American athlete came in the men's 110m Hurdles where Fred Townsend clocked 13.61 to defeat Belgium's Damien Broothaerts who was second in 13.83. Israel's Irina Lenskyi won the women's 100m Hurdles race with 13.07 leaving Greece's Flora Redoumi second with 13.22.

Finally, Morroco's Mouchine El Amine clocked 1.47.86 in the men's 800m, while in the women's Discus Throw Russia's Olesya Korotkova had the best attempt of the competition at 58.05m. His compatriot Igor Sukhomlinov won the men's Javelin throw with 77.29m.

(Credit: IAAF. Click here for further information.)