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Borisov takes 60m Hurdles as Robles falters, 60m Area record for de Lima in Paris - iaaf.org

Paris, France - The second edition of Meeting SEAT in Bercy (22 Feb) highlighted two Russian athletes, who confirmed their recent improvements for their first competition abroad: sprinter Yevgeniya Polyakova (60m) and hurdler Yevgeniy Borisov (60m hurdlers).

The latter however couldn’t face Cuban star Dayron Robles who stopped the race believing it was a false-start, after having heard a loud sound. The big favourite in the race and second fastest performer all-time after his 7.33 and unbeaten season, didn’t finish the final.

“The music played during the race distracted me because I thought the sound was the recall for a false-start.” explained the Cuban, who stopped after the second hurdle, as did Belgian Adrien Deghelt. “It’s really frustrating because I wanted to set my best time here in Paris,” added Robles, who won in Stockholm the previous evening in 7.44.

Borisov motived and hungry after breakthrough

This unfortunate incident left Borisov unrivalled, winning in a convincing 7.53, a tenth of a second faster than runner-up Cuban Yoel Hernandez, and 0.02 faster than Robles’ time in heats.

Delighted by his performance, the Russian said, “It was a very good competition for me against very strong opposition.” A week after breaking the national record with 7.44, the 23-year-old hurdler thinks that it is precisely this opposition which allowed his performance to improve. “This year, I faced top competition and this really pushed me a lot”.

Borisov lives in Podolsk and travels everyday to the nearby capital Moscow, in order to join a group of six athletes, trained under the direction of Igor Arabadjev in Moscow.

“The five others all are junior and upcoming dash sprinters, so even if I’m the sole hurdler, they are good sparing partners to me. I have improved my technique, especially the velocity during the interval and the attack of the hurdles.” Unbeaten this winter, Borisov won’t compete again prior to the IAAF World Indoors Championships in Valencia (7-9 March) and thus will arrive in the Spanish city with a new status which seems to excite him.

“I’m really motivated, I’ve got more hunger and I’m stronger than last year and I’m happy and ready to meet good opponents anytime.”

Cuban hurdlers had their revenge in the women’s race thanks to Anay Tejeda, fastest in heats (7.99) and in the final (7.94) ahead of two Russian, Tatiana Dektyareva and Mariya Koroteyeva (7.99 for each).

Photo finish victory for Polyakova over Arron

The women’s 60m race was the closest contest as the two favourites, Yevgeniya Polyakova, the current World Leader with 7.09, and Christine Arron, the French National Record holder with 7.06, won their heats in very similar times, 7.20 and 7.23, respectively. In the final, the Russian had the best start and managed to resist Arron’s strong finish. In a photo finish, both were timed at 7.17 with Polyakova taking the win.

“Everything was not bad, but not perfect either, as my start wasn’t good,” Polyakova said. “I need to work on this area. My 7.09 was done with a bad start too, so I haven’t achieved the perfect race yet,” added the 24-years-old, who is coached by Nikolai Chemerisov, a former 400m hurdler, in a group which include short and long sprinters, as well as hurdlers. “I was surprised to run that fast (in Moscow). I wasn’t expecting that kind of time, but after all, this is not a big improvement from my previous personal best (7.18).

“I’m still young, so I’m improving steadily, I’m growing up and training hard every year.” A silver medallist last year at the European Indoor Championships, the 1.63m tall and 56kg sprinter targets higher ambitions for Valencia. “I want to be first at World Indoors, but I understand that it will be a difficult task.”

It is still unsure whether Arron will compete in Spain since her health problem remain unsolved. “I’ve had a kind of flu for several weeks now, which causes tiredness, like the one I had in heats today, and if I can’t find the cause and efficient treatment, I will stop my season.” However, she was pleased by her final. “I’m satisfied by my start and my reaction time was 0.153, which is okay. It was a good fight during the race; I wish I hadn’t lengthened my strides too much at the end.”

6.58 Area record for de Lima

Olusoji Fasuba didn’t show the form which made him the world’s fastest sprinter this year in the 60m (6.51 in Valencia meeting) as the favourite Nigerian tensed up in the final and finished only fifth in 6.64.

Vincente de Lima, however, was in the shape of his life, breaking his personal best in the heats (6.58) and matching it in final. “I was expecting this clocking since the Valencia meeting,” the 30-year-old Brazilian said after knocking 0.02 seconds from his own South American record. “I ran 6.62 in the heats there so I knew I could go under 6.60. In the final, I took a bad start, I couldn’t control my acceleration and as I realised I was too far from Fasuba, I stopped running. On the other hand, today in Paris, I didn’t make such a mistake.” Simone Collio (ITA) was second in 6.59, Andrey Yepishin (RUS) third and Kim Collins (SKN) fourth in 6.61.

The distance races were won by Meselech Melkamu (ETH) at 3000m in 8:44.62 and Goeffrey Rono (KEN) at 1500m in 3:40.01, where a new concept was tested: the last runner was eliminated every lap from 1200m in the women’s race, and from 500m in men’s race.

Another new format was tried in the Pole Vault with only seven jumps allowed. Sergey Kucheryanu (RUS) won with 5.76. Triple Jump winner was Oksana Udmurtova (RUS) with 14.38.

Pierre Jean Vazel for the IAAF

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