Wariner dominates Stockholm

Jeremy Wariner of Texas ran the fastest time in the world this year for 400m yesterday. The article is below:


Reigning world and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner obliterated a talented field in the men's 400 meters Tuesday at the 2007 DN Galan IAAF Super Grand Prix Meet in Stockholm, Sweden.
Wariner grabbed the lead early and methodically extended his advantage over the seven other contestants before crossing the finish line in the fastest time in the world this year of 43.50 seconds. Wariner's performance bettered his previous world-leading time this season of 44.02 set in Osaka, Japan, on May 5, and it equals the sixth-fastest time ever run (Quincy Watts, 1992). It also betters Wariner's previous personal best of 43.62 from his win in Rome on July 14, 2006, and it's the fastest time in the world since National Track & Field Hall of Famer Michael Johnson set the world record of 43.18 at the 1999 World Outdoor Championships in Seville, Spain. Only Johnson and Butch Reynolds have ever run faster in the 400m than Wariner. For the second consecutive year Wariner was presented with a 1-carat diamond valued at $10,000, which is emblematic of setting a stadium record in Stockholm.
Two-time U.S. 400m hurdles champion Kerron Clement was the runner-up to Wariner in a personal best time of 44.48 seconds, with 2004 Olympic relay gold medalist Darold Williamson third in 44.90 seconds. 2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Andrew Rock was fifth in 45.12.
In other running events, 2006 Indoor Visa Championship Series winner Lisa Barber captured the women's 100 meters in 11.03 seconds, finishing just ahead of 2006 World Athlete of the Year Sanya Richards, who ran a personal best time of 11.05 seconds. Richards's time easily bettered her previous career best 100m performance of 11.28 seconds set in 2003. Kerron Steward of Jamaica was third in 11.29 seconds.
Richards also competed in the 400 meters in Stockholm, where she came up with another runner-up finish as reigning World Outdoor 200m champion Allyson Felix pulled the upset with her stadium record, diamond-winning time of 49.70 seconds, which is the third-fastest time in the world this year, and is the first time in her career that Felix has bettered the 50-second barrier. Felix posted her previous personal best of 50.17 with her runner-up placing August 3 in London. Richards was the runner-up in 49.72 seconds, with fellow American Mary Wineberg placing fourth in 50.74.
Also in Stockholm, 2004 Olympic Games marathon bronze medalist and reigning U.S.10,000m champion Deena Kastor led an American sweep of four of the top five places in the women's 5,000 meters. Kastor's winning time of 14 minutes 52.21 seconds is a seasonal best and the second-fastest 5,000m time of her career, with her personal best of 14:51.62 coming in 2000. Other top Americans included Lauren Fleshman (3rd-15:02.28), Jennifer Rhines (4th-15:12.64) and Sara Slattery (5th-15:18.18).
Other U.S. men's winners included 2003 World Outdoor Championships finalist and two-time World Outdoor relay gold medalist Joshua (J.J.) Johnson, who won the 200 meters in 20.32 seconds. Elsewhere, 2006 NCAA Outdoor champion Aries Merritt was victorious in the 110m hurdles, hitting the finish line first in a new personal best and stadium record time of 13.09 seconds. His previous career best was 13.12 from last year. Following Merritt were fellow Americans Ryan Wilson (2nd-13.10), Anwar Moore (3rd-13.39), Ron Bramlett (4th-13.46) and David Payne (5th-13.48).
In the women's 100m hurdles, Sweden's Susanna Kallur pulled a mild upset with her win in 12.66 seconds over reigning world champion and world ranked #1 Michelle Perry, who finished second in 12.73. 2007 USA Outdoor Championships third-place finisher LoLo Jones placed third in 12.81.
Americans posted two runner-up finishes in field events Tuesday as 2007 USA Outdoor men's triple jump champion Aarik Wilson soared 17.27 meters/56 feet 8 inches, and 2007 USA Outdoor Championships third-place finisher Rose Richmond leapt 6.49m/21 feet 3.50 inches in the women's long jump.
For more information on the DN Galan Super Grand Prix in London, including the complete results, visit www.iaaf.org.