ZAGREB – The 2007 IAAF Grand Prix Zagreb was marred by rain and cold weather. The bad weather was a disadvantage to both athletes and the audience, [:]but despite the terrible conditions at the Mladost Stadium, several excellent results were achieved, including tree meeting records – in the women’s hammer throw and 3,000m and men’s long jump.
Hammer throw world record holder Tatyana Lysenko of Russia won with the result of 76.74m, improving her last year’s meeting record by 20cm. This result is only 1.87m short of the world record. Croatian record holder Ivana Brkljacic finished fifth with 70.92m.
Olga Komyagina of Russia set a new meeting record in the 3000m. Komyagina won in the photo finish before Belaynesh Fekladu of Ethiopia with the result of 8:52.03. The old meeting record was 9:12.57, set by Darina Calenic of Romania in 1993.
The only meeting record in the men’s events was set by long jumper Irving Saladino of Panama. Saladino confirmed his status as one of the greatest stars of this year’s meeting with his result of 8.45m. He improved the old James Beckford’s meeting record by 11cm already in the first jump.
Dayron Robles of Cuba won the 57th Boris Hanzekovic Memorial Race – in the 110m hurdles – with the result of 13.35, which was 21 hundredths of a second slower than his winning time in Athens two days earlier. US hurdler David Payne finished second with 13.56 and Ron Bramlett, another US athlete, came in third with 13.59.
Blanka Vlasic of Croatia won in the women’s high jump, continuing a brilliant series of victories this year. Unfortunately, Blanka only cleared 190cm in Zagreb this time. She cleared 1.80m, 1.85m and 1.90m on the first attempts only to knock the bar off on all three attempts at 1.95m, twice with her heels. Blanka felt very sick in the morning and it was highly uncertain if she would be able to compete, but after receiving therapy and antibiotics, she decided to participate despite rain and cold, risking an injury or more severe cold. Emma Green of Sweden finished second with 1.90m, as well, and Marina Aitova was third with 1.85m.
