Sri Lanka's expat remittances up in June '25    CBE's Abdalla attends Arab central bank governors' meeting ahead of Sept summit    Egypt's gold prices grow on July 13th    Egypt's Health Min. discusses drug localisation with Sandoz    New expansion projects, public-private partnerships to modernize, localise industry: El-Shimy    Al-Sisi attends high-level African summit to strengthen continental coordination, regional integration    Al-Wazir inaugurates glass factory, lays foundation stone for new appliance plant at Elaraby Group    Egypt, Mexico discuss environmental cooperation, combating desertification    Egypt launches anti-drug awareness campaign for drivers    HDB expands national footprint with 'Acacia' branch in New Cairo    Lavrov warns against anti-Russia alliances in Asia during North Korea visit    Germany faces recruitment hurdles in push to rearm, eyes conscription    Needle-spiking attacks in France prompt government warning, public fear    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Egypt's EDA, Haleon discuss local market support    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt, France FMs review Gaza ceasefire efforts, reconstruction    CIB finances Giza Pyramids Sound and Light Show redevelopment with EGP 963m loan    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger        Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt's GAH, Spain's Konecta discuss digital health partnership    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



London 2012: Olympic favourite Pearson suffers rare defeat
Pearson defeated in 100 meters hurdles
Published in Ahram Online on 15 - 07 - 2012

Australia's red-hot Olympic favourite Sally Pearson suffered her first defeat of the season in the 100 meters hurdles as Games medal hopefuls found the going tough at a cold and wet London Grand Prix on Saturday.
World champion Pearson, winner of 15 of her 16 races last year and unbeaten in 2012, led until the final two hurdles before she was overhauled by American Kellie Wells who won in a time of 12.57 seconds. Pearson was two hundredths of a second behind.
"My coach told me to come here and do something today and I think I did it pretty well, I'll have to go and check with him," said Wells, who celebrated her victory with a dance on the track, to the delight of the capacity crowd.
"To beat somebody like Sally Pearson gives me a lot of confidence. The hurdles is tricky, if you negotiate them well you will do really good but if you make one mistake it can take you out of the race. So today was good," added Wells who had also pushed Pearson hard in the heat earlier in the day.
There was also a shock in the women's 100 meters with Nigerian Blessing Okagbare winning the race in 11.01 seconds, 0.02 ahead of world champion Carmelita Jeter.
Olympic gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce appeared to stumble slightly at the start and finished last, but was philosophical about her performance and refused to blame the wet weather.
"As an athlete you have to take precautionary measures and hope things get better because the Olympics are pretty much on us," she said.
"I don't think the weather was that bad. I hope that when I go on the track (at the Olympics) there'll be a lot of sunshine in my lane, Fraser Pryce told reporters with a smile.
Women's javelin world record holder and Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic came off second best to Britain's Goldie Sayers who won the event with a national record of 66.17 meters.
IDOWU WITHDRAWS
But the news was less good for Beijing silver medalist Phillips Idowu and high hurdler Tiffany Porter with both Britons suffering injury scares with a little under three weeks to the start of the athletics at the London Games.
Idowu pulled out of the triple jump competition with a back injury and Porter left the track in tears having finished last in her 100 hurdles heat in some discomfort.
"Hey guys, sorry to have to pull out of #ALGP (Aviva London Grand Prix), slight bit of muscle tightness. I will be fine in a day or 2," Idowu said on his Twitter account.
In the Londoner's absence American world champion Christian Taylor had a comfortable win with a best distance of 17.41 meters but he did not discount the challenge he faced from Idowu at the Olympics.
"Unfortunately Phillips pulled out but he'll be there I don't count him out at all. I knew (world record holder) Jonathan Edwards was here, that's a big idol for me and I wanted to put on a good show," the 22-year-old said.
"It was great preparation for the Olympics Games. I've been jumping in rain every competition so I figure I'm getting used to it."
France's Christophe Lemaitre won the men's 200 in a season's best time of 19.91 but said he would have to go faster to win an Olympic medal.
"I knew I could run under 20 seconds but to do that here is very good, two weeks before the Olympic Games. Now I'm very confident over this distance.
"For the Olympic Games I want to go even faster, because with (Usain) Bolt, (Yohan) Blake and the other sprinters I think that I must beat my personal best if I want to win a medal.
Britain's Christine Ohuruogu battled through a torrential downpour to overtake world gold medalist Amantle Montsho for victory in the women's 400 in 50.42.
It was in stark contrast to her 'appalling' performance - as the Olympic champion described it at the time - for last place at this meeting in 2011.
"I've done all the work so I'm happy that I can take something like that away. I knew I had a good chance, I saw her (Montsho) look back so then I thought, ‘I've got you now'," said Ohuruogu, who was disqualified from the world championships last year for a false start.
Men's world champion Kirani James timed his race to perfection, surging to the front off the bend to win in 44.86.
Kenyan Silas Kiplagat burst to the front off the final bend to win the men's mile in 3:52.44 after the race had been subject to two false starts, which were put down to a technical problem.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO Sportsand on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports)


Clic here to read the story from its source.