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Showing posts with label metre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label metre. Show all posts

Saturday, 16 April 2011

Tom Daley and Peter Waterfield take gold in the 10 metre synchro at FINA World Series event in Sheffield

"This is our second international competition together so we didn't expect anything.

"We wanted to come here and put in a good performance and if we got a medal it was a bonus. To get a gold medal is amazing."

Daley admitted this week the synchro was his best shot at a medal at next year's Olympics despite the 16 year-old being world champion in the individual platform.

He admitted a victory at such an early stage of his partnership with the 30-year-old Waterfield would be a significant boost to their confidence, especially after claiming a rare win over the Chinese who had won all but one of the 17 gold medals on offer at World Series this year.

"The Chinese don't lose, especially with those two young Chinese divers who when you come up against them most people say silver is gold," Daley said.

"We just went out there and did our best; if you put the Chinese under pressure they don't like it.

"It normally takes years to get the right timing on the board and we are very lucky to naturally have that timing. We just need to now work harder and harder because we have lots more to get out of the list.

"Like Pete said we missed our first two dives, so we can do a lot better.

"But, honestly it does feel amazing especially to do it in front of a home crowd."

Daley's victory was made more emotional after his ill father was able to make the trip up to Sheffield to see his son claim gold.

Doctors last month diagnosed Robert Daley with a second brain tumour which has left him in poor health.

The 40 year-old had only previously missed Daley's gold medal-winning performance at the Commonwealth Games last year and made a late journey to see his son's latest triumph.

"It was good to see him earlier because he wasn't sure if he was going to be here," Daley added.

"He got a bit upset actually because it gave me that extra bit of motivation and drive to see him there in the audience.

"He has a t-shirt that says 'Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.'

"Apparently I am the oil in his lamp and I keep him burning.

"He's a little bit teary, he didn't think he was going to get up here because things obviously haven't been going well -it's been a tough time.

"I was glad he was up here to see me and Pete do as well as we have done today."

In the women's 3m synchro Rebecca Gallantree and 14-year-old partner Alicia Blagg proved they are able to compete with the best after finishing fifth.

While they never truly threatened the medals they finished less than nine points behind third place, with China's He Zi and Wu Minxia maintaining their perfect record at this year's World Series to win gold.

Earlier, junior world champion Jack Laugher underlined his growing reputation by posting an international personal best in the 3m springboard.

Laugher overcame cramp in his right leg mid-way through the competition to score 436.90 and continue his improvement in his first year in senior ranks.

The competition was eventually won by China's Qin Kai who again beat his countryman and Olympic and world champion Chong He while Hu Yadan won the women's 10m platform in the night's final event.


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Sunday, 2 May 2010

Usain Bolt storms to impressive 200 metre victory in Jamaica

Usain Bolt clocked a time of 19.56 in the 200 metres sprint in Jamaica. Competing in front of 30,000 home fans at the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston on Saturday, Bolt was in ominous form as he raced away from his rivals to cross the line in 19.56 seconds – 0.4sec ahead of second-placed American Wallace Spearmon.

"I felt good, the race was a good one and I am on target to have a good season," said the triple Olympic champion and double world record-holder. "My training has been going well and I am pleased with my performance.”

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Bolt’s display was all the more impressive because the race was run into a 0.8 metres per second headwind. Running from lane five, he was ahead by 60 metres and, by the finish, had a 10-metre advantage over Spearmon, the world bronze medallist.

His winning time has been bettered only three times before – twice by Bolt himself with his world record records of 19.19sec at last year’s World Championships in Berlin and 19.30sec at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Michael Johnson holds the third quickest time with his old world mark of 19.32sec.

Bolt insists he has no interest in chasing world records this year but such a brilliant performance so early in season suggests it is time to heed his oft-quoted mantra: “Anything is possible”.

Last year, Bolt managed to smash his own 100m and 200m world records on the back of a late start to his winter training that was further delayed by injuries he sustained in a car accident.

With a trouble-free winter behind him this year, more great things surely lie ahead for the giant Jamaican, who will run his first 100m of the season in Daegu, Korea, on May 19 before making his Diamond League debut over 200m in Shanghai on May 23.

American Tyson Gay, the world’s second fastest man, was also in action in Kingston but avoided an early confrontation with his rival by opting to compete in the 400m. He won comfortably in 45.05sec.

Meanwhile, 19 year-old Chris Thompson leapt to third on the all-time British 10,000m list behind Jon Brown and Eamonn Martin after clocking 27min 29.61sec at a meeting at Stanford University in the United States. His time qualifies him for this summer’s European Championships in Barcelona.



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