Schwartz vaults into second place

Pole vaulter represents Israel at Diamond League meet.

By ALLON SINAI, AP
jillian schwartz 311 (photo credit: AP)
jillian schwartz 311
(photo credit: AP)
Israel’s Jillian Schwartz finished second in the women’s pole vault competition at the Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace on Saturday, clearing 4.46 meters with her first attempt.
Schwartz, who made aliya from the US last year, represented America in the 2004 Athens Olympics and has a personal best of 4.72 meters.
“I really wanted to win the competition, but second place is also good, especially as I beat some excellent jumpers in tough conditions,” said Schwartz, who competed despite suffering cramp in her thigh in the warmup to the event. “This has been an excellent year for me. I have a good chance of entering the top-10 jumpers of the year.”
US runners took both men’s and women’s 400-meter sprints in London, as Jeremy Wariner beat Jamaican world leader Jermaine Gonzales and Allyson Felix added a one-lap win to her 200 victory from the day before.
In cool, windy weather not suited to sprinting, the 24-year-old Felix won a close battle Saturday in 50.79 seconds to hold off new European champion Tatyana Firova and American Debbie Dunn. That followed a comfortable win in her specialty, the 200, the day before.
“The time wasn’t great but it wasn’t about the time today,” Felix said. “It was a great field and I just wanted to execute my race. It was more difficult than yesterday’s race.”
Firova of Russia finished well to come second in 50.84 and Dunn, the world leader this year, was third, 0.05 further back.
Felix, who already had won Diamond League 400s this season in Doha and Eugene, flew out of the blocks and was in the lead coming into the home straight.
Firova came back strongly in the last 50 but could not pass Felix. The Russian, a winner in Stockholm last week, still beat Dunn, who clocked a worldbest time for 2010 of 49.64 in June.
“I really had to rely on my endurance. I felt pretty good but it was a little difficult recovering [from the 200],” Felix said.
Wariner, who has been hampered by injury, lagged early but pushed past Gonzales in the second, final turn and held off a late challenge to win in 44.67. Gonzales finished in 44.80 but still has the world’s fastest time this year at 44.40.
“I wasn’t happy with my first 200,” Wariner said. “With the weather conditions here, it was a good race.”
World women’s 100 leader Carmelita Jeter was upset by fellow American Marshevet Myers, finishing five hundredths behind Myer’s 11.01 performance.