Felix achieves sprint double

DOHA – American Allyson Felix produced the fastest 400 metres of the year at the IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting in Qatar on Friday.

The world 200 metres champion clocked 50.40 seconds as she achieved a rare double triumph over 400 and 100 metres. “I will be running in the 200 at the world championships later this year and will be looking to get into the 4×400 relay team as well,” Felix told reporters.”(But) I don’t think I will run the 100.”Felix performed superbly to defeat Senegal’s Amy Mbacke Thiam (50.99) and Jamaican Shericka Williams (51.12) in Friday’s one-lap race but her time of 11.27 was less eye-catching in the 100.Veronica Campbell (11.07) owns the best time of the year over 100, set earlier this month in her native Jamaica.A whole host of 2007 bests were set in the other events in Doha.Croatian Blanka Vlasic leapt 2.04 metres to beat Belgian Tia Hellebaut (1.98) in the women’s high jump.Other 2007 bests were produced by American David Payne (13.12) in the men’s 110 hurdles, Kenya’s Augustine Choge (3:31.73) in the 1,500 and fellow countryman Eliud Kipchoge (7:33.06) over 3,000.Kenyan Wilfred Bungei (1:44.14) did likewise in the 800, as did Norwegian Andreas Thorkildssen (86.39) in the men’s javelin and American Virginia Powell (12.66) in the women’s 100 hurdles.The men’s 100 was won by Trinidad’s Darrel Brown (10.13) ahead of Jamaica’s Michael Frater (10.19) and American Shawn Crawford (10.20).Double European champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal was fifth in 10.24.Olympic champion Crawford (20.59) finished second in the 200 behind Jamaican Chris Williams (20.24).Nampa-Reuters”I will be running in the 200 at the world championships later this year and will be looking to get into the 4×400 relay team as well,” Felix told reporters.”(But) I don’t think I will run the 100.”Felix performed superbly to defeat Senegal’s Amy Mbacke Thiam (50.99) and Jamaican Shericka Williams (51.12) in Friday’s one-lap race but her time of 11.27 was less eye-catching in the 100.Veronica Campbell (11.07) owns the best time of the year over 100, set earlier this month in her native Jamaica.A whole host of 2007 bests were set in the other events in Doha.Croatian Blanka Vlasic leapt 2.04 metres to beat Belgian Tia Hellebaut (1.98) in the women’s high jump.Other 2007 bests were produced by American David Payne (13.12) in the men’s 110 hurdles, Kenya’s Augustine Choge (3:31.73) in the 1,500 and fellow countryman Eliud Kipchoge (7:33.06) over 3,000.Kenyan Wilfred Bungei (1:44.14) did likewise in the 800, as did Norwegian Andreas Thorkildssen (86.39) in the men’s javelin and American Virginia Powell (12.66) in the women’s 100 hurdles.The men’s 100 was won by Trinidad’s Darrel Brown (10.13) ahead of Jamaica’s Michael Frater (10.19) and American Shawn Crawford (10.20).Double European champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal was fifth in 10.24.Olympic champion Crawford (20.59) finished second in the 200 behind Jamaican Chris Williams (20.24).Nampa-Reuters