Robles sets record, Beijing battle next
Campaign News | Friday, 13 June 2008
Cuban hurdler breaks 110 metre record
In his challenge to Liu Xiang's status as favorite at the Beijing Games, Cuba's Dayron Robles set a world record in the 110-meter hurdles Thursday night at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Robles shaved 0.01 seconds off Liu's record, with a time of 12.87 seconds. His record overshadowed Usain Bolt's victory in the 200 in 19.83, a world-leading time for the season. Bolt set a world record of 9.72 in the 100 two weeks ago.
In women's events, world champion Blanka Vlasic of Croatia matched her best high jump of the season, 6-foot-8 3/4, but missed three times at a world-record height of 6-10 3/4.
Robles' record was not the only one of the meet. Boston Marathon winner Dire Tune of Ethiopia set a mark in the obscure women's one-hour race, using four pacesetters to cover 18.517 kilometers. The previous mark of 18.340 was set in 1998 by Tegla Loroupe of Kenya.
In his race, Robles defeated the rest of the field by more than a third of a second. Terrence Trammell of the United States was second in 13.21, followed by Sergey Demiduk of Ukraine in 13.42.
Robles, a 21-year-old from Guantanamo, finished fourth at the world championships last year. He was 2-2 head-to-head against Liu in 2007, when Robles set his previous personal best of 12.92 while winning in September at the World Athletics Finals in Stuttgart, Germany.
