Volume XXXV Number 13 March (5), 2010 CLAY EDGES HARDEE at WORLDS Americans Go 1-2, 1000 Meters is Crucial Hello Again…Bryan Clay hung on…and Bryan Clay hung on…and hung on during the climatic digs deep on nd the final 1000 meters and captured a 2 consecutive straight of IAAF world indoor heptathlon title, but it the 1000m to become the wasn’t easy. His 6204 score was just 20 first to points (2 seconds in 1000m talk) up on repeat as teammate Trey Hardee. Clay becomes the world indoor heptathlon first athlete ever to win back-to-back world champ. He indoor heptathlon titles. He now has 2 gold won the and 2 silver IAAF indoor medals. crown with a furious dash. Needing to stay within 4½ seconds on Hardee in the 1000 meters, he hung tough and the margin between the two Yanks was 2½ seconds at the finish. The rest of the field was led by Andrei Krauchanka who won in 2:41.70 but he could not catch the seasonal leader Aleksey Drozdov/RUS who held on for the bronze medal. Here’s how it went down: now just 46 digits. Oleksiy Kasyanov posted a terrific 8.01 clocking but Drozdov lost any chance at the gold medal with a pedestrian IAAF World Indoor Heptathlon 8.34 time. Championships After Five: Clay 4531, Hard 4485, Kasy Doha, Qatar 4456, Droz 4446. March 12-13, 2010 Pole Vault: [10:40 am] 60m Hurdles: [9:15 am] This was scary as Bryan opened at Trey and Bryan were paired in lanes 4 4.70m/15-5 and needed all three attempts to and 5, andthis race belonged to Trey Hardee continue. Ditto at 4.80m/15-9. Then he as he ran a terrific 7.79 seconds. He reacted managed 4.90m/16-¾ on a first try and fastest of all (0.123 seconds), while Bryan 5.00m/16-4¾ on a second. His early season was caught napping (0.213 second reaction no height at Harvard must have played on his time) and spent the rest of his next 8 seconds mind, and it’s not a bad idea to come in at a trying to catch Trey. Clay was 2nd in 8.00, a fairly low bar to iron out any problems. clear disappointment. Hardee shaved 53 Hardee, on the other hand skied 4.80m/15-9, points out of Clay’s 1st day lead which was his opener and then passed the next bar. He needed all three 3/12-13 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Doha, Qatar trys to manage 5.00m/16-4¾, and neither 6204 Clay, Bryan/USA could go any higher. Same for co-event 6.67 727 1531 206 8.00 500 2:50.28 6184 Hardee, Trey/USA 6.80 728 1444 208 7.79 500 2:47.76 6141 Drozdov, Alexandr/RUS 7.08 729 1717 209 8.40 490 2:45.35 6124 Krauchanka, Andrey/BLR 8.22 738 1359 218 8.04 500 2:41.70 6024 Sebrle, Roman/CZE 7.20 749 1570 209 8.30 480 2;46.55 Both Trey Hardee (left) and Bryan Clay (right) managed 6019 Kasyanov, Oleksiy/UKR 5.00m/16-4 ¾ in the vault. 6.93 778 1455 200 8.01 440 2:43.78 5764 Suarez, Leonel/CUB 7.15 712 1359 206 8.24 460 2:45.04 winner Krauchanka. Drozdiv drifted a bit dnf Pogorelov, Aleksandr/RUS further back with just 4.90m/16-¾ and 7.68 withdrew Kasyanov lost any medal chance when he 8s. cleared buy 4.40m/14-5¼, his opening height. ------------------- That set up the dramatic 1k. After Six: Clay 5441, Hard 5395, Droz 5326, Krau 5269. 1000 Meters: [4:40 pm] The race was predictable as the Eastern Europeans pushed the pace and the Americans clung to their precious lead in a tightly bunched pack. With a lap to go Bryan seemd to be drifing backward, but, in the final 200 meters, some how summoned a furious final sprint to Photo of the 60m hurdles finish, Hardee on right, Clay in close the gap between himself and Trey to middle. just 2 ½ seconds/ he won this meet, his 4th indoor world’s medal, in the final 60 meters with a gritty effort. At the finish the differential between first and last was under 10 seconds. It was the first half of a Red-White-Blue Multis weekend. After Seven: Clay 6204, Hard 6184, Droz 6141, Krau 6124. .