MONACO
Herculis Diamond League Meeting – 20 July 2012
Nick Willis
Nick Willis was still over the moon hours after smashing his New Zealand national 1500m record at the Diamond League meeting. Willis finished third in 3m 30.35s, slicing 1.44s off the record set in the same race last year. He also bettered Ryan Gregson’s Oceania record of 3m 31.06s set in the 2010 Monaco race.
Asbel Kiprop won in 3m 28.88s, from fellow Kenyan Nixon Chepseba who clocked 3m 29.77s.
Willis said that he couldn’t have asked for anything better two weeks out from the 1500m heats at the London Olympic Games.
“The Kenyans asked for a very fast race and fortunately for me they were good enough to keep it going and I sort of hung on the back of all the African runners. I felt fantastic with a lap to go and I started winding it up with 200m to go,” said Willis.
“I passed a few guys down the home straight and finished third and a huge PB, I’m just over the moon.
“It’s nice to finally see the result of what I’ve been realising in training the last month or so, which has been indicating such a performance was about to happen.”
Willis said that his training has been geared towards any style of race the Kenyans decide to adopt in the Olympic final.
“My speed is better than it’s ever been before and now this (race) has shown that my sustained endurance speed is good as well, so hopefully I’m ready for any type of situation.”
“The last two weeks have been jogging and some easy strides to tick over. I’m going to do a 600m time trial on Wednesday, I’ve got some 47 second 400m runners pacing me and that will get me ready for a final 600m kick in the championships. I’m on the up and up each week; that’s the plan,” he added.
Stuart Farquhar was also competing in Monaco where he finished sixth in the javelin throw with 75.84m (x, 73.16m, 74.49m, 74.31m, 75.84m, 75.78m). Oleksandr Pyatnytsya of Ukraine won with a throw of 82.85m.
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