Rodgers, 35, runs his fastest time since last year’s World Championships with wind-legal 10.15 at Continental Tour Silver event in Samorin; Nedasekau wins again in men’s high jump, with Taylor edged by Veszelka in men’s triple jump 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Mike Rodgers continued to demonstrate why he is still one of the most consistent sprinters in the world Friday at the 55th P-T-S Meeting, with the veteran American talent running his two fastest times of the year in the 100-meter dash at the Continental Tour Silver event in Samorin, Slovakia.

Following a 10.21-second effort in the qualifying round, the 35-year-old Rodgers clocked a wind-legal 10.15 in the final at the X-Bionic Sphere Sports Complex, his best performance since the semifinals of last year’s World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Rodgers, who elevated to No. 13 in the U.S. and equal to 30th in the world, won his second international 100-meter final this summer. He also prevailed Aug. 29 in the Czech Republic by running 10.26.

Rodgers, the reigning Pan American 100-meter gold medalist, was the only American to secure victory Friday on a day when four-time World champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist and current global leader Christian Taylor suffered an uncharacteristic setback in the men’s triple jump.

RESULTS

After producing the world-leading mark of 57-3.50 (17.46m) in the final round Tuesday at the 59th Golden Spike in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Taylor was upstaged Friday by Slovakia’s Tomas Veszelka.

Despite Taylor again producing his best effort in the final round with a mark of 54-2.75 (16.53m), it wasn’t enough to catch Veszelka’s third-round performance of 54-9.25 (16.69m), one of only two fair jumps for the Slovakian athlete.

Another world leader was able to achieve victory with Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus clearing 7-4.50 (2.25m) on his first attempt in the high jump to prevail for the fourth consecutive competition.

Lithuania’s Andrijus Glebauskas also cleared 7-4.50, but did so on his second attempt.

Nedasekau had two unsuccessful attempts at 7-5.25 (2.27m) and missed another at 7-7 (2.31m). Glebauskas was unable to clear the bar on all three tries at 7-5.25.

Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova of Belarus, ranked No. 2 in the world this year in the women’s long jump, produced a fifth-round leap of 21-11.75 (6.70m) to win and rebound from a third-place finish Tuesday in Germany.

Great Britain’s Laviai Nielsen triumphed in the women’s 400 by running 51.70, holding off Dutch talent Lieke Klaver (51.92). Cindy Ofili, also representing Great Britain, won the women’s 100-meter hurdles after clocking a wind-legal 12.99.

Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanova won the women’s 800 in 2:01.26, edging Finland’s Sara Kuivisto (2:01.60).

Ukraine’s Anna Ryzhykova delivered an impressive effort in the women’s 400 hurdles, clocking 55.21 to distance herself from Denmark’s Sara Slott Petersen (56.38).

Jochem Dobber of the Netherlands prevailed in the men’s 400 in 46.01, just ahead of Great Britain’s Rabah Yousif (46.13). Estonia’s Rasmus Magi was victorious in the men’s 400 hurdles in 49.32.

In the men’s hammer throw, Greece’s Hristos Frantzeskakis rallied for the victory with a sixth-round effort of 247-2 (75.34m), surpassing the third-round throw of 244-4 (74.48m) by Slovakia’s Marcel Lomnicky.

Martina Hrasnova of Slovakia prevailed in the women’s hammer throw with a fourth-round mark of 229-2 (69.86).

A first-round throw of 255-10 (77.99m) was enough for Vitezslav Vesely of the Czech Republic to win the men’s javelin competition.