Almanza Breaks Ponce Meeting Record with World-Leading 800m

Published by IAAF on May 23, 2015

Cuba’s Rose Mary Almanza set a personal best of 1:59.35 to win the 800m at the Ponce Grand Prix on Saturday (23) to break the oldest women’s meeting record on the books.

Almanza closely followed the pace maker and covered the first lap in 58.32 with Canada’s Jessica Smith close behind. World junior silver medallist Sahily Diago then began to make a move with half a lap left and at one point it looked as though she would pass her compatriot.

But Almanza kicked down the home straight and held on for the win to better the hand-timed PB of 1:59.4 she set two years ago. The previous meeting record of 1:59.82 was set by Hazel Clark back in 2008.

In second, Diago clocked a season’s best of 1:59.91, her fastest time outside of Cuba. Jamaica's Simoya Campbell set a PB of 2:01.59 in third place.

Culson suffers shock defeat

Without question, two-time world silver medallist Javier Culson is the biggest athletics star in Puerto Rico. The Olympic bronze medallist had won the 400m hurdles at the Ponce Grand Prix on six previous occasions, setting the meeting and national record of 47.72 in 2010.