China, U.S., Cuba win with surprises at Montreux Volley Masters

Cuba created a nice surprise, defeating the Netherlands 3-1 in the opening game of Montreux Volley Masters on Tuesday, while the United States and China both well started.

China beat Poland and the Americans defeated Japan, both in three straight sets, to kick off the tourney, held from June 8 to 13.

Cuba took advantage over the vice European champions Netherlands by winning the first set 25-18, before the Caribbean team won the second set 25-22 with the powerful serves from Silva.

The Dutch then reacted with a 25-17 comeback, helped by Manon Flier’s magical arm.

The fourth set was tied with both teams going back and forth but the Cubans were able to conclude the match on a malicious point by Silva.

Tuesday’s second game faced the powerful Americans with the quick Japanese. The Americans did not started largely favourite as expected, winning the first two sets on the tied score of 25-23. However, they became more comfortable in the third game, defeating the Asians 25-21.

China, the bronze medal winnners of the 2008 Olympic Games, smashed their way to the opening victory over Poland.

The players of the new head coach Wang Baoquan defeated Poland in three games on the score of 25-17, 25-23, 25-17.

Except in the second set where China won 25-23 after being down 22-23, the Asians could control the entire game around.

The Montreux Volley Masters is an international women’s volleyball competitions held annually in Montreus, Switzerland. Brazil was the champion of last edition.

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Usain Bolt ran the fourth-fastest 200 meters in history, finishing in 19.59 seconds at the Athletissima meet Tuesday despite chilly weather and a track slowed by a downpour.

His time was 0.01 seconds slower than what Tyson Gay ran in May in fair weather and with a breeze at his back.

But despite the 60-degree weather and poor track, Bolt showed he was back in top form a year after winning the 100 and 200 in world records at the Beijing Olympics.

"I’m in good shape, but I’m not fully ready yet," said the 22-year-old Jamaican, who is aiming to peak for the world championships next month in Berlin. "I still need to work on a few technical things."

Bolt said he was "not concerned with records," even though he was within 0.3 seconds of the 19.30 he posted in Beijing. The other faster time is Michael Johnson’s 19.32 at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

LaShawn Merritt was a distant second in 20.41, while fellow American Shawn Crawford — the 2004 Olympic champion and runner-up last year — finished more than a second behind in fourth.

Bolt’s teammate Asafa Powell won the 100 in 10.07 seconds in what he described as a "good race" given the elements.

"These were the worst weather conditions for a race in my whole life," Powell said.

Still, Powell called it his best performance of the season. He added that Bolt’s world record of 9.69 seconds was within his reach, even he was nowhere close Tuesday on the same track where he ran 9.72 a year ago.

Underscoring the Jamaican dominance in the sprints, Isa Phillips won the 400 hurdles in 48.18 seconds to beat American Kerron Clement. On the women’s side, Jamaicans Kerron Stewart and Shericka Williams had a 1-2 finish in the women’s 200, and Shelly-Ann Fraser won the 100 in 11.03 seconds, just 0.03 ahead of American Carmelita Jeter.

Underscoring the Jamaican dominance in the sprints, countrywoman Shelly-Ann Fraser won the women’s 100 in 11.03 seconds, just 0.03 ahead of American Carmelita Jeter.

"It’s important to win here and it’s good for preparing for the world championship," said Fraser, the Olympic champion. "The weather is not so bad. A bit cold, but I wasn’t thinking about it."

Three other gold medalists in Beijing were soundly beaten.

Jamaica’s Melanie Walker was slow out of the blocks in the 400 hurdles and finished fourth as American Tiffany Ross-Williams won in 54.73 seconds. Australia’s Sally McLellan took the 100 hurdles in 12.60 seconds as American Dawn Harper fell back to sixth.

In the javelin, Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic was upset by Germany’s Steffi Nerius. Spotakova rescued second with a final throw of 211 feet, 3 inches, nearly 26-3 short of the world record she set at the Olympics a year ago.

Cuba’s Yargelis Savigne won the triple jump with a mark of 48-11. But 2007 world champion Maryam Jamal was second in the 1,500 behind Ethiopia’s Gelete Burka, who won in 4 minutes, 0.67 seconds.

On the men’s side, Olympic champ Steve Hooker of Australia started his outdoor season by clearing 18-10 1/2 to win the pole vault.

Cuba’s Daryon Robles, another gold medalist in Beijing, won the men’s 110 hurdles in 13.18 seconds.

"I came here to run a good race," said Robles, whose world record stands at 12.87. "But with this rain, it’s too difficult."

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Robles, a 21 year old from Guantanamo, finished fourth at the world championships last year and has consistently competed with Liu Xiang over 2007.

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