Track Beauty of the Week: Murielle Ahouré

Murielle Ahouré is this week's Track Beauty!

The Ivorian sprinter has improved gradually the past few years. From an 11.42s best in the 100m dash in 2006, Ahouré came close to the 11-seconds in 2009, as she clocked 11.09s in Greensboro. She had forgettable campaigns in the next two years, but the 2012 season has been a revelation for the fast starting African sprinter. 

Ahouré at the 2012 Bislett Games. (Photo from Chell Hill)

Ahouré won a 60m dash silver at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, her debut at a major international competition. She timed 7.04s to finish second behind Jamaican legend Veronica Campbell-Brown (7.01s).

The 24-year old was able to translate her superb indoor form to the outdoor races. She had recently run a lifetime best of 11.00s at the Rome Diamond League, as she beat the defending Olympic 100m champion, Shellly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (11.06s). Ahouré also topped the half-lap sprint at the Bislett Games in Oslo, another Diamond League leg. The Ivorian stopped the clock in a new personal best of 22.42s.

Read: "London Olympics Preview - The 200m Dash"

Murielle is currently ranked 9th and 11th at the 100m and 200m season top lists, respectively. With the London Olympic Games barely two weeks away, the Ivorian is poised to make an impact judging by her sterling form.

The Versatile Rosolova

I first learned about Denisa Rosolova while watching last year's European Indoor Championships. It was remarkable how a former champion heptathlete and world class long jumper shifted to the quarter mile and strike gold! I admired her athletic talent and versatility. More importantly, Rosolova has the audacity to try something unorthodox. For this, she has reaped dividends.

Read: "Track Beauty of the Week - Denisa Rosolova"

Rosolova competing at the 2011 Bislett Games. (Photo from Chell Hill)

I was in for another surprise while watching the European Athletics Championships. Rosolova competed in the 400m hurdles, repeatedly setting new personal bests. The Czech star eventually wound up third in the final, finishing behind Russia's Irina Daydova (53.77s) and Ukraine's Anna Yaroshchuk Ханна Ярощук (54.24s). Remarkably, this was Rosolova's sixth or seventh outing in her new event, according to an EAA interview.

Back in the olden days, quarter milers usually dabbled in the intermediate hurdlers with good results, considering the fact that the two events are practically sister events. Those with good 400m flat times could succeed in the low hurdles, despite technical flaws in hurdling. True enough, talented intermediate hurdlers like Angelo Taylor, Bershawn Jackson, and Natalya Antyukh have successfully won medals in the flat one-lap sprint and the long relays.

Read:  "The 400m hurdles/400m dash Combo"

What makes Rosolova stand out is her circuitous journey from heptathlete, long jumper, quarter miler and intermediate hurdler. Not many athletes in this day and age of specialization can emulate Rosolova.

Denisa's major championship curriculum vitae is impressive, having won World Junior long jump title, European Indoor Championship gold, and now - the European Championship intermediate hurdles bronze.

Denisa Rosolova, indeed, is one Superb Senora!