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Saif Saaeed Shaheen's dramatic last ditch win in the 3000m
Steeplechase, and a three way battle at 2.36m which ended in a 2.38m
victory in the High Jump, stood out in Rome ’s Olympic stadium at
Friday's Borotalco Golden Gala, the second leg of the TDK Golden League
2005.
Ramzi repeats Rome win
Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain had shown a wonderful turn of speed at 800m in
Lausanne on Tuesday, and he brought that pace to Rome on Friday at
1500m, convincingly outsprinting Jackpot contender Daniel Kipchirchir
Komen (KEN). Ramzi’s time topped the Area record (3:30.25) he had set
on this track last year when beating El Guerrouj, setting new marks of
3:30.00, the world season’s lead. Komen was second in 3:30.37, and
Olympic silver medallist Bernard Lagat ( USA ) third 3:31.09.
Ethiopian team trial
The Jackpot hopes of Kenyan Edith Masai were dashed by an Ethiopian
triumvirate, as Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar and their older
Ethiopian compatriot Berhane Adere took hold of the race, which at the
bell had been led by Britain ’s Jo Pavey. Masai had followed behind the
two pacemakers throughout most of the race (3000m 8:49.13, Ines
Chenonge) but in the final charge she was left for pace, as Olympic
champion Defar led the Ethiopian sprint home.
Hanging on to her vest all the way was Adere, the World 10,000m
champion. Dibaba in third until the last 15 metres when she caught her
two teammates and just got ahead at the line to win in 14:32.57, a meet
record. Adere also passed Defar taking second (14:32.79) with the
Olympic champion, third (14:32.90). This was a blanket finish if there
ever was one, and the determination of the top three was heightened
because this was one of the Ethiopian team selection races for the
World Championships.
Benhassi exploits Cherkasova’s tactical error
In the women’s 800m, a tightly boxed Svetlana Cherkasova gave away her
chance of the Jackpot. Poor positioning on the final bend which found
the Russian caught on the inside of the curve as the race entered the
final straight, a position which necessitated a dramatic cut through
manoeuvre to break free, killed off any hopes that she might have had
of victory. By the time she was out of trouble, Morocco ’s Hasna
Benhassi was already away to victory. The winning time was 1:58.41, the
sixth best time of the year, with Cherkasova second (1:58.47), and a
superb new national record for Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica in third
(1:58.88). In all seven women went below 2 minutes.
In the men’s 800m, African champion and Jackpot contender William
Yiampoy was just never near the party. In the run into the finish it
was his compatriot Alfred Yego in a personal best of 1:44.62 who took
the honours. Olympic silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (RSA) was
second (1:44.70), ahead of Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy (RUS),
third in 1:44.81. Yiampoy was a distant seventh 1:45.59.
Dip finish in fast steeple
Qatar’s World champion and World record holder Saif Saaeed Shaheen left
it almost too late to win the men’s 3000m Steeplechase. The 22 year-old
who until tonight had been the only man to have gone under 8 minutes
this season, was left for speed as the bell sounded and Olympic bronze
medallist Paul Kipsiele Koech burst ahead. He quickly opened up a 10m
lead on his former Kenyan team-mate, only to be closed down by Shaheen
at the water jump. That seemed to be it, but no, it was Koech who
immediately forced the pace again, and led into the final barrier.
Finally, Shaheen produced the turn of speed for which he is famous, and
in a last ditch effort caught Koech on the line in a dip finish.
The finishing times were 7:56.34 to 7:56.37, a world season’s lead for
the winner, and a personal best for Koech. The times were significantly
also the fifth and sixth fastest in the world all-time. Olympic silver
medallist Brimin Kiruto (KEN) was third in 8:04.22, also a personal
best, with former World record holder Brahim Boulami, fourth, 8:04.92.
Songok socks Kipchoge again
When a few weeks ago Isaac Songok defeated World 5000m champion Eliud
Kipchoge in the Kenyan World Championships trials, the athletics world
was happy to take Kipchoge’s explanation that he had been forced to run
that 5000m when really he would have preferred to have run the 1500m
that day in preparation to defend his World title later this summer.
Today, though Kipchoge was beaten again by the 21-year-old who until
this season had raced mainly at 1500m, with Songok inflicting a
devastating final 60 metres burst which took Kipchoge by surprise, and
to which he had no answer. Songok crossed in 12:52.29 (PB and second
fastest time in the year), a desperate Kipchoge just behind in 12:52.76.
In all seven runners were under 13 minutes, with personal bests for
Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia (3rd -12:52.80), Kenya’s World Junior
champion Augustine Choge, 18yrs (4th 12:53.66 – PB), a season’s best
for Ethiopian Dejene Birhanu (5th 12:56.24), a Ugandan national record
for Boniface Kiprop (6th 12:58.43), and Benjamin Limo, the last of
those under 13mins in a time of 12:58.66 (7th)
Chris Turner
IAAF Editorial Manager
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