2003 IAAF Grand Prix Review – Part Four

Concluding our series of four reviews of the most significant moments from last year’s 28 IAAF Grand Prix meetings , MEL WATMAN of “Athletics International” recalls the action that took place in August and September –

August 2, Heusden-Zolder, Belgium
(Grand Prix II)

There is seemingly no end to the production line of precocious Kenyan runners. At the KBC Night of Athletics the 1500m went to Isaac Songok in 3:31.54, a time which ranked him as the second fastest junior in history behind Cornelius Chirchir (3:30.24 last year). In the 5000m, won by Zersenay Tadesse with an Eritrean record of 13:11.07, junior David Kilel recorded 13:17.45 but the sensation – if his stated year of birth of 1987 is correct – was Augustin Choge, sixth in 13:20.08 at the age of 15 or 16! Abel Cheruiyot became the fourth fastest junior steeplechaser ever with 8:09.37.

August 3, Thessaloniki, Greece
(Grand Prix II)

The two world champions-in-waiting in action at this meeting met with mixed fortunes. Jerome Young won the 400m in 44.94 but Kim Collins was beaten into third place (10.17) in a close 100m won in 10.15 by J J Johnson, who went on to win the 200m in 20.21. Johnson would place only sixth in the Paris 200m final but enjoyed his moment of glory on the anchor leg of the 4x100m relay when he overhauled Dwain Chambers. A name to follow: Nelya Neporadna, the Ukrainian who ran away with the European junior 1500m title the week before and, just turned 18, beat several far more experienced opponents with a national junior record of 4:05.37. She would improve to 4:04.24 and reach the World Championships final.

August 5, Stockholm (Sweden)
(Super Grand Prix)

The capacity crowd for the DN Galan acclaimed two Swedish victories – by Christian Olsson in the triple jump (17.36m) and Carolina Klüft in the long jump (6.59m) – but two other local jumping icons were defeated. Stefan Holm looked to have the high jump in the bag when he cleared everything up to and including 2.30m at the first attempt, but whereas he failed narrowly at 2.32m that height was mastered at the final attempt by Germaine Mason for a Jamaican record. In the women’s high jump Kajsa Bergqvist, who had cleared a stunning 2.06m in Germany the previous week, could manage only 1.95m for fourth place in a contest won faultlessly by Hestrie Cloete at 2.01m. A devastating finishing kick by 18 year-old Eliud Kipchoge, who astonishingly would be crowned world champion before the month was over, carried the Kenyan to victory in the 5000m in 13:00.63.

August 8, London, UK
(Super Grand Prix)

It’s probable that Dwain Chambers and Kim Collins broke 10.00 at the Norwich Union London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace but those 100m times were lost for ever because the electronic timing system malfunctioned. Instead, the first five finishers in the 100m – Chambers, Collins (heat winner in 9.97w), Deji Aliu, Bernard Williams and Justin Gatlin – were all awarded a hand time of 10.0. There were three other British winners: Christian Malcolm in a 20.25 200m, Carl Myerscough with 21.50m in the shot and Kelly Holmes with a 4:10.40 1500m. Jonathan Edwards was hoping to add to that tally but in what proved to be his final British appearance he twisted his ankle and had to be stretchered off. The women’s triple jump produced an outstanding result when Yamilé Aldama bounded out to 15.27m for a big win over Tatyana Lebedeva (14.99m). That was a UK all-comers record, as was Haile Gebrselassie’s 12:57.23 5000m. The fabled Emsley Carr Mile was won by Paul Korir in 3:48.17, the second fastest time in its 50-year history.

August 18, Helsinki, Finland
(Grand Prix)

The Asics Grand Prix meeting was but a shadow of its glorious past, coming so soon after the Zürich Golden League meeting and just days before the start of the World Championships. The only athlete present who went on to strike individual gold in Paris was Jacques Freitag, the high jump winner with a modest 2.26m. The classiest performances came in the shot where Yuriy Bilonog threw 21.09m and the 400m hurdles in which Joey Woody prevailed over Llewellyn Herbert, 48.43 to 48.50.

September 7, Rieti, Italy
(Grand Prix)

The Rieti track has been the scene of numerous great middle distance exploits, and to that list can be added a world junior mile record. Hicham El Guerrouj won the race in what was for him the routine time of 3:50.20, but breathing down his neck just 5/100ths of a second behind was Alex Kipchirchir, an 18 year-old Kenyan who had reduced his 1500m personal best to 3:31.42 in Brussels two days earlier. A tremendous 400m hurdles duel saw Sandra Glover, as competitive as ever at 34, edge world record breaker Yuliya Pechonkina, 53.34 to 53.43, while home fans witnessed their surprise world pole vault champion Giuseppe Gibilisco win on countback against Denis Yurchenko at 5.81m.


Click here for the 2003 Grand Prix section

Click here for the 2003 World Athletics Final