Yuriy Borzakovskiy (RUS) (© Getty Images)
Stockholm, SwedenNew world leading marks in the men’s 800m, Pole Vault and Triple Jump, the ‘greatest 800m race ever indoors’, plus World record attempts - which were much more than just symbolic - in the women’s High Jump and Pole Vault, highlighted last night’s 14th GE Galan meeting (18 Feb).
“Now it is up to the athletes to prove that those holding coveted GE Galan 2003 tickets are indeed to be envied!” was the final remark of our meet preview yesterday. The athletes quickly disposed of any doubts by producing some two and a half hours of intense action, especially the final minutes of the meeting which became something special, sending the over 10,000 fans home on Tuesday night with happy smiles on their faces.
The last track event scheduled was the men’s 800m, and although illness forced World Champion André Bucher to withdrawal, as the race unfolded it became something to treasure, as previous world leader of the year Wilfred Bungei had to settle for fourth place despite recording 1:45.07!
The race also marked the return to the top of the somewhat enigmatic Russian talent Yuriy Borzakovskiy. As usual ignoring the pacesetter - this time David Kiptoo who took Wilson Kipketer and Wilfred Bungei out to a sub-51-opening - Borzakovskiy executed a textbook “even pace”race, with laps of 26.4 - 25.7 - 26.1 - 26.2 finishing in 1:44.34, a time only Borzakovskiy himself and World Record holder - and today’s No 2 - Wilson Kipketer (1:44.68) have ever surpassed.
Just as the track programme was concluded with the 800m, two jumping bars were moved to World Record heights. In the women’s Pole Vault recent 4.70-vaulter Tatyana Polnova proved that was no fluke, as displaying brilliant technique she cleared 4.66, and then attacked 4.77, one centimetre above countrywoman Svetlana Feofanova’s recent top mark. At least two of the attempts were much more than “decent”, clearly signalling that Polnova is posing a serious threat to Feofanova and Dragila.
But to the sell-out Stockholm crowd it was hometown girl Kajsa Bergqvist who provided the real highlight in the rousing finale to this memorable meeting. Desperately wanting her first victory of the year (despite clearing 1.98 - 2.00 - 2.02 in her three earlier meets) Kajsa appeared to be in real trouble at 1.99 clearing only on her third attempt. Thus, she found herself behind Russians Anna Chicherova and Marina Kutsova when the bar was raised to 2.01, one centimetre above Stefka Kostadinova’s arena record.
When it really mattered Kajsa proved to be the best: She cleared both 2.01 and 2.03 (Swedish record) on her first attempts without being even close to displacing the bar. Chicherova managed 2.01 on her third attempt, but was eliminated at 2.03. With the coveted win secured, Kajsa asked to have the bar raised to 2.08, one centimetre above Heike Henkel’s 11 years old World Indoor record. Despite having already made nine jumps, the energy was there to have a first try that probably would have been sufficient for a 2.05/2.06 clearance!
However, it should be stressed that it took something really special from Kajsa Bergqvist to be able to retain her position as “Globen crowd favourite No 1” this year. Because especially Christian Olsson, Carolina Klüft and Susanna Kallur provided stiff competition indeed.
Christian dominated the Triple Jump right from the start with the series 17.11 - 17.40 - 17.32 - 15.54 (aborted) - foul (17-plus) - 17.07. In his three previous competitions this winter Christian has had just one 17m-jump per meet but tonight he was back to his 2002 ways of just pouring them on. The 17.40 meant that he improved his previous world leading mark by 16 centimetres. The toughest challenge this time came from Brazilian Jadel Grégorio, who stretched out to a 17.04 on his second attempt.
The Triathlon intended to feature Carolina Klüft certainly did so. A late withdrawal from Natalya Sazanovich exaggerated the situation but it is highly doubtful whether even a healthy Sazanovich would have posed any threat. Carolina began with a 6.51 Long Jump (just 4 cm off her four days old PR), continued with 8.28 for 60m Hurdles (new PR) and concluded with a 53.25 for 400m, in a race where 2nd placed Sheila Burrell was left 2.5 seconds behind during the last hundred metres!
The 2000 World Junior champion for 100m Hurdles - Susanna Kallur - underlined that she now is a force to be reckoned with by the world’s leading senior hurdlers. Susanna made it “three out of three” this winter in sub-8 races by now following her 7.90 in Glasgow and 7.96 in Tampere, with a 7.97 despite not seeing in any real competition after the first two hurdles.
With almost all jumpers at the top end of the world list on site, the men’s High Jump looked set for a flood of great heights. But for some reason this didn’t happen, with Yaroslav Rybakov and Andriy Sokolovsky being eliminated at 2.24 and just two jumpers making 2.31. However, those two were Stefan Holm and Staffan Strand so the crowd wasn’t that disappointed. Staffan had the best clearance at 2.31 and also the best attempt at 2.34, but the victory still went to Stefan who made 2.31 first (2nd round versus 3rd).
Almost lost in the barrage of other top class jumping performances was Tim Lobinger’s new world leading mark of 5.82 in the men’s Pole Vault which marked an improvement upon the 5.81 previously shared by him and Czech Adam Ptacek.
The three running events - men’s 60m and 400m plus women’s 60m - that together with the Triple Jump make up the designated Energizer events this winter didn’t produce any major upsets.
In the men’s 60m, the win for Coby Miller was the logical outcome when the American managed to get out of the blocks on even terms with Briton Jason Gardener. At the finish line Miller was five hundredths ahead: 6.54 - 6.59. The women’s 60m race was as expected dominated by Muriel Hurtis (7.21).
In the men’s 400m, Pole Marek Plawgo managed to run down Britain’s Jamie Baulch in the A-race but the maximum points in the Energizer scoring still went to American James Davis who was 0.12 quicker (46.39 to 46.51 for Plawgo) in the B-final.
On an evening like this a 7:42.55 in the men’s 3000m and a 4:04.42 in the women’s 1500m didn’t receive the credit they deserved. In the former, Rui Silva’s 26-second finishing lap was not possible to match for world leader Luke Kipkosgei, Austrian race surprise Günther Weidlinger or Salah Hissou. In the latter, Natalya Gorelova won her race by being the only one daring enough to follow the pace setter Judit Varga. Gorelova thereby made fast finishing Alesya Turova realise the danger of leaving it too late.
All in all the “GE Galan 2003” was that kind of athletics meet that will make marketing of the next edition almost unneeded. The organisers probably could have sold all the tickets for 2004 edition already today at the Exits, when the capacity crowd left the Globe Arena after having attended the truly memorable 14th edition.
Lennart Julin for the IAAF
RESULTS - www.energizer-euroseries.com/2003/
