Alesya Turova of Belarus in 3000 steeplechase (© Ceska sportovni)
Morocco’s World 1500m record holder Hicham El Guerrouj made, as predicted, an impressive senior debut at 5000m (12:50.98) but was upstaged just as remarkably by Kenyan Stephen Cherono, the Commonwealth Games Steeplechase champion, who ran his own personal best of 12:48.81 at this evening’s Golden Spike – IAAF Super Grand Prix – meeting in this eastern Czech city near the Polish border, in front of a capacity crowd of 20,000 enthusiastic spectators.
El Guerrouj who last ran a 5000m in 1992 as a junior, and who is eyeing a possible 1500m/5000m double at this summer’s 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (23-31 August 2003) was led through 1000m (2:31.16) and 2000m (5:05:42), but when both the designated pace makers had quit the field, looming large behind him still was the yellow vest of Cherono. Any moment it was felt that the Moroccan’s pace would drop the Kenyan but then most unexpectedly, with just over two laps to go, Cherono audaciously passed El Guerrouj, as if to cheekily say “I‘m still here," to one of the greatest ever middle distance runners.
El Guerrouj immediately took the lead back but within the next 400 metres, he was to discover there had been substance behind Cherono’s move, because there was no shaking off the 20 year-old. In fact in the final sprint to the line it was the Kenyan who prevailed overtaking with about 80 metres to go, and this time there was no way back for the Moroccan.
Cherono won with a personal best of 12:48.81 (13:11.05 his previous PB), the seventh fastest time in history; only Daniel Komen and Haile Gebrselassie have run quicker. El Guerrouj finished a couple of seconds back in 12:50.24 (13:46.79 old PB). In third was the remarkable Kenyan junior James Kwalia, in his own personal best of 13:04.72 (13:14.34 old PB), the third best junior time on record.
"I did not expect to beat El Guerrouj," said an amazed Cherono. "Although I ran a great time today at 5000m and I also run steeplechase, I prefer 1500m."
El Guerrouj commented, "I saw today I am not yet a 5000m runner...I have a good feeling from my first 5000m. I have to work on my rhythm. I will continue running the distance."
Aldama's 15 metres jump leads the way
The 5000m which was the last event of the evening produced the ninth 2003 World season’s best performance of the meeting, which had got off to a world class start with the women’s Triple Jump. Cuba’s Yamile Aldama, who already led the world performance lists with a leap of 14.98m, became the first women to jump 15 metres outdoors (legal wind) since World Champion Tatyana Lebedeva won her title in Edmonton in 2001.
Aldama’s effort came in the fourth round and was measured at exactly 15.00 metres. Six women in total were over 14 metres, with Senegal’s Kene Ndoye setting a personal best and national record outdoors of 14.51 in third, though she had jumped 14.72 indoors last winter. Romania’s Adelina Gavrila was second with 14.76.
“I am sure I will jump very far this season,” said Aldama. “I have worked very hard on my run up and speed.”
In the women’s 400m Hurdles a near solo run from Romania’s Ionela Tirlea, set a meet record with a 53.87 clocking. Yvonne Harrison (PUR) was the nearest of the Romanian’s six competitors, finishing in 55.57.
Confident start for Sanchez
Not to be outdone, men’s World 400m Hurdles champion Felix Sanchez blasted well out of his blocks in lane three and cruised to a superb season’s debut over the one lap barriers, in a time of 48.10 seconds. It was a meet record and a world season’s best. It was also the 17th win in a row for the Dominican Republic athlete.
“I hope I will defend my World title in Paris but nowadays it is more difficult than in the Edwin Moses era,” said Sanchez.
Despite the smoothness of Sanchez’s run, he was closely followed home by three other men who dipped under 49 seconds, with Czech Jiri Muzik, a surprise second (48.63), out-dipping Americans Eric Thomas (also 48.63), and Joey Woody (48.80).
1:57.76 for majestic Ceplak
The crowd was now starting to get a world class fever up, as amazingly a fourth 2003 best was produced moments later, with a brilliant piece of 800m running from women’s 2002 European champion both indoors and out, Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia. The bell was sounded as the ‘rabbit’ (Miriam Hrdlickova) completed the first lap in 56.68 seconds, five metres behind came the Slovenian, and what a determined effort she produced out in front alone, when moments later the pace setter stepped aside.
This was a graceful run by Ceplak, and as she crossed the finish in 1:57.76, she looked as effortless as if she had been out for a stroll in the park. There is little doubt there will be even better times to come in 2003. World champion Maria Mutola had held the previous 2003 best – 1:57.98.
In second place was the inform Hungarian Judit Varga, who set a wonderful personal best and national record of 1:59.46, the 27 year-old going under 2 minutes for the first time.
“I think I am able to break the World record (1:53.28) this season but it is very difficult to say,” confirmed Ceplak.
World record holder Alesya Turova of Belarus was not going to break the pattern, and a fifth 2003 best (meet record) was entered into the books with a gutsy ‘go it alone’ attack on the World record (9:16.51), which while it fell short, produced a 9:20.28 time, which was well inside Russia’s Gulnara Samitova’s previous 2003 best of 9:32.05.
In the greatest possible way, things were now becoming predictable by this point of the meeting, as the world topping mood was becoming increasingly infectious.
The men’s 1500m had certainly picked up on the very positive vibes within the stadium and when a phalanx of four Kenyans came off the final bend the crowd knew another fast time was in prospect. World Junior record holder Cornelius Chirchir was clear of William Chirchir, Alex Kipchirchir and Bernard Lagat as they entered the last 100m and he was never headed, taking the win in 3:31.17. This was a 2003 world lead bettering the 3:33.67 of Ivan Heshko of Ukraine. William Chirchir was second with 3:31.70, and a late run from Heshko, who has been the middle distance find of the season so far, took third in 3:32.01, another national record.
Ethiopian Berhane Adere’s attempt on the women’s World 2000m record (5:25.36), held since 1994 by Ireland’s Sonia O’Sullivan, fell well short (5:35.62) but it was a brave run from the World Indoor 3000m champion who passed 800m in 2:11.23 (a few metres behind the pace maker) and 1600m in 4:29.06. Not surprisingly, no one was even bothering to infer that this was the quickest time in the year for this rarely run distance, who needed to on such a high class night of athletics!
In the two sprint Hurdles races, Jamaican Brigitte Foster the world season’s leader and Stanislavs Olijars of Latvia the European silver medallist, were the pre-event favourites over 100m and 110m Hurdles respectively.
Foster was away well and ahead by the first 40m, crossing the line in a meeting record of 12.65, with USA’s Melissa Morrison (12.80), just heading Spain’s Glory Alozie (12.82) for second.
In the men’s race, we were back to world season leads again – the seventh at that point in the evening. Olijars was well away in lane five but even better was USA’s Duane Ross in lane two, and it was not until about 30 metres before the finish that the Latvian got the advantage, winning in 13.15 seconds - meet record -, ahead of Ron Bramlett of USA (13.36), who caught Ross (13.43) just 10 metres before the end.
The men’s 3000m Steeplechase produced the usual Kenyan parade, with Ezekiel Kemboi breaking away with a devastating kick in the last lap to defeat compatriot Paul Koech. The winning time was 8:06.19 - world season’s lead - to Koech’s 8:07.98, with 1997 World champion Wilson Boit Kipketer in third (8:09.16).
4.70m Pole Vault for Polnova
In her women’s Pole Vault tussle World and Olympic champion Stacy Dragila found the going tough, nearly going out at 4.52m, and eventually succumbed at 4.64m. Russian Tatyana Polnova who had been over 4.70m indoors last winter, also took three attempts to clear 4.52 but was clean over first time at Dragila’s exit point. With such a famous scalp to her credit Polnova then moved the bar up to 4.70m and cleared that with her second, before retiring at 4.76m. Only Dragila, fellow Russian Svetlana Feofanova and Germany’s Annika Becker have ever jumped higher in the history of the event. Yes, you’ve guessed it, it was another world season’s best beating Dragila’s previous 2003 mark of 4.62m, and a meeting record.
2.01 for Bergqvist
Bergqvist, the European outdoor and World and European Indoor champion faced the formidable Russian duo of Anna Chicherova and Marina Kutpsova in the women’s High Jump but she was never in the mood to accept defeat in a competition which saw both Russians depart at 1.97m (second place) and 1.95m (third) respectively.
The Swede took a third time clearance at 1.97, but proceeded over 1.99 with her first jump, and then on her second leap at a meeting record of 2.01, produced one of the cleanest jumps possible, with a lot of air between her and the bar.
The men’s 100m, featured a Great Britain team selection race for the European Cup between Dwain Chambers, Mark Lewis Francis and Jason Gardener, with the added factor of Kim Collins (SKN) who in Manchester last summer had demolished these British runners' hopes of a home victory in the Commonwealth Games final.
Tonight in a three way blanket finish it was the Mark Lewis Francis who booked his British team ticket to Florence for the Cup, emerging victorious from lane six in 10.07 (meet record), with Collins second (10.09), Chambers third (10.16). Gardener finished back in a distant seventh (10.27).
In the women’s sprint, it was double Commonwealth individual sprint gold medallist Debbie Ferguson all the way from the gun, the athlete from the Bahamas winning in 11.20.
Bungei best again
Kenya’s Wilfred Bungei, is currently at the top of the pile when it comes to the world of 800m running. The World silver medallist both indoors and out, who already was the fastest in the world for 2003 - 1:43.05 in Hengelo, 1 June – demolished the challenge of a ten man field winning in 1:43.24, in front of Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia (1:44.36).
Not surprisingly the men’s Javelin engaged the crowd’s attention fully, as local hero Jan Zelezny, the triple World and Olympic champion, was on show, and what a display he gave them encouraged on every attempt by their loud cheering and clapping. 88.99 metres was the World record holder’s winning mark, heading a consistent series of five throws over 84 metres.
Another local favourite Roman Sebrle, the Decathlon World record holder also strode out to great support in the men’s “B” race of the 110m Hurdles winning in 14.06 seconds. He had been due to compete in the Long Jump, an event which was won by USA’s Savante Stringfellow with a fourth round leap of 8.25m, which the American neatly backed up in the following round with a 8.24 performance.
There were two early evening home wins for Czech athletes, with the women’s Discus won with a 62.20 first round release by Vera Pospisilova, while the men’s High Jump was taken by Jaroslav Baba with a second time clearance at 2.27m.
IAAF
