Maria Mutola of Mozambique wins her fifth consecutive Golden League meet in Zurich (© Getty Images)
MARIA MUTOLA (MOZ)
Winner of the women’s 800m in 1:59.93 and still in contention for the Golden League Jackpot
“Zurich is just magical. I have been winning every year since 1993 here and today the pressure was double as I was also defending my Jackpot quest. The track is great, the people are great. I like everything about Zurich.
“I am very happy to be still in contention for the Jackpot but I am even happier that I can now forget about this jackpot for a couple of weeks and finally focus 100% on the World Championships.
“I know I am in excellent shape and I will try and take advantage of my shape to try and defend my world title in Paris. The world championships race will be very important to me.
“I think Brussels will feel very strange. The break will make it strange and probably the fact that I will be so close to winning the jackpot.
“If I do win it, I will…oh I don’t know what I will do!”
ANA GUEVARA (MEX)
Winner of the women’s 400m in a new Area record of 49.12
“I am very happy with my race today which is my first in Europe this year but also my last before the World Championships.
“The worlds are now just 10 days away so I had to come here at my very top. My preparation is virtually finished now and today’s race was a clear reflection of what good shape I’m in.
“Still I was a bit worried coming into Zurich as I only travelled three days ago and usually you need at least five full days for acclimatising. Last night I was still suffering from jet lag and had very little sleep so entering this race I was very nervous.
“Zurich is my favourite European meeting. I just love the stadium, the crowd and the way they cheer me up. It’s just amazing. Today it felt a little bit like on 3 May back in Mexico where I ran in front of 50,000 people.”
SAID SAEED SHAHEEN (QAT)
Former Stephen Cherono (KEN)
Winner of the men’s 3000m steeplechase in a new Area record of 8:02.48
“Today’s race? I was jogging (laughs). When I reached the 300 metres mark and saw that I was not alone I started thinking that I had to do something.
“I really wanted to run under 8 minutes today and I certainly could have done it if I had run a different race but I could feel Ezekiel Kemboi on my heels and I know he’s a very fast finisher so I decided to control the race and save my energy for the final sprint.
“If you really want me to be honest with you I don’t think I am a very good steeplechase runner. I am definitely a better 5000m runner. I will still compete in the 3000m Steeplechase in Paris, though. In 2004, I might do both but by 2005 I will definitely concentrate on the 5000m.
“Today was my first race for Qatar, my new country and yes, it did feel a bit different. I am not surprised that the decision came so quickly because both federations were in agreement and both countries are happy about the situation.
“My family is also very happy about my decision. My fans back in Kenya are happy as well. My name? I didn’t choose it; they just gave it to me. Do I like it? (laughs) well the thing is that Cherono is more famous, everyone remembers Cherono.
“My heart feels Qatari now but all my fans are still back in Kenya.”
HICHAM EL GUERROUJ (MAR)
Winner of the men’s 1500m in a new world leading time of 3:29.13
“More than the time and the win, I am happy and proud of the way I ran and won this race today. 3:29 is not that great a time for me but this is not a track for a 3:25 or 3:26 run.
“But believe me the way I was controlling I know I can run 3:25. That is for sure.
“My back problems started just 4 days before the Rome meeting. The doctors diagnosed arthritis in my fifth vertebrae but now I am back in perfect shape.
“I am still young and still motivated to run races and win races. Inch Allah, the World Championships in Paris will offer an excellent show for the fans and I will be able to win my fourth consecutive world title.
“My plans have not changed; I will still double 1500 and 5000 in Paris. I am now heading to Brussels for a four-day training session and will arrive in Paris on 20 August.”
FELIX SANCHEZ (DOM)
Winner of the men’s 400m Hurdles in 47.82
“Zurich is always special, it’s always a pleasure to come here and race. Today I had a little problem though since I had to curtail my warm up to be present at the athletes’ presentation in the stadium prior to the meet.
“I usually warm up for a full hour but today I only had 40 minutes to get ready. I hadn’t been informed of this before so it kind of caught me by surprise and I felt a bit flat during the race. I wasn’t as sharp as I usually am.
“But these things happen and I am just glad I managed to adapt to the situation. This is also one of the reasons why I am the number one in the world. Because I am able to adapt to any situation. The key is to always be mentally focused and ready to take on anything that comes your way.
“I will spend these last few days in Zurich where it will certainly be quieter than in Paris. I will watch tonight’s race again and again and study it in order to take the best out of it.
“I must admit that the Pan American Games has spoiled me a bit. Today’s atmosphere was great but nothing can compare to what I experienced back home.
“Paris will now be like a walk in the park for me, mentally speaking. And I honestly feel for Diagana because I know what it is going to be like for him.
JUSTIN GATLIN (USA)
Equal first in the men’s 100m A Race in a new personal best of 9.97
“This is a big stepping stone in my career. A great win in a great meet in a race with a great line-up. I knew of the great reputation of the Zurich meet and tonight I could see it with my own eyes and hear it with my own ears.
“Last night I had a dream that I could run under 10 seconds and today was the day. Despite my injuries this year I have remained very focused and kept training as hard as ever.
“During the World Championships I will just cheer on my team mates and hope they will perform well. You know patience is a great virtue and hopefully next year I will come back even stronger.
“Next year will be my year”
MICKEY GRIMES (USA)
Winner of the men’s 100m B race in a new personal best of 9.99
“I really don’t know what to say right now. I can think of no words to describe how I feel. Man I am happy, so happy right now. My coach John Smith told me to believe in myself. He told me I could run under 10 seconds and that’s what I did.
“He told me to run all the way to the line, to keep my head up and run run run to the tape. Also Darvis (Patton) was so close it felt like he was literally pushing me. He made me run that fast.”
