Sergio Sánchez took down some big names in Venta de Banos (© Miguel Alfambra)
Oviedo, SpainSergio Sánchez of Spain clocked 4:52.90 over 2000m on Saturday (23) to become the third fastest ever indoors over the rarely run distance.
In doing so, the 27-year-old eclipsed Ireland’s Eamonn Coghlan’s as the fastest European, whose 4:54.07 continental best was set in Inglewood, California, way back on 20 February 1987.
Sánchez’s initial target was to improve the Spanish record of 4:56.87 but he exceeded those expectations. It’s worth mentioning that the Oviedo venue has a 180-metre track, which makes Sánchez’s achievement even more notable.
The pacesetters had scheduled to go through the 1000m point in 2:28 but Sánchez asked for a brisker rhythm right from the start. As a result, the rabbit could only cover 540 metres before Sánchez took charge of the race to run alone for the remaining 1460 metres.
Boosted from the stands by hundreds of fans who travelled by coach from his native León to Oviedo to witness the record’s attempt, Sánchez clocked 2:25.97 at halfway point, putting Kenenisa Bekele’s World best of 4:49.99* set in Birmingham on 17 February 2007 in jeopardy for a while. After ducking under 3:40 for the 1500 point with a 3:39.84 – which is the fastest time so far this season – the European indoor 3000m 4th place finisher from Torino romped home in style to stop the clock at 4:52.90. Only the Ethiopian pair of Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie (4:52.86) have covered the distance faster.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect to run that fast but in the 4:54-4:57 range,” said the ecstatic Sánchez . “When the pacemakers dropped out the race I was rather perplexed but I thought, ‘there are lots of people who have come just to see me so I have to fight to the death to reach my goal, let’s do it!’”
Asked on his target for this indoor season, Sánchez said, “I would like to shine in the 3000m event at the World Championship in Qatar in mid March. My next indoor competition will be at the IAAF permit in Valencia on 13 February. I now feel capable of running the 3000m under the 7:30 barrier.”
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
* The 2000m is not recognised for indoor record purposes.
