Pamela Jelimo leads a Kenyan 1-2 in the women's 800m, setting a world junior record in the process (© Getty Images)
Continuing one of the most spectacular rises from obscurity that the sport has witnessed in recent years, Kenyan teenager Pamela Jelimo ran away with the Olympic 800m title tonight in Beijing.
With the year’s five fastest performances and with eight victories in as many races this season, Jelimo was the overwhelming favourite to take the gold, and she hardly disappointed, clocking 1:54.87, her fourth World junior record of the summer. Notably, the 18-year-old claimed the first ever Olympic gold medal for Kenya in an event she first contested on the 19 April this year.
“It makes me very happy to be the first for Kenya,” said Jelimo. “I’m still young and I’m looking forward to doing better. Maybe I can be the best again.”
In Olympic lore, she made an immediate impact. She succeeded 1968 champion Madeline Manning as the youngest-ever champion and her performance has only been bettered by two women in Olympic competition, Nadezhda Olizarenko and Olga Mineyeva of the Soviet Union, who ran 1:53.43 (then a World record) and 1:54.81, respectively, at the 1980 Games in Moscow.
Her Kenyan team-mate Janeth Jepkosgei, the reigning World champion, took the lead from the outset, with Jelimo tucking in behind her immediately, with Jamaican Kenia Sinclair a step behind.
In her fifth consecutive Olympic final, 2000 gold medallist Maria Mutola settled into fourth, but initially allowed the trio to gap her by a few metres, a slight miscue which may have cost the 35-year-old Mozambican later in the race.
Jelimo assumed the lead just before the bell (55.41) and picked up her tempo through the turn to jump to a substantial lead, one which she extended through the final bend. Throughout it all, Jepkosgei remained in hot pursuit but never managed to gain any ground. Meanwhile, Mutola began making up ground on Sinclair down the back straight, and passed her on the turn.
But on the outside, defending silver medallist Hasna Benhassi closed fast and accelerated towards the homestretch to again challenge for silver. She couldn’t quite catch Jepkosgei who reached the line in 1:56.07, but the Moroccan did secure third in 1:56.73, fending off Russian Svetlana Klyuka (1:56.94).
"The race was very fast," said Benhassi, who was eighth at the 2000 Sydney Games. "I had no time to think. The only thing I could do was run and run."
Mutola had to settle for fifth in her last Olympic Games, clocking a season’s best 1:57.68, with Sinclair sixth (1:58.24).
“I’m pleased,” said Mutola, “but it would have been better if I could have finished on the podium. But you know, I did my best.”
Ukrainian Yuliya Krevsun was a few steps back in seventh (1:58.73) while Russian No. 2, Tatiana Andrianova (2:02.63), struggled throughout and was never a threat.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
