Daniel Kipchirchir Komen wins the 1500m at the Paris Golden League meeting (© Getty Images)
Monte CarloWith yesterday’s formal announcement that Hicham El Guerrouj has decided to hang up his spikes, the race to succeed the legendary Moroccan may begin when the gun is fired for the fabled Dream Mile in Oslo on 2 June when the six meeting IAAF Golden League kicks off at the Exxon Mobil Bislett Games.
Among the favourites is one of last year’s standout metric mile stars, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, who returns to the track ranked No. 1 in the IAAF World Rankings. In 2005, the 21-year-old Kenyan produced five of the season’s eight fastest performances in just his first full international season. The winner of the Golden League 1500 at Rome’s Golden Gala last year, Komen’s inexperience kept him from the Helsinki final, but he bounced back with two Golden League victories in Brussels and Berlin, the latter with a 3:29.72 personal best.
The favourite at the World Indoor Championships in March, Komen was shocked in the final 100 metres by Ukraine’s Ivan Heshko who will be making his first appearance of the year since his Moscow victory in Oslo. A two-time World Athletics Final winner, the 26-year-old is among the most consistent 1500 metre specialists in the world.
Kenyan Alex Kipchirchir followed up his Commonwealth 800 metre title with a win in Doha’s Super Grand Prix on 12 May in 3:34.29, beating a solid field by nearly two seconds. With 3:30.46 and 3:30.82 bests in 2004 and 2005, the 21-year-old is on the cusp of the sub-3:30 club.
Australian Craig Mottram, who notched an Area Record 3:48.98 in Oslo last year, returns to the track for the first time since his fall in the Commonwealth Games final, eager to make amends. In his most recent outing, the 25-year-old beat a solid field over a challenging 10km course in New York’s Central Park.
Other entrants include Kenyan Augustine Choge, who at 19 is already the Commonwealth Games 5000 metre champion with a 3:33.99 best at 1500; Algeria’s Tarek Boukensa, a Helsinki finalist; Suleiman Simotwo of Kenya, third at ISTAF Berlin last year and ranked fifth in the world; and 21-year-old Anter Zerguelaine of Algeria, who last year dipped under 3:32.00.
This year there are eleven designated IAAF Golden League Jackpot events, and athletes who win at any five of the six meetings will share a purse of $500,000, while an additional $500,000 is on offer to be shared by athletes who succeed in winning their event a sixth time.
Click on the title below for the original Jackpot announcement
New Jackpot, New Opportunities – IAAF Golden League
2006 IAAF Golden League Events:
Men: 100m, 400m, 1500m, 3000/5000m, Long Jump, Javelin Throw
Women: 100m, 400m, 3000/5000m, 100m Hurdles, High Jump
IAAF Golden League - Dates and venues in 2006:
Friday 2 June, OSLO, NOR
Saturday 8 July, PARIS, FRA
Friday 14 July, ROME, ITA
Friday 18 August, ZURICH, SUI
Friday 25 August, BRUSSELS, BEL
Sunday 3 September, BERLIN, GER
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
