by Larry Eder
Augustine Choge, Berlin GP, 2008, photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net.
Augustine Choge shows his fitness running the fifth fastest all-time 3,000m in7:31.75! Six men broke 7:35, with Frances’ Tahri running 7:33.73. Paul Kipsele Koech (13:02.75 for 5,000m last week?), was in fourth. Sammy MUtahi ran a fine third place in 7:32.02, and Tariku Bekele (Ethiopia) was second in 7:31.78!
Meseret Defar, Greece, September 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.
And then, Meseret Defar! Running with a pacemaker until 4k (11:34.76), Defar grinded out a 2:50 last kilometer, running near 60 seconds flat over the last two laps, to finish in 14:24.79! Defar was 42/100ths off her own WR! And, dear readers, remember that Meseret ran 8:24.46 for 3,000m four days ago in Stuttgart!
(Last weekend, Tirunesh Dibaba ran 14:44 at the Rbk BIG in Boston, pretty much by herself after 4:00. In my humble opinion, give Dibaba two more races, and watch her bloom into 14:20 shape, which is where Defar wants to put the record!
CHOGE IN BEST RACE OF THE EVENING 7:31.75, DEFAR AGAIN CLOSE TO WR
STOCKHOLM (SWE, Feb 10): The best race of the evening at GE Galan in Stockholm Globen Hall (IAAF Indoor Permit) before 9482 spectators was the men‘s 3000m where Kenya‘s Augustine Choge clocked a world-leading 7:31.75 (5th all-time best performer), narrowly defeating Ethiopia‘s Tariku Bekele by just 3/100ths of a second. Third Sammy Mutahi improved to 7:32.02 followed by steeple-runner Paul Kipsiele Koech (7:32.78). In all, six men broke 7 minutes, 35 seconds, including France‘s Bob Tahri who as fifth smashed his own national record by five seconds, clocking 7:33.73. The women‘s 5000m also produced fast times, led by Meseret Defar‘s world-leading 14:24.79 (second fastest ever indoors), a mark which was just 42/100ths of a second slower than her own world indoor record set at the same meeting last year. Even more remarkably, Defar‘s run tonight in Stockholm came just four days after she ran a world-leading time for 3000m in Stuttgart (8:24.46). Second place Alemitu Bekele, an Ethiopian-born Turk, broke Gabriela Szabo‘s European record by clocking 14:46.44 to Szabo‘s 14:47.35 set in Dortmund in 1999. In other events, Sudan‘s Abubaker Kaki defeated Russia‘s Yuriy Borzakovskiy in the 800m, 1:46.29 to 1:46.51 (with Ahmed Ismail third 1:46.75 and Asbel Kiprop fourth 1:47.25), and Ethiopia‘s junior Kalkidan Gezahegn got her second victory of the indoor season, beating Russia‘s Anna Alminova in the 1500 m, 4:03.28 (indoor world junior best) to 4:04.36. Norway´s Ingvill Makestad as fifth clocked national record 4:11.30. World record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba remains unbeaten this indoors and won his third race in a row with 7.49 at 60 m hurdles. The third world lead of the evening was produced by Ukrainian Viktor Kuznyetsov in long jump with 809 in second round. Cuban Alexis Copello won the triple jump battle with 17.23 over Christian Olsson (17.07), David Giralt (17.06) and Philips Idowu (17.00). World champion Blanka Vlasic mastered 201 in high jump and then tried at new meet record height of 204. Two US female sprint wins for Angela Williams (7.32 at 60 m) and Debbie Dunn (52.35 at 400 m). In triathlon Ukrainian record holder Oleksiy Kasyanov prevailed with 2690 score and best mark in long jump 751. Decathlon world champion Trey Hardee was second 2661 (best at hurdles 7.85). With help of RRW.
OTHER NEWS
VANCOUVER (CAN): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) elected Nanjing in the People‘s Republic of China, as the host city of the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014 during the 122nd IOC Session in Vancouver, Canada. Nanjing received 47 votes to edge out runner-up Poznan, Poland, which received 42 votes. Some 3600 athletes ranging in ages from 15 to 18 are expected to compete at the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014, which will feature competitions in 26 sports. Nanjing became the first Youth Olympic Games host city directly elected in an IOC Session; previously Singapore (2010) and Innsbruck (2012) were selected by IOC members via postal vote
DESSAU (GER): High jump European indoor champion Ariane Friedrich confirmed she will compete at Dessau jumping indoor meet on February 20. That will be a warm-up for the world bronze medalist before the national championships in Karlsruhe the week after. Czech Iva Strakova and Russian/Estonian Tatyana Kivimiagi are the other entries. Meet record 194 will be in danger. The second event of the evening is men´s pole vault.
RESULTS
STAIKI (BLR, Feb 10): National Cup winter throwing meet was also qualification for winter throwing European Cup. Beijing fourth placer Darya Pchelnik achieved in hammer 72.33 m. In the men event Pavel Krivitskiy got 78.98 in snow ahead of Yuriy Shayunov (77.28). Anatoliy Adakhovskiy registered 79.18 in javelin.
TALLINN (EST, Feb 10): European indoor champion Ksenija Balta clocked in the 60 m new lifetime best 7.34 as second during Big Kuldliiga Meeting what is Estonian national series. Winner Yekaterina Butuzova of Russia had 7.32. Tatyana Voykina leaped to 648 in long jump and Anna Pyatykh to 14.04 in triple jump for more Russian wins. Reigning European champion Stanislav Olijars of Latvia won the 60 m hurdles in 7.71. Torino gold medalist Mikk Pahapill scored 5894 points in heptathlon but during three meetings, which obviously is not counting for the current lists.
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