Hicham El Guerrouj wins Golden League Jackpot (© Getty Images Allsport)
Rieti, ItalyA marvellously sunny and warm day provided the ideal setting for the 32nd edition of the IAAF Grand Prix II meeting in Rieti which featured a brilliant pair of middle distance runs thanks to Hicham El Guerrouj and Wilson Kipketer.
Prior to the meeting a very fast new Mondo track was inaugurated at the Rieti stadium which holds a special reputation as a temple for middle distance running. This Italy town also has a tradition in the promotion of athletics among youngsters, thanks to the creation of an athletics school some years ago.
Hicham El Guerrouj 'King of the Mile', arrived in Rieti after capturing a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot on Friday night in Berlin, and promised the organizers the World record in the 1500 metres.
It was a pledge which the Moroccan World record holder for the 1500m and the Mile, came so near to fulfilling.
After the pacemaker clocked 54 seconds for the first 400 metres and 1:49.14 at the 800 metres well inside the record pace followed in Rome 1998, El Guerrouj was left alone with 500 metres to go. The Moroccan star clocked 2:44.75 in the 1200 metres and finished in 3:26.97, the second fastest time in the world this season behind only his own mark in Zurich last month. The time was a new meeting record, two seconds better than Algeria’s Noureddine Morceli, who set the then World record in Rieti with 3:28.86 in 1992.
Danish 800m World record holder Wilson Kipketer provided the other highlight of the meeting. After a very fast first 400m clocked by David Kiptoo (48.49), Kipketer took the lead with 250 metres to go and coming off the final bend managed to resist an the attack by Kenya’s Wilfried Bungei. Kipketer finished first in 1:42.32 – the fastest time in the world in 2002 - with Bungei second in a new PB of 1:42.34. Third was William Yampoi in 1:42.91. Mehdi Baala set a new French record (1:43.15) in fifth.
Kipketer had announced the end of his season after his win (1:42.74) at the Brussels Golden League meeting. However, one week before Rieti he changed his plans. “I spoke with Sandro Giovannelli, the meeting promoter and very good friend of mine. I decided to make a special present to him. After so many injuries I suffered from in the last two years I am very happy with my season. But I am a bit tired after Zurich and Brussels. It’s too much. Now I need a rest before preparing for the next World Championships season.”
USA’s Suzy Favor Hamilton was the outstanding winner of the women’s 1500 metres with an impressive 3:59.43, coming only two days after her second place at the ISTAF Golden League meeting in Berlin.
In the women’s Triple Jump, the home crowd were delighted by a new Italian record set by Magdelin Martinez, who jumped 14.73 after leaping 14.35 with her second attempt. It was a record many had predicted after her 14.58 in the Padua meeting. “When I leapt the record I did not think the jump was so long. The result of 14.73 was a bit surprising for me. I am delighted since my winter training was ravaged by a knee injury that kept me out of contention for many months. Now I am confident that a mark over 15 metres is within my reach.”
Nigeria’s Uchenna Emedolou was the surprising double sprint winner with a 10.10 in the 100 metres and a 20.31 (PB) in the 200 metres. In the longer distance he edged out USA’s Coby Miller (20.33), who had been the winner one week ago in Brussels with 20.07. In the 100 metres dash, the powerful Nigerian sprinter beat the favourites, Bernard Williams, the showman from the USA who was second in 10.15 and Mark Lewis-Francis of Great Britain, who was third in 10.18.
World champion Allen Johnson was the winner in the 110m hurdles in a good 13.29. “It was not my best race ever. But I am satisfied after a disappointing season for me. Running under 13.30 is good at the end of the year. At the start of the season I hoped to break the World record of Colin Jackson. The problem is that I could not compete in many races because the 110 hurdles were not scheduled in many meetings. Now my next races will be at Yokohama and the World Cup in Madrid, and I am looking forward to next year.”
A new meeting record was produced by the German Annika Becker with a 4.53 clearance on her second attempt in the women’s Pole Vault, beating Monica Pyrek of Poland and Krisztina Molnár of Hungary on the same height thanks to count back. The World record holder Stacy Dragila of the USA finished a disappointing fifth with 4.33, also being beaten by Australia’s Tatyana Grigorieva, who was fourth with 4.43.
