Reuters
1 June 2001 EugeneBotswana’s Otukile Lekote set a blistering early pace and comfortably won the men’s 800 metres in 1:46.68 seconds at the U.S. collegiate championships on Friday.
The 22-year-old University of South Carolina student raced through the first 200 metres in 24.3 seconds, then clocked 50.78 seconds for 400 metres en route to a three-metre victory over American Bryce Knight of Idaho State University.
“The whole idea was to take the race out real fast so that I didn’t give them a chance to catch up with me toward the end of the race,” said Lekote, who last month ran a season-leading 1:44.76.
But he admitted the strategy and the cool, damp weather cost him any opportunity of a career best.
“The 50.7 was a little too fast for a good time, and I was a little tired at the end,” Lekote said.
“But considering the weather, I wasn’t expecting to run a fast time. I wasn’t even expecting to run 1:46 because I am not used to this kind of weather. But I liked what I did.”
Slovenian Olympic finalist Brigita Langerholc of the University of Southern California pulled away in the final 200 metres to win the women’s 800 metres in 2:01.61.
Elizabeth Jackson of Brigham Young University set an American record of 9:49.73 in the recently recognised women’s 3000-metre steeplechase. The time was the fourth-best ever run.
German Tolga Koseoglu of Texas A&M denied Hungary’s Gabor Mate a repeat title in the men’s discus. Koseoglu threw 62.43 metres as Mate, of Auburn University, finished at 60.87 metres.
