Bahrain’s Tareq Mubarak Taher had a runaway victory in the boys 2000m Steeplechase as he set a new World Youth best performance of 5:23.95.
>>NOTE 2 July 2007 - The performances of Taher Tareq Mubaraq (BRN) achieved in WYC 2005 Marrakesh, WXC 2006 Fukuoka and WJC 2006 Beijing have been nullified<<
Taher made it look easy, staying with the pack and letting Kenyans Abel Kiprob Mutai and Bisluke Kipkorir Kiplagat make the running, loping along behind them in a relatively tight pack with Morocco’s Abdelghani Ait Bahmad and Ethiopia’s Nahom Mesfin Tariku.
Kiplagat led the leaders through 1000 metres in a fats-paced 2:39.04 and the pack stayed tight until the final lap, when Taher made his break with 2àà metres to go.
He came off the water jump with a couple of metres lead over the two Kenyans and then turned on the afterburners pulling away, with Kiplagat and Mutai trying to stay with him, with no success.
Amsost slowing as he jumped the final hurdle, Taher just steamed for the line, making it look easy, slowing for the last five metres and almost sauntering across the line as the Kenyans sprinted in his wake.
Mutai won that final dash over Kiplagat to take the silver.
The first nine finishers ran personal bests, with Taher demolishing a World Best that dated back to 1987, by Ronald Kipchumba Rutto with 5:27.64.
