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Lead Stories: Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Switching Roles, Kiprop & Kamel Prevail in Lausanne

Posted September 2nd, 2008 at 8:19 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Trying their hands at alternate distances, Olympic 1500m silver medalist Asbel Kiprop and 800m finalist Yusuf Saad Kamel traded places to take impressive victories at the Athletissima Super Grand Prix here tonight.

For Kiprop, the tall Kenyan who chased Rashid Ramzi to the line in Beijing, it wasn’t so much a case of moving down in distance, but more of a move back to where the 19-year-old began his breakout season. Battling with Olympic champion Wilfred Bungei heading off the final turn, he passed his compatriot with about 50 meters to go to take a convincing victory in 1:44.71, a personal best.

Just behind Kiprop, Alfred Kirwa Yego (1:44.77) and then Ugandan Abraham Chepkirwok (1:45.00) overtook Bungei, who faded badly down the homestretch to finish fourth (1:45.31).
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Robles’ 12.92 Caps Stellar Day Two in Stuttgart

Posted September 23rd, 2007 at 3:18 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

A slew of sensational performances, topped by Dayron Robles’ 12.92 victory in the 110m hurdles, highlighted a thoroughly entertaining second and final day of the 5th IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final in Stuttgart this afternoon.

Continuing his impressive late season campaign, the 20-year-old Cuban slashed the year-old meet record set by Liu Xiang, leaving thoughts of “what might have been” had the Chinese world record been here to defend his title. It was also a personal best and national record for Robles –he ran 13.00 here last year– in this his fifth victory in as many races since his disappointing fourth place showing at the World Championships in Osaka. Robles is now tied as the fourth fastest hurdler in history.

American David Payne, the Osaka bronze medallist, was second in 13.08, ahead of Osaka silver medallist Terrence Trammell (13.15).
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Defar Impresses, Soi Completes Double in Stuttgart

Posted September 23rd, 2007 at 2:53 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Meseret Defar produced an impressive front-running victory in the 3000 while Edwin Soi became the first man to capture the 300/5000m double to highlight the second and concluding day of the 5th IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final.

After a slew of world records and bests, her first world title and an undefeated season, Defar raced as though she wanted to get her 2007 campaign over as quickly as possible. And that’s precisely what the 23-year-old Ethiopian did with her captivating 8:27.24 gun-to-tape victory.

Taking control of the race from the gun, she upped the tempo throughout before covering the second half in just over 4:10 and the final kilometre in 2:45.22. But in Defar’s personal universe, the year’s second fastest performance wasn’t all that fast.
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IAAF World Athletics Final: Women’s 800m

Posted September 23rd, 2007 at 7:58 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Kenyan Janeth Jepkosgei, the gold medalist in the women’s 800m at the Osaka world championships, was the favorite to continue her dominance in the event this season. She took the lead from the beginning, passing the 400m mark in 57.90. She relaxed a bit on the last lap, giving Spain’s Mayte Martinez an opportunity to overtake her. Martinez was not able to pass Jepkosgei, but she closed all the way, finishing second in 1:58.14. Jepkosgei ran a time of 1:57.87, a World Athletics Final record. Marilyn Okoro finished third in 1:58.76, a personal best. Here are the final results:

1. Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN) 1:57.87
2. Mayte Martinez (ESP) 1:58.14
3. Marilyn Okoro (GBR) 1:58.76
4. Lucia Klocova (SVK) 1:58.94
5. Brigita Langerholc (SLO) 1:59.56
6. Svetlana Cherkasova (RUS) 1:59.63
7. Elisa Cusma Piccione (ITA) 1:59.67
8. Jemma Simpson (GBR) 2:00.78

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On the Road & Around the Track:
TFS News Briefs 9/20/07

Posted September 20th, 2007 at 1:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, TFS News Briefs

World Athletics Final Middle- and Long-Distance Preview
In the latest WAF preview there are speculations about who will run the middle- and long-distance events this late in the season and why they will do it. Runners to watch (men): Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (800m), Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (1500m), Craig Mottram (3000m), Paul Kipsiele Koech (3000m SC), Sileshi Sihine (5000m). Women: Janeth Jepkosgei (800m), Maryam Yusuf Jamal and Yelena Soboleva (1500m), Yekaterina Volkova (3000m SC), Meseret Defar (pictured at right, 5000m). Also, an explanation of the WAF points system and the current standings. Read more at: [IAAF WAF2007]

World Marathon Majors Conference Call with Race Directors
Race Directors Dave Bedford (London), Carey Pinkowski (Chicago), Mark Milde (Berlin), Mary Wittenberg (New York City) and Guy Morse (Boston) talk about a range of questions regarding their races and the sport in general. Read the complete transcript at: [Track & Field News]
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Richards, Isinbayeva Split $1 Million Jackpot as Golden League Series Concludes

Posted September 17th, 2007 at 8:32 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Sanya Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva each won a $500,000 share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot after their respective victories at the ISTAF meeting in Berlin today, the final meet of the six-meet Golden League series.

In front of a near-capacity crowd of 70,000 –the third consecutive announced Golden League sell-out – Richards yet again crushed all opposition en route to a 49.27 dash, another world-leading performance for the 22-year-old American.

“Nobody knows how hard this year has been for me,” said Richards, who after early-season illness, finished fourth at the U.S. championships in June and missed a spot on the world championships squad. “I feel much stronger now than I did two months ago.”

It was the second perfect six-for-six Golden League campaign for Richards, who last year took a smaller share of the prize pot. But for Isinbayeva, the world record holder in the pole vault and one of the sport’s biggest stars, it was the first time her event was given GL status, and she took full advantage over the three month campaign to share half of the sport’s biggest prize. Next up for the 25-year-old Russian, she said, was an assault on her own 5.02m world record which has stood for more than two years.
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Encore Performances by Lagat, Jepkosgei and Jamal in Zurich

Posted September 8th, 2007 at 10:18 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

A trio of recently-minted world champions turned in impressive encore performances at Zurich’s Weltklasse, as the IAAF Golden League series resumed here tonight.

Competing in unseasonably chilly conditions before an energetic capacity crowd of 26,500 at the rebuilt Letzigrund stadium, Bernard Lagat, Janeth Jepkosgei and Maryam Yusef Jamal produced victories quite similar to those which brought them their respective world titles in the 5000, 800 and 1500 meters, respectively, in Osaka last week.

Contesting the 3000 just five days after completing his 1500/5000 double at the world championships, it was no contest from the moment Lagat took the lead for good coming off the final bend. Passing Kenyan Edwin Soi, the American crossed the line unchallenged in 7:38.77.
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Nixing Pacemakers and Increasing Prize pot, Zurich Introduces new one-day Meet Approach

Posted September 6th, 2007 at 4:39 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

When the IAAF Golden Series resumes on Friday night, Zurich’s rebuilt state-of-the-art Letzigrund Stadium won’t be the only new development at one of the world’s richest single-day meetings. For the first time in the sport’s professional era, the annual Weltklasse competition will not employ the services of pacemakers.

And that suits Bernard Lagat, the recently minted world champion at 1500 and 5000 meters, just fine.

“It’s fantastic,” said Lagat, who will contest the 3000 on Friday. “People always run fast and they get personal bests with pacemakers, but then again it’s so important that the race becomes tactical.”
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Kenyan woman makes history at IAAF World Championships

Posted August 28th, 2007 at 2:47 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

It was at the second IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 1987 when Kenya first put a man on the top step of the podium at 800m in either a world championships or an Olympic Games. Tonight, 20 years later, a Kenyan woman has finally duplicated that feat, joining legends Billy Konchellah, Paul Ruto, Paul Ereng and William Tanui as world or Olympic 800m champions.

Janeth Jepkosgei, the Commonwealth Games champion who ran the fastest-ever time in a world championships semi-final on Sunday, saved more than enough for tonight’s final, leading wire-to-wire in 1:56.04, a new Kenyan record.

“I’m so happy about it,” said Jepkosgei who is from the village of Kapsabet but now lives in Eldoret. “I was not really expecting it.”
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Despite attempted coup Bekele retains 10,000m throne

Posted August 27th, 2007 at 8:57 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

The prince saw an opportunity to take the throne, but in the end the king’s reign would continue, at least for another two years.

That was the basic scenario which played out in tonight’s much-anticipated men’s 10,000m final which capped an exciting evening of middle and long distance running at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics at Nagai Stadium.

Sileshi Sihine, the Ethiopian who took the silver medal behind compatriot Kenenisa Bekele at both the 2004 Olympic Games and the 2005 World Championships, saw a chance to move up to the top step of the podium when Bekele fell to third place late in the race and appeared to be struggling.

A fast pace set by world cross country champion Zersenay Tadesse of Eritrea followed by an attack with three laps to go by Kenyan Martin Irungu Mathathi, set the stage for Sihine’s bid for victory. He shot ahead, opening a big gap and it looked like a gold medal move.
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