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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 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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Ramzi Defeats Kiprop to Win First-Ever Olympic Gold for Bahrain; Willis Surprises with Bronze

Posted August 19th, 2008 at 3:58 PM by Stephanie Lowe

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Thanks to Rashid Ramzi, Bahrain has its first-ever Olympic gold medal. The former Moroccan won the men’s 1500 meters Tuesday night in Beijing. With a relentless 51-second final lap, Ramzi, the 2005 world champion, finished in 3:32.94 ahead of Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop (3:33.11). Nick Willis of New Zealand was third in 3:34.16.

“I didn’t expect this in my wildest dreams. This didn’t come from nothing, I had to work hard, now I can be very proud,” Ramzi said.

The race started with Kiprop and Kenyan teammate Augustine Choge in the lead. Kiprop led the pack through the first 400 meters in 56.48 seconds. Then Choge took over for a 1:56.06 800-meter split.
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Ethiopian Reinstated in Men’s 1500m, Earns Gold Medal

Posted March 9th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

After thoroughly reviewing the race video, officials at the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships reinstated 18 year-old Deresse Mekonnen of Ethiopia as the winner of the rough and tumble men’s 1500m final, giving that African nation a second gold medal today after Meseret Defar’s earlier win in the women’s 3000m.

Mekonnen, who had crossed the finish line first with an apparent victory, was disqualified immediately after the race under IAAF rule 163.3, which covers all manner of lane violations. He was cited for stepping into the infield after contact with another athlete. The Ethiopian delegation immediately lodged an official protest, as did the New Zealand delegation because Nick Willis was also disqualified.
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Bekele’s 10,000m W.R. Assault Tops the Bill in Brussels

Posted September 13th, 2007 at 3:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Kenenisa Bekele’s assault on his own 10,000m world record is set to take center stage when the Golden League series resumes at the 31st edition of the Memorial Van Damme in the Belgian capital on Friday night.

At this competition two years ago, Bekele lowered his own record in the event to 26:17.53. Then, he was paced by his brother Tariku, who took him through the first half in just over 13:09, before he eventually lowered the mark with a 57-second closing lap.

“A record is not easy every time,” said Bekele, who’ll be making his first start since winning his third consecutive world title over the distance late last month. “You can have it if you work hard, and if the conditions are right, but it’s not easy.”
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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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Full house watches Webb win mile at Reebok Grand Prix

Posted June 4th, 2007 at 8:31 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

With a boisterous crowd of 5,000 filling the grandstand at Ichan Stadium, Alan Webb won the first significant mile of the season with an overwhelming kick, handing both Bernard Lagat and Craig Mottram with rare defeats at the third annual Reebok Grand Prix on Manhattan’s Randall’s Island.

The win provided Webb, 24, with much-needed dose of redemption. In his last race in front of New York City fans, he watched from well behind as Lagat and Mottram finished 1-2 in the Wanamaker Mile at the 100th Millrose Games last February. It is a race which Webb remembers all too well.

“The last time I was in New York City wasn’t my finest hour,” said Webb after the race.

But tonight, he timed his effort to perfection. Pacemakers Moise Joseph and Justus Koech became separated from the field after the 57+ second first lap, so Lagat decided to control the contenders’ pack and ended up doing a lot of the work. Both Webb and Mottram kept Lagat in sight as did Suleiman Simotwo. Lagat built a slight lead going into the final lap of the race, but did not want to get ahead of himself.
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New York City joins IAAF World Athletics Tour

Posted March 12th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

The IAAF announced today that the Reebok Grand Prix, scheduled for Saturday, June 2, at Ichan Stadium in New York City, had been upgrated to IAAF Grand Prix status and is now part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour.

The Reebok meeting joins the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., on June 10, as the only other IAAF Grand Prix meeting in the United States. The World Athletics Tour has a total of 24 meetings, most of them in Europe. The Tour concludes in Stuttgart on September 22-23 with the World Athletics Final.
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