Meseret Defar, who defends her 3,000m title in Moscow. © Jiro Mochizuki / Photo Run
Ethiopian Meseret Defar tampered the home match of Russia’s Liliya Shobukhova on the second day of the World Indoor Championships in Moscow. Last month, Shobukhova set a new 3,000-meter world record (8:27.86 minutes) at the national indoor championships. But dueling with the 22-year-old 5,000m Olympic Champion from Ethiopia Shobukhova had no chance. Defar reached the finish after 8:38.80 minutes. There was quite a gap to Liliya Shobukhova who finished with 8:42.18 minutes. The bronze medal was won by Lidia Chojecka (Poland) in 8:42.59 minutes.
“I prepared very well for the World Indoor Championships. I like indoor races,” said Meseret Defar, who increased the pace and ran away two laps before finish. She ran the last kilometer in about 2:48 minutes. In an adequate race she probably would be able to break the world record.
There was a surprise at the 1,500m men final. European Indoor Champion, Ivan Heshko (Ukraine), won a gold medal in 3:42.08 minutes in front of his fellow countrymen. Beaten was the big favorite from Kenya: Daniel Kipchirchir Komen ran 3:42.55. Third was Elkanah Onkware Angwenyi (Kenya) in 3:42.98. The Kenyans ran the race without supporting each other. And Daniel Komen made a tactical mistake in setting the pace right from the beginning of the race. After 900 meters he increased the pace. But he neither got rid of his countrymen nor of Heshko. The Ukrainian pushed with 150m to go. Famous for his final sprint he showed his strength once more and passed the Kenyan.
“I am happy that we European runners successfully defy the Africans. There is Yuriy Borzakovsky at the 800 meters and now me at 1,500m,” said Ivan Heshko while Daniel Komen said: “Heshko is a really strong runner, I couldn’t do anything against his final sprint. I hope that I will be more successful at the next Championships.”
Furthermore there were the 800m semi-finals on the schedule in Moscow. The first semi-final was won by the World Indoor Champion of 2001, Hasna Benhassi (Marocco) in 2:03.59 minutes. She will be a tough competitor for Maria Mutola (Mozambique), who wants to win her seventh World Indoor title. An outsider could get in the way of Mutola. On Saturday the Jamaican Kenia Sinclair ran her semi-final in a new national record of 2:00.06 minutes. With that she won slightly ahead of Mutola (2:00.29). In the men’s race three favorites qualified easily for the finals: Defending champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (South Africa) won his race ahead of Olympic Champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Russia/1:47.09) in 1:46.82 minutes. Wilfred Bungei won the second semi final in 1:46.90 minutes.
