Meseret Defar celebrates after winning twice in Greece. © www.photorun.net
Ethiopia’s women runners were in fine form at the World Athletics Final (WAF) in Thessaloniki, Greece this weekend. Three weeks after the World Championships in Berlin, where the Kenyans won both the 5,000-meter and 10,000m titles, the Ethiopians turned the tables and came out on top. Meseret Defar won the 5,000m in 15:25.31 minutes with a decisive final kick that allowed her to finish ahead of her compatriot, Tirunesh Dibaba (15:25.92). The times were slower than expected, because the race unfolded tactically at the start, leaving the leading contenders to push the pace at the end. The 5,000m world champion, Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya), finished third in 15:26.21. The first nine places went to runners from Ethiopia and Kenya.
Tirunesh Dibaba, who was unable to run in Berlin because of injury, forced the pace in the closing stages of the 5,000m by going to the front. But the double Olympic champion from Beijing couldn’t hold off Defar in the home straight. “After being so disappointed in Berlin I’m delighted to win here. My form was very good before the World Championships but then I caught a cold and lost weight. That hurt my chances of winning in Berlin,” said Defar afterwards.
The following day, Meseret Defar added a second win when she triumphed in the 3,000m—the only athlete to win a double at the WAF. Her victories earned her the unofficial title of “Mrs. World Athletics Final” in the very last edition of the event, since these victories marked her eighth and ninth wins at WAF respectively.
Together with her Kenyan rival, Vivian Cheruiyot, Defar made sure the pace was fast in the 3,000m. Wude Ayalew, also from Ethiopia, stayed in contention at the front nearly the entire way. The thrilling duel between Defar and Cheruiyot was only decided in favor of the Ethiopian in the home straight when the Kenyan had to yield to her final burst of speed. Defar finished in a world leading time for the season of 8:30.15, while Cheruiyot clocked 8:30.61 ahead of Ayalew, whose 8:30.93 was a personal best.
Ruth Bisibori of Kenya produced a strong end-of-season performance in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase. She won in commanding style, achieving a championship record of 9:13.43, which placed her eleventh on the world-leading times for the year. “That was a good race for me, I’m very happy with my performance. This was my first win at this level of high-class competition and I hope it’s the start of many more,” said the 21-year-old Bisibori, who finished seventh in the World Championships in Berlin. Last year, she finished sixth at the Olympics and, as a 19-year-old, took fourth place at the World Championships in 2007. Bisibori didn’t give her opponents any kind of chance in Thessaloniki, although the race lacked all three medalists from the World Championships in Berlin. Kenyans also took second and third in warm conditions. Milcah Cheywa ran 9:20.19 and Gladys Kipkemboi clocked 9:21.18 for second and third respectively.
Also winning in his final track race of the season was Kenenisa Bekele. The finish of the 3,000m proved to be just as exciting as the 5,000m final at the World Championships 20 days ago. Once again, the contest was between the Ethiopian and the American, Bernard Lagat. The early stages of the race for the eleven runners were slow but then Bekele went to the front at the start of the last lap and increased the pace again with 250m remaining. But coming off the final bend, just as in Berlin, Bernard Lagat put down an incredible surge, moving to the front. Again it looked as if the American would win. Bekele matched Lagat and edged him out at the finish, running 8:03.79. Lagat placed second in 8:04.00. Kenyan Sammy Mutahi was third in 8:04.64.
“Kenenisa has won again—he does it every time,” said Bernard Lagat afterwards.
“It’s been a very long season. I am quite tired so this is definitely my last race of the season,” Bekele admitted to the media.
The closest decision of the two-day competition in Thessaloniki came not in a sprint event, but in the longest race on the program: just one-hundredth-of-a-second separated the first three men in the 5,000m. This was because the race was very slow for much of the time, setting up a finishing sprint which resembled a 100-meter race. Edwin Soi of Kenya, who won this event at WAF last year, went past the two leading runners, Micah Kogo (Kenya), and Imane Merga (Ethiopia), in the home straight but then began to celebrate too early, allowing the Ethiopian to come through and win in 13:29.75. Kogo and Soi were both timed at 13:29.76 but had to settle for second and third respectively. “I made a big mistake,” said an honest Edwin Soi afterwards. Merga, on the other hand was elated. “What a race that was!” he exclaimed.
The men’s 3,000m steeplechase turned into a Kenyan duel although the French runner, Bob Tahri, made repeated attempts to take the lead. Ezekiel Kemboi and Paul Koech proved too strong for the European record holder. Tahri finished third in 8:09.14 while the world champion, Kemboi, won in 8:04.38 from Koech (8:05.47). “I had planned for a fast race,” said Kemboi. After the race, he filled the media in on his racing plans. “Next year I may well try the 10 kilometers and go for the marathon the following year,” he said.
Sammy Kitwara Runs a Blazing 58:58 in Rotterdam
Sammy Kitwara won the Rotterdam Half-Marathon in 58:58 minutes on Sunday. For the second time this year, the 22-year-old Kenyan has run a world-class time at this distance. He could well turn out to be the next top Kenyan marathon runner. This past March, he won the Hague Half Marathon in 59:47.
Only Patrick Makau (Kenya) at the Ras Al Khaimah race in the United Arab Emirates has run faster this year. Kitwara’s time is the sixth-fastest in history. The only men ahead of Sunday’s Rotterdam winner are Kenya’s world-record holder, Sammy Wanjiru (58:33), Patrick Makau (58:52), and Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia/58:55). Kitwara also broke the course record in Rotterdam on Sunday.
The world-record holder, Sammy Wanjiru, placed ninth in 61:08. In four weeks, he plans to go for the world marathon record in Chicago. But his time in Rotterdam is by no means a bad sign, since in the spring Wanjiru finished seventh in 61:23 at the Lisbon Half Marathon—one month later he triumphed at the London Marathon.
Seven runners dipped under an hour at the race. Six of them set personal bests. Runners from Kenya took the first ten places. Jonathan Maiyo was second in 59:08 and his compatriots James Kwambai and Bernard Kipyego were each separated by a second. Wilson Chebet was fifth in 59:15 and John Kiprotich sixth in 59:23 with Robert Kipchumba seventh in 59:32. The race’s outcome was known by 17 kilometers when Sammy Kitwara broke away from the leading group.
The women’s race in Rotterdam was a Dutch affair. Merel de Knegt won in 1:14.31 hours. Jolanda Verstraten, also from Holland, finished second in 1:17.50.
