Surprises, top-class races and even a world record – the finals of the track events on the last day of the World Indoor Championships in Valencia had everything. The highlight was the women’s 1500m final. It was no tactical race as so often in the past, but a final with the pace getting faster and faster as Yelena Soboleva crowned the championships with a world record.
The 25-year-old Russian became world champion with a time of 3:57.71 in a final where three other women broke 4:00 Yuliya Fomenko (Russia) ran 3:59.41, while Gelete Burka (Ethiopia/3:59.75) and the world champion in Osaka, Maryam Jamal (Bahrain), were the next finishers. Burka and Jamal also set area records. Both Russians ensured the pace in the final was fast from the start. First of all Soboleva, who had brought the world record down to 3:58.05 in Moscow in February, took the initiative for three laps. Then Fomenko went in front and went through 1,000m in 2:39.90. One lap from the finish Soboleva went in front again. “I didn’t expect to break the world record here, I was only running to win,” said Soboleva. She and Fomenko had agreed to share the pacemaking before the race,” because I have a better chance of winning when the race is fast.”
There was another sensation in the 800m final: the world champion goes by the name of Tamsyn Lewis and comes from Australia! Maria Mutola couldn’t quite win an eighth gold medal at the World Indoor Championships. In the end the runner from Mozambique still managed to win a bronze in 2:02.97 after she had gone to the front at the start and made sure the pace was slow. The seven-time world indoor champion went through 400m in 63.11. That was probably too slow, so her tactics didn’t pay off. Meanwhile the eventual surprise winner Lewis (2:02.57) and Tetiana Petlyuj (Ukraine), who finished second in 2:02.66, achieved the biggest surprise of the championships. “I just can’t believe I’ve won,” said the 29-year-old Lewis, who had never previously reached the final of a global championship.
The world champion in the men’s 3,000m is once again called Bekele. Two years ago in Moscow Kenenisa won the 3,000m title; in Valencia, his younger brother Tariku did the job. The 21-year-old Ethiopian won 7:48.23 over Paul Koech (Kenya/7:49.05) and fellow Ethiopian Abreham Cherkos (7:49.96). For more than half the race both Ethiopians, Koech and Craig Mottram (Australia), who finished fifth, held the initiative. Bekele then put in a surge to win in convincing style.
The men’s 800m final was also undoubtedly top-class. The 18-year-old Abubaker Kaki Khamis won his first global title in Olympic year and has at least ensured himself the role as one of the favorites for Beijing. After the Sudanese caused a surprise last November with a leading time of 1:43.90, he won against an elite field in Valencia. Khamis took the lead immediately, went through 400m in a very quick 51.26 and went on to finish in a world best this year of 1:44.81. That made him the fifth fastest ever indoors. “My coach told me, I should just run as fast as I could – that was the right tactic,” explained Khamis. The South African Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was second in 1:44.91, which was a national record. Yusuf Saad Kamel (Bahrain) in third place set an area record with 1:45.26.
