Dominguez wins brilliant Steeple Gold and Bekele Defends, such should be the main focus and attention of the Day's performances however in a World of sensationalism, failure and gender get the tongues wagging. And the one big failure of the night was that of Russia's Elena Isinbaeva, track's most dominant athlete of the last 4 years failed to record a height and surrendered her title to Poland's victorious Anna Rogowska.
For Isinbaeva it was a night best forgotten however the media circus were having a field day shoving their cameras down her throat and interviewers asking the most pathetic of questions when the athlete was simply put, devastated.
We get the government we deserve and we simply get the 'garbage' press we deserve.
We shall discuss the tongue wagging regarding the 800m athlete towards the end of this article.
With that dealt with, let's move to the athletics.
Marta Dominguez takes Women's 3000m SteepleChase title
Spain's Marta Dominguez put her disappointment of the Beijing Olympics behind her by winning the Women's SteepleChase World Title with a dazzling display.
The Spaniard waited till the final barrier before making her move. Pre-race favourite and World Record Holder, Russia's Gulnara Galkina, as expected, took the lead from the gun with the diminitive Dominguez jumping in behind her with the intention of tracking the pace as her game plan. Galkina is always content to do the bulk of the work as this is her way of controlling the race and making it a true to form contest and considering that she is the only athlete to have broken the 9 minute barrier, she had every reason to feel confident with this tactic.
However, such has the standard of this event developed, as can be seen from the results, that any drop off in tempo will allow a host of other athletes into the frame for a chance at victory. With the 1st kilometer in 3:01.26, the Russians plan was right on target however the slowing of the 2nd km to 3.05 for a 2k time of 6:06.45 allowed the Kenyan athlete, Gladys Jerotich Kipkemoi, to briefly lead with Dominguez simply sitting with whoever provided the pace.Â
Galkina's teammate, Yuliya Zarudneva, wrestled back the lead for Russia and kept the lead into the last 400m and down the backstraight. Still the Spaniard sat. Galkina who had faltered closed back on the leaders down the back however once the pace picked up again approaching the waterjump Zarudneva and Dominguez had set-up a two horse race.
Approaching the final barrier and Dominguez approached it with her final caution before unleashing her kick, she immediately seemed to acknowledge that the Gold was hers with her tongue popping out in anticipation for the 'Taste of Gold'.
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The title was won and the celebration of sheer joy at winning a World outdoor title was raptured across her face as she raised her arms in victory with a winning and Personal Best time of 9:07.32. Zarudneva had to be content with Silver and a PB of 9:08.39. Kenya's Milcah Chemos Cheywa grabbed Bronze with her PB of 9:08.57 . Galinka was 4th and the only athlete without a PB in the Top 9. The next 5 athletes all run PB's and amongst that haul was 3 National Records.
Jennifer Barringer's USA record of 9:12.50
for 5th was also an Area Record
The event had come of age and I had added a further 100 points to my Fantasy Team, courtesy of Marta
The Men's 10000m - King Bekele
Take Four! Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele added World Championship 10000m Title Number Four to his collection with dominant performance of patience waiting till 400m to go to glide away from Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese who had applied the pressure consistently over the last 3km ridding all but Kenny B.
King Kenny made it look so easy even if his winning time, 26:46.31,
was a new Championship Record. This to me looked the easiest of his wins since Paris in 2003 and it augers well for hisattempt at the 5 and 10 double, Kenya's Moses Ndiema Masai was happy to get amongst the medals after his sister had grabbed Gold in the Berlin Women's 10000m and he too had his spells at the front in an attempt to wrestle the title from the grasp of the Ethiopian. It was not to be on a night where Bekele at a still young age of 27 added to his reputation as the greatest distance runner of all-time.
Dathan Ritzenhein of the USA achieved a more than creditable 6th with his new PB time of 27:22.28, this after flirting with the marathon in recent years. His teammate, Galen Rupp, also performed well for 8th but to me looked as though he had become dehydrated in the latter kilometers.
On to the 5000m for KB. And yes, of course an extra 100 points for having Bekele in my Fantasy Team.
Other performances on Day 3 of Berlin
Well we have mentioned the shock of the loss for Isinbaeva earlier so we can move on to the other events of interest on another superb evening of athletics.
The Women's 800m semis were a bizarre mix with big names dropping like flies as the new generation led by South Africa's Caster Semenya stepped to the fore. Whether she can cope with all the expectation and other pressure, that is surely to follow, we will only find out the end of Wednesday night's events.
Kenya's Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei received a reprieve to run in the semi, after falling in her heat in the first round and she almost squandered that chance, needing a fastest qualifier to go through to the final.
One of the really big names to fall to the side was last year's dominant force and Beijing Olympic Champion, Pamela Jelimo. She was simply 'just not there' and posted a DNF, also falling to the side was multiple Championship medalist, Hasna Benhassi, as well as the USA's Maggie Vessey and Cuba's Zulia Calatayud.
One athlete who did qualify and who did it the right way was Italy's Elisa Cusma Piccione, she led from start to finish to assure her place in the final.
Britain can be happy to have two in the final in the form of Marilyn Okoro and Jennifer Meadows.
In the Men's 1500m semis, the USA have provided provided 3 athletes for the final and amongst them is the defending champ from Osaka, Bernard Lagat. Kenya's Kiprop qualified with contemptuous ease and Morroco's Amine Laalou again impressed further underlining his chance at a medal place, he will also be joined by his 2 countrymen, Mohamed Moustaoui and Abdalaati Iguider, who both edged in as fastest qualifiers.
Not so lucky was Britain's James Brewer, who can be pleased with his performance at these Champs, and Canada's Nathan Brannen, who on this occasion ran a more savvy place but was not sharp enough at the tail end of the race to qualify.Â
Jamaica yet again took the sprint double with Shelly-Ann Fraser adding to her Beijing Gold with a World Leading 10:73 just edging out her fast finishing compatriot, Kerron Stewart, who had to be satisfied with Silver and a PB of 10.75 to boot. One feels that if it were not for Fraser's dazzling start Stewart would have been Champion as another stride more and she would have won. If's and buts however further Jamaican sprint glory.
And in closing
Now on to the so-called tongue wagging regarding an athlete and to hopefully assist in answering a question regarding a female athlete's gender. It seems people are intent on crucifying the new 800m sensation with their snide opinions and remarks. This is a young girl afterall and she does hope to have a life outside of athletics.
South Africa's Caster Semenya, from what I have been led to understand, was born a hermaphrodite. She did not choose to be born with this condition and she has had to make the most of the cards she has been dealt. And further dealings she will certainly have to live with after these World Championships as she is proving to be a dominant force in the Women's 800m and is favourite to win Gold.
Her sex status will need to be dealt with sooner rather than later and there are certainly tough days ahead for the young South African. We wish her luck in the tough days ahead as the scrutiny that she will come under after tomorrow night will certainly be intense and at times harsh.
Onwards and forwards to Day 4.
