Welcome to Helsinki 2005 Day 9

Day 9 of the Helsinki 2005 World Track Championships, would see the Finals of the Men's 800m and the Women's 5000m and 1500m, as well as the running of the Men's Marathon earlier in the day.

Women's 1500m Final :

Gold Again For Tomashova
Tatyana Tomashova RUS successfully defended her title in an incident packed race that saw the disqualification of silver medallist Yuliya Chizhenko RUS for jostling. Olga Yegorova RUS was promoted to silver and France’s Bouchra Ghezielle took bronze. ”I was saving my speed until the final straight,” said the winner. “At that moment I wasn’t sure of winning, but I was feeling very good.”

The controversial incident came with 300 metres to go when favourite Maryam Yusuf Jamal BRN was at the head of a pack of four Russians hemming her in. With Jamal running slightly on the outside of the inside lane there was just enough room for Russian champion Chizhenko to force her way through. Raising an arm to squeeze past she gave Jamal a nudge that sent her sideways into Tomashova who put her arm up in defence sending the Bahranian back into Chizhenko.

Not surprisingly the former Ethiopian who trains in Switzerland was unsettled and immediately lost ground as the Russian cavalry charged past with Tomashova claiming victory from Chizhenko three metres back who had a further three metres to spare over former 5000m champion Yegorova. But after the Bahrainian protest Chizhenko was to lose her medal.

At the gun it was the fourth Russian Sobolova who was to make the pace for her team-mates. Covering the first lap in a steady 66.28sec she was followed by Jamal, Carmen Douma-Houssar CAN and Helen Clitheroe GBR. Maintaining a steady pace Soboleva stayed slightly detached in the lead passing the 800-mark in 2:12.68 (66.40) with her team-mates safely tucked in behind.

At the bell Yegorova moved into second with Jamal on the outside and the eventual medallists gathering for the attack. At 1200m (3:16:97) it looked like the Russians championships in Tula with the exception of a bealeagured Jamal in their midst. With Jamal falling back, at 200m Chizhenko made her move with Tomashova on her shoulder. Yegorova and Soboleva were detached but seemingly safe in those positions.

At 50m Tomashova moved out to sprint past Chizhenko with Yegorova settling for bronze. In the rush for the line Soboleva was squeezed out by Gezielle whose pertinacity was to pay off after the protest. Jamal eventually crossed the line a dejected sixth, later promoted to fifth. “Yes, there was some pushing at the back straight,” admitted Chizhenko before she learned the outcome of the protest, “but it was absolutely not planned.” | results |

Men's 800m Final :

Almost at the same time the men’s high jumpers were making great strides in mediocrity, the finalists in the men’s 5000 metres were following suit, as Benjamin Limo (KEN) sprinted past three rivals over the final eighty metres to win the gold in 13:32.55, the slowest winning time in the history of the World Championships.

At 2:54.47, the opening kilometre was leaden, as Isaac Songok (KEN) immediately led the 15-man troupe on a jog, which eventual winner Limo took over by the end of the first lap. The second kilometre improved noticeably to 2:44.93 before the runners slipped back again into sleep mode with 2:48.34 during the third.

Conservative tactics formed the adhesive holding the pack of runners together until Marius Bakken (NOR) forced the pace at the 3400 mark, with Athens 10K silver medallist Sileshi Sihine (ETH), Songok, and defending champion Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) going with him.

With two laps left, Bakken still held the advantage over Sihine and Moukheld Al-Outaibi (KSA), but Craig Mottram (AUS) was moving up on the outside as 600 metres remained.

At the bell, it was Sihine leading Kipchoge and Mottram, but still with no one really going into an all-out final sprint. The Ethiopian then began to kick with 200 left as Mottram went along. Kipchoge then passed Mottram on the curve as it appeared that the medallists had identified themselves with only the final straight remaining.

That was the signal for Limo, who had been lagging just behind the leaders, to sprint hard the final 80 metres, passing the three front-runners and stealing the gold medal at the last moment.

The silver medallist six years ago in Seville, Limo admitted, “The race was slow, and I knew the last lap was going to be very fast. I have trained well, and I knew I would be strong at the end.”

The Kenyan Army engineer admitted that he and his teammates had a plan to work together. “We just wanted to win a medal for Kenya, hopefully a gold one. The plans went very well, although I did not expect to win today.”

The champion also announced that his wife had given birth to a son only last Monday, adding “It’s obvious that I should name him ‘Helsinki’,”

Sihine barely held on for the silver in 13:32.81 as Mottram put on a late kick to pass Kipchoge on the run-in, falling just short of getting the second prize. The Australian’s time in winning the bronze was 13:32.96, with Kipchoge’s 13:33.04 placing out of the medals in fourth.

Sihine, in getting outkicked at the end, was not surprised by the Kenyans’ strength, “but I did not think Limo would win. Their tactics surprised me a little,” he admitted.

Mottram credited patience during a slow race for his success. “The first few laps were very slow so I just tried to stay calm,” the tall Australian said. “Over the last kilometre I stepped up my speed a little, and then I just waited for the last 250. At the finish, I gave it all I had.”
| results |

Helsinki 2005 Media Team/eg/14Aug