Paris - Meeting Gaz De France Paris Saint-Denis 5th July 2002 Golden League Track section - Time-to-Run


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Wilson Kipketer 800m World Record Holder


	France - Meeting Gaz De France Paris Saint-Denis

The second meeting on the Golden League circuit saw the athletes battling it out in the wet conditions of Paris. The meeting produced a few shocks and ended a few athletes dreams of the 'golden pot'.

Paris was again another chance of the 'big' three Gabrielle Zsabo of Romania, and Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco and Benjamin Limo of Kenya to show their dominance. However, in the women's 1500m Romanian prodigy Maria Ciocan had to deal with learning a 'bitter lesson', as she crashed to defeat. The men's 3000m Steeple Chase produced a pack race of quality, with Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya breaking from the pack to win. The Men's 800 produced a surprise wise winner in the form of David Krummenacker of the USA.

Following are the race reports from the middle and distance events :

The Women's 3000m race report
Showing the kind of power running that has become 'synonymous' with her style over the years, Gabriele Zsabo dominated this event from the gun. Even with a pacesetter doing the frontrunning duties, Zsabo's intentions were made clear.

With the pacesetter going through 2K in 5:43.67 and dropping out with 2 laps to go, the field was left to 'fend' for themselves . There were 4 athletes bunched together Zsabo, Berhane Adere [Eth], Edith Masai [Ken] and Tatiana Tomashova [Rus]. What followed was a slow 74sec lap.

With 600m to go the 'Golden Girl' returned to the front, 'striding out' like a well-trimmed race horse. With 300m to go, Adere attempted to go to the front, trying to repeat the previous week's tactics at Oslo. This time, however, Zsabo would have 'none of that' and she threw in a surge of her own. She glided 2m clear and maintained the gap to the finish winning in 8:31.88. Adere never gave up the fight and finished close by in 8:32.31 [ results below ]

The Men's 3000m SteepleChase race report
The men's S/Chase brought together the 'normal' collection of 'The Great Kenyan' hurdlers and this race's result was to prove no different. The pacesetter pulled then through the 1K in 2:43.84 and the 2K in 5:30.78 before leaving the field to sort themselves out.

Going with the pace was the Frenchman, Bouaddellah Tahri, who had run a 3:34 1500m on Tuesday in Lausanne. The Partisan crowd had something to cheer and cheer they did as the lanky athlete attempted to go with the pace.

With 1 lap to go the Kenyan dominance was to the fore, with 6 countrymen bunched at the front. Flying over the back-straight hurdles, blasting over the water jump and scrambling over the last hurdle with 80m to go, Ezekiel Kemboi shot well clear and was easily set for victory. Winning in 8.10.11.

This left Thari to 'fight it out' for 2nd spot, and he obliged the home crowds by outsprinting the rest to finish in 8:10.83. A 'right crowd pleaser' [ results below ]


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The Women's 1500 race report

This was the event that will hopefully teach Maria Ciocan (Romania) that you don't try new tactics in an important event.

The pacesetter went about her task going through 400m in 64.56, however all the athletes were bunched 8m off the pace, with Ciocan tucked in behind her compatriot Violeta Szekely. Going through 800m in 2:14.21 the field was still bunched together with Ciocan poorly positioned.

With 400m to go [3:05], the Romanian was still badly positioned having to break stride down the back-straight to better position herself. The Brit, Kelly Holmes tried to take the initiative with 200m to go and Ciocan immediately responded with her. Coming into the last 100m Ciocan applied her customary power and with 'sheer' strength she began to pull away from the field.

Race won; well virtually, before the explosive speed of Nicole Teter (USA) overwhelmed Ciocan. She had nothing to offer. Teter won in 4:05.52 to the Romanian's 4:05.64.

Hopefully, Ciocan will learn from this; when you doing something right don't experiment with race tactics in an important event. Maria Ciocan showed her lack of experience at this level to allow an athlete with greater 'flat' speed to deny her of a shot at the Golden 'POT'. [ results below ]

The Men's 5000m race report
The pacesetters stuck to their task of providing a consistent pace, pulling the field through consecutive splits of 1K 2:36.76 ... 2K 5:12.49 and 3K 7:52.38. Surprisingly, the favourite Benjamin Liko (Kenya) was leading the pack till 3K. Then the 3 Moroccans' Salah Hissou, Mohammed Amyn [3000m winner at Sheffield] and Abderahim Goumri tried to take the race from Limo.

In a concerted 'country' effort, first Hissou surged to the front, with Limo first to respond to the threat. By 4K [10:29.57] the 4 athletes were still locked together even after the Moroccans various efforts to unsettle Limo.

The pace was maintained and with 2 laps to go [11:02] Limo was still in commmand without having to do anything. With 1 lap [12:04] to go, there were 6 athletes with Limo tucked in the pack in 4th spot.

Breaking into the last 150m Limo switched from his position 'readying' himself for the dash. Hissou faded to eventually finish 5th, however his countrymen were fighting to reach the line first, showing all pain and grimace, while the Kenyan displayed calm composure as he changed gears and floated past. PURE CLASS. Winning in a time of 13:02.35 [ results below ]

The Men's 1500 race report
With the athletes' running conditions putting a damper on the evening, Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco) again El Guerrouj clear of Lagat rose to the occasion by setting the World's Best time over the distance for the year. The pacesetters breezed through 800m in 1:53.01 with the field in single file behind. El Guerrouj was in pole position behind the pacesetter closely followed by Bernard Legat (Kenya). At 1200m [2:48.78] El Guerrouj was in front and was extending his lead over Lagat, who stuck to his task of trying to run down the Moroccan. Such is El Guerrouj's fluid style that he does not give the impression that he is 'really' accelerating, but when seeing the athletes struggling in his wake, one can only imagine how the other athletes feel when he effortlessly glides away from them.

El Guerrouj crossed the line in 3:29.88 with Lagat setting the 2nd fastest time of the year with 3:31.59. French star, Medhi Baala, scrambled through for 3:33.55 to take 3rd, just missing out on his own National record of 3.33.18.

El Guerrouj had this to say : "I'm very proud of this performance particularly as we had to race in the rain," [ results below ]

The Men's 800m race report
Without an outright favourite in the field and the expected dominance of Lausanne winner Djabir Saïd-Guerni (Algeria) failing to materialise, David Krummenacker of the USA shocked all with his finishing burst. He won in a time of 1:44.83 with the rest of the field all finishing under 1:46.67. Said-Guerni could only manage 5th in 1.45.60. [ results below ]

Meeting Gaz De France Paris Saint-Denis Results

Women's Results

3000m
1 - Gabriela Szabo ROM 8.31.88
2 - Berhane Adere ETH 8.32.31
3 - Edith Masai KEN 8.33.94
4 - Tatiana Tomashova RUS 8.35.82
5 - Alesia Turova BIE 8.43.20
6 - Leah Malot KEN 8.44.07
7 - Kayoko Fukushi JAP 8.44.40
8 - Zhor El Kamach MOR 8.48.75
9 - Ayelech Worku ETH 8.56.21
10 - Seloua Ouaziz MOR 8.56.45
11 - Sarah Schwald USA 8.56.49
12 - Merima Denbora ETH 8.59.82
13 - Rose Cheruiyot KEN 9.04.71
14 - Inês Monteiro POR 9.07.23
15 - Naomi Mugo KEN DNF
16 - Lyudmila Vasilyeva RUS DNF

1500m
1 - Nicole Teter USA 4.05.52
2 - Maria Cioncan ROM 4.05.64
3 - Kelly Holmes GBR 4.06.15
4 - Hasna Benhassi MAR 4.06.46
5 - Elena Zadorozhnaja RUS 4.06.76
6 - Judith Varga HUN 4.07.23
7 - Jackline Maranga KEN 4.07.56
8 - Marla Runyan USA 4.07.71
9 - Julia Kosenkova RUS 4.07.86
10 - Iryna Lishchinska UKR 4.08.62
11 - Olga Komiagina RUS 4.10.13
12 - Maria Martins FRA 4.10.86
13 - Violeta Szekely ROU / ROM 4.10.94
14 - Natalya Gorelova RUS 4.13.27
15 - Zoya Kaznovskaya UKR 4.18.58
16 - Suzy Favor-Hamilton USA DNF

100 M
1. Jones Marion USA 10.89   2. Lawrence Tanya JAM 11.04,   3. Gaines Chryste USA 11.06
200M
1. White Kelli USA 22.56    2. Hurtis Muriel FRA 22.74    3. Campbell Juliet JAM 23.09
400M
1. Guevara Ana MEX 50.00    2. Fenton Lorraine JAM 50.47    3 Zykina Olesya RUS 50.67

100M Hurdles
1. Devers Gail USA 12.56    2. Kirkland Anjanette USA 12.63   3. Foster Bridgette JAM 12.68
400 M Hurdles
1. Pittman Jana AUS 54.58    2. Hemmings Deon JAM 54.64    3. Glover Sandra USA 54.94
High Jump
1. Bergqvist Kajsa SWE 1.97    2. Cloete Hestrie RSA 1.95    2. Kuptsova Marina RUS 1.95
Javelin
1. Shikolenko Tatyana RUS 64.59    2. Menéndez Osleidys CUB 64.29    3. Tilea-Moldovan Felicia ROM 62.31

Men's Results

3000m SteepleChase
1 - Ezekiel Kemboi KEN 8.10.11
2 - Bouaddellah Tahri FRA 8.10.83
3 - John Kosgei KEN 8.11.09
4 - Paul Kipsiele Koech KEN 8.11.77
5 - Reuben Kogsei KEN 8.12.13
6 - Julius Nyamu KEN 8.14.06
7 - Kipkurui Misoi KEN 8.14.63
8 - Thomas Kiplitan KEN 8.17.02
9 - Vincent Le Dauphin FRA 8.19.14
10 - Tim Broe USA 8.22.00
11 - Stéphane Desaulty FRA 8.31.17
12 - Irba Lakhal FRA 8.34.99
13 - Frédéric Denis FRA DNF
14 - Philip Manyim KEN DNF
15 - Josephat Kapkory KEN DNF
16 - Antonio Jimenez ESP DNF

5000m
1 - Benjamin Limo KEN 13.02.34
2 - Abderahim Goumri MOR 13.03.17
3 - Mohammed Amyn MOR 13.03.80
4 - Abraham Chebii KEN 13.05.08
5 - Salah Hissou MOR 13.05.58
6 - Mark Bett KEN 13.08.76
7 - Luke Kipkosgei KEN 13.10.72
8 - El Hassan Lahssini FRA 13.12.37
9 - Assefa Mezgebu ETH 13.14.43
10 - Albert Chepkurui KEN 13.16.82
11 - Benjamin Maiyo KEN 13.22.79
12 - Rachid Chekemani FRA 13.27.38
13 - Mustapha Essaïd FRA 13.27.38
14 - Abdellah Behar FRA 13.29.23
15 - Abiyote Abate ETH 13.35.39
16 - Hailu Mekkonnen ETH DNF

1500m
1 - Hicham El Guerrouj MAR / MOR 3.29.96
2 - Bernatd Lagat KEN 3.31.59
3 - Medhi Baala FRA 3.33.55
4 - William Chirchir KEN 3.33.62
5 - Rui Silva POR 3.35.52
6 - Driss Maazouzi FRA 3.35.71
7 - Laban Rotich KEN 3.35.87
8 - Fouad Chouki FRA 3.36.37
9 - David Kiplak KEN 3.36.42
10 - Vyacheslav Shabunin RUS 3.36.60
11 - Seneca Lassiter USA 3.36.73
12 - Benjamin Kipkurui KEN 3.37.17
13 - Abdelkader Hachlaf MAR / MOR 3.38.12
14 - Alexis Abraham FRA 3.39.50
15 - Craig Mottram AUS 3.41.27
16 - Fahti El Guerrouj MAR / MOR 3.42.48
17 - Nadir Bosch FRA DNF
18 - David Lelei KEN DNF
19 - William Tanui KEN DNF
20 - Kader Chekhemani FRA DNS

800m
1 - David Krummenacker USA 1.44.83
2 - Nicolas Wachira KEN 1.45.49
3 - Joseph Mutua KEN 1.45.54
4 - Nicolas Aissat FRA 1.45.54
5 - Djabir Said-Guerni ALG 1.45.60
6 - Mbulaeni Mulaudzi RSA 1.45.67
7 - Noah Ngeny KEN 1.45.94
8 - Hezekiel Sepeng RSA 1.46.48
9 - William Yampoy KEN 1.46.58
10 - Florent Lacasse FRA 1.46.67
11 - Robert Chirchir KEN DNF

100 M
1. Greene Maurice USA 9.99   2. Williams Bernard USA 10.03  3. Lewis-Francis Mark GBR 10.04
200M
1. White Kelli USA 22.56    2. Hurtis Muriel FRA 22.74    3. Campbell Juliet JAM 23.09
400M
1. Guevara Ana MEX 50.00    2. Fenton Lorraine JAM 50.47    3 Zykina Olesya RUS 50.67
110M Hurdles
1. García Anier CUB 13.14   2. Trammell Terrence USA 13.28  3. Hernández Yuniel CUB 13.42
400 M Hurdles
1. Sánchez Felix DOM 47.91    2. Rawlinson Christopher GBR 48.26   3. Diagana Stéphane FRA 48.28
Pole Vault
1. Mesnil Romain FRA 5.65   2. Averbukh Aleksandr ISR 5.55   2. Hysong Nick USA 5.55
Triple Jump
1. Edwards Jonathan GBR 17.75   2. Olsson Christian SWE 17.60   3. Martínez Alexander CUB 17.32

Time-to-Run Track section