Posted: June 8, 2004

Athletics: 10,000m WR Attempt By Bekele, Deep Distance Fields On Tap In Ostrava Tonight

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic – Another world record assault by Kenenisa Bekele, a strong men’s 1500m race and a pair of hotly contested steeplechase races highlight the distance portion of tonight’s Golden Spike Super Grand Prix in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava.

Backed by a one million euro budget and a prize pot of more than 400,000 euros, not a single event on the program is bereft of talent and depth, producing the finest assembly of talent thus far this season.

Bekele, the triple-double world cross country champion, returns to action just eight days after his stunning 12:37.35 world record run in the 5000m. This time, his sights are set on Haile Gebrselassie’s 10,000m mark of 26:22.75, set in 1998. Two pacemakers will assist: experienced rabbit Martin Keino will push the initial 3000m, with Ethiopian Alemu Dagne taking the next two kilometers, aiming to reach the half in 13:10. The rest will lie on Bekele’s shoulders. A US$ 50,000 bonus is on the table should he manage the feat.

Wildcards in the field include the rapidly improving Zersenay Tadesse of Eritrea, who finished second last month in the BUPA Great Manchester 10-K road race; 2001 World Champion Charles Kamathi of Kenya; and Qatari Abdullah Ahmad Hassan (formerly Albert Chepkurui), who has churned out sub 27-minute efforts in each of the previous two seasons. Kenyan Moses Mosop, who last year ran the fastest-ever 10,000m by an 18-year-old (27:13.66), comes to Ostrava off of a PB 13:09.68 from Hengelo.

Last year, Stephen Cherono stole the Ostrava spotlight with his 12;48.81 win in the 5000m, beating Hicham El Guerrouj with the fastest performance of the year. This year he returns as Saif Saaeed Shaheen, the world champion in the steeplechase. In his first of just a handful of major appearances in the event, Shaheen will face Ezekiel Kemboi, whom he battled in a thrilling duel to claim gold in Paris last summer. Former world record holder Wilson Boit Kipketer (7:59.08 – 1997) and Abraham Cherono, Shaheen’s brother, will also be on the start line. John Langat and John Kosgei have been assigned pacing duty, tentatively aiming for the season’s first sub-eight minute race.

With four athletes with sub-3:30 bests, the men’s 1500 features the finest field assembled this season. Bernard Lagat, who raced to 3000m gold in Budapest in March, leads a field that includes former World Junior Champion William Chirchir, World Indoor Champion Paul Korir, Sydney Olympic champion Noah Ngeny, and Paris bronze medallist Ivan Heshko of Ukraine. Lagat has already produced a sub-3:34 effort this year, William Chirchir won in Belem last month in 3:37.55 while Heshko, who also struck silver in Budapest, won his outdoor opener last week, clocking 3:35.60 in Milano. Algerian Ali Saidi-Sief, Sydney silver medallist at 5000m and the 1500m winner in Seville on Saturday (3:34.72), is also in the field. World junior record holder Cornelius Chirchir, who lowered the meet record to 3:31.17 last year, returns to make his first outing of the season. 21-year-old American Alan Webb, who lowered his PB to 3:33.70 in Hengelo, continues his impressive, if brief European tour after clocking a PB 1:46.53 in Seville’s ‘B’ race on Saturday. David Krummenacker makes his first start of the year in the 1500, while Driss Maazouzi, the 2003 World Indoor champion, is a late addition. Czech Roman Oravec and David Lelei of Kenya will set the pace; Czech Olympic hope Michel Sneberger is hoping to be pulled to the Olympic 'A' standard of 3:36.20.

In the women’s race, Briton Kelly Holmes, who is still toying with the idea of an Olympic middle distance double, makes her outdoor debut. She’ll face Canada’s Carmen Douma-Hussar, the surprise world indoor bronze medallist. Hayley Tullett of Great Britain, last year’s world championships bronze medallist, was expected to compete, but was sidelined over the weekend by minor health problems. Seven runners in the field have run 4:06 or faster. The meet record in the event, 4:06.6, set by distance great Grete Waitz in 1977, may finally fall.

In the 800, Maria Mutola has her sights set on the meet record of 1:57.76 set by Slovenia’s Jolanda Ceplak last year. In a disappointment for locals, 1999 World Champion Ludmila Formanova, who was to make her first major appearance since undergoing surgery last year, will not compete, citing a minor strain.

The women's steeplechase will feature Justyna Bak of Poland and Russian Lyubov Ivanova, the third and fourth fastest-ever in the event, along with former world record holder Cristina Casandra of Romania. Ugandan Dorcus Inzikuru will set the pace. Three of the ten fastest-ever women's steeplechase performances have been run in Ostrava.

A sellout crowd of more than 20,000 is expected, while the forecast calls for occasional rain with early evening temperatures ranging from 12-15 degrees Celsius. The meeting will be broadcast live by Czech Television and Eurosport.

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