Posted: August 20, 2004

Athletics: El Guerrouj – Lagat Rivalry Resumes In Athens Tonight

From David Monti

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

By Bob Ramsak

ATHENS (20-Aug) – It was after one in the morning in Zurich’s Intercontinental Hotel, as athletes, media and special guests were enjoying a post-meet dinner, that Hicham El Guerrouj and Bernard Lagat intently scrutinized the replay of their hotly contested match-up held just a few hours before. After watching his long-time rival’s finishing kick off the final bend along with his eye-popping effort in the final meters, El Guerrouj turned to the Kenyan, who was sitting just a few tables away, smiled and again offered his congratulations.

“Bravo, Lagat,” he said. The Kenyan nodded and smiled as well, before the Moroccan added, “But next time will be much different.”

It was a light moment between history’s two fastest metric milers, whose rivalry since the last Olympic Games—where El Guerrouj finished second and Lagat third—has rewritten the all-time performance list. But until their last contest in Zurich’s Weltklasse less than two weeks ago, Lagat had never managed to win a race against the world record holder in the 1500 and mile.

But after the Kenyan’s 3:27.40 win, El Guerrouj suggested that the pressure in Athens would now lie on Lagat’s shoulders as competition in the 1500 begins this evening at Olympic Stadium. It’s a role though that the Washington State grad refused to take on.

“I take it one race at a time,” he said. “[In Zurich] I won, but I wasn’t expecting to win in the first place. Did I come [there] thinking I could win? Yes, I had something like that in my mind. But it actually gives me more motivation for Athens, more than actually putting me under pressure.”

Here, both will undoubtedly be feeling the pressure. El Guerrouj, the dominant force in middle-distance racing for the greater part of a decade, is still chasing an elusive Olympic Gold Medal. Meanwhile, Lagat’s three Golden League wins this season have put a clear target on his back.

Lagat said he’s not expecting a fast race in Athens, but added that he’ll be prepared if one unfolds.

No one’s going to go in 1:49,” Lagat said. “That person would be out of the medals. It’s going to be slow and tactical, but it’s the experience that we gained over the years that will make us win. So I think that is what I am prepared to do myself. It’s going to be slow, and I’ll have to have the tactics prepared.”

If his prediction comes to pass, several actors will have a key role in the eventual medal picture, beginning with the main players’ teammates. Youssef Baba and Adil Kaouch are no strangers in big races with their compatriot. Baba paced El Guerrouj at the Sydney Olympics while Kaouch was sacrificed at both the 1999 and 2001 World Championships. On the Kenyan side are Isaac Songok and Timothy Kiptanui, both sub 3:31 performers this year. “We will be supporting each other so we all run well,” Lagat said on Wednesday, “but not to the point where we will sacrifice one person.”

Fast-finishing Ivan Heshko has evolved into a significant threat while U.S. champion Alan Webb, who beat a world class field in Ostrava in June, was mentioned specifically by Lagat as a medal contender. Rashid Ramzi, whose short-lived 3:30.25 world leading performance led a parade of runners past El Guerrouj in Rome early last month, has raced little since, and failed to distinguish himself when he has.

40 runners will toe the line in tonight’s opening round, with the top five in each heat and the next nine fastest advancing to Sunday’s semi-finals.

Competition also begins this evening with the opening rounds of the women’s 800 and 5000, but for distance fans, the highlight will be the final of the men’s 10,000. The start time, slightly modified, is at 10:35 pm local time (GMT + 3).