Posted: February 23, 2005

Athletics: Benhassi To Challenge Mutola's 1000M WR In Madrid Thursday

From David Monti

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

By Bob Ramsak

A world record assault on Maria's Mutola's 1000 meter mark by Olympic silver medallist Hasna Benhassi is the headline attraction at Thursday night's Jose M. Cagigal Memorial in Madrid.

In her first appearance of the year, Benhassi, who finished behind Kelly Holmes in the Olympic 800 meter final, is aiming to challenge Mutola's 2:30.94 set in Stockholm six years ago.

"I'm in very good shape and I come to Madrid with the objective of breaking the world record, but I will have to face important opponents,” Benhassi said at a press conference today. In Athens, the Moroccan set a national record 1:56.43 in a race where Mutola finished fourth. Mutola will also be in the field in Madrid.

"I'm recovering from an injury, but I think that I am in a good shape and I will try to perform well," said Mutola, who won both of her 800 races this winter.

The 26-year-old Benhassi has a personal best of 2:37.89 in the rarely-run event, dating back to 1999; she hasn't competed indoors since 2001. Pacemaker Oksana Dekhtyarchuk has been assigned splits of 58 seconds and 1:27 for 400 and 600 meters respectively. In Mutola's world record race, the splits were 58.64 and 1:28.44.

Spaniard Mayte Martinez, who narrowly missed her own national 800 meter record in Stockholm last week while pushing Mutola to the finish, is in the field as well.

Elsewhere, the Men's 1500 features world leader Daniel Kipchirchir Komen and Laban Rotich of Kenya and Spaniard Reyes Estevez, while Kenyan Wifred Bungei and Spaniard Antonio Reina top the 800 meter fields. World leader Lidia Chojecka of Poland tops the women's 1500. Ivan Heshko of Ukraine was scheduled to race in the 1500, but dropped out today.