Posted: July 8, 2005

Athletics:Golden League Jackpot Chase Continues Tonight In Rome

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

ROME – A strong collection of world and Olympic champions have gathered as the TDK Golden League continues tonight at the Borotalco Golden Gala in the Italian capital.

The men’s 1500, a Golden League event, includes defending Golden Gala champion Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain, who displayed strong mid-season form with a convincing 1:44.73 800 meter win in Lausanne on Tuesday. The buzz though, surrounds relative newcomer Daniel Kipchirchir Komen of Kenya, the world leader and Paris GL winner, who is looking for his first sub-3:30 career performance. Olympic silver and bronze medallists Bernard Lagat and Rui Silva will also toe the line in the 15-man field, along with 2004 Olympic finalist Ivan Heshko of Ukraine. Chris Lukezic, the runner-up at last month’s U.S. championships, lowered his personal best to 3:37.69 in Lausanne on Tuesday, and will be chasing the world championships “A” qualifier of 3:36.20. Lukezic recently forfeited his remaining eligibility at Georgetown University to pursue the sport professionally.

Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, Amine Laalou and Youssef Saad Kamel, three of the year’s four fastest, top the start list for the 800. Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy, Mouhssin Chehibi, fourth in Athens, and reigning world champion Djabir Said-Guerni will also toe the line. Paris winner William Yiampoy of Kenya is in the jackpot chase.

Kenenisa Bekele, who narrowly missed his world record in the 5000 last Friday in Paris, is the lone Golden League jackpot contender not in Rome, but his absence won’t preclude a compelling race. Reigning world champion Eliud Kipchoge will start as the favorite, but Abebe Dinkessa, who chased Bekele in his superb performances in Hengelo (10,000) and last weekend in Paris, is hungry for his first major win. Another Ethiopian, Gebre Gebremariam, Bahraini Mushir Salim Jahwer, and Boniface Kiprop of Uganda should also be in contention.

World record holder and world champion Saif Saaeed Shaheen is head and shoulders above the world in the steeplechase after his solo 7:57.28 win in Athens three weeks ago. On paper, Athens silver and bronze medallists, Brimin Kipruto and Paul Kipsiele Koech of Kenya look to pose the most serious threat, while the European co-record holder in the event, Bob Tahri of France, has his eyes on a quick time. The Frenchman cruised to an easy win in Ostrava last month, defeating the past two Olympic champions in the process. U.S. champion Dan Lincoln is also in the field.

Russian Svetlana Cherkasova, the world leader and Paris winner, tops the field in the women’s 800. Reigning world champion Maria Mutola is looking to bounce back from last weekend’s third place finish, while Sviatlana Usovich of Belorus, who clocked 1:58.17 two weeks ago in Minsk, could be a factor as well. Olympic bronze medallist Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia pulled out of the race yesterday, citing a nagging Achilles and calf injury.

Kenyan Edith Masai, a jackpot contender after her command performance in Paris last weekend, faces a stiff Ethiopian challenge to keep her jackpot hopes alive. Olympic champion Meseret Defar, and world gold medallist Tirunesh Dibaba, currently the world leader with her 14:32.42 win in New York last month, arrive as the favorites. U.S. champion Shalane Flanagan makes her first outing since winning the U.S. title in the event last month, while runner-up Lauren Fleshman, is still seeking the 15:08.70 “A” standard. Carrie Tollefson, an Olympian last year in the 1500, who already has the “A” standard in the 5000, was fifth at the U.S. Trials, and is looking for an improvement here.

With the three women who have run under 4:01 this season not competing at Olympic Stadium, the 1500 is a wide open affair. On paper, Alesya Turava of Belorus (4:02.31) and Kenyan Nancy Langat (4:02.31) are the fastest this year. Treniere Clement and Jen Toomey, 1-2 finishers at the U.S. championships last month, are still chasing the 4:05.80 “A” standard.