Posted: August 12, 2005

Athletics: Borza And Ramzi To Tangle In Stacked 800M Final

From David Monti

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

HELSINKI (12-Aug) -- The first of three semi-finals in the men's 800m here tonight gave the fans in Olympic Stadium an advanced peak of what is sure to be one of the best finals of these tenth IAAF World Championships in Athletics. In fact, the heat was nearly good enough to be a final.

Reigning Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy faced off with newly crowned 1500m world champion, Rachid Ramzi, defending world champion Djabir Saïd-Guerni, and the sixth-fastest Kenyan of all-time William Yiampoy and sparks flew. American Khadevis Robinson took the early lead and set an honest pace of 51.18 through 400m. He held the lead midway down the backstraight when Borzakovskiy began to gently accelerate for home. Ramzi, who showed his fierce kick in Wednesday's 1500m final, had to swing wide on turn four out of the pack to get into the race. Looking a little wobbly, he passed Saïd-Guerni and Yiampoy to take second in 1:44.30, just 4/100ths behind Borzakovskiy. The fast pace meant that Yiampoy (3rd, 1:44.51) and Saïd-Guerni (4th, 1:44.80) also advanced to the final on time. Robinson, who tripped a bit entering turn four on the last lap, would finish last in 1:49.13.

Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was the main casualty in the second semi despite mounting a late race surge to get third place. His time of 1:45.73 behind Belal Ali Mansoor of Bahrain, the former Kenyan John Yego (1:45.35), and Frenchman Mehdi Baala (1:45.40) was not good enough to advance.

Gary Reed of Canada showed his best form to win the third semi and advance to the final. Off of a 51.94 400m by Wilfred Bungei of Kenya, Reed moved strongly on the outside with 200m to go and pushed to the line to win the heat in a national record 1:44.33. Bungei took second in 1:44.41, the only other athlete from the third semi to advance.

"Life is sweet," Reed told reporters after the race. "I'm confident in my abilities now," he added.

Despite the stacked field, Reed was optimistic about his chances in the final, his first in a World Championships.

"I can't come in worse than eight," he quipped.