Posted: August 14, 2005

Athletics: As Always, Slew Of Fast Races On Tap In Zurich

From David Monti

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

By Bob Ramsak

ZURICH – While the athletics world is still drying off from nearly two weeks in Helsinki, attention has quickly shifted to tomorrow’s Weltklasse Meeting, the fourth of six TDK Golden League fixtures. As always, the start lists closely resemble a mini world championship, with few major players absent.

Indeed, there are few complaints of tiredness from athletes when Zurich’s Weltklasse, perhaps the richest invitational meeting on the planet, comes calling. 16 recently crowned world champions are here, along with 16 Olympic champions, 15 world leaders, and five world record holders.

"There are only a few late-hour cancellations," said Athletes Liaison Barbara Brennwald. Those two –world javelin champion Andrus Varnik of Estonia and Jamaica’s Asafa Powell, the world record holder in the 100 meters—will have no bearing on the proceedings in the distance events where the usual stellar fields have been assembled. The only major distance running names who excelled in Helsinki who are absent here are 800/1500 winner Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain and Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba, who left the Finnish capital with a 5000/10,000 double win. After six difficult races, Ramzi had never intended to run here while Dibaba has an assault planned on the 5000 meter world record on Sunday in Sheffield, England.

Four of the first five to reach the finish line in the men’s 800 meter final in Helsinki are here, headed by defending Zurich winner Wilfred Bungei. Last year, the Kenyan was pushed to a world-leading effort here after his training partner, Bahraini Youssef Saad Kamel, ran to a short-lived world leader in the ‘B’ Race.

Bernard Lagat returns to action after his three-week competitive break. "I feel really good," said the two-time Olympic medallist, who wasn’t eligible to compete at the world championships because of his recent switch of allegiance to the U.S. Last year, Lagat defeated Hicham El Guerrouj in their last race prior to the Olympic Games. This year, Lagat will face Helsinki silver and gold medallists Adil Kaouch and Rui Silva. American Alan Webb is also looking for another fast race.

Kenenisa Bekele tops the list in the 3000, where he’s shooting for a sub 7:30 performance as a speed workout for his much publicized attempt on his own world record in the 10,000 next weekend in Brussels. Benjamin Limo and Craig Mottram, the gold and bronze medallists respectively from the world championships 5000, are leading the challenge to Bekele’s supremacy.

Strolling along the boulevard outside the Inter-Continental Hotel here, Saif Saaeed Shaheen was exuding confidence before he once again faces the Kenyan trio that swept the Olympic medals last year: Ezekiel Kemboi, Brimin Kipruto, and Paul Koech. "I feel great, man," he said, smiling widely. "Absolutely great." In Helsinki nine days ago, the Kenyan-born Qatari easily dispatched with Kemboi and Kipruto, who finished second and third, while Koech, who faded to seventh, was never a factor.

Maria Mutola has won here 12 straight times; after a fourth place finish in Helsinki, she will be particularly eager to nab lucky 13. Win or lose, this will be the Mozambiquan’s final race of the year. Of those in the stacked field –five have run under 1:58-- world champion Zulia Calatayud has perhaps the most to prove to show that her win in Helsinki, while brilliantly run, was no fluke. With silver medals in the Olympics and World championships, Hasna Benhassi has displayed that she is a proven big race competitor.

With Dibaba not in the running, the women’s 3000 is shaping into a tussle between Ethiopian Berhane Adere and Kenyans Edith Masai and Isabella Ochichi.

Another raucous sell-out crowd of 25,000 will be on hand in Letzigrund Stadium. Construction on a new facility will begin in December on a plot next to the current stadium, with the ‘old’ Letzigrund hosting the meet for the final time next year. The new stadium will have a 30,000 seating capacity, significantly larger than the current version, which has 15,000 seats.

Just two athletes remain in the hunt for a share of the $1 million Golden League Jackpot – sprinter Christine Arron of France, and triple jumper Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia.