Posted: July 2, 2006

Athletics: Shaheen's Streak On The Line In Athens On Monday

From David Monti

© 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar, the two-time world champion in the 3000m steeplechase, will be making his 2006 debut in the event at the tomorrow’s Tsiklitiria – OPAP IAAF Super Grand in Athens.

Shaheen, who lowered the world record in the event to 7:53.63 in 2004, will be bringing the longest win streak in the sport to the track at Olympic Stadium, which currently rests at 20 finals dating back to August 2002. Weather permitting, the 23-year-old said he would like to attack the event’s 7:50 barrier.

“So I hope tomorrow the weather conditions will be ideal in my race and that everything goes well,” said Shaheen, who has produced five of history's 10 fastest performances in the event.

The field also includes Tareq Mubarak Taher of Bahrain, the former Kenyan, who is reportedly just 17. On June 20, Taher clocked an 8:11.36 national record in Huelva, Spain, thus far the fastest performance in the world this year. Brimin Kipruto, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist and 2005 World Championships bronze medallist, former world record holder Wilson Boit Kipketer, and Wesley Kiprotich, the runner-up at this year's Commonwealth Games, are among the key challengers.

The middle and long distance portion of the program also include a strong line-up in the women's 1500, with two-time World Champion Tatyana Tomashova taking on fellow Russian Olga Yegorova, whose 4:00.47 win at the national championships last month is the world's fastest performance this year. The men's 1500 will feature world and Olympic bronze medallist Rui Silva of Portugal, world indoor champion Ivan Heshko of Ukraine, and Kenyans Daniel Kipchirchir Komen and Benjamin Limo, the World 5000m champion.

The men's 800m features a rematch between Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy and Kenyan Wilfred Bungei, who outkicked the Russian to win this year's world indoor title.

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