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By Bob Ramsak
A narrow --and controversial-- 1500m win by Kenenisa Bekele and a world-leading run in the 3000 meters by Meseret Defar highlighted a number of qualify distance races at the DN Galan Super Grand Prix tonight at Stockholm's Olympic Stadium tonight. Stadium records fell in several races.
Running in his debut over the distance, Bekele took the lead heading into the backstretch, a lead he carried into the final straight, when Moroccan Adil Kaouch began to make his move. Kaouch, running to the outside of Bekele, made up significant ground in the final 40 meters, and looked to be on his way to victory when the Ethiopian began to run wide, drifting from the edge of lane one into lane three over the final critical meters. He brushed Kaouch just before the line, to win in 3:33.08. With his rhythm impeded, Kaouch crossed the line shaking his head, while Isaac Songok of Kenya snuck by on the inside to finish second in 3:33.25, 11/100s ahead of Kaouch.
Meseret Defar led the fastest women's 3000m, winning with a career best 8:24.66, also an Ethiopian record and a stadium record. Compatriot Geleta Burka (8:25.92, PB) was second, with Kenyan Edith Masai third (8:27.17).
After a strong final 600 meters, Boniface Kiprop of Uganda held off Morocco's Abderahim Goumri to win the 5000 in 12:57.11, with both Goumri (12:57.89) and Kenyan Jonas Cheruiyot (12:59.08) dipping under 13 minutes. With his eight place finish in 13:04.90, Matt Tegenkamp became the fourth fastest American ever over the distance. The 24-year-old former University of Wisconsin star set his previous best of 13:15.00 at this year's national championships, where he finished second.
Maryam Yusef Jamal of Bahrain won a fast 1500 in 3:58.96 over Latifa Essarokh of France, who finally claimed the national record after a pair of recent near misses with her 3:59.61. Sarah Jamieson continued her hot running with a third place finish in 4:00.93, an Australian record.
Elsewhere, Paul Kipsiele Koech easily won the steeplechase in 8:00.29 by more than 12 seconds in a stadium record, and Youssef Saad Kamel upset Morocco's Amine Laalou with his 1:44.50 win in the 800.
Both Koech and Defar were awarded 1-carat diamonds for breaking stadium records.
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