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By Bob Ramsak
BERLIN -- Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba each claimed a share of the $1 million Golden League Jackpot as the six-meeting series concluded today at the ISTAF Meeting before a crowd of 48,112 at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
Since his defeat in the 5000 meters at the Golden League opener in Oslo to Kenya’s Isaac Songok, Bekele went up against the best the world could offer, and in each remaining leg of the Golden League, he proved time and again that he was up to the challenge. Of the six athletes who arrived in Berlin with a stake in the Jackpot, conventional wisdom had Kenenisa Bekele as perhaps the most vulnerable. Yet after a full season of difficult races, it was the challengers, and not Bekele, who simply ran out of steam in the German capital.
"The race was, at the end of the day," Bekele said, "an easy one for me." There was no evidence displayed that would doubt that assessment.
Already on his own when he reached the 2000 meter mark in 5:07.50, Bekele churned out consistent sub-63 second laps, steadily increasing his lead over the chase pack by a second per lap. When he reached the bell in 11:58, the Ethiopian was nearly 11 seconds clear of the field. With a sub-60 second closing lap, he crossed the line in 12:57.74 to earn a US$ 83,333 share of the prize pie. With a furious closing charge over the final 150 meters, his younger brother Tariku Bekele finished second (13:04.83), with Abreham Cherkos Feleke, still only 16, third (13:05.40) to complete an Ethiopian sweep.
American Bernard Lagat, who came to Berlin on the heels of a sub-3:30 1500 meter victory in Rieti, was never a threat. As close as fourth in the early stages, he eventually drifted to ninth (13:12.44).
For the 12th time since the 2002 World Junior Championships, Meseret Defar defeated compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba, but for the latter, who arrived in Berlin with an unblemished five-for-five record in Golden League appearances, this loss in the 5000 was certainly the costliest.
In a largely tactical race with American Kara Goucher controlling much of the pace, the Ethiopian pair began their kick a few strides before passing the bell. Dibaba led, but unlike a few other recent outings, she never broke from Defar, the reigning Olympic champion in the event. Entering the homestretch nearly side-by-side, Dibaba began to run wide, forcing Defar even wider. But the extra territory didn’t matter. Some 25 meters from the finish Defar took the lead en route to her 15:02.51 win, a victory that denied Dibaba $125,000. Defar covered the final lap in 56.4, Dibaba in 56.9, both faster than Bekele’s final lap.
"I feel bad for Tirunesh," said Defar, who lowered the world record in the event to 14:24.53 about 24 hours after Dibaba claimed her first Golden League win of the year. "But sometimes she wins, and sometimes I win."
Like Bekele, Dibaba netted $83,333 for winning five of the six races.
The key entrants in the men’s 1500 each went down in distance this weekend, and each produced a successful outing. Kenyan Augustine Choge, the Commonwealth 5000 champion, kicked to a convincing 3:32.48 victory, a personal best for the 19-year-old. Behind him, Saif Saaeed Shaheen, the world record holder in the steeplechase, finished runner-up, moving up from fourth off the final bend. His 3:33.51 was also a career best.
Continuing his hot late-season streak, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa dominated the 800, winning in 1:44.37, his fourth straight. Kenyan William Yiampoy was a distant second (1:44.91) with European champion Bram Som of the Netherlands third.
With their victories in the 100 and 400, Asafa Powell, Jeremy Wariner and Sanya Richards finished the Golden League series with perfect six-for-six records, each winning $249,999, 83,333 from the first $500,000 offered, and another $166,666 set aside for winners at all six competitions. Long jumper Irving Saladino of Panama collected his fifth win of the series, to earn $83,333.
To claim their prizes, each athlete must compete at next weekend’s World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany.
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