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By Bob Ramsak
Four world-leading performances in the middle & long distances were set at the Qatar Super Grand Prix in Doha tonight, the first stop on the IAAF Super Grand Prix circuit.
Richard Mateelong, the bronze medallist at last year’s world championships, led a 1-2-3 sweep Kenyan sweep with his 8:07.64 victory in the 3000m steeplechase, an impressive early season run in the heat of Doha. Collins Kosgei (8:13.87) and Mike Kipyego (8:15.74) were well back in second and third.
In one of the closest races of the night, Abdelati Iguider of Morocco won the 1500m in 3:33.27, barely edging compatriot Mohamed Moustaoui (3:33.31) and Antar Zerguelaine of Algeria (3:33.32). Iguider, a two-time medallist at the world junior championships and the winner in 2004, has a career best of 3:32.68 from two years ago.
Kenyan Augustine Choge, who set the 3000m world junior record of 7:28.78 at this meet in 2005, won the event this time around in 7:32.01, another world lead, ahead of fellow-Kenyan Edwin Soi (7:32.13) and Moses Kipsiro (7:32.42) of Uganda.
Liliana Popescu of Romania, a semi-finalist in the 800m at last year’s world championships, won the women’s 1500m in 4:05.52, a personal best for the 26-year-old and another world lead. In March, Popescu was sixth over the distance at the World Indoor Championships.
Kenyan David Rudisha continued his fine spring campaign. The 19-year-old world leader and recently crowned African 800m champion won his fourth race in as many outings in 1:44.36, beating back Ugandan Abraham Chepkirwok (1:44.66) and Ahmed Ismail Ismail of Sudan (1:44.82).
In the women’s steeplechase, Donna MacFarlane of Australia, this year’s world leader (9:29.93), won by more than half a second, clocking 9:31.47. World junior record holder Ruth Bisibori was second (9:32.15) and Eunice Jepkorir (9:36.23) third.
Elsewhere, American David Oliver became the 13th man to dip under 13 seconds in the 110m hurdles with his sizzling 12.95 victory, and Allyson Felix made a major splash in her 2008 debut winning the 100 and 400. In the 100, she dipped under 11 seconds for the first time with her 10.93 victory, and also ran under 50 seconds over the full lap, clocking 49.83.
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