2003 SeasonDate Location Distance Time Place----------------------------------- 9-20-2003 Moscow 1500 3:36.44 1 Hicham El Guerrouj won his final race of the season today in Moscow. A week ago he was scheduled to compete in the World Athletics Finals' 1500 meters in Monaco but did not because he had a cold, which was caused by overtraining. He won the Iaaf Male Athlete of the Year award anyway for an unprecedented third time in a row. Today's meet is one of the very last meets this season and had a lot of live entertainment throughout the meet. Moscow hopes to hold the Olympics in 2012 and this meet helps them on their path to do that. In this race Sammy Mutai of Kenya led the first two laps, which were slow(57.26 and 61.74). The third lap was run in a faster 57.29 and Hicham El Guerrouj led by the 1200 meter mark. He hit the bell lap at 2:42.02. Hicham did not blast off as he usually does and Paul Korir decided to attack. Now, a final kick began and it turned out that only two athletes were able to handle the speed. Hicham El Guerrouj battled Paul Korir of Kenya and at the line Hicham was victorious by only 4 hundredths of a second! He pulled out a victory in a close race over a rival, but it was real close! In this victory he collected $50,000 and more confidence after not running in the World Athletics Final a week ago. Hicham El Guerrouj has won all but three of his 1500 meters and mile races from 1996 to 2003. His win/loss record for the past seven years is 103-6. His win/loss record for the past seven years in 1500 meters and mile races is 94-3. In other distances in the past seven years he has won 9 times and lost three times. His season is finished and now he will rest for a little bit before preparing for an important track season next year. He's planning to win both the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters at the Olympics in Athens next year. I believe he will achieve this! He had an excellent season this year and is the greatest male or female track and field athlete of the year! Go Hicham!! Moscow Challenge, Moscow, Russia Men 1500m WR = 3:26.00 SB = 3:28.40 Rank Name Birthyear Nation Result ------------------------------------- 1 EL-GUERROUJ Hicham 74 MAR 3:36.44 2 KORIR Paul 77 KEN 3:36.48 3 KIPCHIRCHIR Alex 84 KEN 3:38.43 4 SHABUNIN Vyacheslav 69 RUS 3:38.92 5 HESHKO Ivan 79 UKR 3:40.28 6 RONO Robert 78 KEN 3:41.77 7 ONUFRIENKO Dmitriy 80 RUS 3:53.15 8 MUTAI Sammy 74 KEN 3:59.27 KIMELI Lelei 71 KEN DNF INTERMEDIATE TIMES 400m MUTAI Sammy 57.26 800m MUTAI Sammy 1:59.00 1200m EL-GUERROUJ Hicham 2:56.29 Meet website --------------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 9-7-2003 Rieti Mile 3:50.20 1 Hicham El Guerrouj won his sole mile race of the season today in Rieti, Italy in this years world leading time of 3:50.20. The second place finisher was Alex Kipchirchir of Kenya, who ran a new world junior record of 3:50.25. This was the 33rd meeting here and the events took place on the "Raul Guidobaldi" track. A year ago Hicham ran 3:26.97 here and promised to return to this small Italian town and he did today. Rieti has a nickname of "The Temple Of Middle Distance" which was given to it because of all the great performances that have happened here. Noureddine Morceli, Daniel Komen, and Noah Ngeny have all broken world records here. Originally El G was scheduled to run the 1500 meters here but he opted for the mile race instead the day before the race. David Lelei led Hicham El Guerrouj through the 400 meters mark in 55.23 and 800 meters in 1:50.52(55.29) and then Hicham ran a 62.70 to get to the 1200 meters mark in 2:53.22. With one lap to go Alex Kipchirchir was nearby and Hicham decided to go for the win rather than a faster time. Hicham got to the 1500 meters mark in 3:36.22 and then finished the mile race in 3:50.20 to set a new worlds best for the year in the event. Alex Kipchirchir, the reigning world junior 800 meters champion, challenged Hicham at the end of the race and came within .05 seconds of him to set a new world junior record of 3:50.25. James Kwalia of Kenya set the previous world junior record this year when he ran 3:50.39 in Hengelo. Hicham El Guerrouj had these quotes after the race: "I was too tired after Paris and after Brussels. I was really dead out there today. I had to race five times in Paris and then again in Brussels. I'll try again next year." Rieti 2003 Meeting, Rieti, Italy Results 1 Mile Men 07/09/2003 18:40 World Record 3:43.13 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Roma 07/07/1999 Area Record 3:46.32 Steve Cram GBR Oslo 27/07/1985 Meeting Record 3:44.39 Noureddine Morceli ALG 1992 World Lead 3:50.21 Bernard Lagat KEN Eugene, OR 24/05/2003 Rank BIB Athlete NOC Code finish time 1 117 El Guerrouj, Hicham MAR WL 3:50.20 2 135 Kipchirchir, Alex KEN 3:50.25 3 165 Rono, Robert KEN 3:50.98 4 173 Silva, Rui POR 3:51.98 5 109 Chirchir, William KEN 3:52.18 6 105 Boukensa, Tarek ALG 3:52.34 7 136 Kipkurui, Benjamin KEN 3:53.77 8 104 Blincoe, Adrian NZL 3:54.40 9 158 Nolan, James IRL 3:54.62 10 122 Gallardo, Sergio ESP 3:56.78 11 150 Mayock, John GBR 3:57.85 12 154 Mottram, Craig AUS 4:01.83 120 Fernandez, Alvaro ESP DNF 145 Lelei, David KEN DNF 181 Vicari, Ferdinando ITA DNF 183 Whiteman, Anthony GBR DNF 400 m 145 Lelei, David KEN 55.23 800 m 145 Lelei, David KEN 1:50.52 1200 m 117 El Guerrouj, Hicham MAR 2:53.22 1500 m 117 El Guerrouj, Hicham MAR 3:36.22 Judge: Antonio Colle (ITA) Iaaf race summary Meet website --------------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 9-5-2003 Brussels 1500 3:28.40 1 Hicham El Guerrouj defeated Mehdi Baala in the 1500 meters at the Memorial Van Damme meet in Brussels, Germany today. Today was the first Golden League meet after the Paris world championships and it certainly was a great one! This was the tenth consecutive time that he has raced in this meet. Yesterday, in compensation for that, he was made an honorary citizen of the city of Brussels by the Lord Mayor. He was originally scheduled to run the 3000 meters and face Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, who won the 5000 meters final at the Paris world championships. But he changed his mind and decided to run the 1500 meters because he is not fully recovered from Paris yet. He was one of the favorite attractions of the meet and was hoping to run under 3:28. Here are some quotes he made before the race: "I really wanted to run the 3000m this time around, but I have just not recovered sufficiently from Paris. Doubling really took it out of me and I do not feel that I could live up to the expectations of the crowd here in Brussels over seven and half laps. I was really pleased with my performances in Paris, but there was a huge amount of pressure and stress for me at the Championships. When I was competing in the 1500, Morocco had no medals, so it was my responsibility to win a the gold and my fourth Championships title at the distance and it was a fabulous race that I ran. Then there was a lot of pressure from the press, with the competition with Mehdi Baala, who all the French press – and the spectators – were backing. Of course, after that was the 5,000 and I have to say that I was pleased with my performance there too. I guess that the only mistake that I made was to focus too much on Bekele and possibly to have broken away too soon. I think that if I had waited to 400 metres out to break then I could have won the race. As it is, I started to pull away at 600 metres and then the Kenyan caught me and I had to kick again, then I was concentrating on Bekele and Kipchoge just sprinted past me – he was going like crazy – I came back but just could not catch him on the line." Hicham El Guerrouj changed his race plans today but it payed off as he ran a world leading time of 3:28.40 and beat Mehdi Baala yet again. Mehdi became the 6th fastest performaner ever by running 3:28.98, just missing Fermin Cacho's European record of 3:28.95. Before the race in yesterday's press conference Hicham said that he wanted to run 3:28 or better and he ran 3:28. The race was rabbited by Kenyan David Lelei and he led them through 400 meters in 54.80 and 800 meters in 1:51.64(56.84). After that Hicham and Mehdi competed for the win and started a kick from 200 meters out. El G easily defeated Baala though. Hicham El Guerrouj will run the 1500 meters in Rieti, Italy two days from now and then probably run in the World Athletics Final's 1500 meters in Monaco on September 14th. He is happy with his run today and says he was only at 50% energy today because he is still tired from Paris and was not running at full effort. He's happy for Mehdi Baala and says that next year his main goal is to double at the Olympics in the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters. He was happy that Maria Mutola won the 1 million dollar Golden League jackpot. He had a great race along with Baala and I look forward to his Rieti 1500 meters race two days from now. Here are his quotes after the race: "I am extremely pleased with my run tonight. I was so tired after the World Championships that at first I didn’t even want to come here. But then I decided to come and run the 1500m and offer a great show to the crowd. I have had 12 days of constant stress and pressure in Paris and it really has been very difficult. I went back to Morocco and slept for 12 hours each night. Tonight I ran with an exceptional ease, I was only running at 50% of my ability but was still pushing the pace setters. It felt like jogging to me. I am also very pleased for Medhi Baala who came 3 hundredths of a second short of the European record. He ran the perfect race and really deserved to improve on the record. I believe he is capable of breaking the European record soon. He is not quite ready yet to beat me though. Next year will be very important for me. I want to go to Athens and win both the 1500m and 5000m. My only aim at the Olympics next year is to win two gold medals. I know I am not an Olympic champion but maybe the double win next year will pay back for the two Olympic titles I lost in my career. (Maria Mutola crosses the finish line to win the 800 meters and the overall Golden League jackpot of a million dollars) And there you go! Mutola has won one million dollars. I am very pleased for her, she has had an excellent year, and deserves the Jackpot. Isn’t track and field beautiful?" Memorial Van Damme, Brussels, Germany Results 1500m Men - Lotto Cup 05.09.2003 20:40 World Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Roma 14.07.1998 Meeting Record 3:26.12 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 24.08.2001 World Lead 3:29.13 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Zürich 15.08.2003 Rank BIB Athlete NOC Code finish time 1 30 EL GUERROUJ, Hicham MAR WL 3:28.40 2 86 BAALA, Mehdi FRA NR 3:28.98 3 98 KORIR, Paul KEN PB 3:30.72 4 105 RONO, Robert KEN SB 3:31.33 5 103 KIPCHIRCHIR, Alex KEN PB 3:31.42 6 95 HIGUERO, Juan Carlos ESP PB 3:31.61 7 88 KIPKIRUI, Bemjamin KEN 3:32.58 8 93 SHABUNIN, Vyacheslav RUS SB 3:32.63 9 89 SILVA, Rui POR 3:33.04 10 90 CHIRCHIR, William KEN 3:33.61 11 97 CHIRCHIR, Cornelius KEN 3:34.16 12 96 SONGOK, Isaac KEN 3:34.85 13 106 BOUKENSA, Tarek ALG 3:35.31 14 104 PARRA, Roberto ESP 3:35.54 15 102 ROTICH, Laban KEN 3:35.90 16 100 ES-SAADI, Ridouane BEL 3:44.09 94 LELEI, David KEN DNF 92 LIEFERS, Gert Jan NED DNF 99 WHITEMAN, Anthony GBR DNF 400m 94 Lelei, David KEN 54.80 800m 94 Lelei, David KEN 1:51.64 Judge: Guy Masson (BEL) Iaaf flash interviews Iaaf race summary Iaaf meet results Meet website --------------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-31-2003 Paris 5000 12:52.83 2 Hicham El Guerrouj finished second in the 5000 meters world championships race to Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya. The race was hyped as a monumental clash between Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele. Hicham already won the 1500 meters and Kenenisa already won the 10000 meters earlier in these championships. They were ready to meet halfway and attempt to complete their double victories. Abraham Chebii was also a lower third option for victory. They were suprised! Eliud Kipchoge, 18 years old, was not considered a major factor before the race, even though he is the world junior cross country champion and has run 12:52.61(the world junior record) for 5000 meters this year already. He finished third in the world trials in Kenya in the 5000 meters behind Abraham Chebii and John Kibowen. Bekele led the field through a fast first three kilometers in an attempt to wear out El Guerrouj, who still managed to stay near the front. All the major players were in the game at that point of the race. Eliud Kipchoge led the field through the fourth kilometer, which was a little slower than the first three. Then with roughly 800 meters to go Hicham El Guerrouj took the lead with Kenenisa Bekele shadowing him. Kipchoge, Limo, and Chebii were still nearby and offered a threat. With one lap to go Hicham led slightly over Eliud, with Kenenisa and Abraham close behind. Chebii was the first to lose energy and he faded in the back straight a little. With 100 meters to go Hicham El Guerrouj had a lead but Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele were poised to attack. Bekele couldn't quite catch up to El Guerrouj on the final 100 meters but Kipchoge did and put up a fierce challenge. Hicham's form began to falter as he attempted to keep his lead over Eliud. As the line came up both men dipped like sprinters and Eliud won by .04 seconds. What a finish! Eliud Kipchoge set a new championship record with this 5000 meters time of 12:52.79. Kenenisa Bekele grabbed the bronze medal in 12:53.12, to complete a gold/bronze double in these championships. With two runners attempting an ultimate double victory a gigantic suprise came in the form of Eliud Kipchoge. Eliud Kipchoge grew up in the Kapsisiwo section of the Nandi district, 50 kilomters from Kapsabet and with Eldoret not too far away. Eliud didn't start to train seriously until the year 2000 when he was encouraged by Peter Sang, a Kenyan steeplechaser. In February of 2001 he competed in a provincial cross country championships in Kenya in 2002 he was fifth in the world junior cross country championships. In 2003 he started to make an impact on the international running scene by winning the world junior cross country championships, then setting the world junior record in the 5000 meters. He later won 5000 meter races at Milan and Stockholm, now he is the world champion. Eliud restored some Kenyan pride since they have not had a single distance gold medal before today in these championships. Now then have two, along with Catherine Ndereba's gold medal in the marathon. It was a great 5000 meters race that will be remembered. The only other man to win a major 1500/5000 double was Paavo Nurmi in the 1924 Olympics. Hicham won the 1500 meters and got 2nd in the 5000 meters by only .04 seconds, an amazing performance. Hicham El Guerrouj and possibly Kenenisa Bekele will attempt the double again in the Olympics next year, maybe again Eliud Kipchoge will return? I am very proud of Hicham El Guerrouj's performance in this meet, he is truly and amazing athlete and I hope to continue to see him in this sport. Here are some quotes: Hicham El Guerrouj (Mar) "You just can't imagine how happy I am. I'm not even disappointed with silver, because what I wanted above all was another medal for Morocco. I feel so good here in France, French people were so supportive of me and I really felt as though I was French tonight. France is a wonderful country." Eliud Kipchoge (Ken) "These championships have been so bad for Kenya, and now we have two gold medals. I am very happy for that, but most of all I am happy to be the world champion. With three laps to go I felt quite strong and I knew I had a chance to push and kick in the end. I followed Hicham (El Guerrouj) and decided to bite and kick at the end. When I won the World Junior Cross Country Championships earlier this year I realized my body is capable of anything. I knew that everybody is watching Chebii, Bekele and Hicham, so I took the prize. I have never raced Hicham. I have raced with Bekele, and he beat me in Oslo. If Bekele and Hicham are watching Chebii, let me go, they won’t get me. When we came here, from the beginning of the championships, I was thinking that if the pace is faster, I will become a medallist. I had to regain energy(during latter stages of race) to prepare for Hicham. With 300 metres, I was thinking of a medal. When there was 70 metres, I saw Hicham is no longer going. I decided to go. I am now the World champion, and I am very happy. Richard is my training partner, so I am glad I have this title now. Patrick Sang is my neighbour(referring to an early running role model of his). I know people in Kenya are watching, and it feels great." Kenenisa Bekele (Eth) "Believe me or not, I am not disappointed. This bronze medal is OK. It was a very tough race, the pace was fast and the others were fast too. I knew our only chance of beating Hicham (El Guerrouj) is if we wear him out by running fast. My only regret is not running even faster all the way from the start. I will continue running both th 5 000m and the 10,000m in the coming years." Jose Hermens(Manager of Eliud Kipchoge, Richard Limo, and Kenenisa Bekele) "But we know he is very good and that he has a good kick(reffering to Kipchoge) He ran a smart race tactically." Moses Kiptanui(Kenyan Head Coach) "This is so important for us. We were expecting gold on the first day, the women’s 10,000m, and then the second day, and so on." Iaaf World Championships 2003, Paris-St. Denise, France Official Results - 5000 METRES - Men - Final Sunday, August 31, 2003 - 18:40 Pos Bib Athlete Country Mark 1 807 Kipchoge Eliud KEN 12:52.79 (CR) 2 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 12:52.83 3 423 Bekele Kenenisa ETH 12:53.12 4 806 Kibowen John KEN 12:54.07 (PB) 5 795 Chebii Abraham KEN 12:57.74 6 425 Gebremariam Gebre-egziabher ETH 12:58.08 (PB) 7 816 Limo Richard KEN 13:01.13 (SB) 8 373 Tadesse Zersenay ERI 13:05.57 (NR) 9 382 de la Ossa Juan Carlos ESP 13:21.04 10 913 Goumri Abderrahim MAR 13:23.67 11 420 Abate Abiyote ETH 13:23.81 12 941 Suárez Alejandro MEX 13:24.51 13 1264 Belz Christian SUI 13:26.02 14 843 Al-Outaibi Moukheld KSA 13:38.92 15 1436 Torres Jorge USA 13:43.37 Intermediate Pos Bib Athlete Nat Mark 1000m 1 423 Bekele Kenenisa ETH 2:31.94 2000m 1 423 Bekele Kenenisa ETH 5:07.27 3000m 1 423 Bekele Kenenisa ETH 7:45.44 4000m 1 807 Kipchoge Eliud KEN 10:28.46 Splits(from eTN) 1. Eliud Kipchoge (Ken) 12:52.79 (MR) (x, 2 WJ) (61.4, 60.5 [2:01.9], 62.0 [3:03.9], 62.1 [4:06.0], 61.8 [5:07.8], 62.1 [6:09.9], 64.0 [7:13.9], 64.4 [8:18.26], 64.9 [9:23.2], 65.3 [10:28.46], 60.7 [11:29.2], 57.3 [12:26.5], 26.3) (2:32.6, 2:35.2 [5:07.8], 2:37.8 [7:45.6], 2:42.9 [10:28.46], 2:24.33) (13.1, 26.3, 53.4, 1:52.9, 2:58.5, 4:02.5, 5:07.2) 2. Hicham El Guerrouj (Mor) 12:52.83 (61.1, 60.6 [2:01.7], 62.4 [3:04.1], 62.1 [4:06.2], 61.8 [5:08.0], 62.1 [6:10.1], 64.0 [7:14.1], 64.6 [8:18.7], 64.6 [9:23.3], 65.6 [10:28.9], 59.8 [11:28.65], 57.4 [12:26.1], 26.7) (2:32.6, 2:35.4 [5:08.0], 2:37.9 [7:45.9], 2:43.0 [10:28.9], 2:23.9) (13.2, 53.56, 1:53.2, 2:58.6, 4:02.1, 5:06.9) 3. Kenenisa Bekele (Eth) 12:53.12 (60.53, 60.56 [2:01.09], 62.35 [3:03.44], 61.88 [4:05.32], 61.95 [5:07.27], 62.26 [6:09.53], 64.12 [7:13.65], 65.15 [8:18.5], 64.6 [9:23.05], 65.7 [10:28.7], 60.2 [11:28.9], 57.88 [12:26.7], 26.4) (2:31.94, 2:35.33 [5:07.27], 3:11.23 [8:18.5], 2:10.2 [10:28.7], 2:24.4) (13.2, 26.4, 53.6, 1:53.3, 2:59.0, 4:02.6, 5:07.6) Iaaf Event Report Iaaf Flash Interviews Iaaf Results Meet website --------------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-28-2003 Paris 5000 13:32.88 4 Hicham El Guerrouj got fourth in his 5000 meters heat and qualifies for the final. He continued his quest for a 1500 meters and 5000 meters double at these championships. The only other time a major world title in the 1500 meters and 5000 meters was won in the same meet by the same athlete was in the 1924 Olympics by Paavo Nurmi. Today the heat went out slow for the first 4k(2:48, 2:48, 2:45, 2:43) but the field ran 2:28 for the last kilometer in a sprint finish. Gebre-egziabhe Gebremariam led the runners at 3000 meters, with Richard Limo and Abraham Chebii close behind. Richard Limo led at 4000 meters with Hicham El Guerrouj nearby the lead ready to attack. At the start of the final lap Hicham El Guerrouj turned up the pace and Chebii, Limo, Gebremariam, Abate, and Al-Outaibi following. Hicham had a lead with 100 meters to go and he soon looked behind him to see if he would make the top 5. He then slowed down at the end. All 6 runners were together at the end of the race. Hicham El Guerrouj was leading in the last lap but got passed at the very end. He relaxed at the end to conserve energy for the final. Kenenisa Bekele, who won the 10k title a few days ago, won his heat of the 5000 meters and is a tri-favorite for the championship along with Hicham El Guerrouj and Abraham Chebii. Saif Saeed Shaheen of Qatar(formerly Stephen Cherono of Kenya) who earlier won the 3000 meters steeplechase was going to enter the 5000 meters but did not start in this race. Hicham's teammate and 1999 world champion Salah Hissou did not qualify for the final, but teammate Abderrahim Goumri did. One might consider Goumri as a possible rabbit for El G in the final but he is not known to have a close relationship with him. After the race Hicham admitted that might not have done a double attempt if the 5000 meters came before the 1500 meters. He also said that he needs more sleep and is doing the double because he believes he can do it and to prepare for his attempt at the Olympics next year. He said he is not doing it for ticket sales or spectators. This relaxed paced heat will not tax Hicham's energy immensely, so he'll have some more energy for the final. Now he will face Kenenisa Bekele and Abraham Chebii in the final. Steve Cram says that El G winning a 5000 meters gold medal will help Hicham become more of a legend. He also says thats that his favorite to win is Kenenisa Bekele. Bekele wants his own double(5k/10k/) and will attempt to deny El Guerrouj's double attempt(1500/5k). Who will complete the double, or will Chebii upset them both or will another runner suprise everybody? My bets are on El G. Hicham El Guerrouj "I only slept 3 1/2 hours last night with the joy and excitement, I couldn't sleep. I'm very excited and motivated, especially after my gold medal in the 1,500 last night. I'm on form. I was able to save my energy but still qualify for the final. It would have been harder because going in reverse you lose a lot of speed, but this way round is better(referring to a possible situation in which 5000 meters came before the 1500 meters). I can assure everyone I am not doing this for the sake of the ticket sales or for the spectators but because I believe I can do it and I must anyway as that is what I want to do in the Olympics. I will need to rest a lot now because last night I only had three-and-a-half hours sleep and if I am to pose a champion's challenge on Sunday I will need a lot more than that. When I woke up my first thought was whether I really wanted to do the 5000 but here I am and I feel really good now and I feel really motivated. It is obviously quite hard to be back on the track the day after the 1,500m final. I had a three-hour sleep last night, so it has been tough recovering. It is hard to be back on the track after winning the 1,500m final, but I'll be fully prepared. I would really like to thank the organising committee officials who changed the schedule to allow me to run both the 1,500m and the 5,000m. Beating Kenenisa Bekele in this event is a real challenge to me, but anything can happen. God be with me. Stay tuned and you may have a surprise in the final." Iaaf World Championships 2003, Paris-St. Denise, France Official Results - 5000 METRES - Men - Heats Heat 2 - Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 19:05 Pos Bib Athlete Country Mark 1 425 Gebremariam Gebre-egziabher ETH 13:32.46 Q 2 795 Chebii Abraham KEN 13:32.54 Q 3 816 Limo Richard KEN 13:32.82 Q 4 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 13:32.88 Q 5 420 Abate Abiyote ETH 13:33.24 Q 6 843 Al-Outaibi Moukheld KSA 13:33.91 q 7 1264 Belz Christian SUI 13:36.54 q 8 941 Suárez Alejandro MEX 13:41.97 q 9 1436 Torres Jorge USA 13:42.42 q 10 179 Zakaria Abdelhak BRN 13:44.15 11 108 Mourhit Hassan BEL 14:09.14 12 1069 Buenavista Eduardo PHI 14:12.55 (SB) 985 Maase Kamiel NED DNS 1306 Yuda John TAN DNS 1118 Hassan Abdullah Ahmad QAT DNS Intermediate Pos Bib Athlete Nat Mark 1000m 1 941 Suárez Alejandro MEX 2:48.47 2000m 1 1264 Belz Christian SUI 5:36.80 3000m 1 425 Gebremariam Gebre-egziabher ETH 8:21.06 4000m 1 816 Limo Richard KEN 11:04.49 Iaaf Event Report Iaaf results Meet website --------------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-27-2003 Paris 1500 3:31.77 1 Hicham El Guerrouj proved that he is truly The King Of The Mile today by winning his fourth consecutive world championships title in the 1500 meters! Haile Gebrselassie(Mens 10,000 meters) and Michael Johnson(Mens 400 meters) are the only other runners to win four titles in a row. With this victory he confirms himself as the greatest middle distance runner of all time. Before the race Mehdi Baala from France was thought to be his main challenger since Bernard Lagat dropped out of the event. Fouad Chouki from France was also in the race and the Paris crowd cheered on both Frenchmen. Hicham El Guerrouj admitted that before the race he hadn't slept much, if at all. He also said he received support from his Mom and little sister on the telephone. Not since the World Cup in soccer has this stadium heard a crowd roar as loud as it did today when two Frenchman attempted to chase down The King Of The Mile in this race. Hicham El Guerrouj could have had another Moroccan in the 1500 meters as well but Abdelkader Hachlaf opted to run in the 3000 meters steeplechase instead. Noureddine Morceli, the previous dominator of the 1500 meters before Hicham El Guerrouj said before the race: "The problem for El Guerrouj is that he doesn't have a hare.". He was referring to the lack of another Moroccan who could be his rabbit in the race. Hicham El Guerrouj replied by saying: "I'll be alone, but I promise you a surprise.". Steve Ovett admitted that Mehdi Baala has the ability to defeat Hicham when he said: "If Baala wants it badly enough, he can do it. He holds the key.". Hicham El Guerrouj proved them wrong. When the gun started Mehdi Baala jumped to an early lead in front of Paul Korir and Hicham El Guerrouj. Then Reyes Estevez from Spain led the field through the 1st lap in 57.70 with El Guerrouj, Baala, and Korir in tow. Hicham El Guerrouj wanted to make the pace more to his liking so he moved to the front with 40 or 50 meters left in the 2nd lap. Baala responded by moving behind El Guerrouj while Korir took a lead over Estevez. He completed a 2nd lap in 58.59 to lead the field through the 800 meters mark in 1:56.29 with Baala shadowing him. At the start of the bell lap Hicham led with Baala behind him and Chouki had passed Korir. With a 3rd lap in 54.99 and 1200 meters in 2:51.28 the order was El Guerrouj, Baala, Estevez, Heshko, Chouki, and then Korir. From 500 meters left to 300 meters left took just over 26 seconds. With 200 meters left Hicham El Guerrouj led Mehdi Baala and Fouad Chouki, with the crowd roaring for the Frenchman. Baala was slightly behind El G and attacked with 80 meters to go but Hicham just never let him get ahead of him and crossed the line 3:31.77, with Baala 3 meters behind in 2nd and Heshko 3rd. Hicham El Guerrouj crossed the finish line with his index finger pointing in the air, then he did some air guitar and dancing before being congratulated by his team. He knelt down and kissed the track. Then he layed down motionless on it with the Moroccan flag draped over him. When questioned about his air guitar he said: "I like the Rolling Stones.". Chouki was 3rd with 50 meters to go but unfortunately faded at the end to 8th place and had to be carried away on a stretcher afterwards. Hicham El Guerrouj controlled the race and and put on an excellent performance. Mehdi Baala put on a fine challenge to The King but it wasn't enough. After the race Hicham went to the Mehdi Baala's wife Hanane and gave her a hug and then kissed Mehdi and Hanane's baby daughter Amelle, showing a display of respect. He also took a victory lap and attempted to take the whole field with him, but they didn't go for it. After race he received congratulations from King Mohammed from Morocco. Hicham El Guerrouj now has a win/loss record of 100-4 from 1996 to 2003 with this victory. He wanted to win the race in order to achieve his fourth straight title but he also wanted to silence any people thought that he might not be in top form for next years Olympics. Abdelkader Kada, El G's coach said that El G will definetely run in the 5000 meters. He commented: "He will definitely be there because he is not tired at all after the 1500m final.". Now Hicham El Guerrouj will move on to his 5000 meters heat tomorrow. Kenenisa Bekele, Abraham Chebii, and maybe Saif Saaeed Shaheen(formely Stephen Cherono) will face him. Bekele won the 10000 meters by defeating Haile Gebrselassie and running the 2nd 5000 meters in 12:57. Saif won the 3000 meters steeplechase, toying with Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya. You may remember him as the one who defeated Hicham El Guerrouj in his senior track 5000 meters debut this year. And of course Hicham won the 1500 meters title. Now an ultimate battle begins. Three men have set out goals for a distance double but there can be only one champion. Here are some quotes from the race: Hicham El Guerrouj "I was so excited about this race, I have not been able to sleep for about five days now. I think this might be the happiest day of my life. This is my fourth World Championship gold medal. It was very difficult for me with the crowd. I want to dedicate my victory to the Moroccans in Europe. When Estevez went to the front I thought: 'What is he doing there', but I was not worried that Mehdi was just behind me. I was surprised to see Estevez lead at the 800m mark, so I decided to take the lead. I extended my stride and took control in my own hands, I do not like to depend on others. I am still the king of 1500, I've protected my kingdom. I was running against 60,000 people, it was a magnificent race. I decided to accelerate with 900 metres to go and that was the right decision. I am very happy. I concentrated on the race and ran it very fast, very easy. I am proud. My country is proud. My family is proud. Since I've been in Paris I haven't slept. It's been almost five days now. Today I tried to nap but couldn't because I was so nervous, so I called home. I talked to my little sister. She said, `Bring back the gold for me.'. I spoke to my mother. `Maman, all the French are against me.'. She said, `Don't worry dear, at least God is with you.'. Tomorrow will be a big day. I have come under a lot of criticism this season about my form, because I have not raced much. Some people say I am at the end of my career. But I won today, didn't I? I feel young and I still look good. (mockingly sweeping his fingertips down his torso) Maybe people should think before they criticize. It wasn't easy(acknowledging the fiercely partisan crowd). I was up against the whole of France. I was against 60,000 people out there. There were 62,000, or however many people, all cheering Mehdi, and I was asking myself 'do I still exist?' but I told myself to relax. Experience counts for a lot, and in the last 60m I was sure I would win. All of France hates me, but I called my little sister (who had talked him out of retirement after his Olympic defeat), and she said, 'bring me back the gold', and that's what I did. I decided I would run behind Mehdi to work on him psychologically. I knew he would expect to see me in front of him, and it worked. I saw him looking around saying 'Where is he? This is fantastic. I have protected my kingdom. I am still king of the 1500 metres. I did it for myself, my family and all the people in my country who love me. I had no doubts (about victory) from the moment I came into the stadium until the moment I crossed the line. Mehdi made it a wonderful race and was given fantastic support by the crowd, but I never doubted I would win. But psychologically it was hard. There were over 60,000 people shouting Baala's name. I had to ask myself if I still existed, but my experience helped a lot. I am in ecstasy. It was a great victory in a wonderful race. There have been criticisms of me this year, but when you are facing a challenge you have to deal with a few things like that. Some people said I was finished, but look at me, I am young, beautiful, and classy. The whole of France was supporting Mehdi and I understand that, but it is disappointing there have been so many negative comments about me this year. I am an ambassador for the sport and we should be sending out positive messages. It is understandable that I am getting those sort of views expressed in France, and I also saw opinions from Steve Cram, from Steve Ovett and from Mehdi's coach. When you prepare for a competition, you change things in your training. Perhaps, I have lost a little speed. I would like to go home now and get some sleep(referring to his preparation for 5000 meters). If I sit here much longer talking to you I don't think I'll be running the 5,000 tomorrow. I'm going to go home and have a massage, get some rest and then my first aim is just to qualify for the final. It's going to be really tough, with the Ethiopians and the Kenyans. It is going to be a great show. I am going to carry on training hard to beat all my rivals at all the neetings. It’s going to be hard but I’ll give everything to offer Paris another beautiful performance(commenting on his 5000 meters race). I am still the king of the 1500m." Mehdi Baala "It is my first medal in world championships. Last year's European Championships were wonderful but this time it is really special with this competition in France. I tried to follow Hicham (El Guerrouj) as much as I could but I knew it would be difficult at the end. The race tactics was very clear from the beginning on. It was Hicham's race. Of course my biggest dream was to become world champion in France but Hicham did it once more. I have a lot of esteem for him so I am pleased to get on the podium with him. I have changed a lot since my daughter was born: now I am much more serene and less stressed out. My family brings me a lot of positive energy. Thanks to them and to the wonderful crowd here. It was a very stressful week for me. It's great to have the world championships at home but at the same time it's very stressful and there is a lot of pressure. How many times today did I think ahead to the race and my eyes started to fill with tears? I wanted to win for my public. I wanted to give Paris a present. Having everyone cheering for you gives you an advantage, but also brings a lot of pressure. It was like being in a concert hall. My ears were almost hurting from the noise and I was nearly brought to tears. Hicham is a fantastic runner. Thinking you are going to beat him is dreaming, but I ran the right race. I don't think the Olympics next year will be as stressful as this. The stress was big in the last few weeks, there was a lot of pressure. But it was the most beautiful performance I could give to Paris. (Asked if he believed he could have denied El Guerrouj)If you want to beat him you have to be better than him. But I could not keep up with him. It was hard to dictate the race as I hadn't run a lot recently. I wanted to really turn the pressure on but I couldn't manage it. However, I am delighted with the medal and to be second to such a great great runner is no disgrace. His generosity of spirit and humanity is an example to us all of how we can better ourselves(Commenting on El G meeting Mehdi's family)." Ivan Heshko "I made sure I had a good position after the sport in the middle of the pack that I tried to protect. The rhythm was fast which wore me out towards the end but I knew I have to maintain my stride if I want to be there at the end. I accelerated coming out of the last curve, because I could feel that there was something left in me. Before the race I did not dream of being on the podium. I thought finishing around 5th or 6th place was more likely for me. I was selected to come here just before the championships, this makes my medal even more precious for me. I feel like I am in the best shape of my life." Iaaf World Championships 2003, Paris-St. Denise, France Official Results - 1500 METRES - Men - Final Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 21:00 Pos Bib Athlete Country Mark 1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 3:31.77 2 457 Baala Mehdi FRA 3:32.31 3 1352 Heshko Ivan UKR 3:33.17 4 813 Korir Paul KEN 3:33.47 5 1106 Silva Rui POR 3:33.68 6 384 Estévez Reyes ESP 3:33.84 7 984 Liefers Gert-Jan NED 3:33.99 (SB) 8 460 Chouki Fouad FRA 3:34.05 9 1189 Shabunin Vyacheslav RUS 3:34.37 10 820 Songok Isaac KEN 3:34.39 11 399 Parra Roberto ESP 3:35.02 (PB) 12 388 Higuero Juan Carlos ESP 3:38.49 Intermediate Pos Bib Athlete Nat Mark 400m 1 384 Estévez Reyes ESP 57.70 800m 1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 1:56.29 1200m 1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 2:51.28 Iaaf race summary Iaaf results Iaaf flash interviews Meet website --------------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-25-2003 Paris 1500 3:38.25 1 Today Hicham El Guerrouj won his semifinal in the 1500 meters at Paris. He picked up the pace before the last lap to speed to victory. During the race a competitor clipped the inside of his right shoe and damaged it. After the race people noticed that his right foot was bleeding. He limped away to take care of the injury with his staff and a Moroccan source said the injury was nothing serious. Hicham El Guerrouj said: "It happens, but I will certainly need a new pair of spikes." Mehdi Baala of France, who won the other semifinal in 3:39.73 had these comments: “Anything can happen in a race. There was a lot of pushing around in my race so I decided I would be safer running in front. You know, if you are not extremely careful you may well lose the race in just a few seconds. If someone touches you and you fall, it’s the end.”. Now since Bernard Lagat is not in the final the only other major favorite is Mehdi Baala, but will he be able to put up a serious challenge? Hicham's 1500 meters pr is 4.07 seconds faster than the next fastest person(Rui Silva 3:30.07) entered in the final, so if the race goes fast, nobody would be able to keep up with the hot pace. The problem here is that there is no other Moroccan in the final to take the race out for Hicham El Guerrouj, so he will have to do it on his own. An alternative option for him is sitting in the pack and hoping to outkick everybody but I don't see that as likely. Two races are down, three more to go in the Paris world championships. Will we see The King Of The Mile's fourth consecutive 1500 meters title at the world championships? You bet!! Iaaf World Championships 2003, Paris-St. Denise, France Official Results - 1500 METRES - Men - Semi-Final Heat 1 - Monday, August 25, 2003 - 20:50 Pos Bib Athlete Country Mark 1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 3:38.25 Q 2 1106 Silva Rui POR 3:38.37 Q 3 1352 Heshko Ivan UKR 3:38.43 Q 4 399 Parra Roberto ESP 3:38.51 Q 5 1189 Shabunin Vyacheslav RUS 3:38.60 Q 6 984 Liefers Gert-Jan NED 3:38.61 q 7 820 Songok Isaac KEN 3:39.84 q 8 40 Abdi Youcef AUS 3:40.13 9 712 Obrist Christian ITA 3:41.88 10 670 Turnbull Gareth IRL 3:42.01 11 219 Sullivan Kevin CAN 3:42.33 826 Pisarev Valery KGZ DNS Intermediate Pos Bib Athlete Nat Mark 400m 1 984 Liefers Gert-Jan NED 1:00.51 800m 1 984 Liefers Gert-Jan NED 2:02.40 1200m 1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 2:58.71 Iaaf article Meet website --------------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-23-2003 Paris 1500 3:42.24 1 Hicham El Guerrouj finished the first of his five races in 1500 meters or 5000 meters at this years world championships today. He won his heat of the 1500 meters. His biggest competitors were Hudson Santos de Souza of Brazil and Paul Korir of Kenya. He accelerated with 200 meters to go to win. Bernard Lagat, who was entered in another heat for the 1500 meters did not compete due to an illness. This makes it much easier for Hicham to win the final if he turns it into a time trial type race, since Lagat is one of the few who could keep up with him in that type of a situation. All the other major competitors: Mehdi Baala, Reyes Estevez, Rui Silva, Isaac Songok, and Fouad Chouki advanced to the semifinals. Too bad Cornelius Chirchir couldn't compete in these championships, he is very fast and could have medaled. Hicham will run in the semifinals on the 25th, and the final on the 27th. The 5000 meters heats are on the 28th and the final on the 31st. This is the beginning of a great quest. Iaaf World Championships 2003, Paris-St. Denise, France Official Results - 1500 METRES - Men - Heats Heat 2 - Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 18:08 Pos Bib Athlete Country Mark 1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 3:42.24 Q 2 174 Santos de Souza Hudson BRA 3:42.51 Q 3 813 Korir Paul KEN 3:42.55 Q 4 1352 Heshko Ivan UKR 3:42.96 Q 5 712 Obrist Christian ITA 3:43.01 Q 6 388 Higuero Juan Carlos ESP 3:43.01 Q 7 219 Sullivan Kevin CAN 3:43.27 q 8 335 Sneberger Michal CZE 3:43.27 q 9 1057 Atta Miran Atta PAK 3:51.34 Intermediate Pos Bib Athlete Nat Mark 400m 1 388 Higuero Juan Carlos ESP 1:02.61 800m 1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 2:06.34 1200m 1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 3:02.30 Iaaf article Meet website --------------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-15-2003 Zurich 1500 3:29.13 1 Hicham El Guerrouj had a slight injury last weekend and did not participate in the Norwich Union London grand prix meet's mile race but he recovered from that in time for Zurich and smashed any doubts of his fitness. His controlled domination of the race included a victory over many of his top rivals, including Bernard Lagat. He was happy with his victory even though he thought it wasn't that fast. I guess the most important thing today is that he recovered from his injury and is ready for Paris. He believes that he could have run 3:25 today and also says he still plans to run the 1500 meters and 5000 meters at the world championships. Here are some of his quotes after the race: Hicham El Guerrouj (Mar) Winner of the men’s 1500m in a new world leading time of 3:29.13 “More than the time and the win, I am happy and proud of the way I ran and won this race today. 3:29 is not that great a time for me but this is not a track for a 3:25 or 3:26 run. But believe me the way I was controlling I know I can run 3:25. That is for sure. My back problems started just 4 days before the Rome meeting. The doctors diagnosed arthritis in my fifth vertebrae but now I am back in perfect shape. I am still young and still motivated to run races and win races. Inch Allah, the World Championships in Paris will offer an excellent show for the fans and I will be able to win my fourth consecutive world title. My plans have not changed; I will still double 1500 and 5000 in Paris. I am now heading to Brussels for a four-day training session and will arrive in Paris on 20 August. I'm really satisfied to win this one so short before Paris. It was quite logical that I would rather run the 1500m than a mile. I tried to go for the win in the second half of the race, and only ran the last lap really fast." Weltklasse - Zurich, Switzerland Results 1500m Men 15/08/2003 21:55 World Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Roma 14/07/1998 Meeting Record 3:26.45 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 12/08/1998 World Lead 3:29.76 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Roma 11/07/2003 Rank BIB Athlete Nat finish time 1 33 EL GUERROUJ, Hicham MAR WL 3:29.13 2 39 LAGAT, Bernard KEN SB 3:30.55 3 32 CHOUKI, Fouad FRA NR 3:30.83 4 36 KIPCHIRCHIR, Alex KEN PB 3:32.35 5 38 KORIR, Paul KEN 3:33.25 6 41 RONO, Robert KEN SB 3:33.38 7 43 SHABUNIN, Vyacheslav RUS SB 3:33.69 8 42 ROTICH, Laban KEN 3:34.37 9 44 SILVA, Rui POR 3:34.77 10 31 CHIRCHIR, William KEN 3:35.19 11 47 TANUI, Job KEN 3:36.13 12 35 HESHKO, Ivan UKR 3:37.47 13 37 KIPKURUI, Benjamin KEN 3:40.64 40 LELEI, David KEN DNF 46 WHITEMAN, Anthony GBR DNF 400 m 40 Lelei, David KEN 54.14 800 m 40 Lelei, David KEN 1:51.81 1200 m 33 El Guerrouj, Hicham MAR 2:48.05 Judge: Ian Boswell (AUS) Iaaf article 1 Iaaf article 2 Weltklasse Zurich meet website --------------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 7-13-2003 Gateshead 1500 3:33.41 1 EL G ran his second 1500 meters race of the season two days after the first and with it came another victory. The pace wasn't as fast as Rome two days ago but he won the race. Maybe he wanted to race two days after the first race in order to simulate the World Champs heats. After both rabbit's dropped out El G had the lead at the bell, with 2:38. Paul Korir challenged El G torwards the finish but wasn't fast enough. Hicham El Guerrouj has until August 15th before the Zurich Mile. He said this after the race: “My aim today was just to run very easily and stay relaxed. I will run harder at other meetings later this season. I had something in my eye at the end of the race – I don’t know what it was, a fly maybe, but it didn’t affect my running,” confirmed El Guerrouj. Norwich Union Classic - Gateshead (GBR) Sunday, July 13, 2003 Official Result Men - 1500 METRES Pos Number Athlete Nat Mark 1 76 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 3:33.41 2 67 Paul Korir KEN 3:33.63 3 100 David Krummenacker USA 3:35.15 SB 4 77 Anas Selmouni MAR 3:35.35 PB 5 65 Ben Kipkurui KEN 3:36.11 6 21 Sergio Gallardo ESP 3:36.16 7 56 Tony Whiteman GBR 3:37.18 8 79 Adrian Blincoe NZL 3:37.56 PB 9 92 Brian Berryhill USA 3:38.00 10 46 John Mayock GBR 3:38.20 11 45 Thomas Mayo GBR 3:38.35 12 35 James Nolan IRL 3:39.57 SB 13 259 Ali Maatiaoui MAR 3:40.09 14 101 Jason Lunn USA 3:40.33 15 52 James Thie GBR 3:44.46 66 David Kiptoo KEN DNF 260 Sammy Mutai KEN DNF 72 Youssef Baba MAR DNS Split Times 400 66 Kiptoo KEN 54.89 800 66 Kiptoo KEN (58.13) 1:53.02 1200 76 El Guerrouj MAR (59.71) 2:52.73 Finish 76 El Guerrouj MAR (40.68) 3:33.41 Meet website Iaaf article 1 Iaaf article 2 Iaaf article 3 --------------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 7-11-2003 Rome 1500 3:29.76 1 This was El G's 1500 debut in 2003 and he certainly made a great one. He ran 3:29 and won by 3 seconds. There was nobody but the rabbits within ten meters of El G during the race. He produced his 29th sub 3:30 1500 meters ever and he set a 2003 world leading time. He has a 1500 meters race two days from now in Gateshead, hopefully that will also be a great race. He had these quotes after the race, which includes a reconfirmation of his participation in the 5000 meters at the Paris World Championships: "This was my first 1500m this year. I am pleased with how well it went, but after running longer distances it was difficult to find the right rhythm. I have had altitude training until six days ago in Ifrane. I have to thank the spectators for the support I received. After Sunday I need to practice with my speed because the 1500m is the main distance in the World Championships. I will run 5000m too, but that is going to be the bonus." Golden Gala - Rome, Italy Results 1500m Men Final 11/07/2003 22:00 World Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Roma 14/07/1998 Meeting Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14/07/1998 World Lead 3:30.97 Mehdi Baala FRA Paris 04/07/2003 Rank BIB Athlete Nat Finish time 1 62 EL GUERROUJ, Hicham MAR WL 3:29.76 2 61 KIPKIRUI, Bemjamin KEN SB 3:32.59 3 60 ESTEVEZ, Reyes ESP 3:32.86 4 59 HESHKO, Ivan UKR 3:34.18 5 52 HIGUERO, Juan Carlos ESP SB 3:34.19 6 53 LIEFERS, Gert Jan NED 3:34.89 7 58 HACHLAF, Abdelkader MAR SB 3:35.12 8 50 SHABUNIN, Vyacheslav RUS 3:35.13 9 67 BABA, Youssef MAR SB 3:35.40 10 51 SILVA, Rui POR 3:37.11 11 68 MATAOUI, Ali MAR 3:38.65 12 66 OBRIST, Christian ITA 3:38.71 63 KIPTOO, David KEN DNF 64 KORIR, Paul KEN DNF 55 PARRA, Roberto ESP DNF 56 ROTICH, Laban KEN DNF 65 SELMOUNI, Aniss MAR DNF 54 WHITEMAN, Antony GBR DNF 400 m 63 Kiptoo, David KEN 55.05 800 m 63 Kiptoo, David KEN 1:50.84 1200 m 62 El Guerrouj, Hicham MAR 2:47.89 Judge: Antonino Azzolina (ITA) Meet Website Iaaf article 1 Iaaf article 2 Iaaf article 3 Iaaf article 4 --------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 6-12-2003 Ostrava 5000 12:50.24 2 This was El G's senior track 5k debut and one of the most anticipated races of the year. The race was definetely fast but unfortunately El G suffered a rare defeat at the hands of Stephen Cherono, the world junior record holder in the 3000 meters steeplechase(7:58.10). Before the race El G anticipated a finish time of between 12:45 and 12:50 and he was in this range at his finish. He had rabbits lead him through 1k, 2k, and 3k with splits of: 2:31.16, 2:34.26(5:05.42), and 2:32.23(7:37.65). After that El G took over the lead. Stephen Cherono followed behind him and took over the lead with just over 2 laps to go. El G retook the lead on the next 400 meters but Stephen Cherono hanged on. With 80 meters to go Cherono outkicked El G. After the race Stephen Cherono said he didn't expect to go this fast and beat El G and also that his favorite event is the 1500 meters, in which he has run 3:35.47. El G says he will continue to run the 5000 meters and he has a good feeling but he still needs practice. Stephen Cherono: "I did not think I can beat El Guerrouj and I did not expect such a good result. I supposed time between 12:50 and 12:55. Although I run great time today over 5000 m and I also run steeplechase other times I prefer 1500 m. At the Kenyan championship I will run steeplechase." Hicham El Guerrouj: "I saw today that I am not 5000 m runner yet. At this time I am still only 1500 m runner. I have done my best today I could not do more. I have good feeling from my first 5000 m, it is great to run this distance. There are a lot of things to improve before I become an outstanding 5000 m runner. I have to work on my rhythm. I will continue with running 5000 m." Golden Spike Ostrava Czech Republic rank BIB athlete nat finish time 1 343 CHERONO, Stephen KEN MR,YB 12:48.81 2 340 EL GUERROUJ, Hicham MAR PB 12:50.24 3 348 KWALIA, James KEN PB 13:04.72 4 336 ABATE, Abiyote ETH 13:05.13 5 349 LIMO, Benjamin KEN 13:11.97 6 344 KAMATHI, Charles KEN 13:15.33 7 339 BUSHENDICH, Solomon KEN 13:16.02 8 345 KIPROP, Boniface UGA PB 13:16.21 9 350 MAIYO, Benjamin KEN 13:20.88 10 341 EL WARDI, Said MAR 13:30.31 11 337 AL OTAIBI, Makhld KSA PB 13:31.10 12 351 MAZZA, Marco ITA 13:58.99 13 347 KRUTSKY, Tomas CZE 14:08.43 338 BITOK, Paul KEN DNF 342 HALLMANN, Sebastian GER DNF 346 KORIR, Shadrack KEN DNF 352 MUTAI, Sammy KEN DNF 353 TAHRI, Bouabdallah FRA DNF 1000 m 346 Korir, Shadrack KEN 2:31.16 2000 m 346 Korir, Shadrack KEN 5:05.42 3000 m 338 Bitok, Paul KEN 7:37.65 4000 m 340 El Guerrouj, Hicham MAR 10:15.17 Meet Website Iaaf article 1 Iaaf article 2 Iaaf article 3 --------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 6-6-2003 Turin 3000 7:30.23 1 This race was a tuneup for his senior track debut at the 5000 meters in Ostrava one week later. Before the race he said he could run 7:25-7:30, and now he lives up to his comments. He won the race by 11 seconds and showed that he was in great shape. He had splits of 1:26 at 600m, 2:30.38 at 1000m, before he dropped the pack. He went on to 2000m in 5:02.52 and 2600m in 6:32.06. He ran 58.19 on the last lap. After the race he said he could have run 7:26 but the rabbits were too slow on the first 2km. He hopes for the rabbits to be faster next week in his 5000m. This is an excellent outdoor debut and he seems to be prepared for next week. Meeting Memorial Primo Nebiolo Torino Italy Pos Athlete Nat Mark 1 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 7:30.23 2 Mucheru Leonard KEN 7:41.55 3 Berioui Saďd MAR 7:41.83 4 Kamathi Charles KEN 7:41.89 5 Maru Elijah Kipruto KEN 7:42.82 6 Chenonge Hillary KEN 7:43.04 7 El Wardi Mohamed Saďd MAR 7:43.09 8 Bushendich Solomon KEN 7:45.07 9 Kosgei Joseph KEN 7:46.27 10 Cheruiyot Abel KEN 7:46.49 11 Kiprop Boniface UGA 7:47.92 12 Bett Mark KEN 7:53.96 13 Damiăo Manuel POR 7:55.93 14 Nyaga David KEN 8:00.49 15 Slimani Kaddour MAR 8:03.17 Alemu Dagne ETH DNF Di Napoli Gennaro ITA DNF Korir Paul KEN DNF Lahssini El Hassan FRA DNF Maiyo Benjamin KEN DNF Lazzari Lorenzo ITA DNS Meet Website Iaaf article 1 Iaaf article 2 ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 2-23-2003 Lieven 2 Mile(i) 8:06.61 1 This was Hicham El Guerrouj's only race of the indoor season in 2003. Two days prior to this Haile Gebrselassie set the new world record by five seconds when he ran 8:04.69. El G tried to beat it but came short of it at 8:06.61, the 2nd fastest time ever indoors. Graham Hood led El G through the mile at 4:02.8 and then Robert Rono took over for a lap before El G accelerated to a faster pace. He finished 22 seconds ahead of any competitors as he was on a hot pace. His coach is happy with his fitness, now they return to Morocco for training and get ready for the rest of the season. He plans to double at the world championships in Paris in the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters. Meeting Gaz De France Du Pas-De-Calais Stade Couvert Régional, Liévin Sunday 23 Feb 2003 17:45 Ptn Competitor Nation Born Result 1 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 1974 8:06,61 2 Laban Rotich KEN 1969 8:28,25 3 Driss Maazouzi FRA 1969 8:28,26 4 Mohammed Amyn MAR 1977 8:28,28 5 Khoudir Aggoune ALG 8:29,75 6 Kevin Sullivan CAN 1974 8:30,08 7 Said Chebili FRA 1973 8:31,57 8 Irba Lakhal MAR 1975 8:44,90 Salah Hissou MAR 1972 DNF Graham Hood CAN 1972 DNF Robert Rono KEN 1974 DNF Meet Website 1 Meet Website 2 Iaaf Article ------------------------------------------- Do you have a correction, suggestion, question, or comment? Please email me! Kingofthemile.com Home |