Monte-Carlo - The start of the TDK Golden League circuit in Paris last Friday led to a number of significant changes including a new number one in the IAAF Men’s Overall World Ranking, as well as four new Event leaders: Ezekiel Kemboi, Andreas Thorkildsen, Isabella Ochichi and Tatyana Tereshchuk-Antipova.

World 100m record holder Asafa Powell’s reign at the top of the Overall IAAF World Ranking came to an end as Kenenisa Bekele moved up from 4th place to retake the lead. Bekele lost his leading position less than a month ago, after losing points after not repeating his World 5000m record in Hengelo and his 10,000m win in Ostrava from 2004. Bekele compensated for some of those lost points by winning in Paris with the fourth fastest 5000m time ever (12:40.18 – 1464 points). In the process he overtook Christian Olsson, Saif Saaeed Shaheen and Asafa Powell to take the lead in the Men’s Overall World Ranking. Bekele’s result is the second highest point total of the season, behind only Powell’s World record from Athens (9.77 – 1482 points)

Ezekiel Kemboi had an easier task ahead of him, as the previous 3000m Steeplechase Event Ranking leader Saif Saaeed Shaheen dropped out of the Event Ranking for not having enough competitions over the past 365 days. Therefore Kemboi’s win in Paris with 8:09.14 (1390 points) was enough to lift the Kenyan from 3rd place into 1st. Kemboi’s compatriot Julius Nyamu and Kipkurui Misoi also moved up three places to 4th and 5th respectively in the Event Ranking, after finishing 6th (8:15.29 – 1292 points) and 3rd (8:10.02 – 1346 points) at the Paris TDK Golden League meeting.

After placing second in Paris, Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen regained his leading position in the Javelin Throw Event Ranking which he lost just three weeks ago. Furthermore, four of the top five ranked athletes in the Men’s Javelin Throw Event Ranking improved on their scores this week, with only Breaux Greer of the United States remaining stationary. Thorkildsen finished with 85.29m (1298 points) and overtook previous leader Sergey Makarov of Russia, who was fourth in Paris with 83.89m (1253 points). The event was won by Tero Pitkämäki of Finland with 85.59m (1333 points) who moved up one place to 3rd, while another Russian, Aleksandr Ivanov who finished third in Paris with 84.24m (1268 points), improved one spot to 5th behind Greer.

Isabella Ochichi dethroned Tirunesh Dibaba in the Women’s 5000-10,000m Event Ranking by finishing second in the 3000m in Paris 8:33.59 (1341 points). Ochichi’s compatriot Edith Masai was the winner in the Stade-de-France in 8:31.27 (1374 points) and moved up two places to 3rd. Britain’s Joanne Pavey took third place in 8:34.66 (1322 points) and improved one spot to 6th.

The Dibaba sisters between them had led the Women’s 5000-10,000m Event Ranking since 20 September 2004, but chose to compete in Sollentuna, Sweden instead of running in the Paris TDK Golden League. Tirunesh Dibaba won the 10,000m with 30:15.67 (1280 points) with her sister Ejegayehu in second (30:18.39 – 1273 points), but due to the low ranking of the meet both athletes lost points this week, which allowed Ochichi to take over at the top.

In the Women’s 400m Hurdles Event Ranking, Tatyana Tereshchuk-Antipova is the new number one after previous leader and reigning World champion Jana Pittman of Australia dropped to 4th for not repeating her victories from Rome and Herakleion from last year. Tereshchuk-Antipova finished 6th in Paris with 55.40 (1260 points), but that was enough to maintain her average of 1351 points and keep her ahead of the others. World championships silver medallist Sandra Cummings-Glover moved up two places to 2nd in the Event Ranking following a pair of results over the past week. The 36-year-old finished fourth in Paris with 54.34 (1313 points) before winning in Padua, Italy with 54.52 (1228 points). The winner in Paris was Lashinda Demus of the United States in a close finish with a time of 53.85 (1379 points). The young US champion moved up another two spots to 5th in the Ranking, following her one place rise from a week ago.

European record holder Christine Arron moved up four places to second behind Veronica Campbell in the Women’s 100m Event Ranking. Arron won in Paris despite a weak start with 11.03 (1362 points), and replaced Yuliya Nesterenko in second place, as the Olympic champion from the Belarus dropped to 8th place this week.

In the Men’s 400m Hurdles Event Ranking, James Carter moved up to second place behind Felix Sanchez by winning the first TDK Golden League meet of the season. Carter finished in 48.05 (1390 points) beating home favourite Naiman Keita. Carter leapt over the French Olympic medallist into second place, and while Keita ran 48.27 (1354 points), finished second and improved his points, he still slipped a spot to 4th.

Brad Walker of the United States was a surprise winner of the Pole Vault in Paris. By clearing 5.80m (1367 points) he rose three places to 5th in the Event Ranking, which now means four of the top five athletes in the Men’s Pole Vault Event Rankings are from the United States, with only Tim Lobinger of Germany in 4th able to keep up the pace with the American dominance.

Another heavily US ruled event is the Men’s 400m. Derrick Brew swapped places with Olympic Champion Jeremy Wariner and moved up into 3rd after finishing second in Paris. Brew clocked 45.30 (1307 points) and passed Wariner by a single point in the Ranking. The event was won by Tyler Christopher of Canada in 44.69 (1371 points), who consequently moved up seven places to 10th.

Daniel Kipchirchir Komen of Kenya was the fastest man over the 1500m in Paris. Komen ran 3:30.01 (1415 points) for the win and stepped up six places to 3rd in the Event, while his compatriot Alex Kipchirchir finished fourth in 3:30.82 (1353 points) and moved up to 4th.

In the Women’s 100m Hurdles in Paris, the reigning Olympic champion Joanna Hayes defeated the World champion Perdita Felicien, which means that Hayes extended her lead over Felicien in the Event Ranking. Hayes won in 12.60 (1371 points), with Felicien in second in 12.66 (1339 points). European Indoor champion Susanna Kallur swapped places with Jenny Adams, as she moved up to 7th following her fourth place finish in 12.83 (1292 points).

 
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Selected noteworthy changes:

(In brackets the last week's position and the last week's Ranking Scores of the athletes)