Tangier, Morocco – World record holder and Olympic 110m Hurdles champion Dayron Robles, and World 1500m and 5000m champion Bernard Lagat provided the highlights of an exceptional second edition of the international meeting organised by Hicham El Guerrouj, the 2004 Olympic 1500m and 5000m champion, in which athletes from 34 countries competed in Marchane stadium in this Moroccan city yesterday (12).  

Robles fresh from his 13.17 sec win in Rome on Friday was again imperial carrying off the high hurdles victory easily in 13.28 secs, with his compatriot Dayron Capetillo well adrift in second 13.63, ahead of American Aubrey Herring (13.67).

In the 1500m, Lagat the long time arch rival on the track and good friend off the track of El Guerrouj, stunned his adversaries with a 3:32.56 run, his season’s best. Former World Junior champions Yassine Bensghir (3:33.69) and Abdelaâti Iguider (3:34.11) followed home next with the Bahrain’s Ali Bilal Mansour (3:36.04) in fourth.

Saif Saaeed Shaheen, World record holder and a former double World champion (2003/2005) in the 3000m Steeplechase was, along with Robles and Lagat, one of the pre-meeting standout stars but his competition ended in disaster, with Shaheen falling to the track at a barrier with three laps to go.

With the Qatari out of the race it was left to the young Moroccan Chatbi Abellatif, the recent winner of the Mediterranean Games title, to set a personal best taking the race in 8:08.86, which was also a meeting record.  Kenya’s Kiprotich Wesley (8:18.08) and another Moroccan Hachlaf Abdelkader (8:21.07) were well beaten.

Kenyan Cheshari Jacob Korir took the men’s 5000m in 13:13.21 just out-sprinting his compatriot Biwott Yusuf Kibet (13:13.79), and Saudi Hussein Al-Yami (13:14.36).

Morocco’s Amine Laâlou, who ran a 1500m PB in Rome of 3:31.56 on Friday, in what was only his second ever race at the distance, was back running the 800m in Tangier, the distance at which he took the recent Mediterranean Games title. Last night Laâlou won in 1:44.56 beating 1500m specialist Mohamed Moiustaoui whose 1:45.44 was a PB.

The women’s two-laps was taken by Morocco’s global medal winning heroine Hasna Benhassi in 2:01.44 ahead of compatriot Halima Hachlaf (2:01.62) and Ethiopia’s Arigawi Abeba (2:01.98).

Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu took charge of the women’s 3000m from the gun and won in 8:51.35.

Similarly, Mariem Alaoui Selsouli, the World Indoor 3000m bronze medallist, who only returned to competition in Rome on Friday after a period of injury, dominated last night’s 1500m winning in 4:07.76.

Debbie Dunn of the USA set a meeting record of 22.75 sec to win the 200m but her compatriot 2005 World champion Tianna Madison was way off the pace in the women’s Long Jump, 7th with a lowly 5.74m in a competition won by Romania’s Tigau Viorica (6.47m).

"I hope that Hicham (El Guerrouj) continues working at worldwide athletics… and that he gives the future generations of athletes his experience and his wisdom " were the words of IAAF President Lamine Diack when the four-time World 1500m champion retired.

And Hicham El Guerrouj who heads the organisation of this Tangiers meeting is putting that request into action.

The organisation of the second edition of the meeting of Tangier "is only a modest contribution in the promotion and development of this noble sport which gave a lot to me. I hope that the third edition will be even better" said El Guerrouj.

Mohammed Benchrif for the IAAF

RESULTS

MEN

200 m
1. Khalid I. Zougari (MAR) 20.84
2. Ibrahim S. Amr (EGY) 20.88

400m
1. Chris Brown (BAH)  45.61 (MR)
2. Jemaine Gonzales (JAM) 45.96.
3. Oftense Mogawane (RSA) 46.81.

800m
1. Amine Laâlou (MAR) 1:44.56 (MR)
2. Mousatoui Mohamed (MAR) 1:45.44
3. Mohcine  Elamine  (MAR) 1:46.03.

1500 m
1. Bernard Lagat (USA) 3:32.56
2. Yassine Bensghir (MAR) 3:33.69
3. Abdelaati Iguider (MAR) 3:34.11

5000m
1. Cheshari Jacob Korir (KEN) 13:13.21.
2. Al Yami Hussein (KSA) 13:14.36.
3. Abdullah Ahmed Hassan (QAT) 13:16.20.

3000 m Steeplechase
1. Jamel Chatbi (MAR) 8:08.86 (MR)
2. Kiprotich Wesley (KEN) 8:18.08
3. Hachlaf Abdelkader (MAR) 8:21.07

110m Hurdles
1. Dayron Robles (CUB) 13.28
2. Dayron Capetillo (CUB) 13.63
3. Aubrey Herring (USA) 13.67.

LJ
1. Yahya Berrabah (MAR) 7.88 m (MR)

DT
1- Jarred Rome (USA) 61.20 m.
2- Omar El Ghazaly (EGY) 60.68m.
3- Gerhard Mayer (AUT) 60.34 m.

  
WOMEN

200m
1. Debbie Dunn (USA) 22.75 (MR)
2. Myriam Soumare (FRA) 23.41
  
800 m
1. Hasna Benhassi (MAR) 2:01.44
2. Halima Hachlaf (MAR) 2:01.62
3. Arigawi Abeba (ETH) 2:01.98.

1500 m
1. Mariem A. Selsouli (MAR) 4:04.67
2. Anna Mishchenko (RUS) 4:09.36
  
3000m
1. Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 8:51.35
2. Chenos Milkah (KEN) 8:52.57
3. Yator Jebichi (KEN) 9:04.24

400m Hurdles
1. Lambarki  Hayat (MAR) 57.19

LJ
1. Viorica Tigau (ROU) 6.47m