Rieti 800m - Joseph Mutua beats Youssef Saad Kamel (Kipketer is third - in background) (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
Kenyan Joseph Mutua won the 800 metres men in 1:43.35, the fourth fastest clocking of this summer, the highlight of an entertaining IAAF Grand Prix meeting in Rieti this evening.
Quality 800m races
The two lap race was of the highest quality. Mutua overhauled Youssef Saad Kamel of Bahrain (formerly of from Kenya - the son of the two-time World champion Billy Konchellah - who was the sensational B race winner in Zürich), in a very close final sprint in the home stretch.
Kamel had to settle for second in 1:43.43 ahead of World record holder and Rieti visitor Wilson Kipketer, who was third in 1:43.89. Other solid performances were set by the Netherlands’ Bram Som, fourth in 1:44.37 and Italy’s Andrea Longo, fifth in 1:44.43.
“I finished very close to my PB (1:43.35),” confirmed Mutua. “I like competing in Rieti because the weather conditions are excellent and the track is very fast. I am sad because I missed the Olympic Games because of some mistakes in the semi-final. This win in Rieti in one of the fastest 800 metres races of the season and makes-up for the Athens disappointment.”
The women’s 800m was also a quality affair, with Spain’s Mayte Martinez producing a good 1:58.58 win over the US Trials winner and Olympic sixth placer Jearl Miles Clark, who was runner-up in 1:58.64. Three other women dipped under the 2 minutes barrier: Tatyana Andrianova from Russia, third in 1:59.12, Agnes Samaria from Namibia (1:59.16), and Mina Ait Hammou from Morocco (1:59.31).
Kipchirchir takes 1500
The young Kenyan Alex Kipchirchir, who set the World Junior record in the Mile (3:50.25) in Rieti last year, won the 1500 metres today in 3:33.83 against his compatriot Robert Rono, second in 3:34.35. Algeria’s Kamal Boulahfane finished third in 3:34.52.
Bernard Lagat, the Olympic silver medallist behind Hicham El Guerrouj, pulled out citing fatigue.
Powell dominant in the dash
A strong head wind of -1.3 m/s prevented the young Jamaican sprint star Asafa Powell from running faster than 10.18, but it was still two hundredths of a second better than Ghana’s Olympic finalist Aziz Zakari, who finished second. World champion Kim Collins was way back in fifth (10.47).
“I ran well today but the head wind was too strong to improve the meeting record (9.99 set by Jon Drummond in 1994). Rieti is a good place for running and I love this meeting. This is my second win in a row in this Italian meeting after last year’s 10.12. I won in Lausanne, London, Zürich and Brussels and I ran 9.87 in Belgium on Friday, a new Jamaican record. I felt the pressure at the Olympic Games but despite my fifth place I am satisfied with my season.”
Bailey completes another Jamaican double
In a good day for Jamaican sprinters, Aleen Bailey, 4x100m Olympic gold medallist, clinched her second win in two days like Powell, winning the women’s 100m in 11.34, into a strong head wind of -3.0 m/s, so completing the same Jamaican Powell/Bailey double as occurred in Brussels on Friday. The race lined up four of the Athens Olympic finalists, with Bailey edging out Olympic 200 metres bronze medallist Debbie Fergusson, who was second in 11.38. Third was Bulgaria’s sensation Ivet Lalova with 11.50.
“I am surprised after this great season. My training went so well this year but I am a bit surprised with what I achieved this year. My goal for the future is to come back next year and run faster at the World Championships in Helsinki”, said a delighted Aleen Bailey.
Make that a triple
There was actually a triple in the flat sprints for Jamaica, as Michael Blackwood took a very close win in the 400 metres in 44.80, edging out USA’s Olympic silver medallist Otis Harris (44.86). Another Jamaican Brandon Simpson ran 44.97 for third place.
World U18 best for Choge
The kenyan Augustine Choge, World Junior 5000m champion and World Youth 3000 gold medallist set the new U18 yrs world best in the 3000 metres with 7:36.82. The previous record was held by Hillary Chenonge with 7:39.22 (Brussels 2002). Boniface Songok led at the bell but Choge was running close on his heels, and with 200 metres to go Choge made the decisive move outkicking Songok who finished second with 7:39.25.
Samitova wins but off intended target
In the women’s 3000m Steeplechase Gulnara Samitova from Russia who holds the World record with 9:01.59, decided not to be aided by pacemakers and set a very fast pace from the beginning in an attempt to become the first woman to run under 9 minutes.
She was inside the record pace in the first km (2:59.49) but her pace slowed in the second (6:08.36), and her compatriot Lyubov Ivanova closed the gap. Ultimately, Samitova had to be content with the win in 9:21.42, which is her third best time of the year. Ivanova improved her seasonal best with a solid 9:28.02 for second.
Australian Long Jump win
Brownyn Thompson from Australia, fourth at the Olympic Games in Athens with 6.96, leapt to a wind-assisted 6.88 (+3.3 m/s) in her second attempt by beating Hungary’s Tunde Vaszi, who was second with 6.78 and the US Grace Upshaw, third with a legal 6.77. World Triple Jump world bronze medallist Magdelin Martinez of Italy was fourth with a windy 6.74 (+2.8 m/s) but also produced a legal PB of 6.67 in a discipline at which she contests very sparingly.
5.71 vault for Mack
Olympic Pole Vault champion Timothy Mack has continued his successful season with a 5.71 win before failing his three attempts at 5.91, which would have been one centimetre higher than the meeting record set by the pole vault legend Sergey Bubka in 1992.
Other highlights…
Joshua Johnson produced a good 20.28 which enabled him to win in the 200 metres over Jamaica’s Dwight Thomas (20.41) and France’s Ronald Pognon (20.49).
A very close finish in the women’s 1500 metres, saw 2001 World 5000m champion Olga Yegorova’s kick win for the Russian in 4:04.29 over Ukraine’s Natalya Sidorenko-Tobias who was second in 4:04.78.
In the absence of the Olympic champion Felix Sanchez, who had to pull out of the Rieti meeting after his hamstring injury in Brussels on Friday, the men’s 400 metres Hurdles went to Jamaica’s Kamel Thompson. The USA’s Joey Woody and the Briton Chris Rawlinson started very fast from the blocks but with 200 metres to go USA’s Bershawn Jackson closed the gap and went to the lead. However the young Jackson was overhauled by Thompson who clocked a good 48.36 for the win.
The women’s race went to Natalya Torshina from Kazakistan in 55.67 ahead of the Italian Monika Niederstätter, second with 55.86, while the flat women’s 400m was taken by Olympic finalist Christine Amertil from the Bahamas in 50.77.
The Italian Nicola Ciotti (PB 2.30) clinched the men’s High jump victory with 2.26, on his second attempt by beating his twin brother Giulio, second on count back with 2.22 over the Olympic silver medallist Matt Hemingway of the USA.
The World Championships second placer Nadezhda Ostapchuk from Belarus won the women’s Shot Put with a best release of 19.39.
Champions honoured
Rieti celebrated the triumphs of Ivano Brugnetti, Italy’s Olympic 20km Race Walk champion, and the local favourite Andrew Howe, who earlier in the summer won the World Junior titles in the long jump (PB of 8.11) and the 200 metres (20.28 – European Junior record). The two champions made a lap of honour before the start of the official programme of the IAAF Grand Prix meeting.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
