Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar wins the 3000m Steeplechase in Helsinki (© Getty Images)
While 2004 witnessed the end of several of the sport’s significant win streaks, most notably, those of Maria Mutola, Ana Guevara, Felix Sanchez and Hicham El Guerrouj, 2005 was more about the sport’s new generation trying to stake out their territory in the post-Olympic year. And with many of the key emerging players still very young and their events fiercely competitive, streaks such as those that ended last year might prove extremely difficult to duplicate.
Holm, Campbell, Alekna and even Isinbayeva lose out in 2005
A trio of notable streaks did reach their conclusion this year. After an undefeated 2004 season, Olympic High Jump champion Stefan Holm brought a 22 meet unbeaten streak into 2005, topping the men’s list. The Swede couldn’t add to it though, after his runner-up finish behind Aleksey Dmitrik in just his first competition of the year back in January.
Another Olympic champion from Athens, Jamaican Veronica Campbell, brought the longest existing streak into 2005, with 24 wins in 200m finals (indoors and out) dating back to the spring of 2000, the year she captured the World Junior title in the event. She extended it to 28 before her defeat in London to Allyson Felix. Felix, still just 19, went on to win the World title in the event and will bring a ten-race unbeaten run of her own into 2006.
Two-time World and Olympic champion Virgilius Alekna notched 14 straight wins in the Discus Throw through the Helsinki final before finally losing in Tallinn nine days later.
Not even Athlete of the Year, Yelena Isinbayeva, the World, and Olympic champion has a win streak about which to boast. The Overall IAAF World Ranked number one had her run of 19 victories brought to an end when no heighting in a competition in Yokohama, Japan on 15 September.
Shaheen – 20 wins so far
Tempting fate in 2006 will be 23-year-old World 3000m Steeplechase champion and World record holder Saif Saaeed Shaheen, currently carrying the longest win streak in the sport with 20. The IAAF World Ranked number one for the event, was undefeated in five finals this season, with his last loss in the event coming on 8 August 2002 at the African Championships.
Next on the list is World Shot Put champion Nadezhda Ostapchuk, who after an undefeated 11 competition campaign this year, stretched her win streak in total to 14.
Klüft undefeated since 2001
But considering the small number of Combined Event competitions at which it is either physically or realistically possible to compete in each year, the record of World and Olympic champion Carolina Klüft is perhaps more impressive. The Swede extended her win streak in the Heptathlon by three to 13 this year after her successful World title defence. Her streak began on 22 July 2001 when she captured the European Junior title.
After an injury ended her Olympic season after just one outdoor contest, Swede Kajsa Bergqvist bounced back with a vengeance in 2005, winning each of her 13 competitions, including the elusive World outdoor gold medal.
Olympic and two-time World 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele has won ten straight races in the longest track event, beginning with his win in Hengelo on 1 June 2003.
No other athlete will begin next season with a streak in double figures...
Ivan Tikhon of Belarus, the reigning World Hammer Throw champion, was undefeated in 2005, and will carry a nine competition streak into 2006, as will World and Olympic champion Justin Gatlin, who has won nine straight 100 metre races.
American Bershawn Jackson, the World 400 metre hurdles champion, has won seven straight races in his specialty. Uganda’s Dorcus Inzikuru, who this year was crowned as the first women’s World champion in the 3000m Steeplechase, was undefeated in six contests, while World champion and World record holder Osleidis Menéndez of Cuba won her last six competitions in the Javelin Throw. Dwight Phillips, the World and Olympic Long Jump champion, has won his last five competitions.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
NB. the win streak calculations are based on ‘finals’ only.
