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News11 Jul 2001


Salem Amer Al-Badri  - Qatar's 800m wonder

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Salem Amer AlBadri Qatar's 800m wonder
Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF

12 July 2001 - In the first heat of the men’s 800m a tall long legged Qatari takes the start in lane three and from the very first metres it is clear that he is going to set the pace. Neck to neck with Australia’s Andrew Krumins who eventually finished third of his heat, Al-Badri ran in the front from start to finish.

“Today I decided to run like this because I wanted to check my shape and everybody else’s. It’s not my tactic though, I still don’t know if I will run like this in the semi finals tomorrow,” said Al-Badri

Winner of his heat in 1:53.81 despite cutting his effort ten metres from the line, Al-Badri was entered in this World Youth Championships with the world season’s under-18 second best of 1:48.51, a time he set in Kassel last June.

Based in Doha, Al-Badri trains five times a week under the guidance of coach Biniak in a group of three athletes.

“My coach came with me here to Hungary and this is certainly an important element for my preparation.”

With one of the deepest fields – 69 participants – the 800m is bound to offer an excellent final.

“I don’t expect anything from Sunday’s final. Of course I want to be in the final but I don’t want to think about it. I will do my best as I always do and we shall see what comes later,” said a very relaxed Al-Badri in the mixed zone while waiting for his compatriot’s Hussain Nasser’s heat. Second finisher in heat two Nasser was also an automatic qualifier for the semi-finals to be run tomorrow.

“It is good that the two of us qualified today, explained Al-Badri, it proves that we have a good team.”

A fourth place finisher in last year’s World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile, where he clocked 1:48.51 to finish behind the exceptional trio Wachira, Lacasse and Reina, Al-Badri will aim at a better result in Debrecen. He will nevertheless have to count on a strong opposition with Kenya’s Elijah Kiprono Boit (15 years-old) who clocked the best time of this morning’s heats (1:50.25) and Cosmas Rono, owner of the world’s best performance for his age group in 2001.

We can expect some great duels in the semis, with the best five in round one below 1:52 and the first non-qualifier timed at 1:53.06.

The women’s 800m also proved to be of excellent level with the barefoot Kenya’s Kipkorir Cherotich Ruto fastest qualifier with a new personal best of 2:07.63 and the first non qualifier under the 2:10 barrier.

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