Szabo smashes 5,000 metres indoor world record
DORTMUND,
Germany, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Romanian Gabriela Szabo set the first indoor world record of
the year when she smashed Briton Liz McColgan's seven-year-old 5,000 metres mark by
clocking 14:47.36 seconds at an international meeting on Saturday.
Szabo shaved nearly 16 seconds off McColgan's previous best of 15:03.17 set in
February 1992 in Birmingham. Second-placed Tegla Loroupe clocked 14:51.69, the second
fastest time ever recorded over the distance indoors.
"I was certain that I could make it," said Szabo, who was cheered on by a capacity crowd of 4,500 in this Ruhr Valley town. "I am convinced that she can go even faster," said Szabo's manager Jos Hermens.
Dutchman Hermens is also the manager of Ethiopian star Haile Gebrselassie, who will go for the men's 5,000 metres indoor world record in Birmingham on Sunday.
Szabo laps (unofficial - courtesy of Ed Gordon): 36.0 - 1:11.7 - 1:47.0 - 2:22.3 - 2:57.8 - 3:33.5 - 4:09.1 - 4:44.7 - 5:19.9 - 5:56.4 - 6:32.2 - 7:08.3 - 7:44.6 - 8:20.7 -8:57.0 - 9:33.0 - 10:08.3 - 10:44.8 - 11:53.73 (photocell) - 12:31.3 - 13:07.0 - 13:42.8 - 14:17.7 - 14:47.35
The other highlight of the Dortmund meeting came in the women's 4x200 metres relay with the German quartet of Esther Moeller, Gabi and Brigit Rockmeier and Andrea Philipp clocking the second fastest indoor mark ever in 1:32.88.
Leading results from Dortmund
Men:
60 metres
1. David Ezinwa (Nigeria) 6.52 - 2. Eric Nkansah (Ghana) 6.56 - 3. Donovan Powell (Jamaica) 6.58
800 metres
1. Johan Botha (South Africa) 1:46.33 - 2. Nico Motchebon (Germany) 1:46.90 - 3. Robert Chirchir (Kenya) 1:47.77
60 metres hurdles
1. Colin Jackson (Britain) 7.45 - 2. Falk Balzer (Germany) 7.47 - 3. Tony Dees (U.S.) 7.51
Pole vault
1. Michael Stolle (Germany) 5.86 - 2. Danny Ecker (Germany) 5.86 - 3. Tim Lobinger (Germany) 5.81
Women:
60 metres
1. Merlene Ottey (Jamaica) 7.06 - 2. Susanthika Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka) 7.12 - 3. Andrea Philipp (Germany) 7.19
400 metres
1. Grit Breuer (Germany) 51.06 - 2. Ana Gabriela Guevara (Mexico) 51.21 - 3. Ionela Tirlea (Romania) 51.43
800 metres
1. Ludmila Formanova (Czech Republic) 2:00.08 - 2. Nouria Merah-Benida (Algeria) 2:00.75 - 3. Kathleen Friedrich (Germany) 2:03.01
5,000 metres
1. Gabriela Szabo (Romania) 14:47.36 (indoor world record)- 2. Tegla Loroupe (Kenya) 14:51.69
60 metres hurdles:
1. Glory Alozie (Nigeria) 7.85 - 2. Olga Schischigina (Kazakhstan) 7.86 - 3. Caren Sonn (Germany) 8.06
