Haile Gebrselassie at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships (© © Allsport)
He may be known as "Mr Hengelo" but even Haile Gebrselassie couldn’t beat the cold and wind tonight in the Fanny Blankers-Koen stadium, his brave effort to break Daniel Komen’s 2 mile world best ending in failure.
The Ethiopian didn’t even have the satisfaction of setting a personal best – his time was 8:01.88 – compared to his best of 8:01.08. Initially, everything went to plan, as the pacemakers took Gebrselassie through the first 800m in 1:57.15 – faster than Komen’s 1:59.66 – but the rabbits then began to struggle.
After three laps Gebreselassie was 0.71 off the pace set by Komen, after four laps he was 2 seconds slower (3:59.83 compared to 3:57.82). With only Kenya’s Richard Limo still close behind, Gebrselassie was left rabbit-less with three and a half laps to go. Roared on by the crowd, the Ethiopian battled hard but he had too much to do. He reached the bell at 7:00.51 but a 61.37 last lap was not fast enough.
In the 10,000m, one of Gebrselassie’s team mates Hebte Jifar was an impressive victor, clocking 27:06.45 ahead of his compatriot Girma Tola who clocked 27:13.48. In eighth place, Kamiel Maasse set his second Dutch record of the season with 27:34.02.
1995 World champion Kim Batten saw off the challenge of reigning European champion Ionela Tirlea to maintain her position as current world leader in the 400m hurdles. Tirlea was quickest away but Batten made up the gap on the final bend before pulling away for a clear victory 54.87 to 55.22. Tirlea made up for the disappointment by returning for the 100m half an hour later and – despite tired muscles – outdipping Beverley Grant for victory, 11.57 to 11.58.
The women’s 5000m took place during a heavy downpour. Pamela Chepchumba took the pace from Merima Dendoba reaching 2000 metres in 6:02 – with all the favourites, bar Anita Weyermann who had a dreadful race, up in contention. Marathon specialist Tegla Loroupe took the lead with six laps to go, leading a group of nine through 3000 metres in 9:04.60. Loroupe was then challenged by Ethiopia’s Ayelech Worku and Britain’s Paula Radcliffe before Germany’s Irina Mikitenko surges into the lead. The last lap saw a terrific sprint as first Loroupe, then Radcliffe moved to the front. With 10 metres to go Mikitenko edged past to stop the clock at 14:54.32 – with Worku second in 14:54.52 and Radcliffe third in 14:54.61.
The women’s 1500m had the appearance of an Ethiopian time trial as Kutre Dulecha and Gete Wami flew around the track in pursuit of the pacemaker. With about 700 metres to go, the rabbit stepped off the track and the real race began. But so intent were they on their own race that Wami and Dulecha were caught by Poland’s Lidia Chojecka and Russian Margarita Marusova on the final bend. Wami was able to kick again and win the race in 4:03.14 but Dulecha was overtaken by the European pair, with Marusova prevailing from Chojeck – 4:03.71 to 4:03.72.
The Dutch spectators saw the only home victory of the afternoon in the men’s 110m hurdles courtesy of Robin Korving. The burly athlete, a surprise bronze medallist at the European Championships last season, held off a late challenge from Duane Ross to cross the line in 13.35.
World record holder Bernard Barmasai and his Kenyan compatriot Reuben Kosgei had a spirited duel in the 3000 metres steeplechase. Together, a long way ahead of their rivals for most of the race, Barmasai left it to the last lap before sprinting into a decisive lead. He stopped the clock at 8:11.30, with Kosgei recording 8:12.33, the two fastest times in the world this season.
South Africa’s World Indoor champion Johan Botha continued his run of good form by overtaking the early race leader Hezekial Sepeng – another Springbok – to win the 800m. After a slow first lap, Sepeng wound up the pace before Botha seized the initiative, easing past in the last 50 metres to clock 1:44.84. European champion and World Cup winner Nils Schumann finished a disappointing fifth in 1:45.56.
The women’s javelin throw turned into a German duel between Karen Forkel and European champion Tanja Damaske – with both athletes saving their best throws until the last round, respectively 63.13 and 60.32. But Germany’s Astrid Kumbernuss was not as successful, finishing third in the shot with 18.45. The event was won by her compatriot Nadine Kleinert with 18.72.
The 1500m seemed to be a formality for Kenya’s Shadrack Langat, after he burst into a huge lead with 700 metres to go. But as his pace faltered he was caught, and then overtaken by the Dutchman Marko Koers. Yet as the crowd began to prematurely celebrate another Dutch victory, Langat found his second wind and burst back into the lead to grab the win in 3:37.50, just ahead of Nadir Bosch (3:37.67) and Gert-Jan Liefers (3:37.81). Koers, tiring in the last 50 metres, faded to fifth.
In the men’s 200m, Commonwealth champion Julian Golding was narrowly defeated by Belgium’s top sprinter Patrick Stevens - 20.66 to 20.68.
Nick Davies for IAAF
