Cherotich Kipkorir Ruto, who was bidding to defend the 800 metres title she won in Debrecen two years ago as a 15-year-old, was eliminated at the semi-final stage here today.
It meant there will be no Kenyans in tomorrow's final, a rarity in modern distance running.
The defending champion placed only fourth in the second of the three semi-finals, fading in the home straight to clock a modest 2min 09.90sec, well adrift of winner Laura Finucane, from Britain (2:08.36).
What really did for Ruto, though, was the determined pacemaking of Russia's Maria Chapaeva in the third semi-final. Running as if every 200m marker was the winning post, Chupaeva passed 200m in 28.67 and 400m in 60.03, with the rest of the field lined up behind her ready to chase her home in the hope of picking up one of the two final slots for fastest losers.
When Romania's Larisa Arcip took on the pace to 600 (1:32.37), and Australia's Brooke Simpson glided past coming into the home straight, it appeared tha the Russian might be glad of such a loser's slot.
But by adhering to the old coaching tenet of "always run through the line", Chupaeva claimed first place in 2:05.40, to deprive Ruto not only of a place in the final but also of her championship record. Arcip, with 2:05.46, Simpson (2:05.71) and Tunisia's Imene Badraoui (2:08.04) all claimed PBs and places in Sunday's final.
he first semi-final was the slowest and looked to be a relatively leisurely process for winner Olga Cristea, of Moldova, in 2:09.27 from Britain's Morag MacLarty (2:09.66).
