With Olympic champion Kelly Holmes, the winner of yesterday's 1500 in dominating fashion, choosing to watch the 800 from the stands, the way was paved for silver medallist Hasna Benhassi to shine, and the diminutive Moroccan did not disappoint.
Completely rested from her own Olympic double, the 26-year-old turned in a perfectly executed homestretch finish en route to a 2:01.42 win.
"It was really an easy race for me," said Benhassi, who won the 800 at Stockholm's DN Galan in similar fashion in July. "I just followed the pace and kicked in the last 100 metres."
As she did in the final in Athens, ageless American Jearl Miles Clark took control just 200 metres into the race, and led the field through the first half in a modest 1:02.67, tailed closely by Romanian Maria Cioncan, the Olympic bronze medallist at 1500 metres, and Tatyana Andrianova, whose 1:56.23 win at the Russian championships paces the world this year. Biding her time behind them was Benhassi, who moved from fifth to third down the back straight, and into second halfway through the final turn.
The American held her ground until the final 60 metres when Benhassi ran by, raising her arms as she crossed the line in 2:01.42. Miles Clark, who qualified for her fifth Olympic team this summer, held on for second in 2:01.73, fifteen days after celebrating her 38th birthday.
"I didn't want to take the lead, but no one else did and it was really slow," Miles Clark said. "I didn't feel anyone until the last 30 metres, and then I just tried to stay with her."
Olympic semifinalist Amina Ait Hammou fought her way from sixth to third down the homestretch, clocking 2:01.78. Russian Svetlana Cherkasova heading the chase pack, was fourth in 2:02.47, with Elisabeth Grousselle of France fifth in 2:02.99.
Andrianova, who was fifth in Athens, faded here as well, finishing well back in seventh, clocking 2:03.70.
BR
