Jones, Szabo, Kipketer and Barmasai still in
contention for IAAF Golden League Jackpot after Paris Meeting
Anna Legnani for the IAAF
The Paris night brought mixed fortunes to the athletes competing for the IAAF Golden League Jackpot. Of the seven hopefuls going into the meeting, four were still smiling as the night settled over the Ville Lumière.
Maria Mutola savoured her revenge on Svetlana Masterkova, who had nipped her on the tape in a photo-finish close in the first leg of the Golden League. After a cautious start, the Mozambican surged forth at the bell, and successfully resisted the attack of the double Olympic champion who tried in vain to come back from the outside. As the former football standout powered down the home straight, closing in 1:58.25, Masterkova faded into fourth with 1:59.05.
Wilson Kipketer continued his winning streak at 800m, closing undaunted in1:44.89 after surging back from fourth place in spite of losing his right shoe in the last 200m.
When the two major contenders in the women’s 3000m were left alone at mid-race Gabriela Szabo let Zahra Ouaziz lead all the way before kicking with 200m to go. The Moroccan attempted a reaction, but Szabo placed another acceleration to close in 8:25.59, setting the world best performance for the third time in three Golden League meetings. Zahra Ouaziz improved her African record to 8:26.64, while Tegla Loroupe, holder of the world best on the marathon, finished an excellent third in 8:40.95 lowering her personal best by three and an half seconds
In the men’s event, Daniel Komen and Salah Hissou were the protagonists of another spectacular Kenya vs Morocco duel, with Komen clinching the race in 7:33.23 to 7:33.47 for Hissou after a thrilling finale in which the two men traded the lead three times. In fifth place, Sammy Kipketer set a world junior record with 7:35. 08, taking almost half a second off Philip Mosima’s 1996 mark.
The 17 000 spectators in Charlety did not regret the absence of El Guerrouj over 1500m, as Noah Ngeny, the latest Kenyan prodigy, confirmed his outstanding progress, closing in 3:28.84, a new national record and world leading mark over the distance. The twenty year old holds the four best performances of 1999, while Algeria’s Noureddine Morceli made a remarkable comeback, after a seven month lay-off clocking 3:30.91 for second place in only his second race of the season.
Allen Johnson, suffering from a strained his right calf, had preferred to fly back to the US on the eve of the meeting to nurture his injured leg, sacrificing his chances of partaking in the one million dollar Golden League jackpot. His withdrawal paved the way for Larry Wade’s victory over the high hurdles, where the rising star of the event clocked 13.26.
The 200m events again proved that the slow Charlety track does not favour sprinters. While Marion Jones confirmed her stronghold over 200m, notching another win in 21.99, with a comfortable lead over second placed Inger Miller (22.30), Maurice Greene had to content himself with a 20.13 victory over Francis Obikwelu (20,20).
World record holder Bernard Barmasai again dominated the steeplechase in 8:05.71 completing the poker of Golden League aces.
Long jumper Eunice Barber made the show with more than just her blue braids, landing at 7.01m, a new French record for the African-born heptathlete, while James Beckford flew to 8.42m.
The last thrill of the evening before the closing fireworks came from the women’s high jump. South African Hestrie Storbeck triumphed with 2.00m in a fabulous contest, where Inga Babakova cleared 1.98 and three athletes 1.96. Storbeck’s performance is a new African record, but falls short of the national record set by Desirée Duplessis (2.01m) in the apartheid era.
