Meseret Defar made it a magnificent seven victories in the World Athletics Final to complete the 3000m/5000m double, earn herself an extra $60,000 and enhance her standing as the most successful athlete in the six-year history of the lucrative end-of-season competition.
For the second day in succession the 24-year-old Ethiopia proved too strong for Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot as Defar bagged yet another victory in 8:43.60 - 1.04 ahead of her erstwhile rival. Jane Kiptoo, of Kenya, enjoyed a handy pay-day, too, placing third in 8:47.65.
American Sara Slattery hit the front with six laps to go but two laps later her brief control of the race was but a long and distant memory as 2007 World Junior cross country champion Linet Masai took up the race leadership, tracked by Defar.
Two laps out Cheruiyot took her turn at the head of affairs but Defar covered the move and they looked an all-too familiar theme developing when the Ethiopian World 5000m champion moved on to the Kenya's shoulder at the bell.
Down the midway point of the backstretch Defar decided enough was enough and opened up a five metre gap. Cheruiyot plugged on gamely to the task but could not bridge the gap and it was Defar, once again.
Her remarkable sequence of success at the World Athletics Final began when she landed the 3000m title at the 2004 edition in Monaco and the following year she completed the 3000m/5000m double for the first time.
In 2006 she had to be content with victory in just the 3000m after playing second fiddle to her great Ethiopian rival Tirunesh Dibaba in the 5000m.
Last season she racked up her fourth successive 3000m title and this year she completed her second 3000m/5000m double. She boasts some record.
There was also a noteworthy performance down the pack as Great Britain's 19-year-old World Junior 1500m champion Stephanie Twell finished seventh in a personal best of 8:50.89 and may be one for the future, but today it was all about Defar.
Steve Landells for the IAAF
