Alan Webb Wins Gaz de France 1,500 meters, in 3:30.55!

July 6, 2007-At the prestigious Gaz de France meeting, the second stop of the Golden League Series, Alan Webb of the U.S. took the deepest 1,500 meters of the season so far, with his excellent 3:30.55 win over France’s Mehdi Baala, as Baala and Webb traded leads down the final stretch in front of 70,000 screaming Frenchman!

The Gaz de France Meeting lived up to its reputation as one of the best meets on the
European circuit! Sanya Richards, fresh off her rough meet at the US outdoors reminded all who is the queen of the 400 meters with her 49.52 win! Torri Edwards took the womens 100 meters in 11.17, follwed by Me’Lisa Barber and Lauryn Williams. Back in sixth and seventh were France’s Christine Aron and USA’s Alyson Felix, in 11.34. Yelena Soboleva of Russia won the 1,500 meters in 3:59.91.
In the women’s pole vault, Yelena Isinbayeva took the yearly lead back from Jenn Stuczynski, who was not at this event, with a fine 4.91 meter jump ( Stuczynski has
cleared 4.88m this season).
On the men’s side, Daron Robles of Cuba and Anron Moore of the US defeated Xiang Liu of China, with Robles and Moore both running 13.13, Robles getting the win, and Liu in 13.15 in third.
La Shawn Merrit ran 44.62 for the win in the 400 meters.
But the race of the evening was the men’s 1,500 meters. Mehdi Baala of France, hot off his 3:31.05 in Stuttgart, Alan Webb, hot off his national champ win and a personal best for 800 meters in Malmo, Sweden three nights before in 1:45.80!
Rabbits took the pack through 1:52.2 and 2:49.3, with Webb, Baala and Lagat in tow. Alan Webb took the lead at the bell, then reportably stumbled a bit as Mehdi Baala took the lead. Webb gained control and came alongside Baala as they duked it out down the final stretch, with thousands of screaming Frenchman going nuts in the Stadium de St. Denis!
Like he did at the Reebok Grand Prix and the AT&T Outdoor, Alan Webb called from within himself and took the lead, beating Baala in front of his home crowd, running a fine 3:30.55 for the win. Mehdi Baala did not give up, running his seasonal best of 3:31.01. Tarek Boukensa of Algeria was third in 3:32.7, Shadrak Korir of Kenya was fourth in 3:32.8, Kevin Sullivan of Canada was fifth in 3:34.1, Souleman Kipses Simotwo of Kenya was sixth in 3:34.7, and Bernard Lagat was seventh in 3:35.0!
This comes three days after his personal best at 800 meters, 1:45.80 in Malmo, Sweden!
The win by Alan Webb, arguably his most important of his career, again shows that the gamble his sponsors, Nike, made on him in college has paid off. Webb has shown a resolve in this seasons’ 1,500 meter races that has not been seen by an American in many years. With Webb and Lagat in shape, this season should prove to be a hot one!
Alan Webb’s 3:30.55 will rank him number three on the all time US list, behind Bernard Lagat’s 3:29.30 of 2005 and Sydney Maree’s 3:29.77 of 1985 ( remember that in the old Reebok ad of that era?). Webb is now the fastest American born middle distance runner ever, having eclipsed Jim Spivey’s 1988 mark of 3:31.01. Alan’s previous best was 3:32.52.
Watch the run on CTV this weekend or Verus, formerly Outdoor Life, on Sunday!
Note that results follow as well!
06/07/2007 – Results courtesy of the IAAF Communications Department
Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis
Paris Saint-Denis, 06/07/2007
Men’ results
100 Metres – Men Wind: -0.1 Pts
1 Atkins , Derrick BAH 10.00 20
2 Jelks , Mark USA 10.09 16
3 Crawford , Shawn USA 10.13 14
4 Campbell , Clement JAM 10.13 12
5 Martina , Churandy AHO 10.14 10
6 Scott , Leonard USA 10.16 8
7 Mullings , Steve JAM 10.26 6
8 Alerte , David FRA 10.27 4
9 Frater , Michael JAM 10.29
400 Metres – Men
Pts
1 Merritt , LaShawn USA 44.62 20
2 Kikaya , Gary COD 45.32 16
3 Christopher , Tyler CAN 45.33 14
4 Djhone , Leslie FRA 45.87 12
5 Ayre , Sanjay JAM 46.02 10
6 Banda , Lewis ZIM 46.08 8
7 Benjamin , Timothy GBR 46.23 6
8 Francique , Alleyne GRN 46.65 4
1500 Metres – Men
Pts
1 Webb , Alan USA 3:30.54 20
2 Baala , Mehdi FRA 3:31.01 16
3 Boukensa , Tarek ALG 3:32.77 14
4 Korir , Shadrack KEN 3:32.81 12
5 Sullivan , Kevin CAN 3:34.16 10
6 Simotwo , Suleiman Kipses KEN 3:34.78 8
7 Lagat , Bernard USA 3:35.09 6
8 Yemmouni , Mounir FRA 3:35.29 4
9 Zerguelaine , Antar ALG 3:36.51 3
10 Kennouche , Abdelslam ALG 3:38.29 3
11 Rono , Geoffrey Kipkoech KEN 3:38.90 3
Kimutai , Philemon Kipkorir KEN DNF
Boulahfane , Kamal ALG DNF
3000 Metres – Men
Pts
1 Kipsiro , Moses UGA 7:39.02 20
2 Ebuya , Joseph KEN 7:39.53 16
3 Songok , Boniface Kiprotich KEN 7:40.21 14
4 Soi , Edwin Cheruiyot KEN 7:40.30 12
5 Cragg , Alistair Ian IRL 7:40.31 10
6 Mosop , Moses KEN 7:45.83 8
7 Cheruiyot , Jonas KEN 7:46.10 6
8 El Amri , Khalid MAR 7:46.45 4
Kipsang , Churchill KEN DNF
Rotich , Laban KEN DNF
Gebremariam , Gebre-egziabher ETH DNS
España , Jesús ESP DNS
3000 Metres Steeplechase – Men
Pts
1 Tahri , Bouabdallah FRA 8:08.47 20
2 Koech , Paul Kipsiele KEN 8:12.73 16
3 Kipruto , Brimin Kiprop KEN 8:12.88 14
4 Mateelong , Richard Kipkemboi KEN 8:12.98 12
5 Kosgei , Reuben KEN 8:16.09 10
6 Kipyego , Michael KEN 8:18.68 8
7 Taher , Tareq Mubarak BRN 8:24.55 6
8 Kibwalei , Elijah KEN 8:27.49 4
9 Kemboi , Ezekiel KEN 8:30.52 3
10 Martín , Eliseo ESP 9:04.23 3
Langat , John KEN DNF
Nyamu , Julius KEN DNF
Ould Bouchiba , Merzak ALG DNF
110 Metres Hurdles – Men Wind: +0.5 m/s
Pts
1 Robles , Dayron CUB 13.13 20
2 Moore , Anwar USA 13.13 16
3 Liu , Xiang CHN 13.15 14
4 Wilson , Ryan USA 13.17 12
5 Oliver , David USA 13.27 10
6 Doucouré , Ladji FRA 13.27 8
7 Arnold , Dominique USA 13.31 6
8 Merritt , Aries USA 13.37 4
9 Shi , Dongpeng CHN 13.39
400 Metres Hurdles – Men
Pts
1 Carter , James USA 48.61 20
2 Taylor , Angelo USA 48.73 16
3 Myburgh , Alwyn RSA 49.40 14
4 Tinsley , Micheal USA 49.60 12
5 Keïta , Naman FRA 49.94 10
6 Clement , Kerron USA 49.95 8
7 Tamesue , Dai JPN 49.96 6
Ferguson , Kenneth USA DNF
Triple Jump – Men
Pts Wind
1 Olsson , Christian SWE 17.56 20 -0.2
2 Évora , Nelson POR 17.28 16 -0.6
3 Wilson , Aarik USA 16.96 14 -0.3
4 Gregório , Jadel BRA 16.90 12 +0.3
5 Tosca , Osniel CUB 16.85 10 -1.1
6 Petrenko , Aleksandr RUS 16.85 8 -1.3
7 Betanzos , Yoandri CUB 16.54 6 +0.5
8 Burkenya , Danil RUS 16.50 4 -0.2
9 Kapek , Julien FRA 16.45 -0.2
10 Davis , Walter USA 16.44 -0.2
11 Tsiámis , Dimítrios GRE 15.98 -0.1
Javelin Throw – Men
Pts
1 Pitkämäki , Tero FIN 89.70 20
2 Thorkildsen , Andreas NOR 86.28 16
3 Greer , Breaux USA 85.64 14
4 Martínez , Guillermo CUB 83.94 12
5 Ivanov , Aleksandr RUS 80.72 10
6 Oosthuizen , John Robert RSA 80.58 8
7 Arvidsson , Magnus SWE 80.02 6
8 Tipotio , Vitoli FRA 79.81 4
Russell , Scott CAN NM
Women’s results
100 Metres – Women Wind: +0.3 m/s
Pts
1 Edwards , Torri USA 11.17 20
2 Barber , Me’Lisa USA 11.19 16
3 Williams , Lauryn USA 11.25 14
4 Jeter , Carmelita USA 11.26 12
5 Hurtis-Houairi , Muriel FRA 11.31 10
6 Arron , Christine FRA 11.34 8
7 Felix , Allyson USA 11.34 6
Stewart , Kerron JAM DNS
Ferguson-McKenzie , Debbie BAH DNS
400 Metres – Women
Pts
1 Richards , Sanya USA 49.52 20
2 Williams , Novlene JAM 50.29 16
3 Hastings , Natasha USA 50.45 14
4 Thiam , Amy Mbacke SEN 50.84 12
5 Wineberg , Mary USA 50.91 10
6 Trotter , DeeDee USA 51.12 8
7 Williams , Shericka JAM 51.63 6
8 Désert , Solen FRA 51.66 4
1500 Metres – Women
Pts
1 Soboleva , Yelena RUS 3:59.91 20
2 Burika , Gelete ETH 4:00.68 16
3 Lishchynska , Iryna UKR 4:02.17 14
4 Yegorova , Olga RUS 4:02.88 12
5 Jamieson , Sarah AUS 4:03.71 10
6 Tomashova , Tatyana RUS 4:03.81 8
7 Chizhenko , Yuliya RUS 4:04.23 6
8 Kibiwot , Viola KEN 4:04.68 4
9 Chojecka , Lidia POL 4:05.10 3
10 Elmore , Malindi CAN 4:05.65 3
11 Stellingwerff , Hilary CAN 4:05.69 3
12 Lakhouad , Btissam MAR 4:06.26 3
13 Jamal , Maryam Yusuf BRN 4:07.92
14 Corrigan , Lisa AUS 4:09.32
15 Martins , Maria FRA 4:18.83
Lavshuk , Natalya RUS DNF
Yordanova , Daniela BUL DNS
5000 Metres – Women
Pts
1 Dibaba , Tirunesh ETH 15:21.84 20
2 Kiplagat , Florence Jebet KEN 15:23.85 16
3 Melkamu , Meselech ETH 15:24.19 14
4 Ngetich , Priscah Jepleting KEN 15:25.24 12
5 Dibaba , Ejegayehu ETH 15:26.14 10
6 Smith , Kimberley NZL 15:26.79 8
7 Gurmu , Workitu Ayanu ETH 15:30.54 6
8 Rhines , Jennifer USA 15:31.55 4
9 Bardelle , Christine FRA 15:40.66 3
Komyagina , Olga RUS DNF
Fukushi , Kayoko JPN DNS
Sugihara , Kayo JPN DNS
100 Metres Hurdles – Women Wind: -0.2 m/s
Pts
1 Perry , Michelle USA 12.56 20
2 Kallur , Susanna SWE 12.68 16
3 Jones , LoLo USA 12.71 14
4 Lamalle , Adrianna FRA 12.75 12
5 Felicien , Perdita CAN 12.88 10
6 Dixon , Vonette JAM 12.91 8
7 Lopes , Priscilla CAN 13.10 6
8 Ennis-London , Delloreen JAM 13.32 4
Powell , Virginia USA DNF
400 Metres Hurdles – Women
Pts
1 Isakova , Yevgeniya RUS 54.56 20
2 Pittman , Jana AUS 54.93 16
3 Walker , Melaine JAM 55.32 14
4 Ivanova , Natalya RUS 55.32 12
5 Ross-Williams , Tiffany USA 55.35 10
6 Jesien , Anna POL 55.67 8
7 Glover , Sandra USA 55.69 6
8 Danvers-Smith , Tasha GBR 55.99 4
High Jump – Women
Pts
1 Vlašic , Blanka CRO 2.02 20
2 Slesarenko , Yelena RUS 2.00 16
3 Hellebaut , Tia BEL 1.97 14
4 Beitia , Ruth ESP 1.94 12
5 Di Martino , Antonietta ITA 1.94 10
6 Acuff , Amy USA 1.94 8
7 Palamar , Vita UKR 1.91 6
8 Aitova , Marina KAZ 1.91 4
9 Forrester , Nicole CAN 1.88
10 Skotnik , Melanie FRA 1.88
Pole Vault – Women
Pts
1 Isinbaeva , Yelena RUS 4.91 20
2 Pyrek , Monika POL 4.71 15
2 Feofanova , Svetlana RUS 4.71 15
4 Badurov√° , Katerina CZE 4.61 12
5 Spiegelburg , Silke GER 4.51 10
6 Golubchikova , Yuliya RUS 4.51 8
7 Polnova , Tatyana RUS 4.51 6
8 Boslak , Vanessa FRA 4.41 2
8 Hingst , Carolin GER 4.41 2
10 Howe , Kym AUS 4.21
11 McEwen , Niki USA 4.21
Boyd , Alana AUS DNS