by Larry Eder
David Rudisha, 2011 Rieti, 800 meters, 2/6, photo by PhotoRun.net
David Rudisha, 2011 Rieti, 800 meters, 3/6, photo by PhotoRun.net
David Rudisha, 2011 Rieti, 800 meters, 4/6, photo by PhotoRun.net
David Rudisha, 2011 Rieti, 800 meters, 5/6, photo by PhotoRun.net
David Rudisha, 2011 Rieti, 800 meters, 6/6, photo by PhotoRun.net
A quiet, thoughtful middle distance runner, Rudisha has studied Seb Coe, Steve Ovett, Said Aouita, Steve Cram, Wilson Kipketer, Joaquim Cruz, all of the masters of last several decades. He appreciates the training and dedication that it takes to run a fast 800 meters. One other point: Rudisha’s front running is fearless.
Rudisha’s run at the recent world championships was a case in point. He was running for one thing, a gold medal in Daegu. He made that quite clear every time he spoke, for the past two seasons, that he wanted the gold medal in Daegu. He disappointed himself in Berlin, and he would not let that happen again.
Rudisha’s run of 1:41.33 in Rieti showed that David Rudisha is not only the current master of the 800 meters, his performance gives a glimmer of what Rudisha can do to the 800 meter world record. It is this writer’s belief that, before the year 2012 is over, David Rudisha will run 1:40.8. David Rudisha is that good.
David Rudisha is Alberto Juantorina and Ron Clarke all rolled up into one: the gutsy front running that made Clarke so popular and the strength and speed of the 1976 400m/800m Cuban gold medalist.
Rudisha runs with an abandon that is hard not to admire. Running a first lap in 48.8 and coming back in 51-52 is achievable. Time will tell. But, in Reiti, Italy, on September 10, 2011, David Rudisha gave track fans a look into the future.
RUDISHA 1:41.33 AND ANOTHER WORLD LEAD ALSO FOR KIPROP
RIETI (ITA,
Sep 10): David Rudisha confirmed he is the current top middle distance
runner in the world. After superb 48.8 in the 400 m and 1:14.28 at 600 m
he was seriously attacking his own world record achieved in the same
stadium a year ago. At 41th Rieti Meeting (IAAF World Challenge) in hot
conditions he clocked 1:41.33 what is world lead and fifth fastest ever
(he and Wilson Kipketer two faster times each). Poland’s World
Championships finalist and European Indoor champion Adam Kszczot set the
fastest time of his career clocking 1:43.30. More fast times followed,
with this year’s World Youth silver medallist and World Championships
finalist Mohammed Aman from Ethiopia smashing the World Youth best and
the national record with a hugely impressive 1:43.37 in the process
beating former World champion Alfred Kirwa Yego who ran his seasonal
best finishing fourth in 1:44.07. More sub 1:45 followed: Poland’s world
finalist Marcin Lewandowski (1:44.53 seasonal best), Jackson Kivuva
(1:44.53) and Australia’s Jeffrey Riseley (1:44.64, PB). “The pace was
ok. I felt in record shape but it was too fast in the 200 meters split
between 400 and 600 metres. The conditions were perfect. Daegu was hard
but I did not feel tired because I had time to recover. I will run in
Brussels (16 September) and at the Notturna di Milano (18 September).
Whether I attack the World record, it depends on how my body feels,”
said Rudisha per IAAF.
Other events
Men
100
m: Walter Dix confirmed his position in world of sprinting with 10.02
win over in-shape Zurich B-race winner Lerone Clarke 10.06 and Justin
Gatlin 10.08 (+0.1). Actually after heats 10.04 by Dix and 10.12 by
Gatlin a sub 10 was expected.
200 m: L. Merritt
in his first deuce since 2009 was more than impressive 20.13 (+0.2). He
is now 8th fastest performer of the year at the distance. Specialist
Saidy Ndure was well beaten with 20.41 as second (he got dq in 100 m
heats).
1500 m: World
champion Kiprop beaten in Zurich (7th) clocked second world lead of the
day 3:30.46 improving Kiplagat´s mark by 0.01.
3000 m: World
medalist experienced Bernard Lagat in his last track race of the year
won in impressive 7:32.13 (8th position in WL 2011). Kenyans Chepkok
7:32:38 ahead of Longosiwa 7:32.71 followed with Tariku Bekele fourth
7:34.71.
110mH: Italian Abate clocked personal best 13.54 (-0.1) to beat favorites from USA Brown and Porter.
PV: Daegu medalist Cuban Borges cleared 581 his second best mark ever.
HT: In the finals
with 4 throwers Krisztian Pars again dominated, but this time no 80 m
(78.77). Koji Murofushi was the guest of honour. Pars leads the series
with 6 meters margin and is clear leader before last meet in Zagreb.
Women
100
m: Racers TC fastest woman is Schillone Calvert who won here in her
second fastest ever 11.09 (-0.1). Hurdles world champion Sally Pearson
clocked 11.24 as second and Daegu finalist Ivet Lalova 11.26 as third.
400 m: Relay silver medalist Shericka Williams won in 50.81 and took European champion Tatyana Firova to season best 50.97.
1500
m: Moroccan Mariem Selsouli returning from doping ban clocked fourth
fastest time of the year 4:01.04 ahead of Russian Yekaterina Martynova
4:02.10. Third Anna Mishchenko of Ukraine improved to 4:02.79. World
champion Jenny Simpson was 10th (4:06.13). In the B-race also fast life
time best for Kenyan Hellen Obiri (4:04.11).
400mH: Diamond Race winner Kaliese Spencer won again in 53.60.
HJ: Third attempt clearance at 196 was the win for tired Antonietta Di Martino, the local star.
LJ: Olga Zaytseva who did not make the qualification in Daegu won with 683 and 684 here.
HT:
Tatyana Lysenko dominated with the only meet record of the day 75.58.
Heidler ahead of Moreno, Klaas and Lysenko is overall series winner.
MEN OF FINLAND AND WOMEN OF SWEDEN
HELSINKI
(FIN, Sep 10): Nearly 30 000 spectators watched the second day of
Finnkampen. Home men won over Sweden after tough fight 206:194, the
women of Tre Kronor were better for 11th time in a row 225:182 over
Finland. Moa Hjelmer won two events 23.49 (-0.3) and 52.73. Carolina
Kluft was the best in long jump (633, -1.0) and Isabellah Andersson was
also winning 5000 m after 10k in 16:20.35. Finnish male wins for
Jonathan Astrand in the 200 m (20.91, +1.1) and by Tommi Evila in
dramatic long jump (786). He beat Mikko Kivinen (785) and Michel Torneus
(783).
LATE ADDITION: HAILE IN NORWAY
KNARVIK
(NOR, Sep 4): Three weeks before running the 38th Berlin Marathon on
25th September, Ethiopia’s marathon world record holder Haile
Gebrselassie recorded a comfortable victory over 10km in the 29th
edition of Knarvikmila on the west coast of Norway in 28:39. On an
undulating course and in wet conditions Gebrselassie ran a new course
record finishing 44 seconds ahead of compatriot and training partner
Ambesa Tolossa. He also beat a team of five top Norwegian runners who
were attempting to beat the Ethiopian as part of a 5 x 2km team relay.
Around 7000 participants took part in a series of races at this year’s
Knarvikmila. Race organiser Helga Brekke announced after the race that,
helped by Gebrselassie’s visit to Knarvik, the race would reach its
target of raising $50,000 for projects for needy children in Ethiopia.
With help from Great Ethiopian Run website. Kirsten Melkevik was the
best woman in 34:06.
LIMO SUPERB COURSE RECORD 27:34
PRAGUE
(CZE, Sep 10): Prague HM winner Philemon Limo won the Mattoni GP at the
10 km in the center of Prague in new PB, course record and 6th best of
the year 27:34. He smashed the previous course record 28:05 of Kenyan
Wilson Kiprotich from 2006. Second Henry Chirchir 28:34 and third
Ethiopian Tekele Adugna 28:56. Best European was Russian Dmitriy
Safronov as 6th in 29:25. Women winner Priscah Jepleting coming from
Daegu 5000 m appearance missed the women 5 km course record by 2 seconds
in 15:32. Hungarian Aniko Kalovics clocked here 15:30 in 2002. Second
Ethiopian Tadelech Bekele 15:51 ahead of Kenyan Tabitha Wambui 15:56 and
Russian Yelena Zadorozhnaya 16:14.
ROAD RESULTS
CHEBOKSARY
(RUS, Sep 10): Gleb Sharikov won the Russian HM title in 1:04:19.
Yelena Samokhvalova in 1:13:19 was the best woman over Galina Bogomolova
1:13:30.
MOSCOW (RUS,
Sep 10): Ukrainian Oleksandr Sitkovskiy won the 6.5 km Taganka road race
in 17:33 ahead of steeple specialist Nikolay Chavkin 17:39. Nadezhda
Trilinskaya in 20:19 was the top female runner beating Irina Sergeyeva
20:32.
OELDE (GER,
Sep 10): Sabrina Mockenhaupt got her 32nd national title winning the 10
km road in 32:14 fighting with 28 degrees warm weather. Second Susanne
Hahn (33:39) ahead of Simret Restle (33:51). Irina Mikitenko was not
running at the end. The men´s title went to Christian Glatting 29:28
ahead of Ukrainian guest Vitaliy Rybak 29:37 and Falk Cierpinski 29:39.
Title defender Jan Fitschen was 11th (30:21).
ONESTI (ROU, Sep 10): Romanian HM titles for Constanti Ifrim 1:08:33 and Paula Todoran 1:14:43.
TRACK RESULTS
KRAKOW
(POL, Sep 10): Tomasz Majewski with 20.93 and Piotr Malachowski with
64.49 dominated the final competition of Polish Clubs League. Lukasz
Michalski cleared impressive 570 in the pole vault. Solid also the 46.27
by Piotr Wiaderek in the 400 m and Igor Janik 78.93 in the javelin. On
the women side Ukrainian guest Anna Yaroshchuk posted good 55.74 at 400 m
hurdles, Angelicka Cichocka won the 800 m in good 2:01.24 ahead of
Ewelina Setowska-Dryk 2:01.98.
ISLE OF MAN
(GBR, Sep 10): During second day of athletics at Youth Commonwealth
Games South African World U17 Champion Andries Van der Merwe clocked
windy 13.32 (+3.4) at 110 m hurdles. His team-mate Gerhard De Beer
impressed with 1.5 kg discus 67.44 m. Kenyan Jonathan Sawe who is bronze
winner from Lille was the best in the 1500 m (3:48.38). England´s
Yasmin Miller won the girls 100 m hurdles in fast but windy 13.30
(+4.1).
HEFEI (CHN,
Sep 10): Fu Tinglian clocked good 9:43.71 in women steeple during third
day of Chinese Championships, personal best for her. Another career mark
for Zhang Peimeng winning the men´s 200 m in 20.64 (-0.3). Also to note
Yang Yangsheng 560 in the pole vault and Chen Qi 80.76 in the javelin.
PISEK (CZE,
Sep 10): Martin Mazac clocked new meet record in the heats of 110 m
hurdles during first day of Czech U23 Championships 13.78 but was
disqualified in the finals after a false start. Katerina Safrankova won
women hammer with solid 68.09 m.
BERDYCHEV
(UKR, Sep 9): Andriy Protsenko cleared 230 to win the special high jump
meet here over Viktor Shapoval (225). Oksana Okuneva was the top woman
with 190 clearance.
SITTARD (NED,
Sep 9): Bjorn Otto won on count-back special pole vault meet 562 ahead
of US Jeremy Scott also 562. Carolin Hingst cleared 451 as top woman.
CORRECTED VERSION
Top German throws: Harting 66.50, Heidler 77.53
ELSTAL (GER, Sep
9): German throwers prevailed at DKB Duels at historical Stadium of
Elstal. In special competition staged according to the “Best of Seven”
principle each winner got 3000 E. In hammer world record holder Betty
Heidler achieved excellent 77.53 (her second best of career) and was
straight better than Anita Wlodarczyk (her best was 75.33) in first four
throws. Javelin women followed with both athletes coming from Zurich,
Christine Obergfoll won 4:2 (her best throw 65.01) over world champion
Mariya Abakumova (63.99). Also javelin gold medalist Matthias de Zordo
beat Andreas Thorkildsen 5:1 (best results 79.00 and 78.17). Cuban
Yareli Barrios was this time better than Daegu silver medalist Nadine
Muller 5:0 (best results 64.48 vs. 61.72). And Robert Harting remains
still unbeaten this season. He won the discus over European champion
Piotr Malachowski 5:1 (66.50 against 62.47). Some 3000 spectators
watched the event.
OTHER NEWS
DOHA
(QAT): : A senior delegation from the International Association of
Athletics Federation (IAAF) chaired by the IAAF senior vice president,
Robert Hersh will make an inspection visit to the 2017 bidding nation,
Qatar on October 4-6, Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) stated Saturday. The
visit comes in frame of the world governing athletics body’
administrative, technical and organisational measures to inspect the
sport facilities in the bidding nations of IAAF 2017 World
Championships. Local media are informing.
MINSK (BLR):
Belarus discus olympic winner Elina Zvereva was awarded by the IOC
“Women and sport” trophy during the EOC meeting in Belarus.
