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2009 Results Day 1 | Day 2

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DEFAR TAKES NINTH TITLE AS FINAL CURTAIN DRAWS ON THE WORLD ATHLETICS FINAL
By Bob Ramsak
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission

THESSALONIKI, Greece (13-Sep) --  Meseret Defar took her ninth overall World Athletics Final title as the traditional season-capping two-day meet ended its run after it’s seventh edition in this sprawling northern Mediterranean city.

Unlike her victory in a tactical 5000m contest over long-time arch rival Tirunesh Dibaba yesterday, Defar controlled much of this evening’s 3000, ensuring that the pace would be honest before she kicked to her sixth straight (and seventh overall) WAF victory in the event to successfully defend her title in both events.

The 2004 Olympic 5000m champion took control of the race early on, bringing the pack through the first 1000 meters in just over 2:50. Hoping to run the kick out of Defar’s legs, Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot, who defeated the Ethiopian in the world championships 5000m last month, took her turn at the lead some five minutes into the race. But she had no response when Defar took over for good off the final turn. It was a close battle until about 40 meters remained, but Cheruiyot was finished, and the victory was Defar’s who crossed the line in 8:30.15, a surprising world leader, which was less than 30 seconds slower than Kenenisa Bekele’s winning time in the men’s 3-K yesterday.

“I expected a faster race,” said Defar, something in the range of 8:25, “but I tied my shoe tighter than usual and that caused problems with my stride.” Defar also won three 5000m titles over the course of the WAF era, a record which added an aggregate $270,000 in prize money to her bank account.

Cheruiyot reached the line in 8:30.61, a season’s best with Ethiopian Wude Ayalew third in 8:30.93.  A little further back, Kenyan Iness Chenonge, who was still in contention with 800 meters remaining, was fourth, her 8:37.17 also a career best. Likewise for Ethiopian Lakidan Gezahegne who was fifth in 8:38.61.

Anna Willard’s late season momentum continued today with a confident victory in the women’s 800m. The 25-year-old, who began the season as the No. 2 American steeplechaser, capped her breakout middle distance season with a strong 2:00.20. But the time didn’t quite reflect how well the Michigan alum executed the race. Rather, it showed how comfortable the versatile Willard has become over the shorter distances.

200 meters into the race, Willard tucked in behind early leader Elisa Cusma of Italy and remained in second until taking the lead off the final turn. Striding on confidently, she was never really challenged to add yet another impressive victory to her 800m resume.

“I started well and ran fast for the first 200 meters to avoid getting pushed,” said Willard, who also collected victories over the distance in New York, Paris, and Brussels. After a season in which she also joined the sub-four minute club in the 1500m with her 3:59.38 in Zurich two weeks ago and finished a solid fifth at the World Championships over the distance, Willard has admitted to taking a liking to the shorter distances.

“I prefer the 800,” Willard said, “but I also like the steeplechase.” For now, her plans are to continue competing in both along with the 1500m. Some more off-season reflection may change her mind.

Willard gets married in two weeks to steeplechaser Jonathan Pierce.

Until tonight, no American woman has ever won a middle distance title at the World Athletics Final. Here, along with Maggie Vessey, Willard led a U.S. 1-2 sweep.

Vessey, the Prefontaine Classic and Monaco winner this season, moved from seventh to second over the final 80 meters, reaching the line in 2:00.31 to edge Briton Jenny Meadows, the Berlin bronze medalist, by 0.10. Russian Mariya Savinova (2:00.72), the European indoor champion, also overtook Cusma (2:00.84) to finish fourth.

There were surprises elsewhere. In the men’s 1500m, after leading all but the final 50 meters of the race, world leader and pre-race favorite Augustine Choge finished a well-beaten third, outkicked by his Kenyan compatriot William Biwott. The 19-year-old, who missed the world championships and arrived in Greece with fresher legs, followed up last Sunday’s upset victory in Rieti with a 3:35.04 run. In the homestretch scramble behind him, American Leo Manzano also sneaked by Choge to take second, 3:35.40 to 3:35.46.

Kicking to the front for good, world champion Ezekiel Kemboi ended Paul Kipsiele Koech’s WAF win streak at four with an 8:04.38 win, with Koech a few steps back in second, stopping the clock in 8:05.47. Frenchman and European record holder Bob Tahri, the only man to run with the Kenyan pair from the outset, faded over the final lap but still finished third in 8:09.14 to repeat his Berlin position.

The weekend’s longest race on the program was also the closest. After running a modest pace for 11-and-a-half of the 12-and-a-half laps, it took a photo to separate the top three. After he sneaked by Kenyan Micah Kogo on the inside, Ethiopian Imane Merga was given the nod by just 0.01 seconds in 13:29.75. Fast-finishing Edwin Soi, who like Kogo was credited with 13:29.76, finished third.

With the inception of the IAAF Diamond League next year, there will be no more room for the World Athletics Final, which replaced the IAAF Grand Prix Final in 2003. In the Diamond League set-up, the series final will be contested over two consecutive weekends, with half the events taking place in Zurich, and the other half in Brussels.

ENDS

Day 1

RUDISHA SHINES AT IAAF WORLD ATHLETICS FINAL
**Tactical Races Dominate First Day of Two-Day Meeting**
By Bob Ramsak
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

THESSALONIKI, Greece (12-Sep) -- David Rudisha’s near gun-to-tape victory was among the key highlights on the first day of the final edition of the World Athletics Final in this northern Mediterranean port city tonight.

Continuing his impressive post-world championships streak, the 20-year-old Kenyan powerfully and confidently beat back the challenge of an impressive field en route to a 1:44.85 victory, the fastest ever over the seven years of this season-capping meet.

“I’m very glad that I’m starting to build an unbeatable record in this event,” said Rudisha, who led the field from the break through the finish line. Since failing to advance from the most difficult heat at the world championships last month, Rudisha has gone on to register four straight victories. After a personal best 1:43.52 in Zurich two weeks ago, he improved further still, clocking a blistering 1:42.01 African record in Rieti, Italy, last Sunday.  He’s now the fourth fastest ever over the distance.

With an impressive homestretch run of his own, Canadian Gary Reed swung wide over the final turn to eventually finish second in 1:45:23, 0.30 ahead of world champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi.

The Day One middle and long distance program began with the women’s 3000m steeplechase, won impressively by Kenyan Ruth Bisibori.

Bouncing back from a sub-par performance at the world championships where she was seventh, the 21-year-old Kenyan ran at the front and alone virtually from the gun to clock 9:13.43, another WAF record which was just 0.27 seconds shy of her personal best set earlier this season.

Less than two laps into the contest, Bisibori was already a few steps ahead of her compatriot Milcah Chemos, who took surprise bronze in Berlin. With three laps remaining she extended her lead to five meters, and more than doubled it a lap later.

“I trained very hard this year and I was aiming for a good result here,” said Bisibori, whose only disappointing outing came in the Berlin final. Two years ago she was fourth in Osaka when still running as a junior, just a few months after winning the African Games title running barefoot. “The body didn’t respond in Berlin,” said Bisibori, who took victories in Doha and Oslo this season. “This is my first major championship win and I expect more in the future.” Financially, it was her biggest as well: event winners here earn $30,000.

Likewise Chemos was never threatened for the runner-up spot. The 23-year-old newcomer to the event, who dabbled briefly with the 800 and 1500m, clocked 9:20.19, ahead of Gladys Jerotich (9:21.18) to complete a 1-2-3 sweep for Kenya.

The remaining races were predictably slow and tactical, producing results both predictable and surprising.

The men’s 3000m featured a homestretch battle similar to one waged between Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele and American Bernard Lagat in the 5000m final in Berlin last month. The result was the same, with Bekele, propelled by a 52.03 final lap, again outkicking Lagat to win in 8:03.79, the slowest 3000m time Bekele has registered in ten years.

Although he was provisionally entered, Bekele said he would forego tomorrow's 5000 race, citing fatigue. He may still have another race to run at next week's Golden Grand Prix in Shanghai.

Meanwhile Lagat, who also took bronze at the world championships 1500m, will wind down his season at the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City in two weeks.

The women’s 5000 featured a similar scenario. Covering the final lap in just a tick or two over 58 seconds, Meseret Defar  passed a well-rested Tirunesh Dibaba about 80 meters from the finish to defend her title by 0.61 seconds in 15:25.31. Tomorrow she’ll return in the 3000 where she’ll be targeting a ninth WAF title.

A year ago, Nancy Lagat didn’t produce a victory until crossed the line first at the Olympic Games in the 1500m. This year, the 28-year-old Kenyan apparently saved the best for last as she collected her first win of the season in the final edition of the World Athletics Final over the same distance.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect to win,” said Lagat, who took advantage of a sluggish pace to collect her first win in eight outings over the distance. “The race had a very slow tempo which was an advantage for me.”

With no one forcing the pace or making a move, the tightly wound pack took more than 73 seconds to cover the first lap, and nearly 75 to cover the second.

Still smarting from being knocked to the ground and out of the final in Berlin, Ethiopian Geleta Burka made the first move when she jumped to the lead about 900 meters into the race, taking the bell in 3:14.85. But she didn’t really manage to break away from anyone, with world champion Maryam Jamal of Bahrain shadowing her closely, and Russian Anna Alminova just another step behind. Burka still led midway through the final turn, but with plenty in reserve, others positioned themselves to stake their claims for the podium.

Finishing strongest was the Olympic champion who passed by the Ethiopian on the inside to reach the line unchallenged in 4:13.63. With much of the field running in lanes two, three and four, Briton Hannah England found an opening on the inside to finish a surprise second (4:14.05), just edging American Christin Wurth-Thomas. It was certainly the highest profile finish for the 22-year-old England, who improved to 4:04.29 this season.  Like Lagat, both England and Wurth-Thomas are headed to Fifth Avenue to end their seasons.

Meanwhile, Jamal, who came to Thessaloniki with four straight WAF titles under her belt, faded to fourth in 4:14.12.  American Shannon Rowbury, the Berlin bronze medallist, took fifth (4:14.18).

ENDS

 Day 1 Results

Day 2 Results