BERGEN, Norway, 13 June 2004 — Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse sliced more than three seconds off the world record for the women’s 5,000 meters at the first Golden League meeting of the season here on Friday.
The Ethiopian-born 21-year-old recorded 14min 24.68sec, smashing the previous mark of 14:28.09 set by the controversial Chinese athlete Jiang Bo in Shanghai in 1997.
Jiang was part of the training group of coach Ma Junren, whose secretive methods have led to widespread suspicion about the records set by his athletes.
“I am very happy,” said Abeylegesse.
“I can still improve my time and I also want to bring back Olympic gold from Athens.”
Abeylegesse, who has lived in Istanbul since 1999, finished fifth over the distance at last year’s world championships in Paris but has made a dramatic improvement this year.
The slight athlete, who weighs just 41 kilograms for her 1.59 meters, pushed world title-holder Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia into second in 14:30.88 in a race that upheld the tradition of middle and long distance world records set at the Bislett Games, which were taking place here while the stadium in Oslo is rebuilt.
Russia’s Yuriy Borzakovsky showed his credentials for the Olympic gold medal in Athens in August by dominating the men’s 800m.
He was at the back of the field after the first lap before sprinting past Wilfred Bungei of Kenya in the final 100 meters to record an emphatic win in 1:44.41 that was tactically well-judged by the 23-year-old Russian’s eccentric standards.
Bernard Lagat, the Kenyan who cleared his name last year after being banned for a doping offense, gritted his teeth and held off Ukrainian Ivan Heshko by just three hundredths of a second in the 1,500m.
In the men’s 200m, former world indoor champion Shawn Crawford surprised the favorites as world outdoor gold medalist John Capel had a terrible race.
Crawford led by several meters going into the home straight and his fellow American Justin Gatlin chased him home in second with Crawford timed in 20.31 and Gatlin in 20.39 as Capel crossed the line just seventh.
Tonique Williams of the Bahamas produced the sprint performance of the meeting in the 400m when she smashed the 50-second barrier for the first time with a runaway victory in 49.79sec, the fastest time in the world this year.
In the 400m hurdles, two-time world champion Felix Sanchez was pushed all the way by Chris Rawlinson until the Briton clattered the final hurdle and Sanchez won in a modest 48.54.
South African high jumper Hestrie Cloete, last year’s women’s athlete of the year and a hot favorite for Olympic gold, won her event with a clearance of 1.98 meters.
Gail Devers proved she cannot be discounted at the age of 37 when the American ended 100m hurdles world champion Perdita Felicien’s hopes of winning all six Golden League races and thus qualifying for the one-million-dollar bonus. Devers zipped over the line in 12.56sec with Canadian Felicien one tenth of a second behind.
Williams Wins US College 100m Crown in 2004 World Best
In Austin, Texas, American Lauryn Williams surpassed her own 2004 world best here Friday to capture the 100-meter title at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Outdoor Athletics Championships.
Williams, a junior from the University of Miami, won in 10.96 seconds with a 1.0 m sec wind to lower the prior year’s best of 11.01 she set earlier this season.
Her wind-aided winning time of 10.94 seconds in Thursday’s preliminaries was the fastest time this year under any conditions.
Muna Lee of Louisiana State University was second in 11.12 seconds with Marshevet Hooker of the host University of Texas taking third in 11.23. The meet concludes with finals in more than two dozen events. Outstanding collegians figure to be factors at next month’s United States Olympic trials in Sacramento, California.
