By Bob Ramsak
Shadrack Korir's upset victory in the mile over double world champion Bernard Lagat was the key distance running highlight of the two-day Aviva London Grand Prix held on Friday and Saturday in the British capital.
The pace in the Emsley Carr Memorial Mile on the meet's first day never quite threatened the pre-meet pace goal of 3:49, but it was nonetheless a solid front-running victory for Korir. Leading the field behind the two pacesetters from the outset, the 29-year-old Kenyan was shadowed by Lagat from the initial stages, who was running comfortably until about 250 meters remained. That was when Briton Andy Baddeley, the winner of Oslo's Dream Mile last month, moved into second to mount a challenge for the lead. Running wide as the field approached the final straight, Australian Craig Mottram also passed Lagat, who appeared to be fading, perhaps still fatigued from the five races he ran at the recent U.S. Olympic Trials. Korir, however, held off Baddeley’s charge to take a 3:54.68 win to the Briton's 3:54.76. Lagat regrouped down the homestretch to finish a narrow third over Mottram, 3:55.20 to 3:55.44.
It was Lagat's first loss, indoors or outdoors in 2008. While he won this race last year prior to his 1500/5000m double victory at the world championships in Osaka, his lead-in last year included a pair of post-U.S. championships losses contested during a period of heavy training. Lagat, who will be aiming to duplicate his world championships double in Beijing next month, has one more race lined up before heading to Beijing: the 1500m in Monaco on Tuesday.
Briton Marilyn Okoro turned in a confidence-boosting win in the 800m on Saturday. Taking the lead just past the bell, she quickly built a gap on the field and powered home unchallenged in 1:58.45, a career best for the 23-year-old. Italian record holder Elisa Cusma was next in 1:59.33 while Morgan Uceny, a U.S. trials finalist in both the 800 and 1500, kicked hard to finish third in 2:00.01, the second personal best for the 23-year-old Cornell grad in 13 days.
In the men’s two-lap race, Ugandan record holder Abraham Chepkirwok got the edge over Briton Micheal Rimmer, 1:45.64 to 1:45.76. Behind them Olympic silver medalist, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa, and world championship silver medalist, Gary Reed of Canada, got tangled up in a collision some 200m into the race, and didn’t finish.
Boniface Kiprop, a former world junior 10,000m champion with sub 26:40 credentials over that distance, won the 3000m in 7:36.95 for a Ugandan national record. Kenyan Mike Kigen was second in 7:37.66, ahead of Irishman Alistair Cragg (7:38.60) and Ethiopian Abebe Dinkesa (7:40.00).
American Jen Rhines, who’ll run the 5000m in Beijing, turned in a good tune-up to win the women’s 3-K in 8:53.26 over Kenyan Pauline Korikwiang (8:56.98). It was her first-ever victory in a European meeting.
After a dawdling pace for three laps, Beijing-bound American Erin Donohue tried to steal the women’s 1500m with a strong move heading into the final bend, but was eventually reeled in by reigning Commonwealth Games champion Lisa Dobriskey, 4:08.87 to 4:09.63.
Irishwomen Roisin McGettigan blew by Ancuta Bobocel off the final water jump to take the women’s 3000m steeplechase in 9:33.76 to the Romanian’s 9:37.45.
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