ZURICH -- Pamela Jelimo just keeps getting faster.
Just 11 days after becoming the youngest ever 800m Olympic champion, the Kenyan teenager entered the most exclusive of territories in the 800m to highlight the Weltklasse AF Golden League fixture in Zurich tonight.
On a night when fatigue and drained emotions were a common theme shared by athletes who arrived here straight from two weeks in Beijing, Jelimo’s sensational 1:54.01 performance elevated her to No. 3 all-time, trailing only Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 1:53.28 world record and Nadezhda Olizarenko’s 1:53.43 from 1980, a former world record.
Close on the heels of pacesetter Svetlana Klyuka through 400m which the Russian hit in 55.66, under the agreed target, Jelimo ventured on alone, just as she has all season, with about 250 meters to go. Dropping to the track just beyond the finish line, it was clear that this latest effort, her fourth African record and fifth world junior record of the year, clearly took a lot out of her.
Following up on her disappointing showing in the Olympic 1500m final, Maryam Yusef Jamal performed well here, clocking 1:57.80, a Bahraini record, to finish second, well ahead of world champion and Beijing silver medallist Janeth Jepkosgei (1:58.26).
Contesting the last international race of her storied career, Maria Mutola finished a respectable fourth in 1:58.71 after watching Jelimo shatter her 1:55.19 meet record set in 1994.
Olympic 1500m champion Nancy Jebet Lagat didn’t fare nearly as well as the others. Never a factor, she was last in 2:05.84.
- Bolt Begins Encore Tour
Usain Bolt redefined the sprint world in Beijing, and while his 9.69 world record in the 100m was never threatened, he didn’t let a sluggish start and a worsening head cold keep him from entertaining the enthusiastic capacity crowd of 26,000. Yet again, he dominated the field in 9.83 seconds, well ahead of Beijing bronze medallist Walter Dix (9.99), who edged Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson (10.09).
- Olympic Champions Roll on
Competing just a week after completing an historic 5000/10,000m double in Beijing, Kenenisa Bekele didn’t let his tired legs keep him from dominating yet another 5000m contest. Running at the front for more than three kilometers, the unparalleled Ethiopian crushed the opposition –many of whom did not compete in Beijing—in 12:50.18, the fastest in the world this year. Ugandan Moses Kipsiro was closest, dipping under 13 minutes in 12:59.48 to finish second.
Dayron Robles produced another sub-13 to win the 110m hurdles in 12.97, but mere inches separated him from U.S. champion David Oliver (12.98) who made up a significant deficit over the race’s second half.
“It’s always good to run under 13 seconds,” said Robles, who has now done so on six occasions. “I struggled a little with my technique. But Oliver pushed me to a nice race.”
Andreas Thorkildsen underscored his Olympic title repeat with a dominating performance in the javelin. The Norwegian’s consistent series was topped by a 90.28m heave in the second round, his and the world’s second 90-meter effort of the season. His follow-ups of 88.15 and 89.05 would have won as well, with world champion Tero Pitkamaki topping out with an 87.25m throw.
“I threw really well today,” said Thorkildsen, who broke Jan Zelezny’s Olympic record in Beijing.”I only had some very small technical mistakes.”
Yelena Isinbayeva said she was physically and emotionally drained after taking her second Olympic title, but she still managed to solid victory, clearing a meet record 4.88m. American record holder and Beijing silver medallist Jenn Stuczynski was second at 4.75m.
Angelo Taylor kept his momentum alive, again defeating Kerron Clement, 48.07 to 48.20 in the 400m hurdles.
- Beating Back Their Beijing Blues
Several pre-Beijing favorites followed up their Olympic disappointment with confidence-boosting victories. The most notable was Blanka Vlasic, who won the high jump with a 2.01m leap to remain alive, along with Jelimo, in the hunt for $1 million AF Golden League Jackpot hunt.
“It was nice to see that I could win again,” said the Croatian World champion whose 34-meet win streak was snapped in Beijing. “The result wasn’t important tonight. Only the victory was. I’m glad I’m still in the running for the jackpot.”
Fighting a cold, Olympic champion Tia Hellebaut was never a factor, managing a best of just 1.90.
Two-time world champion Jeremy Wariner produced a solid outing in the 400, running a solid second half to win handily over Beijing winner LaShawn Merritt in 43.82, his fastest of the season, and second only to Merritt’s 43.75 from the Olympic final. After building a slight edge at the half way point, Merritt couldn’t respond to Wariner’s closing strut, clocking 44.43.
Lolo Jones, whose Olympic gold ambitions ended when she clipped the ninth hurdle in Beijing, returned to her winning ways with a 12.56 win in 100m hurdles, beating the entire Olympic podium trio. Dawn Harper, the surprise Olympic champion, was a distant sixth in 12.73.
Sanya Richards bounced back well from her bronze medal disappointment to dominate the 400m. Clearly in the lead by the midway point, she cruised to a 49.74 season’s best victory well ahead of rising Russian Tatyana Firova (50.70).
Allyson Felix, who took her second consecutive Olympic 200m silver in Beijing, won the half lap here comfortably in 22.37 to end her season on a high.
African 1500m champion Haron Keitany, who like Jelimo is contesting his first international season, was the first to rain on the parade of Beijing champions. With an impressive sustained kick over the final 150 meters, the Kenyan reached the line in 3:32.06, a career best, holding off Olympic champion Rashid Ramzi, whose 3:32.86 was a season’s best. Bahrain took spots three and four as well with Belal Mansoor Ali (3:33.06) and 800m standout Yusuf Saad Kamel (3:33.11 PB) next across the finish. In a blanket finish, world 800m champion and Beijing silver medallist Alfred Kirwa Yego was eighth, clocking a career best 3:33.69
Elsewhere, Paul Kipsiele Koech fell short of his sub-eight minute goal in the steeplechase, but still won unpressed in 8:04.26 after running most of the final kilometer alone. Olympic silver medallist Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad of France produced another strong finish to finish second in 8:08.85, the fastest by a European this year. Kenyan Michael Kipyego was third, his 8:09.05 a personal best.
Hussain Taher Al-Saba of Saudi Arabia equaled his personal best to win the long jump with an 8.35m leap, well ahead of Italy’s Andrew Howe (8.06m).
The six-meet series, along with the $1 million jackpot chase, concludes next Friday with the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels where a sell-out crowd of 47,000 will be on hand.
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