By Bob Ramsak
LAUSANNE (02-Sep) -– Trying their hands at alternate distances, Olympic 1500m silver medalist Asbel Kiprop and 800m finalist Yusuf Saad Kamel traded places to take impressive victories at the Athletissima Super Grand Prix here tonight.
For Kiprop, the tall Kenyan who chased Rashid Ramzi to the line in Beijing, it wasn't so much a case of moving down in distance, but more of a move back to where the 19-year-old began his breakout season. Battling with Olympic champion Wilfred Bungei heading off the final turn, he passed his compatriot with about 50 meters to go to take a convincing victory in 1:44.71, a personal best.
Just behind Kiprop, Alfred Kirwa Yego (1:44.77) and then Ugandan Abraham Chepkirwok (1:45.00) overtook Bungei, who faded badly down the homestretch to finish fourth (1:45.31).
"I wanted to win this 800 at any cost," said Kiprop, who finished third at the African Championships in May. "I saw the 1500 earlier and I was very inspired."
That inspiration came in the frame of 800m ace Yusuf Saad Kamel, the former Kenyan Billy Konchellah who now represents Bahrain, who took another stab at the metric mile following an impressive outing in Zürich last Friday where he ran a 3:33.11 career best. Near the front at the bell, Kamel waited until the final 15 meters to effortlessly pass world leader Daniel Kipchirchir Komen to win in 3:32.83, another personal best. Down the homestretch, he looked very much at home over the longer distance.
"It felt very good," said Kamel, who confirmed that the 1500m will occupy more of his focus in 2009. "I felt very comfortable and strong through the final straight."
Komen, who found no answer to Kamel’s kick, held on for second in 3:33.03 to hold off Zürich winner Haron Keitany, who was third across the line in 3:33.62.
In some ways a reprise of the Golden League race in Paris six weeks ago, Maryam Yusuf Jamal stormed to an impressive victory in the 1500m, improving her season’s best to 3:59.84.
"It's important for me to win in Lausanne, at home," said Jamal, who is based in Lausanne.
U.S. champion Shannon Rowbury was tight on the Bahraini’s heels through the bell before Jamal managed to pull away for good as the pair headed into the final turn. Rowbury clocked 4:01.97, the third fastest performance of her career.
Further back, Briton Lisa Dobriskey was fourth (4:05.18), just ahead of Spaniard Nuria Fernandez.
With Pamela Jelimo resting for Friday's Golden League finale in Brussels where here share of the $1,000,000 jackpot is on the line, world champion Janeth Jepkosgei was able to take the spotlight and she handled it adequately, taking a comfortable victory in 1:58.15. Surprisingly, it was her first victory of the year.
"It's great to run without pressure," Jepkosgei said, whose next outings include another 800 in Brussels on Friday and the 1500m in Rieti on Sunday.
Russian Yekaterina Kostetskaya overhauled Jamaican Kenia Sinclair to take second, 1:58.90 to 1:59.02.
The sprints, however, stole the show here tonight with Asafa Powell winning the 100m in 9.72 and Usain Bolt clocking 19.63 for 200m. It's simply been a storybook year for Jamaican sprinting.
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