Bucher runs an outstanding race

MONTE CARLO, JULY 21. Distance runners stole the sprinters' thunder as they set four new best marks for the year at the Herculis International Amateur Athletic Federation Golden League meet on Friday.

Switzerland's Andre Bucher won the men's 800 meters in an outstanding 1 minute 42.90 seconds, a national record and the best time in the world over two laps of the track in nearly two years.

Bucher consolidated his credentials as the favorite for the World championships next month in Edmonton, Canada.

Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia was in his familiar place of last at the bell but came storming through in the last 150 meters. However, he had to settle for second in a national record of 1:43.17.

Mozambique's Olympic champion Maria Mutola set the tone for Bucher's performance by running 1:57.11 in the women's 800 a half-hour before the gun sounded for the Swiss runner.

The three women behind Mutola all set personal best times. However, Mutola believes that she still has something in reserve for the World championships.

Kenya's Paul Bitok ran the non-championship 3,000 meters in 7:32.11. Bitok's compatriot, steeplechaser Wilson Boit Kipketer, the 1997 3,000 meters steeplechase world champion, completed the quartet in the last event of the night, winning his specialist event in 8:01.73.

Kipketer, the former world record holder, stripped more than four seconds from the 2001 best, which he himself set. One Kenyan who will be on the plane to Canada is Edith Masai. She was only added to the Kenyan team on Thursday to run the 5,000 meters. On Friday, she took the shorter 3,000 in a personal best of 8:34.79.

Russia's Maksim Tarasov, the 1999 world pole vault champion, will not be able to defend his title after completely dislocating his left ankle during an aborted second attempt at 5.85 meters.

Tarasov fell awkwardly and the ankle gave way on the landing mat. He was carried out of the arena and immediately admitted for surgery at the nearby Princess Grace Hospital. The competition was won by Australia's Dimitry Markov, who finished in the silver medal place behind Tarasov in Seville two years ago. The Belarus- born vaulter equaled his national record of 5.95 meters. Although they were out of the limelight, American sprinters and hurdlers did well. Allan Johnson took the men's 110 hurdles in 13.18, while Chryste Gaines set a season's best of 10.98 in the women's 100. Bernard Williams took an anticlimactic men's 100 in 10.08 while the extroverted Jon Drummond took second place in 10.09.

- AP

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Next     : Topalov surprises Anand; surges into sole lead