Date:31/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/31/stories/2007073162012300.htm

Sport - Athletics

IAAF ratifies World records

MONTE CARLO: Haile Gebrselassie had World records in the 20,000 metres and the 1-hour race ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Monday.

The Ethiopian set the records at the Golden Spike meet in June in Ostrava, Czech Republic. In both events, he broke 16-year-old previous marks set by Arturo Barrios of Mexico in La Fleche, France.

Gebrselassie ran 21,285m in one hour to surpass Barrios’ mark by 184m. He also finished 20,000m in 56:25.98 seconds. Barrios had timed 56:55.6.

The IAAF also ratified Meseret Defar’s 5,000m World record. The Ethiopian ran 14:16.63 at the Bislett Games in Oslo in June to beat her own mark of 14:24.53 set in New York last year. — AP