Brussels - Memorial Van Damme - 05th September 2003 Golden League - Track section Time-to-Run


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Maria Mutola - Million Dollar jackpot Winner


	Brussels - Memorial Van Damme - 05th September 2003

Brussels Belgium - On one of the hottest days in European history, the 4th Golden League of the series, arrived in Berlin under a sweltering sky.

After 5 meetings [ Oslo - Paris - Roma - Berlin - Zurich ] and 5 wins, Maria Mutola came to Brussels to do it one more time. oint it one more time would give the sole ticket to the $1 million Jackpot. She did not need to be given a chance and duly won with loads to spare. Thus ending a month of extreme stress, firstly knowing she was the only athlete left in the Jackpot hunt, then the Track World Championships, staying injury free and then winning at Brussels.

Added to the meetings excitment was Haile Gebreselassie's attempt at the 10 000m World Record, as well as a host 'newly' crowned Champions from Paris on display.

Following are the race reports from the middle and distance events :

3000m Steeple	5000m Women	800m Men	1500m Women
1500m Men	1500m Women	800m Women	3000m Men

The Men's 3000m SteepleChase race report
Qatar's first ever WorldChampionship Gold medal winner, Saaeed Saif Shaheen previously known as Stephen Cherono of Kenya, was again locked in a duel with a former countryman. This time it was Paul Koech who would push him all the way to a World Leading 8:00.06 victory.

The pencil-thin athlete, clad in his yellow vest, hardly looks like a strength athlete when he bounds his way around the 7 1/2 lap event over barriers and water, however his absolute ability and determination to win at this event can never be doubted.

With Koech in tow, Shaheen breezed around the confines of the Brussels' stadium with the composure of a recently crowned World Champion, allowing Koech to take the lead going into the last lap before striding out effortlessly past the Kenyan and powering away to another top of the podium finish. Dutch athlete, Simon Vroemen took 3rd place in a SB 8:09:18.. [ results ]

The Women's 5000m race report
The Women's 5000m saw the return to winning ways of the highly distinguished Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia. For an athlete to set a Personal Best [PB] time of 14:44.22 eleven years, after having won the 10000m Gold Medal in the 1992 Olympics and who has excelled over road, track and XCountry as well win over the marathon distance, is simply amazing.

There were only really 2 athletes in this race in the end, with Kenya's Isabella Ochichi providing the competition which lead to the Ethiopian achieving a PB. Ochichi in 2nd place was rewarded with a PB 14:47.70 , while 3rd place finisher Edith Masai clocked 15:06.64. [ results below ]

The Men's 800m race report
The Men's 800m produced a race of enormous quality with World's Leader Wilfred Bungei of Kenya; who did not go to the Paris for the 800m at the World Championships, showed everyone what they were missing by running a truly tremendous race.

From the outset, Bungei punched his way to the front to be in exactly the position he wanted to be. He had eagerly moved from lane 5 across the backstraight to lane 1, David Kiptoo the offical pacesetter almost arrived too late for his duties, such was the intent of Bungei. This was going to be no walk in the park, the Kenyan was here to set a fast time, of that there was no doubt.

The athletes all slotted in behind the early pace as they rounded the bend after 200m. The field was loaded with class, and for some reason Yuriy Borzakovskiy was back to his old tactics of not going with the early pace, almost 20m off the front. In the WC 800m, the 1st lap was 52 seconds, this was 50.10 and the Russian passed through close to 3 seconds later. His finishing time would be a SB [Season's Best] 1:43.68 for 6th, but still almost 2 seconds off the winner.

When Kiptoo stepped to the side with 250m to go, Bungei jumped at the opportunity to apply more pressure on those behind him. The field was strung out, there was no bunching. South Africa's Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was in 2nd position, 2m in arrears with compatriot Hezekiél Sepeng and Denmark's Wilson Kipketer next, closely followed by Holland's Bram Som.

Coming into the last 100m Som had a 'half-a-stride' lead on the Dane, however he would eventually fade to 8th place allowing 4 athletes to pass him in the process. Bungei with 50m to go still had the advantage and his arms began to flay away from his body as he fought towards the line. Mulaudzi, a more compact runner in looks, was trying to come on even terms with his sprint, but was making no impression. He would eventually finish 2nd in a PB [Personal best] time of PB 1:42.89, a mere 200th's of a second off Sepeng's South African record. Sepeng would take 3rd place in a SB time of 1:43.12.

Kipketer came home in 4th in a SB 1:43.28.

The race winner, Bungei ran a SB 1:42.52, and his desire for fast times was rewarded by eclipsing 2004's World Leading time of 1:43:05, which incidently was under his name. One can only imagine what could have been if he had made the trip to the Paris Champs.

Joseph Mwengi Mutua [KEN] came from stone last with 200m to go, to take 6th place in a SB 1:43.52.

What a courageous race by Bungei which produced many fast times, and strangely enough only one PB. [ results below ]

The Women's 1500m race report
Turkey's Süreyya Ayhan came to expel her ghosts of meetings past, when she took to the start line for the first time after her disappointing performance at the World's 1500m, where she collected silver.

Ayhan, as is her want, yet again shot to the front from the gun and qucikly placed herself behind the two pacesetters. Yuliya Kosenkova took the field through the 1st 400m in 60.90. And with her vanquisher from the previous week not present, Ayhan only had Yekaterina Rozenberg of Russia as company to follow the swift pace. However, for once the pursueing pack did not allow a ridiculous gap of 30m to open up, instead 10m was suffice on this occasion.

At 800m in 2:05.33 the 2nd pacemaker took over hoping to pull the Turkish athlete a few more hundred meters further. Ayhan moved close behind the tall frame of the pace provider. The extra injection of pace and the acceleration of Ayhan pulled the speedy athlete clear of her main competition and by 1000m, Rozenberg who was fighting to remain on equal terms had slipped to 5m off Ayhan with the rest of the field a further 20m. As they passed the bell in 2:54.2, the tall Natalya Yevdokimova stepped to the side. Ayhan dug deep passing through 1200m in 3:09.47 and began to demand more from herself as she powered down the backstraight going clear by 15m. Ayhan still look composed, however the gutsy Rozenberg was feeling the affects of having attempted to go with the pace, from a clear 2nd spot she would be relegated to 3rd by the tiny Yelena Zadorozhnaya who took 2nd spot in a SB [Season's Best] 4:00.12.

Ayhan would power home in a World Leading time of 3:55.33 which was also satusfyingly a new National Record as well as Meeting Record. A great performance, and maybe a slight release from the pain and tension caused through not winning the Gold at Paris.

The mistake Ayhan made was to follow the dwindling pace provided, as by the time the relaxed looking 1500m specialist began her last lap, 2:59 at the bell, it seemed that a sub 4 minute clocking had all been in vain. Not so, the European Women's 1500m Champion was able to muster a 60 second last lap to romp home in 3:59.59. A magnificent time considering the competition or should we say the lack of such, as well as the heat and inadequate pacing.

The rest of the field were to finish almost 9 seconds in arrears, the equivalent of close to 50 meters. This does not so much highlight the lack of ability, but simply the 'intent' which has been missing over this distance all season. In 2nd place came Iryna Lishchynska of Ukraine in 4:08.01, who won the all out bunched sprint for the line from Belarus' Alesya Turova, who was 3rd in 4:08.20.

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Quote : Süreyya Ayhan (TUR) "At first I was entered in the 800m race here in Brussels but then I decided to run the 1500m because I lost the final in Paris and I really wanted to win this race here. Of course I wanted to win gold in Paris, I wanted to be the World Champion but that was not my day. It was a bad day. “Until two years ago I didn’t like running with pace makers, then I started liking it more and more. I wish I could have run with one in Paris, if I had had a pacemaker I probably would have become world champion." [ results below ]

The Women's 800m race report
Mozambique's Maria Mutola, won the 800m race to capture the $1 million Golden League Jackpot

Quote : Maria Mutola (MOZ) Sole Winner of $1 million Jackpot "It definitely was a very difficult race for me tonight. It’s the biggest amount of money I’ve ever run for in my life. It wasn’t easy to stay calm and I was obviously very nervous coming into this competition. " [ results below ]

The Men's 10000m race report
Haile Gebrselassie (Eth) put aside the disappointment of not winning the Paris World Championship 10000m title by setting the World fastest time with a victory in 26mins 29.22secs WL. [ results below ]

Middle and Distance Results from Brussels : [ all the other results below ]

Results Men

800m
1 Wilfred Bungei (Ken) 1min 42.52secs
2 Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (Rsa) 1:42.89
3 Hezekiel Sepeng (Rsa) 1:43.12
4 Wilson Kipketer (Den) 1:43.28
5 Joseph Mutua (Ken) 1:43.52
6 Yuruy Borzakovskiy (Rus) 1:43.68
7 Andre Bucher (Sui) 1:44.23
8 Bram Som (Ned) 1:44.46
9 Joeri Jansen (Bel) 1:45.07
David Kiptoo (Ken) DNF

1500m
1 Hicham El Guerrouj (Mar) 3mins 28.40secs
2 Mehdi Baala (Fra) 3:28.98
3 Paul Korir (Ken) 3:30.72
4 Robert Rono (Ken) 3:31.33
5 Alex Kipchirchir (Ken) 3:31.42
6 Juan Carlos Higuero (Spa) 3:31.61
7 Benjamin Kipkurui (Ken) 3:32.58
8 Vyacheslav Shabunin (Rus) 3:32.63
9 Rui Silva (Por) 3:33.04
10 William Chirchir (Ken) 3:33.61
11 Cornelius Chirchir (Ken) 3:34.16
12 Isaac Songok (Ken) 3:34.85
13 Tarek Boukensa (Alg) 3:35.31
14 Roberto Parra (Spa) 3:35.54
15 Laban Rotich (Ken) 3:35.90
16 Ridouane Essaadi (Bel) 3:44.09
David Lelei (Ken) DNF
Anthony Whiteman (Gbr) DNF
Gert-jan Liefers (Ned) DNF

3000m
1 Ali Saidi-sief (Alg) 7mins 30.79secs
2 Eliud Kipchoge (Ken) 7:30.91
3 John Kibowen (Ken) 7:32.01
4 Benjamin Limo (Ken) 7:33.13
5 James Kwalia (Ken) 7:35.53
6 Luke Kipkosgei (Ken) 7:37.64
7 Abraham Chebii (Ken) 7:43.85
8 Jess Espana (Spa) 7:56.21
9 Monder Rizki (Bel) 7:56.93
10 Tim Clerbout (Bel) 7:59.97
Sammy Mutai (Ken) DNF
John Mayock (Gbr) DNF
Mohamed Khaldi (Alg) DNS

3000m Steeplechase
1 Saif Saaeed Shaheen (Qat) 8mins 00.06secs WL
2 Paul Koech (Ken) 8:00.42 PB
3 Simon Vroemen (Ned) 8:09.18
4 Julius Nyamu (Ken) 8:10.33
5 Ezekiel Kemboi (Ken) 8:12.87
6 Ali Ezzine (Mar) 8:13.31
7 Bouabdallah Tahri (Fra) 8:14.44
8 Zouhair El Ouardi (Mar) 8:14.81
9 Kipkirui Misoi (Ken) 8:17.27
10 Wilson Boit Kipketer (Ken) 8:17.86
11 Luis Miguel Martin (Spa) 8:20.89
12 Steve Slattery (USA) 8:24.99
13 Abraham Cherono (Ken) 8:31.73
14 Michael Kipyego (Ken) 8:32.93
15 Bostjan Buc (Slo) 8:38.64
John Langat (Ken) DNF
Abel Cheruiyot (Ken) DNS

10000m
1 Haile Gebrselassie (Eth) 26mins 29.22secs WL
2 Nicholas Kemboi (Ken) 26:30.03 PB
3 Abdullah Ahmad Hassan (Qat) 26:38.76 PB
4 Richard Limo (Ken) 26:56.63
5 John Yuda (Tan) 27:09.83
6 Sammy Kipketer (Ken) 27:13.42
7 Moses Mosop (Ken) 27:13.66
8 Dejene Berhanu (Eth) 27:14.61
9 Boniface Kiprop (Uga) 27:15.88
10 John Cheruiyot Korir (Ken) 27:17.24
11 Paul Kosgei (Ken) 27:21.56
12 Simon Maina Munyi (Ken) 27:22.29
13 Charles Kamathi (Ken) 27:29.47
14 Fabian Joseph (Tan) 27:32.63
15 Bob Kennedy (USA) 27:51.06
16 Wilberforce Talel (Ken) 27:54.44
17 Toshihiro Iwasa (Jpn) 28:58.08
Joseph Kosgei (Ken) DNF
Hailu Mekonnen (Eth) DNF
Leonard Mucheru (Ken) DNF
Karl Keska (Gbr) DNF
Martin Keino (Ken) DNF
Richard Geemi (Ken) DNF
Ali Aboalla Afringi (Eri) DNF
Shadrack Korir (Ken) DNF
Teodoro Vega (Mex) DNS

Women Results

5000m
1 Derartu Tulu (Eth) 14mins 44.22secs
2 Isabella Ochichi (Ken) 14:47.70
3 Edith Masai (Ken) 15:06.64
4 Restituta Joseph (Tan) 15:07.39
5 Zhor El Kamch (Mar) 15:11.78
6 Zahra Ouaziz (Mar) 15:13.14
7 Irene Kwambai (Ken) 15:14.68
8 Lidia Okninska (Pol) 15:24.29
9 Ines Chenonge (Ken) 15:35.04
10 Helena Javornik (Slo) 15:37.98
Olga Komyagina (Rus) DNF
Alesya Turova (Blr) DNF

1500m
1 Sureyya Ayhan (Tur) 3:55.33
2 Yelena Zadorozhnaya (Rus) 4:00.12
3 Yekaterina Rozenberg (Rus) 4:00.58
4 Jackline Maranga (Ken) 4:01.22
5 Naomi Mugo (Ken) 4:01.80
6 Daniela Yordanova (Bul) 4:01.83
7 Courtney Babcock (Can) 4:01.99
8 Judit Varga (Hun) 4:02.67
9 Olga Yegorova (Rus) 4:03.16
10 Natalya Gorelova (Rus) 4:03.83
11 Iryna Lishchynska (Ukr) 4:05.26
12 Hayley Tullett (Gbr) 4:05.72
13 Maria Cioncan (Rom) 4:11.47
Yuliya Kosenkova (Rus) DNF
Natalya Yevdokimova (Rus) DNF

800m
1 Maria De Lourdes Mutola (Moz) 1min 57.78secs
2 Natalya Khrushchelyova (Rus) 1:58.53
3 Amina Ait Hammou (Mar) 1:58.66
4 Kelly Holmes (Gbr) 1:58.69
5 Jolanda Ceplak (Slo) 1:58.99
6 Diane Cummins (Can) 1:59.45
7 Faith Macharia (Ken) 1:59.68
8 Larisa Chzhao (Rus) 2:00.51
9 Joanne Fenn (Gbr) 2:04.23
10 Claudia Gesell (Ger) 2:05.10
Letitia Vriesde (Sur) DNF

Other results
Men : 100m
1 Asafa Powell (Jam) 10.02secs
2 Justin Gatlin (USA) 10.09
3 Bernard Williams (USA) 10.10
4 John Capel (USA) 10.13
5 Deji Aliu (Ngr) 10.17
6 Mark Lewis-Francis (Gbr) 10.20
7 Dwain Chambers (Gbr) 10.22
8 Ato Boldon (Tri) 10.26
9 Uchenna Emedolu (Ngr) 10.28

200m
1 Justin Gatlin (USA) 20.04secs
2 Bernard Williams (USA) 20.17
3 Shawn Crawford (USA) 20.18
4 Darvis Patton (USA) 20.30
5 Marcus Brunson (USA) 20.55
6 Ricardo Williams (Jam) 20.65
7 Coby Miller (USA) 20.90

400m
1 Cedric van Branteghem (Bel) 45.02secs
2 David Canal (Spa) 45.64
3 Jimisola Laursen (Swe) 45.74
4 Ezra Sambu (Ken) 45.83
5 Stephane Diagana (Fra) 45.85
6 Bastian Swillims (Ger) 46.14
7 Andrea Barberi (Ita) 46.36
8 Xavier de Baerdemaeker (Bel) 46.68
9 Graham Hedman (Gbr) 46.89

110m Hurdles
1 Allen Johnson (USA) 13.16secs
2 Xiang Liu (Chn) 13.19
3 Chris Phillips (USA) 13.29
4 Terrence Trammell (USA) 13.39
5 Ron Bramlett (USA) 13.69
6 Mateus Facho Inocencio (Bra) 13.70
7 Marcio Simao De Souza (Bra) 13.90
8 Duane Ross (USA) 14.03
9 Larry Wade (USA) 15.17

Pole Vault
1 Denys Yurchenko (Ukr) 5.80m
2 Okkert Brits (Rsa) 5.80
3 Romain Mesnil (Fra) 5.70
4 Dmitri Markov (Aus) 5.70
5 Timothy Mack (USA) 5.70
5 Tim Lobinger (Ger) 5.70
7 Thibaut Duval (Bel) 5.60
7 Nick Hysong (USA) 5.60
7 Giuseppe Gibilisco (Ita) 5.60
10 Aleksandr Averbukh (Isr) 5.60
Kevin Rans (Bel) NM
Viktor Chistiakov (Aus) NM
Lars Borgeling (Ger) NM

Javelin
1 Boris Henry (Ger) 84.33m
2 Andrus Varnik (Est) 82.78
3 Peter Blank (Ger) 82.26
4 Christian Nicolay (Ger) 81.43
5 Andreas Thorkildsen (Nor) 80.41
6 Dariusz Trafas (Pol) 79.25
7 Raymond Hecht (Ger) 78.37
8 Alexandr Ivanov (Rus) 77.74

Women : 100m
1 Kelli White (USA) 10.87secs
2 Chryste Gaines (USA) 10.88
3 Torri Edwards (USA) 10.98
4 Chandra Sturrup (Bah) 11.01
5 Zhanna Block (Ukr) 11.12
6 Muriel Hurtis (Fra) 11.12
7 Marina Kislova (Rus) 11.31
8 Vida Anim (Gha) 11.32
9 Joice Maduaka (Gbr) 11.48

200m
1 Kim Gevaert (Bel) 22.72secs
2 Vida Anim (Gha) 22.90
3 Merlene Ottey (Slo) 23.08
4 Joice Maduaka (Gbr) 23.10
5 Cydonie Mothersill (Cay) 23.11
6 Karin Mayr-krifka (Aut) 23.17
7 Lauren Hewitt (Aus) 23.22
8 Jenny Adams (USA) 23.51
9 Audry Rochtus (Bel) 23.83

400m
1 Fenton Lorraine JAM 49.98
2 Thiam Amy Mbacke SEN 50.67
3 Richards Sanya USA 51.26
4 Prokopek Grazyna POL 52.21
5 Marx Claudia GER 52.86
6 Taylor Brenda USA 53.25
7 Fall Fatou Bintou SEN 53.33
8 Rockmeier Birgit GER 54.36

400m Hurdles
1 Yuliya Pechonkina (Rus) 53.49secs
2 Sandra Glover (USA) 53.87
3 Ionela Tirlea (Rom) 54.83
4 Andrea Blackett (Bar) 54.85
5 Tetiana Tereschuk-Antipova (Ukr) 55.06
6 Brenda Taylor (USA) 55.28
7 Surita Febbraio (Rsa) 55.57
8 Natalya Torshina (Kaz) 55.91
9 Natasha Danvers (Gbr) 57.08

High Jump
1 Hestrie Cloete (Rsa) 2.03m
2 Viktoriya Styopina (Ukr) 1.98
3 Yelena Yelesina (Rus) 1.98
4 Venelina Veneva (Bul) 1.98
4 Vita Palamar (Ukr) 1.98
6 Marina Kuptsova (Rus) 1.95
7 Blanka Vlasic (Cro) 1.95
8 Amy Acuff (USA) 1.95
9 Ruth Beitia (Spa) 1.90
10 Iryna Mykhalchenko (Ukr) 1.90
10 Inha Babakova (Ukr) 1.90
12 Olga Kaliturina (Rus) 1.85

Long Jump
1 Goulbourne Elva JAM 6.77 +0.9
2 Kappler Bianca GER 6.66 -0.4
3 Vaszi Tünde HUN 6.66 +2.2
4 Upshaw Grace USA 6.66 +3.1
5 Krauel Sophie GER 6.52 +0.4
6 Edwards Jackie BAH 6.40 +0.5
7 Johnson Jade GBR 6.37 +1.5
8 Carman Tina SLO 6.37 -0.4
9 Gutowicz-Westhof Urzula GER 6.34 +0.4
10 George Anju Bobby IND 6.28 -1.4
11 Schulte Sofia GER 6.08 +0.2
12 Lewis Denise GBR 6.06 -1.8

Triple Jump

1 Tatyana Lebedeva (Rus) 15.14m
2 Yamile Aldama (Cub) 15.00
3 Magdelin Martinez (Ita) 14.70
4 Francoise Mbango Etone (Cmr) 14.65
5 Olena Hovorova (Ukr) 14.42
6 Adelina Gavrila (Rom) 14.36
7 Kene Ndoye (Sen) 14.35
8 Anna Pyatykh (Rus) 14.24
9 Barbara Lah (Ita) 13.99
10 Heli Koivula (Fin) 13.90
11 Sandra Swennen (Bel) 13.35
Yelena Oleynikova (Rus) NM

Javelin
1 Tatyana Shikolenko (Rus) 61.36m
2 Steffi Nerius (Ger) 60.68
3 Nikolett Szabo (Hun) 58.41
4 Valeriya Zabruskova (Rus) 57.68
5 Cindy Stas (Bel) 51.43
6 Denise Lewis (Gbr) 50.14
Kolkkala Taina (Fin) DNS

This report from our Time-to-Run contributor

Time-to-Run Golden League Brussels