Paris 2003 Day 5

Day 5 of the Paris 2003 World Track Championships, saw Hicham El Guerrouj attempting to become the most successful 1500m runner of the WC ever. He needed to win an unprecedented 4th title to cement this fact.

He did not disappoint, up against the crowd favourite and much improved Mehdi Baala of France, El Guerrouj would adopt a brave front running tactic which would win over many a sceptic.

There were also the Women’s 1500m Heats, where Turkey’s favourite chance to win a Gold Medal, Süreyya Ayhan, qualified with relative ease for the semi-final. There were no major surprises, except for the withdrawal of Kelly Holmes from the 1500m running. | results |

Men’s 1500m Final :

In an event where Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj; who presently holds World Records in both the mile and 1500m, has been unbeaten over the distance longer than anyone in history and has won this 1500m title on 3 occasions before, yet still has to prove himself as the greatest ever.

Needing to prove his status as the best, the Moroccan needed to defeat all and sundry without the assistance of a pacesetter. The stress and tension was pallable, especially considering that his main challenge would be coming from France’s very own Mehdi Baala. To say that Baala, was a crows favourite would be an understatement. The Frenchman had been working on his speed of recent, and had competed successfully over 800m recently and was been seen as El Guerrouj’s conqueror in waiting.

With no countryman to pace the World’s premier miler/1500m, the many sceptics were lining up ready to witness the downfall of the King of Middle Distance. And El Guerrouj was going to prove his true value the hard way.

Hicham El Guerrouj

After an opening lap by way of Spain’s Reyes Estévez in 57.70, El G was left with no other choice but to be leading through 800m in 1:56.29 The pace had dropped, to play into the hands of Baala and the others finishing speed would be folly. However, to take the lead so early in a 1500m final was also unexpected and to a certain extent unheard of from an outright favourite.

Going to the front leaves you exposed, however if you are truly the World’s greatest ever 1500m runner, then nothing should be daunting. After the opening lap of 57 and the 2nd in 59 second, the smooth striding 3 time winner, took them to 1200m in 2:51.28. An increase in tempo to a 54.99 second lap.

They now had 300m to travel, and the crowd favourite to beat El G was well positioned to deliver that desire.

Well, it never happened, El Guerrouj claimed his 4th title by covering the next 300m in 40 sec, maintaining a even tempo down the backstraight before picking it up in increments. In the last 100m Baala was still there, a glance to his right and El G applied pressure for the last time. The effort of trying to dethrone the World’s greatest 1500m runner is evident in the last 60m as his form leaves him.

El Guerrouj pours home in 3:31.77 followed by Baala in 3:32.31, and surprise Bronze medalist Ivan Heshko [Ukraine] in 3:33.17 In 4th place was the improving sort, Paul Korir [Kenya] in 3:33.47

For the Moroccan the winning of this title in the manner he did, hopefully exorcised his demons from losing in Sydney 2000 His celebrations after his victory was to me pure illustration of the relief he felt at winning | results |

Pos Bib Athlete Nat Time1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 3:31.772 457 Baala Mehdi FRA 3:32.313 1352 Heshko Ivan UKR 3:33.174 813 Korir Paul KEN 3:33.475 1106 Silva Rui POR 3:33.686 384 Estévez Reyes ESP 3:33.84 7 984 Liefers Gert-Jan NED 3:33.99 (SB) 8 460 Chouki Fouad FRA 3:34.05 9 1189 Shabunin Vyacheslav RUS 3:34.37 10 820 Songok Isaac KEN 3:34.39 11 399 Parra Roberto ESP 3:35.02 (PB) 12 388 Higuero Juan Carlos ESP 3:38.49 Intermediate Pos Bib Athlete Nat Time 400m 1 384 Estévez Reyes ESP 57.70 800m 1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 1:56.29 1200m 1 908 El Guerrouj Hicham MAR 2:51.28

1500m finish

El G on a wing and a prayer