| The title remained in Kenyan hands even though Kirui, seeking a hattrick of victories, failed to survive his heat. With Gebrselassie opting only for the 10,000m, the overwhelming favourite was Komen whose exploits during 1997 included a Commonwealth 1500 record of 3:29.46, a Kenyan mile record of 3:46.38, a barrier-breaking world 2 miles best of 7:58.61 and a world 5000 record of 12:39.74. In Athens the early pace was very slow before first Baumann and then Nyariki pepped it up with a third kilometre covered in 2:32.12. Shortly afterwards Komen bolted ahead, running a sub-58 eighth lap and building up a big lead. He was 40m up at the bell and although the gap was narrowed considerably on the last lap by Boulami, who outkicked Nyariki for silver, Komen completed his final 3000m in 7:33.9! |
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5000m |
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10 August |
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Event report Men 5000 metres
Daniel Komen of Kenya, the only man in history to have run two sub-4 minute miles in the same race won the World Championships gold medal at 5000m, the distance at which he briefly held the world record in 1995. Komen crossed the line in 13:07.38, comfortably ahead of Morocco’s Khalid Boulami, who was second in 13:09.34, and Kenya’s Tom Nyariki, who took the bronze in 13:11.09. Komen’s victory gives Kenya its fourth world 5000m title in a row. The race started slowly, Germany’s Dieter Baumann taking the field through 1000m in 2:43.86. With eight and a half laps to go Portugal’s Dionisio Castro spurted to the front and rapidly increased the pace, covered by Bob Kennedy of the USA, Baumann and Komen, but he did not break the field. At 2000m (5:33.03) Baumann made a move, putting in a 60.1 second lap and gaining a 5 metre gap on Nyariki. The Kenyan closed it down and then stretched the field himself, followed by Komen and Boulami. At 3000m (8:05.15) Komen took off, rapidly opening a 10 metre lead. Within 300m there was a 30 metre gap to Nyariki and Boulami, which Komen extended with 59.3 and 58.3 laps. He passed 4000m in 10:33.49 with a 40 metre lead (after a 2:28 fourth kilometre) and strode home unchallenged for the last two and a half laps. Boulami outkicked Nyariki in the home straight for the silver medal.
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Final |
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| 1 |
Daniel Komen |
KEN |
17 May 76 |
13.07.38 |
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| 2 |
Khalid Boulami |
MAR |
7 Aug 69 |
13.09.34 |
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| 3 |
Thomas Nyariki |
KEN |
27 Sep 71 |
13.11.09 |
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| 4 |
Ismaïl Sghyr |
MAR |
16 Mar 72 |
13.17.45 |
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| 5 |
Dieter Baumann |
GER |
9 Feb 65 |
13.17.64 |
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| 6 |
Bob Kennedy |
USA |
18 Aug 70 |
13.19.45 |
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| 7 |
El Hassan Lahssini |
MAR |
1 Jan 75 |
13.20.52 |
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| 8 |
Enrique Molina |
ESP |
25 Feb 68 |
13.24.54 |
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| 9 |
Manuel Pancorbo |
ESP |
7 Jul 66 |
13.25.78 |
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| 10 |
Fita Bayissa |
ETH |
15 Dec 72 |
13.25.98 |
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| 11 |
Abdellah Béhar |
FRA |
5 Jul 63 |
13.29.10 |
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| 12 |
Worku Bikila |
ETH |
6 May 68 |
13.30.02 |
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| 13 |
Paul Bitok |
KEN |
26 Jun 70 |
13.30.25 |
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| 14 |
Dionísio Castro |
POR |
22 Nov 63 |
13.31.74 |
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| 15 |
Pablo Olmedo |
MEX |
8 May 75 |
14.05.59 |
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Event Report Men 5000m Heats
Morocco’s Ismail Sghyr was the fastest qualifier for the men’s 5000m final on Sunday, winning the first heat in 13:19.70, just ahead of the fastest 5000m runner in the world this year, and former world record holder, Daniel Komen of Kenya. One notable name who will not be on the starting line on Sunday is Komen’s teammate, the 1993 and 1995 world 5000m champion, Ismael Kirui, who finished 9th in heat two in 13:34.52. Heat 1: New Zealand’s Jonathan Wyatt took the field through the first kilometre in 2:42.63, followed by the 1992 Olympic champion, Dieter Baumann of Germany, Paul Bitok of Kenya, Sghyr and Komen. At 2000m (5:28.40) Ethiopia’s Worku Bikila strode to the lead and picked up the pace. Sghyr took over at 3000m (8:08.65) and gradually accelerated - taking Baumann, Komen, Bitok, Spain’s Enrique Molina, Bikila and Abdellah Behar of France, 10 metres clear of the rest. At 4000m (10:47.82) Komen took the lead and a group of five broke clear before the bell and came home to take the automatic qualifying spots. Bikila and Behar qualified on time. Heat 2: Bob Kennedy of the USA led the field through 1000m in 2:46.25, some four seconds slower than the first heat. At 2000m (5:30.14) Kirui increased the pace, followed by a large group, before Morocco’s El Hassan Lahssini took over and stretched them out. At 3000m (8:07.26) there were still 10 men in contention, with Kenya’s Tom Nyariki, Kennedy and Ethiopia’s Fita Bayissa Lahssini’s closest challengers. Kirui was dropped from a leading group of eight at 4000m (10:47.22) and at the bell a group of five, including Kennedy, Nyariki, Dionisio Castro of Portugal, Lahssini and Khalid Boulami, broke clear to finish in the automatic qualifying positions.
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Heats |
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8 August |
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Heat 1 |
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| 1 |
Ismaïl Sghyr |
MAR |
16 Mar 72 |
13.19.69 |
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| 2 |
Dieter Baumann |
GER |
9 Feb 65 |
13.19.81 |
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| 3 |
Daniel Komen |
KEN |
17 May 76 |
13.19.87 |
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| 4 |
Enrique Molina |
ESP |
25 Feb 68 |
13.22.74 |
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| 5 |
Paul Bitok |
KEN |
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13.24.85 |
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| 6 |
Abdellah Behar |
FRA |
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13.26.50 |
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| 7 |
Worku Bikila |
ETH |
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13.31.18 |
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| 8 |
Alan Culpepper |
USA |
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13.34.74 |
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| 9 |
Anacleto Jimenez |
ESP |
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13.36.55 |
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| 10 |
Keith Cullen |
GBR |
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13.42.40 |
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| 11 |
Warsama Ahmed Ibrahim |
QAT |
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13.49.55 |
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| 12 |
Sergey Drygin |
RUS |
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13.55.56 |
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| 13 |
Jeff Schiebler |
CAN |
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13.57.31 |
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| 14 |
Mark Carroll |
IRL |
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13.57.88 |
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| 15 |
Robert Denmark |
GBR |
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13.58.08 |
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| 16 |
Ali Zaied |
LBA |
13 Jan 74 |
13.58.26 |
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| 17 |
Nestor Garcia |
URU |
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14.12.15 |
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| 18 |
Francis Munthali |
MAW |
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14.14.80 |
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| - |
Jonathan Wyatt |
NZL |
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DNF |
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| - |
Marco Condori |
BOL |
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DNS |
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Heat 2 |
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| 1 |
Bob Kennedy |
USA |
18 Aug 70 |
13.23.07 |
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| 2 |
Khalid Boulami |
MAR |
7 Aug 69 |
13.23.46 |
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| 3 |
Thomas Nyariki |
KEN |
27 Sep 71 |
13.23.55 |
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| 4 |
El Hassan Lahssini |
MAR |
1 Jan 75 |
13.23.75 |
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| 5 |
Dionísio Castro |
POR |
22 Nov 63 |
13.24.51 |
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| 6 |
Manuel Pancorbo |
ESP |
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13.25.71 |
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| 7 |
Pablo Olmedo |
MEX |
8 May 75 |
13.27.65 |
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| 8 |
Fita Bayissa |
ETH |
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13.28.54 |
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| 9 |
Ismael Kirui |
KEN |
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13.34.52 |
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| 10 |
Ayele Mezgebu |
ETH |
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13.38.96 |
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| 11 |
Mustapha Essaid |
FRA |
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13.39.11 |
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| 12 |
Panagiotis Papoulias |
GRE |
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13.58.27 |
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| 13 |
Brian Baker |
USA |
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14.03.95 |
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| 14 |
Adrian Passey |
GBR |
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14.07.49 |
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| 15 |
Samuli Vasala |
FIN |
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14.10.92 |
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| 16 |
Yohannes Ghirmai |
ERI |
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14.59.47 |
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| 17 |
Anatola Lekade |
TOG |
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15.00.21 |
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| 18 |
Yeli Moussa |
NIG |
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15.00.61 |
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