Rain Fails to Dampen World Class Performance
The aftermath of a torrential downpour failed to dampen the mood inside the University of Moncton stadium thursday night. Again the middle distance running provided terrific excitement.
Caleb Ndiku, a Japan based Kenyan who won the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country championships in March, led the men’s 1,500m field through a quick 800 metres split of 1:55.33 and then held off the challenge of Qatar’s Mohamad Al Garni down the final straight.
The powerful Kenyan won the gold medal in a time of 3:37.30 while Al Garni appeared blind to Moroccan Abderrahmane Anou’s late charge and was pipped at the line for the silver medal. Anou was timed in 3:38.86 just five one-hundredths ahead of the Qatari.
Canadian fans were once again out in force cheering for every Canadian athlete. That was the first thing Moncton’s Genevieve Lalonde commented on after finishing an impressive 6th place in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase.
Lalonde had no business being up with the two Kenyan runners Purity Cherotich Kirui and Lucia Kamene Muangi but for the first kilometre she tagged along to try to solidify a good finishing position.
In the end Kirui ran away from Ethiopia’s Birtukan Adamu in a new personal best of 9:36.34 for the gold medal. By this time the rain has stopped and conditions were cool and still, ideal for a distance race. Muangi took the bronze medal while Lalonde was rewarded with her brave running with a new Canadian and North American record of 9:57.74.
The women’s 800m was won by an athlete most familiar to track and field aficionados, Elena Lavric in a time of 2:01.85. This was her third world championship in four years. The Romanian won the 2007 IAAF world youth championships, the 2008 IAAF World Juniors and now this event. Cherono Koech of Kenya was second in 2:02.29.
The men’s pole vault was a great contest but in the end Russia’s Anton Ivakin set a new personal best and world leading mark of 5.50m on his second attempt, a height that Claudio Steccchi of Italy failed. Ivakin then asked for the bar to be set at a world junior championship record of 5.71m. but missed all his attempts.
The silver went to Stecchi at a personal best height of 5.40m with Britain’s Andrew Sutcliffe claiming the bronze also with a personal best of 5.35m.
The action continues at the University of Moncton track today with more finals on the slate.
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