NAIROBI, Kenya, May 28- Nixon Chepseba and Janeth Jepkosgei forced their way into London Olympics reckoning by starring at the FBK Games in Hengelo on Sunday.
Chepseba, the reigning Samsung Diamond League men 1500m champion who finished fourth (3:31.32) in the opening meet in Doha (May 11) was rewarded with a career best in Hengelo when he blasted to a 3:29.90 victory in Belgium.
Running under warm conditions, Chepseba who played second fiddle as his chief rivals for the Metric Mile tickets to London, Commonwealth gold medallist, Silas Kiplagat (3:29.63) and Olympic titleholder, Asbel Kiprop (3:29.78) power to the world leading top two times of the season fired his intent by a performance that ranks him number three.
Having followed the pair who won silver and gold at the Daegu World Championships into dipping under the 3:30 standard, the lanky 21-year-old has thrown an intriguing twist into the race for men 1500m Olympics ticket.
Besides the trio, newcomer Bethwell Birgen (SB-3:31.17), youngster Collins Cheboi (SB-3:32.64), Geoffrey Barusei (SB-3:33.39) and Daegu semi-finalist, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (SB-3:33.43) who replaced Chepseba in the South Korea squad are other 1500m runners in the world top-ten thus far into the young outdoor season.
With the resurgence of Olympics women 800m champion, Pamela Jelimo dominating news, her bridesmaid in Beijing, Janeth Jepkosgei, crafted her own headlines in Hengelo when she won in 1:57.79 that lifted her to number two in the 2012 world list behind her domestic rival.
The ‘Eldoret Express’ won in a performance that mirrored the front running finesse she displayed when she powered to the world title in 2007 thereby proved she was not a dispensed force as London Olympics beckon.
At the season’s Diamond League opener, Jepkosgei raced 1:58.50 to finish third behind Jelimo who thundered to the 1:56.94 world lead and Ethiopia’s rising sensation, Fantu Magiso (1:57.90) whom she supplanted from the number 2 slot in the rankings.
Elsewhere, New York Marathon champion, Geoffrey Mutai, continued dusting off the disheartening failure to nail a London Olympics ticket when he destroyed the field in the Ottawa 10K race in Canada also on Sunday.
Despite the warm temperatures (around 23 celsius at the start) Mutai, the Boston and New York marathons record holder, tore through the early kilometres of this IAAF Silver Label Road Race with only Morocco’s Mohamed El Hachimi brave enough to follow. The pair passed three kilometres in 8:03. That was enough for the Moroccan.
Mutai was alone from that point forward reaching 5km in 13:35 and it appeared that he had Deriba Merga’s 2009 event record of 27:24 in sight. At the 6km mark the course turned into a strong wind and the workload got much harder as he pushed on alone. But like Merga, who was chasing the then-world record of 27:02, he visibly slowed over the final two kilometres and had to be content with the victory in 27:42.
El Hachim hung on for second in 28:26 with compatriot Simon Ndirangu third (28:38).
“I knew what the course record was and if there was someone to push pace I could have run even faster,” Mutai told IAAF after the race.
“I still have to train well. In Kenya I didn’t train very well for a long time. It was raining a lot and the roads where I train (in Kapng’entuny) were very muddy,” he added.
Mutai, who was overlooked for London after failing to hold on to his Boston title last month when he dropped out of the race stated his Olympics heartbreak had spurred him on to focus on redeeming his standing.
“That motivated me to look forward to run more races. It did not affect my mind,” he insists. “I am still looking forward to further competition. I am not sure of my next race but I will be preparing for a Marathon. I don’t know which one yet.”
RESULTS
Fanny Blankers-Koen Games Hengelo
Men’ results
100 Metres – Men Final Wind: -0.6 m/s
1 Martina , Churandy NED 10.18
2 Forsythe , Mario JAM 10.25
3 Waugh , Ainsley JAM 10.31
4 Roach , Kimmari JAM 10.35
5 Warner , Justyn CAN 10.36
6 Lewis-Francis , Mark GBR 10.39
7 Kuc , Dariusz POL 10.47
8 Smellie , Gavin CAN 10.53
9 Mariano , Brian NED 10.61
100 Metres – Men Heats Race 1 Wind: -2.4 m/s
1 Martina , Churandy NED 10.30
2 Forsythe , Mario JAM 10.31
3 Warner , Justyn CAN 10.51
4 Edwards , Monzavous USA 10.54
5 Malcolm , Christian GBR 10.54
6 Codrington , Giovanni NED 10.55
7 Feller , Jerrel NED 10.69
8 van Kruchten , Mike NED 10.70
9 Tromp , Jorén NED 10.73
100 Metres – Men Heats Race 2 Wind: +0.1 m/s
1 Waugh , Ainsley JAM 10.25
2 Roach , Kimmari JAM 10.29
3 Kuc , Dariusz POL 10.32
4 Lewis-Francis , Mark GBR 10.37
5 Smellie , Gavin CAN 10.45
6 Mariano , Brian NED 10.48
7 Brus , Wouter NED 10.54
8 Zimniewicz , Grzegorz POL 10.64
9 Hoogmoed , Guus NED 10.65
400 Metres – Men
1 Santos , Luguelín DOM 44.45
2 Rooney , Martyn GBR 44.97
3 Brenes , Nery CRC 45.20
4 Moerman , Joeri NED 46.34
5 Pistorius , Oscar RSA 46.35
6 Steffensen , John AUS 46.47
7 Steele , Andrew GBR 46.48
8 El Rhalfioui , Youssef NED 47.01
800 Metres – Men
1 Kszczot , Adam POL 1:43.83
2 Kitum , Timothy KEN 1:44.00
3 Kinyor , Job Koech KEN 1:44.17
4 Lewandowski , Marcin POL 1:44.34
5 Lathouwers , Robert NED 1:44.61
6 Ludolph , Sören GER 1:44.80
7 Olivier , André RSA 1:45.20
8 Kivuva , Jackson Mumbwa KEN 1:45.71
9 Kupers , Thijmen NED 1:46.46
10 Rimmer , Michael GBR 1:46.71
11 Hautcoeur , Kevin FRA 1:56.39
Scherer , Matthew USA DNF
1500 Metres – Men
1 Chepseba , Nixon Kiplimo KEN 3:29.90
2 Souleiman , Ayanleh DJI 3:30.31
3 Gebremedhin , Mekonnen ETH 3:31.45
4 Barusei , Geoffrey KEN 3:33.39
5 Wolde , Dawit ETH 3:33.82
6 Rodríguez , Álvaro ESP 3:34.10
7 Gathimba , Gideon Mwangi KEN 3:34.14
8 Brannen , Nathan CAN 3:34.22
9 Murray , Ross GBR 3:34.76
10 Dirirsa , Teshome ETH 3:35.46
11 van Deventer , Juan RSA 3:35.55
12 Higuero , Juan Carlos ESP 3:35.82
13 Beugnet , Gregory FRA 3:36.46
14 Lancashire , Thomas GBR 3:38.00
15 Nowicki , Bartosz POL 3:41.89
Rono , Geoffrey Kipkoech KEN DNF
Polonet , Vickson Naran KEN DNF
10,000 Metres – Men
1 Bekele , Tariku ETH 27:11.70
2 Desisa , Lelisa ETH 27:11.98
3 Sihine , Sileshi ETH 27:12.60
4 Gebremariam , Gebregziabher ETH 27:13.66
5 Medhin , Teklemariam ERI 27:16.69
6 Regassa , Tilahun ETH 27:18.90
7 Gebrselassie , Haile ETH 27:20.39
8 Kuma , Abera ETH 27:25.20
9 Merga , Imane ETH 27:42.39
10 Bekele , Azmeraw ETH 27:49.16
11 Kiplimo , Abraham UGA 27:49.76
12 Ritzenhein , Dathan USA 27:50.82
13 Bekele , Alemu BRN 27:56.20
14 Gala , Mumin DJI 28:23.46
15 Gebreyohannes , Samson ERI 28:28.05
16 Assefa , Belete ETH 28:28.50
17 Ghebreslassie , Ghirmay ERI 28:33.37
18 Bairu , Simon CAN 28:46.82
19 Abdosh , Ali ETH 28:54.69
Kende , Yetwale ETH DNF
Geremew , Mosinet ETH DNF
Eshete , Mekashaw ETH DNF
Tsegay , Atsedu ETH DNF
Dero , Birhanu ETH DNF
Barrios , Juan Luis MEX DNF
Bollen , Frank BEL DNF
Rono , Vincent KEN DNF
Kipkoech , John KEN DNF
110 Metres Hurdles – Men Wind: -0.6 m/s
1 Ash , Ronnie USA 13.31
2 Pozzi , Andrew GBR 13.39
3 Noga , Artur POL 13.45
4 Porter , Jeff USA 13.48
5 Akins , Tyrone USA 13.48
6 Wilson , Ryan USA 13.50
7 Craddock , Kevin USA 13.61
8 Smet , Koen NED 14.03
9 Samuel , Tjendo NED 14.33
Pole Vault – Men
1 Verberne , Cyriel NED 5.48
2 Boirie , Baptiste FRA 5.42
3 Bakker , Jorn NED 5.15
4 Vloon , Menno NED 5.15
5 van Wengerden , Wout NED 5.00
6 Art , Arnaud BEL 5.00
Jansen , Robbert-Jan NED NM
Mulder , Nils NED NM
Koppelaar , Rutger NED NM
Triple Jump – Men
Wind
1 Idowu , Phillips GBR 17.31 +1.0
2 Schembri , Fabrizio ITA 16.74 +0.0
3 Nima , Issam ALG 16.62 -0.4
4 Dong , Bin CHN 16.56 -1.1
5 Sabino , Jefferson BRA 16.54 -0.1
6 Cao , Shuo CHN 16.51 +0.4
7 Douglas , Nathan GBR 16.46 -0.6
8 Reid , Julian GBR 15.55 -0.5
9 Lewis , Randy GRN 14.16 -0.2
Discus Throw – Men
1 Harting , Robert GER 68.13
2 Alekna , Virgilijus LTU 65.62
3 Cadee , Erik NED 65.49
4 Urbanek , Robert POL 63.97
5 Smith , Rutger NED 63.30
6 Kövágó , Zoltán HUN 61.80
7 Czajkowski , Przemyslaw POL 61.50
8 Israel , Märt EST 60.44
9 Wierig , Martin GER 60.43
Women’ results
200 Metres – Women Wind: -0.9 m/s
1 Williams , ChaRonda USA 22.73
2 Samuel , Jamile NED 22.93
3 Townsend , Tiffany USA 23.04
4 Calvert , Schillonie JAM 23.05
5 Onuora , Anyika GBR 23.12
6 Maduaka , Joice GBR 23.44
7 Lubbers , Eva NED 23.76
8 Vassell , Kadene NED 23.94
800 Metres – Women
1 Busienei , Janeth Jepkosgei KEN 1:57.79
2 Santiusty , Yuneisy CUB 1:58.53
3 Negesa , Annet UGA 1:59.08
4 Okoro , Marilyn GBR 1:59.33
5 Lavric , Elena Mirela ROU 1:59.74
6 Jackson , Emma GBR 2:00.42
7 Verstegen , Sanne NED 2:02.17
8 Koech , Cherono KEN 2:04.17
Sum , Eunice Jepkoech KEN DNF
1500 Metres – Women
1 England , Hannah GBR 4:04.05
2 Harrer , Corinna GER 4:04.81
3 Weightman , Laura GBR 4:04.88
4 Shumi , Genzeb BRN 4:05.16
5 Achola , Janet UGA 4:05.52
6 Sujew , Diana GER 4:05.71
7 Thomas , Charlene GBR 4:07.06
8 Cherono , Mercy KEN 4:07.11
9 Cichocka , Angelika POL 4:07.25
10 Roman , Sonja SLO 4:07.67
11 Belete , Mimi BRN 4:09.23
12 Bogale , Tizita ETH 4:09.29
13 Twell , Stephanie GBR 4:09.59
14 Kuijken , Susan NED 4:12.40
15 Arcip , Larisa ROU 4:12.81
16 Tobias , Nataliya UKR 4:14.08
17 Konovalova , Anna RUS 4:20.31
Urbanik , Danuta POL DNF
100 Metres Hurdles – Women Wind: -0.9 m/s
1 Wells , Kellie USA 12.81
2 Jones , LoLo USA 12.90
3 Harrison , Queen USA 12.98
4 Carruthers , Danielle USA 13.04
5 Schrott , Beate AUT 13.10
6 Berings , Eline BEL 13.36
7 Hodde , Rosina NED 13.38
8 Bakker , Sharona NED 13.73
Vukicevic , Christina NOR DNF
Discus Throw – Women
1 Glanc , Zaneta POL 64.71
2 Sendriuté , Zinaida LTU 62.74
3 Wisniewska , Joanna POL 59.50
4 Robert-Michon , Mélina FRA 59.44
5 Artic , Natalia MDA 58.65
6 Apostolico , Tamara ITA 58.51
7 Jansen , Monique NED 57.40
8 Potepa , Wioletta POL 56.89
9 Fischer , Julia GER 55.14
