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BEKELE REMAINS ALIVE IN JACKPOT CHASE
By David Monti
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission

After winning the 5000m at last night's ExxonMobil Bislett Games in Oslo with a fast final 200m, Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele remains alive in the chase for the $1,000,000 jackpot in the six-meeting ÅF Golden League series. 

Bekele is the only distance runner still in contention for the jackpot.  The other athletes in contention are javelin thrower Tero Pitkämäki of Finland, sprinters Kerron Stewart of Jamaica and Sanya Richards of the United States, sprint hurdler Damu Cherry of the United States, and pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia.

Bekele clocked 13:04.87 last night, holding off challenges for Qatar's James Kwalia and Kenyan Vincent Kiprop.

The ÅF Golden League series continues in Rome on Friday, July 10.

   NOTE: Assistant Editor Bob Ramsak had some connectivity problems last night in Oslo, and will file his story on the meet later today --Ed.

ENDS

Letsrun.com recap

Premier Event: Dream Mile Upset And Ethiopian Record Overshadowed By World Junior Mile Record!
Reigning world indoor 1,500m champion Deresse Mekonnen set an Ethiopian mile record of 3:48.95 as he outran form chart favorite Kenyan Augustine Choge. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of the race, though, was a world junior record set by Kenyan William Biwott Tanui, who - in his first attempt at the distance (!) - came up to also defeat 3:29 man Choge in the last 100m with a 3:49.29. Choge finished beaten, but with 180m to go, he made what looked like a major surge to surpass Mekonnen, who had taken the lead just 250m earlier heading in to the bell lap. Choge steamed by Mekonnen on the outside before Mekonnen turned on the jets to hold his inside ground and pull away with 120m to go.

Cheered on by celebratory pockets of colorfully-dressed Ethiopian fans, Mekonnen was overjoyed after his major victory over one of the world's best milers.

Australian Jeff Riseley ran great for a 5th-place personal best of 3:51.25, while Canadian Nate Brannen was next in 3:53.18. And, despite the loss, Choge still set a mile personal best of 3:50.22.

Despite the announcer's comments to the contrary, the.... Read More

2009 Results

Bislett Games Oslo (Bislett) (NOR) - Friday, Jul 03, 2009
100 Metres - M

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Bislett Games Oslo (Bislett) (NOR) - Friday, Jul 03, 2009
400 Metres - M

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Official Results - Men - 400 Metres - Summary

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Renny Quow	TRI	45.18	20
2	Leslie Djhone	FRA	45.37	16
3	Gary Kikaya	COD	45.53	14
4	Sean Wroe	AUS	45.74	12
5	Jamaal Torrance	USA	45.74	10
6	Richard Strachan	GBR	45.86	8
7	Young Talkmore Nyongani	ZIM	46.21	6
8	Johan Wissman	SWE	46.28	4

Official Results - Men - 400 Metres - Race1

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Renny Quow	TRI	45.18	20
2	Leslie Djhone	FRA	45.37	16
3	Gary Kikaya	COD	45.53	14
4	Sean Wroe	AUS	45.74	12
5	Jamaal Torrance	USA	45.74	10
6	Young Talkmore Nyongani	ZIM	46.21	6
7	Johan Wissman	SWE	46.28	4
8	Clemens Zeller	AUT	46.44

Official Results - Men - 400 Metres - Race2

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Richard Strachan	GBR	45.86	8
2	Oscar Pistorius	RSA	47.18
3	Awad Makki	SUD	47.50
4	Kristoffer Nyhuus	NOR	47.84
5	Kristian Magnussen	NOR	48.25
6	Lars Eric Saether	NOR	48.71
7	Jorgen Hasle Johansen	NOR	48.75
8	Alexander Dahlstrøm Winger	NOR	48.92

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Bislett Games Oslo (Bislett) (NOR) - Friday, Jul 03, 2009
800 Metres - M

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Official Results - Men - 800 Metres

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Yuriy Borzakovskiy	RUS	1:44.42	20
2	Mohammed Al-Salhi	KSA	1:44.96	16
3	Thomas Chamney	IRL	1:45.41	14
4	David Campbell	IRL	1:45.59	12
5	Fabiano Peçanha	BRA	1:45.59	10
6	Nadjim Manseur	ALG	1:45.71	8
7	Jozef Repcìk	SVK	1:46.26	6
8	Mattias Claesson	SWE	1:46.36	4
	Abdalla Abdelgadir	SUD	DNF
	Abubaker Kaki	SUD	DNF

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Bislett Games Oslo (Bislett) (NOR) - Friday, Jul 03, 2009
One Mile - M

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Official Results - Men - One Mile

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Deresse Mekonnen	ETH	3:48.95	20
2	William Biwott Tanui	KEN	3:49.29	16
3	Augustine Kiprono Choge	KEN	3:50.22	14
4	Mekonnen Gebremedhin	ETH	3:50.74	12
5	Jeffrey Riseley	AUS	3:51.25	10
6	Nathan Brannen	CAN	3:53.18	8
7	Henok Legesse	ETH	3:55.70	6
8	Tarek Boukensa	ALG	3:56.90	4
9	Nicholas Kiptanui Kemboi	KEN	4:06.99	3
	Philemon Kipkorir Kimutai	KEN	DNF
	Vickson Naran Polonet	KEN	DNF
	Mohammed Shaween	KSA	DNF

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Bislett Games Oslo (Bislett) (NOR) - Friday, Jul 03, 2009
100 Metres - W

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Official Results - Women - 100 Metres - Summary

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Kerron Stewart	JAM	10.99	20
2	Kelly-Ann Baptiste	TRI	11.14	16
3	Chandra Sturrup	BAH	11.15	14
4	Sheri-Ann Brooks	JAM	11.27	12
5	Ezinne Okparaebo	NOR	11.29	10
6	Folake Akinyemi	NOR	11.62	8
7	Jeanette Kwakye	GBR	11.67	6
8	Mari Gilde Brubak	NOR	11.96	4

Official Results - Women - 100 Metres - Race1 - Wind : +0.1 m/s

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Kerron Stewart	JAM	10.99	20
2	Kelly-Ann Baptiste	TRI	11.14	16
3	Chandra Sturrup	BAH	11.15	14
4	Sheri-Ann Brooks	JAM	11.27	12
5	Ezinne Okparaebo	NOR	11.29	10
6	Folake Akinyemi	NOR	11.62	8
7	Jeanette Kwakye	GBR	11.67	6
	Alexandria Anderson	USA	DNS

Official Results - Women - 100 Metres - Race2 - Wind : 0.0 m/s

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Mari Gilde Brubak	NOR	11.96	4
2	Siri Eritsland	NOR	11.99
3	Marte Jørgensen	NOR	12.15
4	Thea Oppegaard	NOR	12.27
5	Heidi Hessan Naess	NOR	12.31

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Bislett Games Oslo (Bislett) (NOR) - Friday, Jul 03, 2009
400 Metres - W

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Official Results - Women - 400 Metres - Summary

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Sanya Richards	USA	49.23	20
2	Shericka Williams	JAM	49.98	16
3	Amantle Montsho	BOT	50.71	14
4	Debbie Dunn	USA	50.84	12
5	Monica Hargrove	USA	50.96	10
6	Christine Ohuruogu	GBR	51.19	8
7	Yulia Gushchina	RUS	51.33	6
8	Tamsyn Lewis	AUS	52.34	4

Official Results - Women - 400 Metres - Race1

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Sanya Richards	USA	49.23	20
2	Shericka Williams	JAM	49.98	16
3	Amantle Montsho	BOT	50.71	14
4	Debbie Dunn	USA	50.84	12
5	Monica Hargrove	USA	50.96	10
6	Christine Ohuruogu	GBR	51.19	8
7	Yulia Gushchina	RUS	51.33	6
8	Tamsyn Lewis	AUS	52.34	4

Official Results - Women - 400 Metres - Race2

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Nawal El Jack	SUD	53.04
2	Stine Meland Tomb	NOR	54.56
3	Benedicte Hauge	NOR	54.80
4	Josefin Magnusson	SWE	54.90
5	Nina Katrine Brandt	NOR	55.27
6	Vibecke Brun	NOR	55.37
7	Sofia Thorin	SWE	55.68

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Bislett Games Oslo (Bislett) (NOR) - Friday, Jul 03, 2009
100 Metres Hurdles - W

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Official Results - Women - 100 Metres Hurdles - Summary

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Damu Cherry	USA	12.68	20
2	Brigitte Foster-Hylton	JAM	12.75	16
3	Priscilla Lopes-Schliep	CAN	12.78	14
4	Delloreen Ennis-London	JAM	12.84	12
5	Perdita Felicien	CAN	12.85	10
6	Danielle Carruthers	USA	12.88	8
7	Christina Vukicevic	NOR	12.92	6
8	Lucie Škrobáková	CZE	12.98	4

Official Results - Women - 100 Metres Hurdles - Race1 - Wind : -0.8 m/s

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Damu Cherry	USA	12.68	20
2	Brigitte Foster-Hylton	JAM	12.75	16
3	Priscilla Lopes-Schliep	CAN	12.78	14
4	Delloreen Ennis-London	JAM	12.84	12
5	Perdita Felicien	CAN	12.85	10
6	Christina Vukicevic	NOR	12.92	6
7	LoLo Jones	USA	12.98
8	Eline Berings	BEL	13.27

Official Results - Women - 100 Metres Hurdles - Race2 - Wind : +1.3 m/s

Pos	Athlete	Nat	Mark	Pts
1	Danielle Carruthers	USA	12.88	8
2	Lucie Škrobáková	CZE	12.98	4
3	Isabelle Pedersen	NOR	13.46
4	Hege Vold	NOR	13.64
5	Marie Hagle	NOR	13.65
6	Kine Aaltvedt	NOR	14.12
	Micol Cattaneo	ITA	DNS

Preview

DEFAR FACES MELKAMU, NOT DEFAR, IN OSLO 5000M
By Bob Ramsak
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission

OSLO (02-Jul) -– During the previous two editions of the ExxonMobil Bislett Games, Meseret Defar and Tirunesh Dibaba took turns smashing the world record in the 5000m. Both were on the slate in the event on Friday, but when Dibaba announced yesterday that she was pulling out of Friday night’s race due to injury, the meet was robbed of one of the most eagerly anticipated face-offs of the year. Yet despite the double Olympic champion’s withdrawal, Defar will nonetheless have quite a race on her hands when the AF Golden League series resumes tomorrow night here.

Two years ago here, Defar sliced nearly eight seconds from her own world record with a dazzling 14:16.63 run, which Dibaba took even lower last year, clocking 14:11.15. While she’s not predicting another world record run, Defar said she’s ready to dazzle again.

“I’m going to do my very best,” said Defar, whose only outing outdoors this year was a 31:07.34 victory in a specially arranged 10,000m race in Stockholm in May. “I’m going to run a very fast race.”

With compatriot Meselech Melkamu in the field, she’ll most likely have to. The 24-year-old arrives in the shape of her life, and at the moment, as the fastest woman in the world at both the 5000 and 10,000m this year. On June 14, Melkamu became the second fastest women ever in the 10,000m, after scorching a 29:53.80 national record in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Three days later, she toppled a strong 5000m field in Ostrava, where she ran 14:34.17, a world lead. Her antics impressed many, including Defar.

“I ran 31:07 in May, and she ran 29:53,” Defar said. “Yes, I was very surprised.”

Defar has requested a world record pace, and organizers have obliged. Pacesetter Yelena Zadorozhnaya of Russia has been asked to churn out 68-second laps in an effort to bring the leaders through 3000 meters in under 8:34.

The field also includes Vivian Cheruiyot, the 25-year-old Kenyan who first pushed, and then chased, Defar to her world record two years ago. Staying in contact for all but the final two laps, Cheruiyot was rewarded with a 14:22.51 national record. More recently, she won the Kenyan 1500m title in Nairobi last weekend, and the week before finished third in the Ostrava 5000m, clocking 14:38.26.

As for Dibaba, her injury is not suspected to be serious, and she’ll most likely race at least once prior to her 10,000m title defense in Berlin next month, said her manager Mark Wetmore, who also represents Defar.

“On Tuesday morning, Tirunesh said she was fit and ready to go,” Wetmore said. “And then we found out yesterday morning that she sustained a small injury on Tuesday evening. I think she wanted to be 100 percent to race against Meseret.”

There is also a high powered men’s 5000m on tap, headed by Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele. The Ethiopian is looking to stay alive in the $1 million Golden League Jackpot chase, after his solid victory in Berlin three weeks ago. His compatriot Sileshi Sihine, and Kenyans Abraham Chebii and Vincent Chepkok, second and fourth in Berlin and less than a second behind, will try to stop him.

Synonymous with the Bislett Games is the evening-capping Dream Mile. This year, the hands down favorite is Kenyan Augustine Choge, who’s taken fast 3:30.20 and 3:29.47 1500m victories this season in Doha and Berlin. The latter was a career best for the 22-year-old, as his 1:44.86 clocking in the Ostrava 800m 15 days ago. World indoor champion Deresse Mekonnen of Ethiopia could be a factor but defending champion Andy Baddeley won’t be. The Briton, who won here last year in 3:49.38, is sidelined by an ankle injury he sustained on Tuesday.

Like the women’s 5000m, the men’s 800m features the return of a runner with fond memories of Oslo. A year ago, Abubaker Kaki produced a sensational 1:42.69 world junior record, the fastest performance of 2008. He’s already nearly in sub-1:43 form with a 1:43.09 best from May, and arrives unbeaten in five races outdoors this year. Challenges will likely come from Mohammed Al-Salhi who sped to a 1:43.66 Saudi national record in Doha, and from the ever unpredictable Yuriy Borzakovskiy.

Elsewhere, Kenyan Ruth Bisibori leads the field in the women’s steeplechase and Irishman Alistair Cragg tops the field in the men’s 1500m.

PHOTO: Meseret Defar at the 2009 ExxonMobil Bislett Games pre-race press conferance (photo by Bob Ramsak)

ENDS