By Bob Ramsak
(c) 2008 TRACK PROFILE Report, all rights reserved
DIBABA ENTERS NEW TERRITORY
Likewise the first final on the track on the opening night of competition on Friday was yet another for the ages. Simply put, it was the finest women's 10,000m race in history that capped a sensational opening day of track and field competition.
Running in front of a near-capacity crowd at the 'Bird's Nest' Stadium, world champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia added yet another glimmering jewel to her already ornate crown after her 10,000m victory in 29:54.66 to become only the second woman in history to dip under the daunting 30-minute barrier.
"It was really tough, but I am not afraid of any race," said Dibaba, who indeed faced perhaps her fiercest battle ever over the track's longest distance. Although making her trademark break for the lead just beyond the bell, she didn't finally break clear from the remarkably strong Elvan Abeylegasse until about 250 meters remained. Abeylegesse in turn was rewarded with her brave late-race front-running with a sub-30 of her own, 29:56.34, a European record to become the third fastest in history.
In fact it was Abeylegesse, and before her, Dutchwoman Lornah Kiplagat, who deserve the bulk of the credit for the historic foray into sub-30 territory. Kiplagat led virtually from the gun --she brought the field through the first half in just under 15:10-- until the young Ethiopian-born Turk took over with eight laps to go, upping the pace by injecting a series of 70-second laps. In the end, Dibaba's finishing strength was simply yet again unparalleled.
Meanwhile, American record holder Shalane Flanagan gradually made her way up through the field, passing a pair of Kenya's best before finally working her way into third with laps to go. She held on easily to take the bronze in 30:22.22, smashing her own national record of 30:34.49 set at Stanford in April to become the 13th fastest ever. Remarkably, it was the second straight major championship in which an American woman took the bronze in the event. Not bad for a woman who was struck with food poisoning a serious bout of diarrhea just a few days earlier, briefly putting into question whether she would compete at all.
In all, 10 women dipped under 31 minutes, seven of them with career bests. Behind Flanagan finishing fourth was Kenyan Linet Masai whose 30:26.50 was a world junior record. Clearly, the fears that Beijing's notorious pollution would impact distance runners here were largely dispelled. At least on this night.
MEN'S SHOT PUT SHOCKER
In Friday's final in the men's shot put, conventional wisdom was again defied when Poland's Tomasz Majewski upset the favored American squad. Already riding high after a career best 21.04 in qualifying, he took control with his first throw of 20.80 in the final. Two-time world indoor champion Christian Cantwell briefly took over with his second round 20.98, to which Majewski simply responded with a 21.21m toss in the third round, a toss which would have sufficed for the win. As insurance, he set his third personal best of the day with a 21.51m effort in round four.
Cantwell later improved to 21.09 in the final round to take silver, with Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus taking the bronze (21.05).
World champion Valerie Vili added the Olympic shot put title to her collection tonight, with a 20.56m throw to improve her own Oceania record. The New Zealander's throw came with her opening effort, but remarkably consistent, each of her five throws sailed beyond 20 meters.
Natallia Mikhnevich (20.28m) and Nadzeya Ostapchuk (19.86m) took silver and bronze for Belarus.
There was a Ukrainian 1-2 in the heptathlon, with Nataliya Dobrynska succeeding Swede Carolina Kluft as the World's Greatest Female Athlete. She tallied 6733 points, topping teammate Lyudmila Blonska's 6700. American Hyleas Fountain took the bronze (6619 points) to capture the first U.S. medal in the event since 1992.
Competition resumes on Sunday with the women's marathon in the morning and concludes with the final in the men's 10,000m. The evening's action will also include the first ever Olympic final in the women's 3000m steeplechase, the men's hammer throw, women's triple jump, and women's 100 meters.
There will also be semi-final action in the men's 1500m and women's 400m.
Morning session report:
BEIJING - The chase for the title of World's Fastest Man' began as the Olympic track and field program got underway at the National Stadium in the Chinese capital.
A near capacity crowd was on hand at the "Bird's Nest" as Jamaican world record holder Usain Bolt, reigning world champion Tyson Gay of the U.S. and former world record holder Asafa Powell shook off the rust in the first round on the men's 100m.
No major surprises emerged from the opening round, with Bolt (10.20), Powell (10.16) and Gay (10.22) all advanced easily. Briton Tyrone Edgar, the winner of the sixth heat in 10.13, produced the quickest performance of the morning.
TOUGH DRAWS FOR QUARTER FINALS
But the easy opening round leads to some difficult heat draws in this evening's quarter-finals, scheduled for 7:45. The fourth of five quarters will be particularly intriguing, with American Botl, Darvis Patton, defending silver medallist Francis Obikwelu, and Norwegian Jaysuma Saidy Ndure lining up for the three automatic qualifying spots. Heat five includes Powell, world championships silver medallist Derrick Atkins, and American Walter Dix. In Heat 2, Gay will face African record holder Olu Fasuba and Trinidad's sub-10 man Richard Thompson. The first three from each heat, plus just one of the next fastest, will advance to tomorrow's semi-finals.
MEN'S SHOT PUT QUALIFYING - No Surprises
The first track and field gold medal of the Games will be awarded at tonight's shot put final. There were no major casualties from the morning's qualifying round, which were lead by Poland's Tomasz Majewski, the bronze medallist at this year's World indoor championships, who reached a career best 21.04m (69- 1/2).
Favorites Adam Nelson (20.56) Christian Cantwell (20.48) and world champion Reese Hoffa (20.41) all advanced without difficulties. Most eyes were on Nelson, the two-time defending silver medallist who had recently suffered a muscle pull in his lower chest, but he seemed to compete unfazed.
JELIMO, JEPKOSGEI CRUISE, BUT MUTOLA FASTEST
2008 800m breakout sensation Pamela Jelimo made her eagerly anticipated Olympic debut this morning, and she did it by barely breaking a sweat. No, not an easy task in the morning's hot and hum but otherwise sunny conditions.
The 18-year-old who lowered the world junior record to 1:54.97 this summer to become the sixth fastest woman in history arrived in Beijing as the overwhelming favorite in the event just four months after taking up the event. The only difficulty she probably encountered was with forcing herself to run slow. Interestingly her 2:03.18 was the slowest winning time of the morning's six heats.
The fastest was 2000 Olympic champion Maria Mutola, the woman Jelimo succeeded as African recor holder, who is competing here in her sixth consecutive Olympic Games. She won comfortably in 1:58.91. Janeth Jepkosgei, whom Jelimo succeeded as Olympic favorite, won in a gun-to-tape run in 1:59.72.
The biggest casualty of the opening round was U.S. champion Hazel Clark, who after mixing with the leaders for about two-thirds of the fifth heat, faded badly down the stretch to finish fifth. Briton Jemma Simpson, fourth in Heat 1, was also left behind. The semi-finals are tomorrow night.
FOUNTAIN LEADS HEPTATHLON AFTER TWO EVENTS
American Hyleas Fountain leads the heptathlon after two events. The Ohio native led off with a 12.78 victory in the 100m hurdles, the fastest of the day, and also produced the higest jump of the morning, clearing a career best 1.89m, to tally 2251 points. Anna Bogdanova or Russia is second with 2251 points, and Ukraine's Lyudmila Blonska third (2132).
The only other qualifying round of the morning came in the men's hammer throw, where just one man, Hungarian Christian Pars (80.07m) managed to throw beyond the 80m line. With a modest 75.34m making the cut for Sunday's final, no casualties emerged.
In addition to the men's shot put, the women's 10,000m champion will be crowned this evening in the night-capping event.
Tonight's program also features the opening round of the mens' 1500m and 400m hurdles and the women's discus throw and triple jump, along with the 3000m steeplechase which will be contested for the first time at the Olympic Games.
