08/29/2008
By Bob Ramsak
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission
ZURICH
– Amid an array of stars who claimed 14 Olympic gold medals in Beijing,
Pamela Jelimo’s chase for the $1 million Golden League Jackpot resumes
at the Weltklasse in Zurich on Friday.
The Kenyan 800m prodigy
arrives after adding yet another accolade to her phenomenal breakout
season in the event, that of Olympic champion. And yet again, no one
appears remotely ready to challenge the teenager with just two meets
remaining in the six meeting series.
"I’m going to try my best
on Friday,” said Jelimo, who has produced four world junior records
this year and a pair of African records, the latest her 1:54.87 run in
Beijing. “But I cannot say I will try to break the world record, just
run my best and win. That is the main aim.”
The loaded field
includes her Beijing teammate Janeth Jepkosgei, who took Beijing
silver. When the GL events were announced earlier this year, it was
Jepkosgei who was widely perceived as a favorite. Now, with the rise of
Jelimo this year, Jepkosgei, the world champion, seems comfortable in
her bridesmaid role.
"After last year I was thinking about
Olympic gold, but Pamela was better, it was her day,” Jepkosgei said.
“I must admit I’m happy I won the silver in that fast race in Beijing.
I still want to improve my season best, and would be good to do it in
Zurich.” She’ll be aiming for a sub-1:56 PB at Letzigrund Stadium.
The
field also includes another compatriot, Nancy Jebet Lagat, whose 1500m
triumph in the Chinese capital was one of the major surprises of the
Games.
“I knew Maryam [Yusuf Jamal], was strong,” Lagat said. “I
just wanted to stay in contact with her. I was surprised at how easily
everything went.”
Zurich will mark her first 800m race since 2005. Notably, Jamal is also in the field.
The
race also features the final Zurich outing for retiring Maria Mutola,
who has won here a staggering 12 times. But with Jelimo, the woman who
as a teenager succeeded her as African record holder and who has
requested a blazing 56 second pace for the first lap, Mutola’s swan
song will most assuredly not be a 13th Weltklasse victory.
Meet
director Patrick Magyar conceded that finding an adequate pacesetter
for Jelimo is a difficult task. He settled for Russian Svetlana Klyuka,
who finished fourth in Beijing. Such is the rise of Jelimo: a near
Olympic medallist is needed to help set her tempo.
As is the
case for Jelimo, finding adequate pace-making for Kenenisa Bekele is
one of the most thankless chores for meet directors these days.
Fortunately for Magyar, Bekele has already said that any more assaults
on his world records are out of the picture this year.
Tired
from his historic Olympic 5000 and 10,000m triumphs, he’s simply happy
to race. Although the 5000m field is a formidable one --Olympic bronze
medallist Edwin Soi of Kenya and Ugandan Moses Kipsiro, the fourth
place finisher, and Kenyan Moses Masai will take to the line --nobody
in the world right now seems capable to remotely challenge the
Ethiopian.
Bekele nearly didn’t make it to the start line. His
departure for Zurich forced an early end to celebrations of his triumph
in Addis Ababa where tens of thousands lined the streets, and only
after a direct plea from IAAF President Lamine Diack did the Ethiopian
federation allow Bekele to race.
Olympic champion Rashid Ramzi
returns to action in the 1500, where he’ll face silver medallist Asbel
Kiprop, but this time in a paced race. The field also includes world
leader Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (3:31.49) who didn’t compete in
Beijing, as well as Frenchman Mehdi Baala and Spaniard Juan Carlos
Higuero, fourth and fifth respectively at the Olympic Games.
World
leader Paul Kipsiele Koech (8:00.57) leads the field in the
steeplechase. After not making the Kenyan squad for Beijing, Koech
shifted his season’s focus to Zurich, Magyar said. Fresh off a two-week
training stint in St. Moritz, Koech will be aiming for the season’s
first sub-eight minute run. The meet record, 7:56.54, was set by Saif
Shaaeed Shaheen in 2006.
Olympic champion Brimin Kipruto is not
in the field, but surprise silver medallist Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad
of France, and Richard Matelong of Kenya will be.
Besides
Jelimo, high jumper Blanka Vlasic also remains in the Jackpot chase.
The popular Croatian star is aiming to bounce back from her shock
defeat in Beijing to Belgian Tia Hellebaut who captures that nation's
first-ever women's Olympic gold medal.
The meet will receive
nearly unprecedented attention this year as triple Olympic gold
medallist Usain Bolt returns to action in the 100m. After setting world
records in the 100m and 200m at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, the
22-year-old became one of the most identifiable athletes on the planet.
