ROME, July 11 Reuters - Olympic 10,000 metres championHaile Gebrselassie suffered another setback to hispreparations for next month’s world championships withdefeat in Rome today.
The Ethiopian, who missed last year’s outdoor seasonthrough injury, finished third in the 5,000 metresbehind Kenya’s Abraham Chebii, who also beat him inParis earlier this month.
While Gebrselassie appeared a shadow of his formerself, Morocco’s triple 1,500 metres world championHicham El Guerrouj produced a highly impressiveperformance to set the world’s best time this year atthe distance.
In the sprints, American John Capel was a surprisewinner of the men’s 100 metres, ahead of compatriotsBernard Williams and Maurice Greene, while ChandraSturrup of the Bahamas stayed on course for a share ofthe Golden League jackpot with victory in the women’s100.
Gebrselassie again found Chebii and his fellowEthiopian Kenenisa Bekele too good when the race gotserious.
The 30-year-old began his charge 600m from the finish,but he was overhauled as Chebii found the better sprintto win in 12 minutes 57.14 seconds. Bekele clocked12:57.34 with Gebrselassie third in 13:00.32.
El Guerrouj’s time of 3:29.76 in romping to victory inthe 1500 sent out a warning to the pretenders to hisworld title, especially as the race was his first overthe distance this season.
Olympic and world 100 metres champion Greene sufferedthe latest in a series of defeats. The former worldrecord holder broke well but couldn’t pull away fromCapel, who won in 10.04, just ahead of U.S. championWilliams, who clocked 10.06.
Greene’s time of 10.09 was the same as that given tofourth-placed Briton Dwain Chambers.
Greene has yet to run into top form this season, as hebuilds up to defending his world title in Paris nextmonth.
I feel really excited. The fact I beat MauriceGreene, Dwain Chambers and the best in the world tonightgives me a boost for the rest of the season,'' Capeltold reporters. Williams later ran 20.01 to win the 200 metres, thefastest time in the world this year. Sturrup, with wins under her belt at Golden Leaguemeetings in Oslo and Paris, streaked out of the blocksto clock 10.89 -- the fastest in the world this year --and push America's Kelli White into second place. I didn’t expect to run 10.89. I can now justconcentrate on running better races and faster races. Iknow that now the Golden League jackpot is not just adream,’’ Sturrup said.
Mozambique’s Maria Mutola, along with Sturrup, is theonly remaining contender for a share of a one milliondollars jackpot, split between competitors who win theirevents at all six Golden League meetings.
World and Olympic champion Mutola confirmed hercurrent supremacy in the women’s 800 metres, overhaulingSlovenia’s Jolanda Ceplak in the home straight to win in1:57.21.