STOCKHOLM, July 6: Kenya's Richard Chelimo shattered the world 10,000 metres record on Monday

with a brilliant solo run at the Stockholm Grand Prix athletics meeting, reports Reuter.

Chelimo, running alone for . the second half of the race before a cheering, clapping crowd of more than 17,000, clocked 27 minutes 07.91 seconds. The previous mark of 27:08.23 was set by Mexican Arturo Barrios In Berlin on August 18. 1989.

The crowd was very nice, 1 love them, Chelimo said. I love it when they're clapping, then 1 feel happy.

The record would have amply compensated the 2O-year-old Kenyan for his traumas at last years Barcelona Olympics.

Chelimo was briefly Olympic champion whep Khalid . Skah was disqualified for allegedly receiving' illegal assistance, only to lose the gold when the Moroccan was reinstated, the following day.

John Bicourl, Chclimo's manager and coach, said the pair had -planned to run even 65-sccond laps with Irishman John Doherty as the pacemakers.

"He knew what he had to do," Bicourt said. He had to do 65-second laps the whole way.

The problem was when the pacemaker went up to 66 seconds. He (Chelimo) had to make up for that by going 63 to 64.

According to the official split items the field went through the halfway stage in 13:33.8 with Chelimo clocking 60.9 seconds for the final lap.

The record came as no surprise to Chelimo who said he had clocked 27:54 at altitude recently.

An hour after the meeting finished Chelimo was still Jogging gently around the track in an empty stadium watched by Bicourt. The Kenyans run naturally, Btcourt said. I never have to worry about the Kenyans, they listen to their bodies.

Chelimb's performance climaxed an evening ofArivid performances from the Africans.

Fellow countryman Moses Kiptanui, who smashed the 3,000 metres steeplechase, and 3.000 flat records last year after missing the Barcelona Olympics, won the steeplechase by 50 metres In eight minutes 12.52 seconds, fastest time of the year.

There was a powerful display ■ >f sprinting from Namibia's Frankie Fredericks who dc-leated American world champion Michael Jchnson in the 200 metres.

Algeria’s Nureddine Morcell warmed up for his planned assault on the world mile record next Saturday.with an untrou-bled win in the 1,500 in 3:31.83 and South African Elana Meyer had no serious opposition in the women's 5,000. *

And Robert Kiplagat and Wilson Kipketer completed a Kenyan one-two in the men's mile. ,

American Kevin Young won the 400 metres hurdles despite losing his stride pattern on the eighth and ninth barriers and crashing through thp final flight. He recovered to win by 0.05 of a second but said later he had hurt his heel.