BERLIN. Sept 8: MOroccan star Hicham El Guerrouj broke the 2000m world record here on Tuesday at the
IAAF Golden League meeting finishing in a time of 4min 44.79sec — beating the old mark set by former Algerian archrival Noureddine Morceli by more than three seconds, reports AFP.
The 24-year-old's superb performance overshadowed Romania's Gabriela Szabo and Denmark's Kenyan-born runner Wilson Kipketer’s achievements as they shared the Golden League million-dollar bonus after winning the seventh and final races of their respective events -- the 5000m and 800m.
El Guerrouj. who won his second successive 1500m world title in Seville last month, broke the old mark of 4min 47.88 set by Morceli in Paris in July 1995.
El Guerrouj now holds the mile, which he broke in Rome this year. 1500m and 2000m record all previously held by Morceli.
The Moroccan, who said on Tuesday he wanted to break every world record up to 5000m, was left on his own for the final 600m when Kenyan pacemaker William Tanui dropped out.
Despite being left with 55secs to break the record on the final lap he eased home to leave Morceli with no world records left to his name and only the Olympic title to defend next year,
Kipketer, who narrowly retained the world outdoor title for the third successive time in Seville last month, made his break with 250 metres to go breezing past world silver medalist Hezekiel Sepeng.
Clear into the final straight the 28-year-old had to call on all his reserves to repel the late challenge of young Kenyan pretender Japheth Kimutai. who ended his two year unbeaten run in Zurich last year, to guarantee himself the bonus.
"It wasn't my greatest run of the year but I knew that I would have to get past Sepeng before the final turn so it would give him a shock," Kipketer said.
T didn't see Kimutai coming but the important thing Is I held on to take the bonus .. though I still say the money is secondary to remaining unbeaten." he added.
Szabo, the world 5.000m champion, refused to panic when Tegla Loroupe and the Kazakh-born German runner Irina Mlkltenko led Into the final lap.
The 23-year-old, a threetime world indoor 3000m world champion, stormed to the lead with 300m to go and never looked in danger of being caught as hei close friend Zahra Ouaziz of Morocco filled the runners-up spot for the umpteenth time this year.
"Its something special for me its a fantastic feeling," Szabo said.
"It was a hard race for me tonight but I am strong and I trained hard for this.
"For me its like winning seven world championships this season .. I'm pretty tired now and I can't wait to go on holiday next week!” she added.
Moroccan Ali Ezzini ended any worries that the IAAF, the world sport's governing body, may have had over a long court case when he bettered his personal best by a second to beat Kenyan 3000m steeplechaser Bernard Barmasai.
The 25-year-old Kenyan, who is still the world recordholder, had threatened to go to court after he was barred from sharing in the million-dollar bonus when he admitted to asking compatriot Christopher Koskei to let him win the Zurich Golden League race.
Barmasai, though, may have I the last laugh by winning the overall Grand Prix series when the competition climaxes in Munich on Saturday.
Maurice Greene, the 100m world recordholder, made his decision to opt for the 200m pay off as he coasted home to win -making it 12 wins out of 13 over the distance this season.
There was a shock for the women's 200m world champion Inger Miller, whose winning margin in Seville had been the greatest in a major 200m final since Fanny Blanker Koens in the 1948 Olympics, as she could only finish third behind Bahamians Debbie Ferguson and Sevatheda Fynes.
Canada's Bruny Surin, who took silver in the World Championships. dominated the 100m, as expected after the withdrawal of Greene opted for the 200m, getting a superb start and winning easing up in 10.07sec.
. Larry Wade, potentially America's leading hope to challenge 110m hurdles world champion Colin Jackson for the Olympic title next year, came with a strong surge to overhaul the fastest man this year Mark Crear and Cuba's world silver medallist Anier Garcia.