Where Your Dreams Become Reality
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Where Your Dreams Become Reality |
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European Indoor Day 2 Distance Recap: Alistair Cragg and Elena Iagar Get Impressive Wins March 5, 2005 By Bob Ramsak (c) 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved MADRID -- Running before a wildly enthusiastic sell out crowd of 9,500, Alistair Cragg and Elena Iagar cruised to commanding wins in the 3000 and 1500 respectively to win the first middle and long distance titles at the 28th European Indoor Championships. Running closely behind fellow Irishman Mark Carroll for the first third of the race, the 24-year-old University of Arkansas grad took command of the race just before the 1200 meter point and was never challenged en route to a 7:46.32 win, only the second time that an Irish athlete has claimed the 3000 crown at these championships. "I kind of wanted to build a lead, and then not power to the end," said Cragg, whose confirmed that he'll contest the double later this month at the World Cross Country Championships. "I kind of wanted to enjoy the last lap. I had enough confidence going into the last lap that I really wanted to enjoy the moment." From the outset, it was clear that Carroll, who won the title in 2000, and Cragg were teaming up to take the sprint from the legs of Spanish hope Reyes Estevez. The Spaniard, who lowered his PB in the event to 7:43.80 last month, happily took the bait, leading a chase pack comprised of France's Mokhtar Benhari, Austrian Gunther Weidlinger, Russian Pavel Shapovalov and Britain's Mo Farah. When the sub-32 lap pace became to much for Carroll, Cragg relaxed the pace for a pair of laps, but with Carroll still unable to maintain contact, Cragg injected a 29.9 lap as he approached the two-kilometer point, building a sizeable lead that turned the race into one for the remaining medals. As Cragg added to his lead, Estevez dropped back, and was eventually passed by Weidlinger and Farah with 600 meters remaining, with the second Briton John Mayock, moving up as well. Entering the final lap, Estevez as far back as fifth, made his move for a podium finish, and entering the final straight, passed Weidlinger apparently en route to a runner-up finish. But Mayock stormed off the final turn, first passing Weidlinger then Estevez to steal the silver. Mayock clocked a season's best 7:51.46, with Estevez reaching the line in 7:51.65. Laboring in the final lap, Carroll eventually reached the line in 7:57.56, finishing ninth. "I really wanted him to have a good run too," Cragg said of Carroll's initial efforts."It's sad that that happened. I think Mark on a good day would have been able to go with me; it's a shame, he just had a bad day. Half of my victory has to go to Mark. Not only in today's race, but with his advice through the week." Leading virtually from the gun, Elena Iagar powered to an impressive win in the 1500, clocking a 4:03.09 world leading time in the process. The 30-year-old Romanian, second in these championships three years ago, went on the attack from the outset with no one willing or able to pose any significant challenge. Leading the three-woman chase pack of Corina Dumbravean, another Romanian, and Briton Helen Clitheroe, Hind Dehiba of France followed closest for nearly three-quarters of the race, until Iagar made her decisive break. "I'm really happy with the gold medal," said Iagar, who briefly looked to be challenging her outdoor best of 4:02.90. "Today I felt so strong that I knew that nobody could beat me." Dumbravean, the 2003 European Junior champion at the distance, passed Dehiba as the pair passed the bell, and held on for second with a 4:05.88 personal best. Dehiba, who clocked 4:07.20, held off Clitheroe (4:07.54) --with some heavy contact down the homestraight-- to take the unexpected bronze. A protest lodged by UK Athletics on Clitheroe's behalf was later rejected by the EAA. Belarussian Alesya Turova, among the pre-race favorites, was never in the hunt, and finished a distant fifth in 4:08.81, well ahead of German Antje Moldner's personal best 4:10.83. The semi-finals in the 800 meters set up a showdown between world leader Larissa Chzhao and home country favorite Mayte Martinez for tomorrow's final. Chzhao continued her quest to add a major title to her world-leader status with a solid 2:03.47 win in heat one. Germany's Monika Gradzki took control of the race with the Russian duo of Chzhao and Natalya Tsyganova following a stride behind. After a sub-30 second opening lap, the 25-year-old German slowed the pace slightly, reaching the half in 1:01.07. The order remained the same until Chzhao moved ahead for good with 100 meters to go. Tsyganova was next to reach the line in 2:03.75, with Gradzki holding on for third on 2:03.79. In a tactical second heat, Russian Irina Vashentseva emerged from the tight pack to win in 2:10.40, with Germany's Claudia Gesell (2:10.51) second and Martinez, caught up in some traffic in the mad dash to line, third in 2:10.66. Reaching the half in just 1:09.11 with a sluggish 37.84 second lap, Vashentseva closed with a 27.73 last lap. Competition concludes tomorrow with finals in the men's and women's 800 meters, the women's 3000 and men's 1500.
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Cross Country Spikes 10% off Injured?
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