2012 adidas Grand Prix 800 Recaps: David Rudisha Mesmerizes The Crowd As Fantu Magiso Wins Again
Rudisha's 1:41.76 Is Fastest Ever On US Soil
By LetsRun.com with Tim Loh in New York City
June 9, 2012
More Coverage: *LRC 800s: David Rudisha Mesmerizes The Crowd As Fantu Magiso Wins Again *LRC 5,000: Tirunesh Dibaba Tightens The Screws In Breathtaking Fashion *LRC 1,500: Bernard Lagat Returns To His Winning Ways *LRC HS Miles: Junior Bernie Montoya Runs 4:01.32 To Capture Deepest Boys Mile In HS History As Three Girls Break 4:40
Men's 800: David Rudisha Mesmerizes The Crowd With A Breathtaking Run
The match-up between world #1 David Rudisha and world #2 Abubaker Kaki never materialized as Kaki dropped out just past 400, but that didn't stop this race from being arguably the #1 show stopper of the afternoon. The world record holder didn't need competition to put on a riveting solo performance that mesmerized the crowd in New York and undoubtedly those watching across the globe.
Cruising through the first lap behind rabbit Matthew Scherer in low-49, he quickly extended his lead after the bell to well over 20 meters. He continued to pour it on all the way to the finish line, passing through 600 in 1:15, before storming down the homestretch with the crowd standing and roaring. In the end, he was rewarded with the 5th sub 1:42 clocking of his career and the 9th fastest 800 ever run - 1:41.74 - a new US All-comers record.
The 1:41.74 surprised even Rudisha himself as he came in expecting to run 1:42.
"Yeah," he deadpanned after. "It was a good race."
Rudisha added that he wanted to offer something special in his first trip ever to American soil (he also said he's not in his best-ever shape, but could be in a couple of months).
Second place? Oh we almost forgot. 2007 world champion Alfred Kirwa Yego was much improved, as he lowered his seasonal best from 1:46.46 to 1:44.49 to finish second but he was more than 20 meters behind.
Newly minted pro Robby Andrews competed for the first time in an adidas uniform. The result - a fifth place 1:45.07 showing. Andrews went out in the back of the race as usual and was ahead of one guy at 400, one guy at 600 and two people at 800. Many Andrews fans who were watching this race may have been thinking, 'What's wrong with Robby?' The answer: nothing. Pro running is just a lot better than college running. This was the second-fastest run of Andrews' career.
After the race, the 21-year-old Andrews was probably the day's happiest 5th-place finisher.
"I had so much fun out there," he said. "1:41 - hard to compete with that."
Andrews, who turned pro this spring and trains with Alan Webb, said he'll next race the 800 and 1,500 at the Olympic Trials. He said he takes home two lessons from the day's race. The first is that he can't sit and kick like he did so successfully in college.
The other?
"They're good," he said of his competitors. "But I can do it."
Quick Take #1: New Yorkers were undoubtedly hoping to see a Triple Crown winner today at the Belmont and while that didn't materialize when "I'll Have Another" was scratched, they at least got to see a performance where the margin of victory reminded racing fans of Secretariat's 31-length margin of victory at Belmont in 1973. Seriously, to see Rudisha win by this much was breathtaking.
Rudisha 2012 (US visitors only)
Secretariat In 1973
Quick Take #2: Rudisha is now the 1st man to dip under 1:42.00 five times in history. He came in tied with Wilson Kipketer with four 1:41 clockings.
The 11 1:41s In History
1 1:41.01 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1rA Rieti 29.08.2010
2 1:41.09 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1 Berlin 22.08.2010
3 1:41.11 Wilson Kipketer DEN 12.12.72 1 Köln 24.08.1997
4 1:41.24 Wilson Kipketer DEN 12.12.72 1rA Zürich 13.08.1997
5 1:41.33 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1rA Rieti 10.09.2011
6 1:41.51 David Rudisha KEN 17.12.88 1rA Heusden-Zolder 10.07.2010
7 1:41.73 Sebastian Coe GBR 29.09.56 1 Firenze 10.06.1981
7 1:41.73 Wilson Kipketer DEN 12.12.72 1 Stockholm 07.07.1997
9 1:41.74 David Rudisha Ken 17.12.88 1 New York 09.06.12
10 1:41.77 Joaquim Cruz BRA 12.03.63 1 Köln 26.08.1984
11 1:41.83 Wilson Kipketer DEN 12.12.72 1 Rieti 01.09.1996
Women's 800: Fantu Magiso Gets Another Win & Ethiopian National Record
Ethiopian's Fantu Magsio, who stunned Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo in her last outing in Rome on May 31st, earned her second straight Diamond League victory and her second straight Ethiopian national record by running away from America Molly Beckwith over the final 200 to win in 1:57.48 - slightly faster than the 1:57.56 she ran in Rome.
Much like in the men's 1,500, the rabbit in this race was certifiably awful, as Jamaica's Dominique Blake went out way too fast for the first 200 (26-ish) but then slowed down a ton and was caught and passed by Magiso before Magiso hit 400 in 58.12. The pace then slowed over the next 200. By the time Magiso hit 600 in 1:28.94, American Molly Beckwith had moved up to be right on her shoulder. But Magiso would pick it up on the way home and get a comfortable victory as Beckwith second place time of 1:59.18 was some 1.70 behind.
2011 World Championships finalist Maggie Vessey, who had opened up faster than she ever had in April at Mt. SAC (2:02.16) and had run 2:00.19 in Puerto Rico on May 12, took a step back today as she never was a factor. The enigmatic Vessey, who is known for consistently being inconsistent, finished fourth in 2:00.48. World 1,500 champion Jenny Simpson was much worse than that, though, as she was dead last in 2:05.79.
QT #1: Magiso's win came on her 20th birthday. Despite her youth, it's time to say that she is now a fairly proven commodity as three of her last four races have been 1:57s.
QT#2: Vessey could be a medal threat if she makes the team, but she also might not make the team. Right now she's #4 on the 2012 US list.
2012 US List
1:57.37 Alysia Montaño
1:59.18 Molly Beckwith
1:59.28 Geena Gall
2:00.19 Maggie Vessey
QT #3: It was startling how bad Simpson was. It looked like she was standing still at the start as she only got to 200 in about 30.8 to 31. We'd guess her 400 split was about 60.8-61.2 as well. She had a subpar 2:03.49 at Occidenal, then lost to Alice Schmidt in the 1,500 at Pre last week and now this. Could she be in danger of not making the US Olympic team as well?
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Result | Diamond Points | Diamond Ranking | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
ETH
|
1:57.48
|
MR,NR
|
10
|
1
|
|
|
|
2
|
USA
|
1:59.18
|
SB
|
2
|
3
|
||
|
3
|
GBR
|
1:59.37
|
|
1
|
4
|
||
|
4
|
USA
|
2:00.48
|
|
|
|
||
|
5
|
USA
|
2:00.72
|
SB
|
|
|
||
|
6
|
GBR
|
2:00.97
|
SB
|
|
|
||
|
7
|
USA
|
2:02.61
|
PB
|
|
|
||
|
8
|
USA
|
2:04.03
|
SB
|
|
|
||
|
9
|
USA
|
2:05.79
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
JAM
|
DNF
|
|
|
|
||
600m Magiso, Fantu (ETH) 1:28.94
More LRC Coverage from adidas meet: *LRC 800s: David Rudisha Mesmerizes The Crowd As Fantu Magiso Wins Again *LRC 5,000: Tirunesh Dibaba Tightens The Screws In Breathtaking Fashion *LRC 1,500: Bernard Lagat Returns To His Winning Ways *LRC HS Miles: Junior Bernie Montoya Runs 4:01.32 To Capture Deepest Boys Mile In HS History As Three Girls Break 4:40
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