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LetsRun.com's Recap Of The 2009 Herculis Monaco Meet - Maggie Vessey 1:57.84!
by: LetsRun.com
July 29, 2009
*IAAF Recap Here
*Full Results Here
*Internet Rebroadcast Here Please note we tell you in our recap where to scroll to on the Internet broadcast to watch that particular race.
Below we recap the distance action for you from the IAAF Herculis Monaco meet. Plus we tell you how you can watch the 400 meters with LaShawn Merritt. The IAAF recap covers the other events.
Women's 800: Not Only Does Vessey Get The A Standard, She Also Sets The World Leader!!! (Race appears 1 hr 1 min into internet broadcast or watch it on the left)
The story of Tuesday's Monaco meet for LetsRun.com visitors was simple - Maggie Vessey 1:57.84!!!
Vessey, the winner at Prefontaine and Rome earlier this year, was running out of time to hit the magical 2:00.00 barrier which would giver her a shot at running at the World Champs. Well, she finally got put in the right race and got the job done in a big way. Coming into this race, Vessey had run in just one race all year that had gone sub-2:00 and that was way back in May at the Reebok Grand Prix. But today it was clear that people were going to go sub-2:00 as the pacemaking was hot from the gun.
People went out hard and Vessey, who started in lane one, didn't go out in her customary last. Rather, she was 5th at 200 in roughly 28 flat. By 400 (58-ish for Vesssey), Vessey had faded back to 9th or 10th in the 11-person field. However, her next 200 would prove to be one for the ages. Somehow from 400 to 600, she moved up from 2nd or 3rd from last to 2nd without ever leaving the rail. If the parting of the Red Sea seems improbable to you, watch the replay of this race and everything will seem like a possibility to you, as it was remarkable. In striking position in 2nd at 600, which the leader passed in 1:28.03, Vessey did what she does best - hammer the last 200. The result?
A stunning victory in 1:57.84!!!
That time of 1:57.84 makes Vessey the = #7 all-time performer in US history. Only Jearl Miles Clark, Mary Slaney, Kim Gallagher (all of whom ran sub-1:57), Meredith Valmon (1:57.04), Delisa Floyd (1:57.80), and Julie Jenkins (1:57.82) had run fastter. Vessey is tied with Joetta Clark (1:57.84).
Additionally, 1:57.84 is the world leader for 2009. Even better news for Vessey is that supposedly American Phoebe Wright has called it a season after failing to break 2:00.00 in a dink all-comers meet back in Virginia on Saturday and has given up on trying to go to Worlds. If that's true or if Wright fails to break 2:00.00, Maggie Vessey will be going to Worlds - possibly as the world leader.
After the race, Vessey was obviously thrilled. She said, "I can't believe it. This is amazing. I raced with a determination that I never had before."
Sub-4 1,500 meter runner Christin Wurth-Thomas' fine season continued, as she set a big PR of 1.99 by running 1:59.35.
More: Vessey 1:57.85!! *Awkward Vessey Interview On Flotrack
revisedOfficial Results - Women - 800 Metres
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Maggie Vessey USA 1:57.84 20
2 Mariya Savinova RUS 1:58.39 16
3 Jennifer Meadows GBR 1:58.63 14
4 Jemma Simpson GBR 1:59.07 12
5 Kenia Sinclair JAM 1:59.13 10
6 Ekaterina Kostetskaya RUS 1:59.31 8
7 Christin Wurth-Thomas USA 1:59.35 6
8 Yuliya Krevsun UKR 1:59.47 4
9 Élodie Guégan FRA 1:59.77
10 Morgan Uceny USA 2:00.06
Tamara Tverdostup UKR DNF
Men's 800: Kaki Is Back as Symmonds Breaks 1:44! (Race appears 24 mins 30 seconds into internet broadcast)
Abubaker Kaki is back!!! After an injury scare in Oslo, Kaki is racing once again. He didn't look totally smooth, but somehow the talented youngster held on down the stretch to get the win in 1:43:50 over a fast-closing Yuriy Borzakovskiy. American Nick Symmonds also closed well to finish third in a new PR of 1:43.83 - his first sub-1:44 ever!
Kaki's post-race comments were worth reading. He apologized for not breaking the African record in the race. "It was a nice race and went well. I had a small problem at the start, my calf cramped up but I then felt ok at the finish. I came here to break the African record but I couldn't because of this small problem. I would like to say sorry to all the people and thank you for coming to watch me race," said Kaki.
Clearly with comments like that, Kaki isn't too worried about his fitness.
Official Results - Men - 800 Metres
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Abubaker Kaki SUD 1:43.50 20
2 Yuriy Borzakovskiy RUS 1:43.58 16
3 Nick Symmonds USA 1:43.83 14
4 Marcin Lewandowski POL 1:43.84 12
5 Bram Som NED 1:44.12 10
6 Gary Reed CAN 1:44.24 8
7 Thomas Chamney IRL 1:45.50 6
8 Khadevis Robinson USA 1:45.50 4
9 Jeff Lastennet FRA 1:48.84
10 Michael Rimmer GBR 1:49.19
Vincent Mumo Kiilu KEN DNF
Men's 1,500: Baala Wins In 3:30!!! Lomong Sets Big PR (Race appears 1 min 30 seconds into internet broadcast)
After some excellent pacemaking (55 1st lap, 56 2nd lap), soon-to-be Olympic 1,500 meter bronze medallist Mehdi Baala of France took the lead on the final turn and powered home to the victory in 3:30.96. A huge victory for Baala in just his 2nd outdoor race of the season. Over the weekend, Baala had won the French Championships in his outdoor opener after being plagued with calf problems.
After his outdoor opener, Baala said the following to the IAAF: "I'm not yet in my top form, but I'm satisfied today." His coach, Jean-Michel Dirringer, even went as far as to say that if Baala didn't go 3:36 today in Monaco that Baala wouldn't run Worlds. No worries guys. Baala is in great form.
The other two things to note in this race were the big PR by US flag bearer Lopez Lomong who ran 3:32.94 to finish 7th, as well as the disappointing 6th place showing by Ethiopian Deresse Mekonnen, who had run 3:48.95 for the mile in Oslo in his last race.
Official Results - Men - 1500 Metres
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Mehdi Baala FRA 3:30.96 20
2 Antar Zerguelaine ALG 3:31.21 16
3 Abdalaati Iguider MAR 3:31.47 14
4 Yusuf Saad Kamel BRN 3:31.56 12
5 Tarek Boukensa ALG 3:31.90 10
6 Deresse Mekonnen ETH 3:32.18 8
7 Lopez Lomong USA 3:32.94 6
8 Juan Carlos Higuero ESP 3:33.19 4
9 Johan Cronje RSA 3:33.63 3
10 Mohammed Farah GBR 3:33.98 3
11 Mounir Yemmouni FRA 3:34.90 3
12 Yoann Kowal FRA 3:35.39 3
Vickson Naran Polonet KEN DNF
Samson Surum KEN DNF
Women's 1,500: Maryam Yusuf Jamal Handles Burka As Willard Fails To Break 4:00 (Race appears 1 hr 46 mins into internet broadcast)
2009 world leader Maryam Yusuf Jamal proved to be the class of the field, as she emphatically stamped herself as the favorite for Worlds with a victory in 3:58.83. Gelete Burka was clearly the 2nd-best runner in 3:59.56, and American Anna Willard ran 4:01.68 for 4th. Hopes that Willard would become just the 6th American to break 4:00 in the 1,500 (but 3rd this year) faded after no one went with the rabbits for the first 800.
It should be noted that Steph Twell, who got the nod over Hannah England for the final UK Berlin spot despite losing to her on Saturday in London, reversed the result today in Monaco and beat England by running a new PR of 4:03.48.
It also was interesting to note that US Olympian Erin Donohue served as the rabbit in this race.
Official Results - Women - 1500 Metres
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Maryam Yusuf Jamal BRN 3:58.83 20
2 Gelete Burka ETH 3:59.56 16
3 Mariem Alaoui Selsouli MAR 4:00.95 14
4 Anna Willard USA 4:01.68 12
5 Lisa Dobriskey GBR 4:02.28 10
6 Sylwia Ejdys POL 4:02.30 8
7 Btissam Lakhouad MAR 4:03.23 6
8 Stephanie Twell GBR 4:03.48 4
9 Hannah England GBR 4:04.29 3
10 Nataliya Panteleeva RUS 4:04.29 3
11 Siham Hilali MAR 4:05.12 3
12 Lidia Chojecka POL 4:06.07 3
13 Iryna Lishchynska UKR 4:13.
14
Erin Donohue USA DNF
Anna Mishchenko UKR DNF
Men's 3k: Kipsiro Wins As Jager Sets Big PR (Race appears 1 hr 19 mins into internet broadcast)
In his 2009 international track debut, Uganda's Moses Kipsiro, 2009 World XC silver medallist and 2007 World Championship track 5k bronze medallist, got the win in 7:30, while American Evan Jager enjoyed a 33+ second PR in running 7:41.78.
Official Results - Men - 3000 Metres
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Moses Ndiema Kipsiro UGA 7:30.95 20
2 Silas Kipruto KEN 7:32.52 16
3 Sammy Alex Mutahi KEN 7:33.02 14
4 Bouabdellah Tahri FRA 7:33.18 12
5 Mark Kosgey Kiptoo KEN 7:34.87 10
6 Leonard Patrick Komon KEN 7:35.96 8
7 Morhad Amdouni FRA 7:39.10 6
8 Lucas Kimeli Rotich KEN 7:41.14 4
9 Evan Jager USA 7:41.78 3
10 Joseph Kitur Kiplimo KEN 7:46.21 3
11 Noureddine Smaïl FRA 7:53.34 3
12 Daniele Meucci ITA 7:53.92 3
Warge Betona KEN DNF
Benson Marrianyi Esho KEN DNF
Men's 3,000 Steeple
Olympic finalist Tareq Mubarak Taher got the win as USA runner-up Dan Huling got an 11+ second seasonal best and just missed his PR by less than a second.
Official Results - Men - 3000 Metres Steeplechase
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Tareq Mubarak Taher BRN 8:07.24 20
2 Michael Kipyego KEN 8:08.48 16
3 Ruben Ramolefi RSA 8:11.63 14
4 Jukka Keskisalo FIN 8:12.93 12
5 Abel Kiprop Mutai KEN 8:14.38 10
6 Wesley Kiprotich KEN 8:14.45 8
7 Elijah Chelimo Kipterege KEN 8:15.33 6
8 Abdelatif Chemlal MAR 8:15.63 4
9 Patrick Kipyegon Terer KEN 8:20.00 3
10 Daniel Huling USA 8:21.65 3
11 Vincent Zouaoui Dandrieaux FRA 8:25.27 3
12 Pieter Desmet BEL 8:29.10 3
13 Luke Gunn GBR 8:37.29
14 Abdelhamid Zerrifi ALG 8:48.26
Youcef Abdi AUS DNF
Linus Kipwambok Chumba KEN DNF
David Lagat KEN DNF
Men's 400 (Race appears 34 mins into internet broadcast)
Official Results - Men - 400 Metres
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 LaShawn Merritt USA 44.73 20
2 David Neville USA 45.26 16
3 David Gillick IRL 45.34 14
4 Leslie Djhone FRA 45.57 12
5 Jamaal Torrance USA 45.97 10
6 Teddy Venel FRA 46.14 8
7 Martyn Rooney GBR 46.22 6
8 Andrae Williams BAH 47.98 4
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