Who did Ramzi "dismantle"? A bunch of 2nd-tier runners? The 800 and 1500 were the weakest in years... Kaouch is a nobody.. Silva past his prime.. Heshko solid defeat.. Casado/Webb a youngster... Kipchichir's first major championship, etc., etc., BUT NO HICHAM EL GUERROUJ OR BERNARD LAGAT especially for a guy with the best speed in the field.
Pos Bib Athlete Country Mark
1 113 Ramzi Rashid BRN 3:37.88
2 631 Kaouch Adil MAR 3:38.00 (SB)
3 753 Silva Rui POR 3:38.02
4 939 Heshko Ivan UKR 3:38.71
5 222 Casado Arturo ESP 3:39.45
6 233 Higuero Juan Carlos ESP 3:40.34
7 559 Kipchirchir Alex KEN 3:40.43
8 10 Boukensa Tarek ALG 3:41.01
9 1046 Webb Alan USA 3:41.04
10 764 Bashir Daham Najim QAT 3:43.48
11 226 Estévez Reyes ESP 3:46.65
12 619 Bensghir Yassine MAR 3:50.19
The 800 field was a bit more impressive. Ramzi just ran a tactically brilliant race and everyone else was just taken by surprise with a year where no one could really break 1:44... a very complacent group of 800 runners was defeated by running a race within striking range of Ramzi, who was trying to run something special and did.
Sunday, August 14, 2005 - 19:30
Pos Lane Bib Athlete Country Mark
1 3 113 Ramzi Rashid BRN 1:44.24 (PB)
2 6 803 Borzakovskiy Yuriy RUS 1:44.51
3 1 573 Yiampoy William KEN 1:44.55
4 5 553 Bungei Wilfred KEN 1:44.98
5 8 14 Saïd-Guerni Djabir ALG 1:45.31
6 2 308 Baala Mehdi FRA 1:45.32
7 7 111 Ali Belal Mansoor BRN 1:45.55
8 4 137 Reed Gary CAN 1:46.20
Please, let's not make drug accusations of runners that drop phenomenal amounts of time, because than I'll be first the sacrifice Paula Radcliffe.