10 years ago
05/30/2009 8:01pm CDT
It looked like it was set up as an AR attempt. Josphat Boit rabbited first--out a bit slow in 2:09 at 800m, then picked it up. Haron Lagat took over at about 1600m and got it down to 13:01 pace before pulling out at I think 1600 to go. Lagat was sitting on the rabbits all the way, looking relaxed. I thought he needed about a 4:02/4:03 last 1600 to get the AR. Kogo took the lead with ~700 to go and Lagat went with him; it looked promising. Gebremariam had been dropped, but Gebremeskel and Merga (who runs with an odd, hunch-shouldered style) were right there in contact. Lagat got on Kogo's shoulder coming off the last turn, and it looked like am impending 2007 WC-style Lagat kick--but the pace had been too much faster than that; Lagat came alongside Kogo and looked to have a one-foot lead briefly, very much like vs. El G in the Athens 1500. Gebremeskel was trying to pass them both--he looked like he couldn't get through and couldn't go wide enough in time. Kogo edged back ahead maybe 20m from the line. They were all virtually touching one an other as they crossed.
More surprising was Linet Masai taking dowm Tiru Dibaba. Masai made a move at about 4K and got too big a gap; everyone was waiting for Dibaba to throw down and catch her, but then it started to look impossible--until with 400 to go, Didaba got revitalized and began to close. Masai didn't tie up at all, and IO think Dibaba knew it was over with 150 and just maintained in the last 100m. I can't immediately think of another race that she's lost, other than maybe a 5000 to Defar a couple of summers ago--does anyone know how long a winning streak she had, combining XC and track?
