Inzzi, Kipsiro struggle in Diamond League

By Louis Jadwong & AFP

Dorcus Inzikuru and Moses Kipsiro still have a mountain to climb before they get back to the kind of form that made them World and Commonwealth champions.

Inzzi  could only manage 10th place last night at the Weltklasse diamond league meeting in Zurich. In her first post-Olympic race, the Ugandan 3000m steeplechase ace clocked 9:39.07, well below her all time best of 9:15.04 and season best of 9:30.95.

It does not seem to be getting better for Kipsiro as well. Kipsiro, who fell and finished 10th in the 10,000m at the Olympics, failed to improve his 5000m credentials by finishing 14th last night in a time of 13:09.92.

Kipsiro's personal best in the distance is 12:50.72. He has this season run 13:00.68.

Earlier, Olympic 800 meters champion David Rudisha suffered a shock defeat  but Usain Bolt braved the cold to win the 200 in a meeting record time.

Kenyan Rudisha, who set a world record to win gold in London, lost out to Ethiopian teenager Mohammed Aman on a chilly wet evening at Zurich's Letzigrund. 

"My legs felt tired and I cannot run well if the weather is not good," said the 23-year-old, running in his only post-Olympic race of the year.

"I hoped for a fast race here and I'm a little disappointed....... It was the rain which stopped me."

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Bolt wins 200m race in Zurich Diamond League meet; Rudisha a shock loss

Jamaican sprint duo Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake dominated the 100 and 200m at the Diamond League meet on Thursday, but Kenyan 800m star Rudisha was upstaged by Ethiopian tyro Mohammed Aman.

In a high-quality night of action featuring 14 Olympic champions, training partners Bolt and Blake set new meeting records of 19.66 and 9.76 seconds in the 200 and 100m respectively.

Fresh from his second successive triple gold haul at the Olympics, Bolt came around the bend into the final stretch just ahead of compatriot Nickel Ashmeade on his inside.

And then the imposing 26-year-old, also the world record holder in both sprint events, switched on the afterburners in his drive phase to ensure a comfortable win in his favoured event.

"Running after the Olympics is much more fun, it is less stress," said Bolt. "Now I have one more race (in Brussels on September 7) until the end of the season and I am looking forward to it.

"During the season, you push yourself a lot and it's only at the end that you realise how tired you are."

 Blake overcame a false start by top US sprinter Tyson Gay to hold his nerve in a 100m raced in chilly, wet conditions at a packed Letzigrund Stadium.

 The 22-year-old, who won double sprint silver behind Bolt in the London Games and is currently the second fastest man in the world alongside Gay (after racing 9.69sec in Lausanne last week), rocketed out of his blocks at the second time of asking to power through the line.

Compatriot Nesta Carter was second in 9.95sec, with American Ryan Bailey (9.97) in third.

 "I am not at all surprised that after the Olympics I am coming out so strong and so fast. It's because my coach has a plan for me," said Blake of Glen Mills, who also coaches Bolt.

 "Next year I can be even better," he warned.

 But there was disappointment for Rudisha, the blazing two-lap specialist who was bidding to better his own world record of 1min 40.91sec he set when winning 800m gold at the London Games earlier this month.

 With all talk of the record bid, no one had counted on the kick of 18-year-old Aman, who finished sixth at the Olympics but who importantly last year became the first and last man to defeat Rudisha since 2009.

 Rudisha's pacemaker missed his first lap target by more than 1sec, and with any chance of a world record completely out of the window, the 23-year-old Kenyan world champion found himself in front but in a real dogfight with Aman, who kicked as the duo rounded the last bend.

 Aman held on for a convincing win in a personal best of 1:42.53, with Rudisha timing 1:42.81.

 "The race was good, really," a magnanimous Rudisha said. "The race was fast and the winner achieved a 1:42.5 time and new personal best.

 "My legs felt tired and I cannot run well if the weather is not good."

 Aman left his Kenyan rival in no doubt that it would not be all plain sailing for him in the two-lap race next season.

 "This was the final Diamond League race and therefore a strong one," Aman said. "I am very happy and hopefully next year I will beat the world record."

One Olympic champion to also shine was Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who rebounded from two successive losses to Carmelita Jeter in Lausanne and Birmingham to easily trump the American in the women's 100m in 10.83sec.

Jeter clocked 10.97sec with teammate and 200m specialist Allyson Felix finishing third (11.02).

Other London champions to win were France's Renaud Lavillenie in the men's pole vault (5.70m), Croat Sandra Perkovic in the women's discus (63.97m), American Sanya Richards-Ross in the women's 400m (50.21sec) and Russian Ivan Ukhov in the men's high jump (2.31m).

But American Christian Taylor (triple jump) and Felix Sanchez (400m hurdles) were both eclipsed by veterans, Italy's Fabrizio Donato (17.29m) and American Angelo Taylor (48.29sec) respectively.

And American Brittney Reese could only finish ninth in the women's long jump, retiring after aggrevating a stress fracture in her ankle.

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Selected results

MEN

100m

 1. Yohan Blake (JAM) 9.76sec

 2. Nesta Carter (JAM) 9.95

 3. Ryan Bailey (USA) 9.97

 4. Kim Collins (SKN) 10.01

 5. Michael Frater (JAM) 10.04

 6. Christophe Lemaitre (FRA) 10.07

 7. Darvis Patton (USA) 10.08

 8. Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (NOR) 10.19

 . Tyson Gay (USA) DSQ

 200m

1. Usain Bolt (JAM) 19.66

2. Nickel Ashmeade (JAM) 19.85

3. Jason Young (JAM) 20.08

4. Warren Weir (JAM) 20.18

5. Wallace Spearmon (USA) 20.22

6. Churandy Martina (NED) 20.62

7. Alex Wilson (SUI) 20.70

8. Patrick van Luijk (NED) 21.04

 800m

1. Mohammed Aman (ETH) 1:42.53

2. David Rudisha (KEN) 1:42.81

3. Leonard Kirwa Kosencha (KEN) 1:44.29

4. Duane Solomon (USA) 1:44.42

5. Andrew Osagie (GBR) 1:44.94

6. Michael Rimmer (GBR) 1:45.06

7. Timothy Kitum (KEN) 1:45.18

8. Anthony Chemut (KEN) 1:45.52

 . Sammy Tangui (KEN) Abandon

5000m

1. Isiah Kiplangat Koech (KEN) 12:58.98

2. Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa (KEN) 12:59.24

3. Bernard Lagat (USA) 12:59.92

4. Dejen Gebremeskel (ETH) 13:00.83

5. John Kipkoech (KEN) 13:02.11

6. Tariku Bekele (ETH) 13:02.62

7. Yigrem Demelash (ETH) 13:04.14

8. Imane Merga (ETH) 13:07.24

9. Galen Rupp (USA) 13:09.50

10. Yenew Alamirew (ETH) 13:09.70

11. Moses Ndiema Masai (KEN) 13:09.92

12. Edwin Cheruiyot Soi (KEN) 13:19.79

13. Mark Kiptoo (KEN) 13:19.94

14. Moses Ndiema Kipsiro (UGA) 13:20.17

15. Yitayal Atnafu (ETH) 13:27.59

16. Collis Birmingham (AUS) 13:27.99

17. Lopez Lomong (USA) 13:35.53

. Vincent Kiprop Chepkok (KEN) DNF

. Gideon Gathimba (KEN) DNF

. Collins Cheboi (KEN) DNF

 Arne Gabius (GER) DNF

WOMEN

100m

1. Shelly-Ann Fraser (JAM) 10.83

2. Carmelita Jeter (USA) 10.97

3. Allyson Felix (USA) 11.02

4. Blessing Akagbare (NGR) 11.16

5. Jeneba Tarmoh (USA) 11.20

6. Kerron Stewart (JAM) 11.25

7. Ezinne Okparaebo (NOR) 11.37

8. Ivet Lalova (BUL) 11.39

. Kelly Ann Baptiste (TRI) DSQ

3000m steeplechase

1. Etenesh Diro (ETH) 9:24.97

2. Hiwot Ayalew (ETH) 9:26.99

3. Hyvin Kiyeng (KEN) 9:29.70

4. Ludia Chepkurui (KEN) 9:29.90

5. Habiba Ghribi (TUN) 9:32.54

6. Ancuta Bobocel (ROM) 9:33.23

7. Mercy Wanjiku Njoroge (KEN) 9:34.23

8. Antje Moldner (GER) 9:35.12

9. Milkah Chenos (KEN) 9:35.67

10. Docus Inzikuru (UGA) 9:39.07

11. Gesa Felicitas Krause (GER) 9:40.75