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Abeylegasse shatters world 5,000 record

June 12, 2004 10:48 IST

Another world distance record fell to an Ethiopian-born athlete on Friday when Elvan Abeylegasse shattered the women's world 5,000 metres record.

Abeylegasse, who now runs for Turkey, ran a largely solo race to clock 14 minutes 24.68 seconds in Bergen, Norway.

Her time at the first Golden League meeting of the season was well inside the seven-year-old mark of 14:28.09 set by Chinese Bo Jiang seven years ago.

Abeylegasse, 21, won the European junior cross country title as well as the 3,000 and 5,000 European gold medals at the same level. She finished fifth at the Paris world championships last year.

Ethiopia's double world cross country champion Kenenisa Bekele broke the men's 5,000 record in Hengelo, Netherlands, last month and went on to capture the 10,000 mark in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on Tuesday.

Veteran American hurdler Gail Devers, twice Olympic champion in the 100 metres but yet to win a title in her specialist event, won the 100 hurdles in 12.56 seconds.

Canada's world champion Perdita Felicien finished second in 12.66.

American Torri Edwards, who inherited the world title when compatriot Kelli White was disqualified after admitting taking drugs, clocked 11.21 in the 100 metres.

Another American Shawn Crawford won the men's 200 metres ahead of world champion Justin Gatlin in 20.31 seconds.

World 400 metres hurdles champion Felix Sanchez extended his unbeaten streak stretching back to July 2001 with victory in 48.54 seconds.

Sweden's world triple jump champion Christian Olsson, one of the favourites to grab the million jackpot for athletes who win each of their events in the Golden League series, finished first with 17.58 metres.


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