Yomi Omogbeja (13/09/2004)

Kenya’s kid dynamite Augustine Kiprono Choge has set another world youth mark in the men’s 5000m, in front of 61, 155 spectators, at the ISTAF Berlin final of the TDK Golden League 2004.

The 17-year-old World Youth 3000m and World Junior 5000m gold medallist needed a last-gasp lean across the line to beat Ethiopia’s Mulugeta Wendimu in a closely contested race at the ‘blue wonder’, the German capital’s newly renovated 1936 Olympic stadium, yesterday.

Choge won in 12:57.01 with Wendimu second with a personal best of 12:57.05 while Bahrain’s Mussir Salim-Jawher was third in 13:00.40.

Uganda’s Boniface Kiprop - World Junior 10,000m record holder from Brussels last week- was sixth in a new Ugandan record of 13:05.47.

Choge said afterwards that the decisive moment of this race was “the last step before the finishing line”.

Dad's style

Kenyan Wilfred Bungei was overtaken just before the line in the men’s 800m by former Kenyan Saad Youseef Kamel of Bahrain.

Kamel, son of the Kenya’s two-time world champion Billy Konchellah, imitated the legendary finishing style of his father to win in 1:45.07. Bungei was second in 1:45.27.

World Indoor champion Paul Korir led a Kenya 1-2-3 in the men’s 1500m in 3:32.46. Compatriots Alex Kipchirchir (3:32.50) and Timothy Kiptanui (3:32.65) were second and third respectively.

Embattled Ethiopian world 10, 000m gold medallist Berhane Adere won the women’s 5000m in 14:58.89 beating Kenya’s and Brussels' winner Edith Masai to the second position.

Adere has been embroiled in a battle with the Ethiopian Athletics Federation since her last minute omission from their Olympic squad and was last week withdrawn also at the last minute from the Brussels golden league meeting.

South African high Jumper Hestrie Cloete lost once again to her Athens Olympic nemesis, Russian’s Yelena Slesarenko, after she could only manage 1.97m to place third.

Results

200m men
1 Powell Asafa JAM 20.24
2 Fredericks Frank NAM 20.25
3 Johnson Joshua J. USA 20.54
4 Unger Tobias GER 20.63
5 Fasuba Olusoji A.

1500m men
1 Korir Paul KEN 3:32.46
2 Kipchirchir Alex KEN 3:32.50
3 Kiptanui Timothy KEN 3:32.65

5000m women
1 Adere Berhane ETH 14:58.89
2 Masai Edith KEN 14:59.11
3 Ochichi Isabella KEN 14:59.69

5000m men
1 Choge Augustine Kiprono KEN 12:57.01
2 Wendimu Mulugeta ETH 12:57.05