Fasuba shatters African sprint record

Printable Version (12/05/2006)

By Yomi Omogbeja

African 100m champion Olusoji Fasuba of Nigeria has confirmed his status as the region's most in-form sprinter, after shattering the continental record at the IAAF World Athletics Tour Super Grand Prix meeting in Doha.

Running in Lane three, the Nigerian led the World and Olympic champion Justin Gatlin to the halfway mark as the American went on to break the 100 metres World record* with a time of 9.76 (wind +2m/s), overhaul as promised the previous mark of 9.77 secs set by Jamaica's Asafa Powell in Athens June last year.

Fasuba, 21, smashed his personal best (10.09, in Nairobi 2004) to take second in a stunning 9.84 secs in the final race.

The 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist and a member of the Nigerian 2004 Olympics bronze winning 4x100 metres quartet, improved his personal best to 9.92 in the first heat just behind Gatlin's 9.85 secs run.

United States Athens Olympic 200 metres champion, Shawn Crawford and 2006 World Indoor 60m Hurdles champion Terrence Trammell settled for third (10.08 secs) and fourth (10.10 secs) place respectively.

Kenyans Wilfred Bungei (1:44.85) and Alex Kipchirchir (3:34.29) also took wins in the men's 800m and 1500m respectively.

Olympic 5000m champion, Meseret Defar of Ethiopia claimed the women's 1500m, while the World Cross Country short course race silver medallist Isaac Songok (7:28.97) led World junior record holder Augustine Choge (7:29.73) and the 2003 World 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge (7:30.47) to a Kenyan clean sweep of the men's 5000m.

*Subject to IAAF ratification

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