SA runner in Moscow final
South African, Elroy Gelant, secured his place in Friday’s 5000m final at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow following a tactical approach to his heat that saw him finish in sixth in 13:25.07.
“I knew we had to make it fast so we agreed to share two laps each,” said the 26-year-old who had agreed strategy with Arne Gabius (GER), Zane Robinson (NZL) and Brett Robinson (Aus). “It was a bit of a sprint finish but I managed to keep up well with them. I’m very happy to make the final.”
Gabius took over from Gelant pulling the field through 1200 in 3:13.20 and the mile in 4:18.95.
By 2000m Kenyans, John Kipkoech and Philip Kipyeno, tried to break it up, with Moroccan, Aziz Lahbabi, taking the three laps through to 4000m in 10:53.38.
Gelant had dropped to second last, but as the pace wound up, the George-bred athlete was able to step up to the mark and slip-streamed his way to the line. The sprint saw Ethiopians, Hagos Gebrhiwet (13:23.22) and Yenew Alamirew (13:23.48), leading American Bernard Lagat over the line. Thomas Longosiwa and Ryan Hill (13:24.19) were the others to secure automatic progression to the final.
The Ethiopians nearly missed the event having taken the wrong bus from the hotel and had to find a minibus to get them to the stadium to get into the race without a warm up. “It was a big mistake,” said Gebrhiwet, “but luckily everything went well.”
Ethiopian, Mukter Edris, won the second heat in 13:20.82 where a pack of sixth had detached themselves from the field with over 1000m to go and Farah cruised to close the automatic qualifiers in, for him, a gentle 13:23.93. Dejane Regassa was the only runner in the second heat to make the grade as on of the five fastest losers and Gelant was the best of the rest from heat one.
“I got to the final, that was my goal,” said Farah who, on Saturday night, added the world championship 10,000m gold to his Olympic gold, and is going for the double-double with the 5000m. “Today was pretty hard work as I am not a morning person and had to get up for 6am,” continued the Briton who has only two days to recover if he is to join Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele as the only person to win gold medals in both distances in Olympic and World championships.
The 5000m final is held on Friday evening at 18h45 SA time.
Cornel Fredericks, competing in the 400m hurdles, is the other South African in action on Tuesday evening (17h40 SA time) where he is drawn in the first of three semi-finals. The 23-year-old will need to improve on his season-best of 48.78 if he is to make the final, which typically needs a 48.6 second clocking.
Fredericks is drawn in the seventh lane.
(File Photo:Gallo Images)
- Norrie Williamson in Moscow
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