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| August 29, 2003 | Friday | Jumadi-us-Sani 30, 1424 |
El Guerrouj claims 4th title
PARIS, Aug 28: Hicham El Guerrouj on Wednesday snapped up his fourth world title at the distance he has completely mastered and then promised a “great show” when he attempts to double up in the 5,000 metres.
The Moroccan shut out the roars of 65,000 mainly French supporters in the Stade de France and pulled comfortably clear of home favourite Mehdi Baala for a victory in the 1,500m which was as clinically controlled as any of his three previous crowns.
“As soon as I got into the stadium I didn’t have a moment’s doubt that I would win,” El Guerrouj said.
“At first I stayed behind Mehdi to unsettle him. There were 60,000 people shouting ‘Mehdi, Mehdi’ but I said to myself ‘concentrate Hicham you are in the world championships, with the best runners in the world.’ Once I relaxed, I won.”
He hit out at critics in France and abroad who had suggested that his glorious reign would to come to an end at the hands of Baala, who is four years his junior.
“When you prepare for a competition you change things in your training and perhaps I have lost a little speed.
“But I feel young, look how handsome I am! It is understandable that I am getting those sort of views expressed in France, and I also saw opinions from Steve Cram, from Steve Ovett and from Mehdi’s coach.
“After the first round races there was some very negative stuff but you can see that I remain an anbassador for my country and for my sport.”
The Olympic title remains the glaring gap on El Guerrouj’s glittering roll call for the 1,500m, but he is determined to set himself a new challenge by stepping up to the 5,000m, a distance he has admitted scares him.
The qualifying round was due to begin barely 22 hours after he crossed the line in the 1,500m final.
“If I sit here much longer talking to you I don’t think I’ll be running the 5,000 tomorrow,” he said with a smile. “I’m going to go home and have a massage, get some rest and then my first aim is just to qualify for the final.”
With that race, fittingly scheduled to be the last individual event of the championships on Sunday’s final day, a new chapter opens for the man who can find no rivals to test him over 1,500m.
“It’s going to be really tough, with the Ethiopians and the Kenyans. It is going to be a great show,” he promised.
Medals table after the fifth day of the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday:
Gold Silver Bronze Total
Russia 4 0 3 7
United States 3 3 1 7
Belarus 3 1 3 7
Ethiopia 2 2 1 5
Sweden 2 1 0 3
Canada 1 0 1 2
Ecuador 1 0 0 1
Lithuania 1 0 0 1
Mexico 1 0 0 1
Morocco 1 0 0 1
Mozambique 1 0 0 1
Poland 1 0 0 1
Qatar 1 0 0 1
South Africa 1 0 0 1
St Kitts and Nevis 1 0 0 1
France 0 2 1 3
Germany 0 2 1 3
Hungary 0 2 0 2
Jamaica 0 2 0 2
Great Britain 0 1 1 2
Greece 0 1 1 2
Spain 0 1 1 2
Cameroon 0 1 0 1
Czech Republic 0 1 0 1
Cuba 0 1 0 1
Ireland 0 1 0 1
Kenya 0 1 0 1
Trinidad and Tobago 0 1 0 1
Ukraine 0 0 4 4
Bahamas 0 0 1 1
China 0 0 1 1
Italy 0 0 1 1
Japan 0 0 1 1
Kazakhstan 0 0 1 1
Senegal 0 0 1 1
—AFP
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