SEVILLE, June 6: Kenyans Wilfried Bungei, Paul Kipsile and Estonian Gerd Kanter made their mark on the IAAF Grand Prix here on Saturday a little over two months before the Athens Olympics.
Kipsile impressed the most to time eight minutes 5.31 seconds in the 3000-metre steeplechase for the best time in the world this year but also the fifth best performance of all time.
Bungei's 800 metres time of 1:44.69 came after a sprint finish in a very close race and puts him forward as one of the favourites for the Aug 13-29 Olympics. Kanter managed 68.50 metres in the discus to also stake his claim to be among the favourites in Athens.
Leading results:
MEN'S:
200 metres: 1. Shawn Crawford (US) 20.23 seconds; 2. Bernard Williams (US) 20.66; 3. Chris Lambert (Britain) 20.74.
400 metres: 1. Sofiane Labidi (Tunisia) 45.19 seconds; 2. Timothy Benjamin (Britain) 45.47; 3. David Canal (Spain) 45.67.
400 metres hurdles: 1. James Carter (US) 48.90 seconds; 2. LaBronze Garrett (US) 48.93; 3. Naman Keita (France) 49.39.
800 metres: 1. Wilfred Bungei (Kenya) one minute 44.69 seconds; 2. Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Russia) 1:44.79; 3. Antonio Manuel Reina (Spain) 1:44.90.
1,500 metres: 1. Ali Saidi-Sief (Algeria) three minutes 34.72 seconds; 2. Isaac Kiprono Songok (Kenya) 3:34.76; 3. Reyes Estevez (Spain) 3:35.37.
3,000 metres steeplechase: 1. Paul Kipsiele Koech (Kenya) eight minutes 05.31 seconds; 2. David Chemweno (Kenya) 8:15.51; 3. Ali Ezzine (Morocco) 8:16.65.
5,000 metres: 1. Paul Bitok (Kenya) 13 minutes 13.80 seconds; 2. Hicham Bellani (Morocco) 13:14.11; 3. Mohammed Amyne (Morocco) 13:14.64.
Shot put: 1. Joachim Olsen (Denmark) 20.86 metres; 2. Janus Robberts (South Africa) 20.73; 3. Reese Hoffa (US) 20.62.
Long jump: 1. Dwight Phillips (US) 8.23 metres; 2. Christopher Tomlinson (Britain) 8.05; 3. Joan Lino Martinez (Cuba) 8.02.
