CARSON (California), May 22: Double world champion Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain ran the fastest 1,500 metres on American soil to defeat Olympic silver medallist Bernard Lagat at the Adidas Track Classic on Sunday.
The Moroccan-born Ramzi passed Lagat in the final 300 metres and won in three minutes 32.24 seconds, to eclipse the US all-comers record of 3:32.53 set by former British world record holder Sebastian Coe in winning the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Lagat, the former Kenyan who won 1500 metres silver in Athens and now represents the United States, finished second in 3:32.94.
World 200-metre silver medallist Wallace Spearmon and Jamaican Olympic champion Veronica Campbell also produced times that were the fastest in the world this year.
Spearmon out-ran Olympic and world 400m champion Jeremy Wariner to win their 200m in 20.06 seconds. Wariner, who is experimenting with the shorter distance this year, ran a lifetime best of 20.19 seconds for second.
Leading results:
MEN’S:
100 metres:: 1. Marcus Brunson (US) 10.01 seconds; 2. Tyson Gay (US) 10.04; 3. Marc Burns (Trinidad & Tobago) 10.04.
200 metres: 1. Wallace Spearmon (US) 20.06 seconds; 2. Jeremy Wariner (US) 20.19, 3. Omar Brown (Jamaica) 20.33.
400 metres: 1. Andrew Rock (US) 44.83 seconds; 2. Jermaine Gonzalez (Jamaica) 45.00, 3. Michael Blackwood (Jamaica) 45.22.