OSTRAVA (Czech Republic), June 28: Twice Olympic 10,000 metres champion Haile Gebrselassie broke the world one-hour and 20 kilometres marks at the ‘Golden Spike’ grand prix athletics meeting on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old Ethiopian ran 21.285km in 60 minutes to surpass Mexican Arturo Barrios's previous mark of 21.101km, set in La Fleche, France, on March 30, 1991.
On the way, he also broke the 20km world mark of 56 minutes 55.60 seconds, set by Barrios during his run in 1991.
Gebrselassie clocked 56:25.98.
In her first race since breaking the women's 5,000 metres world record, fellow Ethiopian Meseret Defar ran a measured race over the distance to win in 14 minutes 30.18 seconds, well outside her 14:16.63 record.
Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva easily won the women's pole vault at 4.66 metres but was also well short in her bid to break her own world record of 5.01 metres.
Britain's Craig Pickering, establishing himself as one of Europe's top sprinters, cruised to victory in the men's 100 metres in 10.16, one-tenth of a second off his personal best.
Leading results:
Men’s:
100 metres: 1. Craig Pickering (Britain) 10.16 seconds; 2. Churandy Martina (Dutch Antilles) 10.31; 3. Tyrone Edgar (Britain) 10.33.
800 metres: 1. Belal Mansoor Ali (Bahrain) one minute 44.74 seconds; 2. Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Russia) 1:45.12; 3. Abraham Chepkirwok (Uganda) 1:45.12.