New Balance Indoor Grand Prix: Seyaum & Gebremeskel victorious
Boston, MA – Dawit Seyaum and Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopia were victorious at the the 20th edition of the IAAF Indoor Permit meeting now known as the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix here yesterday.
World junior 1500m champion Seyaum won the women’s 2000m in 5:35.46, passing the mile in 4:32.13 on the way to the line.
She wasn’t seriously pressed late in the race despite sharing the starting line with world and Olympic silver medallist Sally Kipyego and steeplechase ace Emma Coburn; the former took second in 5:40.35 and the latter third in 5:41.11.
Seyaum’s mark is a world junior best for the event in addition to being a world-leading mark.
Gebremeskel won the men’s 3000m in 7:48.19, less than 0.2 ahead of Bernard Lagat, whose move to the front with two laps remaining underscored the point that Lagat, now 40, is running for more than age group records.
Lagat’s 7:48.33 for second betters the listed men’s over-40 mark by almost 13 seconds.
“I expected Lagat to have a fast last lap,” said Gebremeskel. “Of course Bernard has a strong kick. Last year I ran road races because there was no world championship after the World Indoors, but this year I will run the 5000m in Beijing.”
In the women’s 2 mile race, Jenny simpson of the US finished first followed by Sentayehi Ejigu and Buze Diriba of Ethiopia.
Read more at: IAAF.org
