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In a not really thrilling 800 m final Hazel Clark won the title. Last year she

had been runner-up.

The field remained together at the beginning. Hazel Clark lead the race and

had a 200 m split time of 29.05. After 300 m Alice Schmidt took over and

increased the pace. Hazel Clark didn’t let her go away and followed

immediately.

One lap later Clark started sprinting and took the lead back again. They

reached 600 m in a quick 1:30.79 minutes and it was for sure that nothing could

happen anymore. Clark won the race in 2:01.98. The fight for second place was

more thrilling. Kameisha Bennett tried to overtake Alice Schmidt on the finish

straight but didn’t make it. Schmidt was holding on and got second in

2:02.32. Kameisha Bennett finished third in 2:02.77. „I wanted to win

this race, and this is what I did”, said Hazel Clark after the race.

The men’s 800 m final was thrilling from the start to the end. Kevin

Hicks, who holds the fastest indoor time this season, and Olympian Derrick

Peterson were the favourites. The field was really nervous at first and

everybody tried to get a position as best as possible. Fred Sharpe and Richard

Smith were leading. After a 400 m split time of 52.49 seconds favourite Derrick

Peterson fell in the curve. Tim Dunne then tried to get away from Fred Sharpe

but failed. Sharpe increased the pace and Richard Smith, Joel Legare and Kevin

Hicks followed. Hicks pulled himself past everybody at the beginning of the

home straight. He brought his chest to the finish first in 1:48.73 minutes.

Richard Smith and Joel Legare also made it past Fred Sharpe and got second and

third. Smith was runner-up in 1:48.80 and Legare became third in 1:48.86. Fred

Sharpe, who had been leading most of the time, broke down at the end and got

the ungrateful fourth place.

MARISA REICH