News Archive

Today in Helsinki (monday):

19:20  10,000 metres - Final - men

20:05  1500 metres - Semi-Final - men

20:35  3000 metres - Final - women

The final at 3000 m steeplechase on Tuesday evening in Helsinki will be thrilling. The big favourite, world record holder Saif Saaeed Shaheen (Qatar) ran in the heats on Sunday. On a day without any finals in the running events he clocked the fastest time of 8:11.79 minutes. The former Kenyan runner, who got much attention for switching his country and his name, has to compete against three Kenyans in the final. Among them is the Olympic Champion Ezekiel Kemboi, who finished second in the heats behind Shaheen in 8:11,90.

“That is a problem of the Kenyan Athletics Federation.” 

„I am prepared for the Kenyans – they are very good and fast, I know that“, said Saif Saaeed Shaheen. When he was asked about the current fact that more and more Kenyans are changing nationality, the Paris world champion said: “That is a problem of the Kenyan Athletics Federation.” 

But some Europeans could achieve good placings in the 3000 m steeplechase final as well. France’s Bob Tahri is among the finalists as well as the Austrian Günther Weidlinger or the Spaniard Antonio Jiménez.

Olympic Champion Kelly Holmes (GBR) is not competing

While double Olympic Champion Kelly Holmes (Great Britain) is not competing, the 800 m final could be a pure Russian affair. All three Russians qualified for the final which will be held on Tuesday: Svetlana Cherkasova, Larisa Chzhao and Tatyana Andrianova. Title holder Maria Mutola (Mosambique) also qualified, but isn’t in a very good shape.