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Alger, Algeria - Even in the absence of Algeria’s premier champions

Djabir Said Guerni (2003 World 800m) and Nouria Merah-Benida (2000 Olympic

women’s 1500m), the international meeting here still produced some

exceptional delights including a remarkable world season’s lead and

several national records (24 June).

In the presence of the President of the African Athletics Confederation (AAC

– CAA) Ahmed Malboum Kalkaba of the Cameroon, 163 athletes representing

25 countries put on a flamboyant show in the new stadium which lies amid the

national Olympic complex in Alger.

Area record for Ramzi

Bahrain’s Rachid Ramzi, the surprise World Indoor 800m silver

medallist in Budapest this winter, made an even bigger international impact in

Alger. With a time of 3:31.87 the 23 year-old won the men’s 1500m, and in

the process set an Area record and the established the fastest time in the

world this year.

In second came Adil Elkaouche of Morocco (3:33.02 PB) and Algeria’s

Ali Saidi Sief (3.36.33) in second and third respectively.

Largely an unknown quantity, Ramzi whose previous personal best seems to be

his 3:39.30 clocking in Rabat on the 31 May 2003, dipped under the old Area

record of Mohammed Suleiman (QAT) of 3:32.10 which was established in

1997.

Also of note - Last year, Ramzi took the notable scalp of