Newsarchiv

Rome, Italy – The win streaks of two of the world’s greatest

athletes came to a close this evening, as quadruple World 1500m champion Hicham

El Guerrouj, and Ana Guevara, the women’s World 400m gold medallist were

dealt crushing defeats at the MGK-Vis Golden Gala, in the Italian

capital’s Olympic stadium.

Five still in the hunt

Continuing the hunt for the $1 million TDK Golden League Jackpot tonight

were seven of the 12 Bergen meet winners, and of these five were successful -

Tonique Williams-Darling (400m) and Hestrie Cloete (High Jump) in the

women’s events, and in the men’s Virgilijus Alekna (Discus),

Christian Olsson (Triple Jump), and Felix Sanchez (400m Hurdles). Ending their

challenge was Yuriy Borzakovskiy (800m) and Bernard Lagat (1500m).

Theatre at its very best

Hicham El Guerrouj who had 28 consecutive wins to his

credit and Ana Guevara who had 24 races under her belt without a loss,

were left as also-rans tonight at the 24th edition of Rome’s Golden Gala,

in which a record 70 nations were represented.

This was great athletics theatre at its very best, as going ‘back to

back’ on this evening’s programme in the women’s 400m and the

men’s 1500m respectively, these two great names of the sport found were

wanting in the final dash to the line.