Usain Bolt on Letterman 9/25/08

Bolt Celebrates Early…Way TOO EARLY!

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Shelly-Ann Fraser wins the womens 100m at the Beijing Olympics

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BEIJING (AP) — Pamela Jelimo and world champion Janeth Jepkosgei ran to a 1-2 finish for Kenya in the women’s 800 meters at the Beijing Olympics.

The 18-year-old Jelimo, a heavy favorite despite switching to the 800m only in April, won Monday night in 1 minute, 54.87 seconds — a world junior record.

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Pamela Jelimo celebrates after winning the women’s 800 meter final.

Jepkosgei took silver in 1:56.07 and Hasna Benhassi of Morocco was third in 1:56.73.

Three-time world champion and Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medalist Maria Mutola of Mozambique finished fifth in 1:57.68 in her fourth and last Olympics.

PREVIOUS RUNS

In the last Worlds — It was All Jepkosgei

Notes: Spotlight on Kenya’s Janeth Jepkosgei - The New World 800m Champion

Pamela Jelimo — From the ISTAF meet in Berlin, Germany June 1, 2008 called
by Dwight Stones and “The voice of Track & Field” Larry Rawson.

References:

1. The New York Times — Kenyan Woman Wins Gold in the 800 Meters — Pamela Jelimo, 18, won a decisive victory in the 800 meters, becoming the first Kenyan woman to win gold.

2. Daily Nation, Kenya — A golden day for Kenya | Jelimo is the first Kenyan woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics. World champion Brimin Kipruto and compatriot Benjamin Kogo cruise to a 1-2 finish in the 3,000 metres steeplechase. Kenya has won all Olympic titles in the 3,000 metres steeplechase save for 1976 and 1980 when it boycotted

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Usain Bolt smashed the world record as he decimated his rivals to claim 100 metres Olympic Gold in Beijing.

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Usain Bolt of Jamaica smashed his own record in the 100 meters despite slowing up to celebrate the gold medal he won in the process on Saturday.

He shaved three hundredths of a second of his own world record in a blistering time of 9.69 seconds and looks capable of going even quicker.

The Jamaican was so much in control of the race he found the time to celebrate before crossing the line in front of a packed Bird’s Nest.

Said Bolt:

“I want to say, I came here to prove I am the best.

“I have trained for years for this and prepared for this.

“I’m just happy, I came here to prove that I’m the best in the world and I did that.

“I came here with a plan and I executed it.

“I don’t really know what happened. I even could be 9.60.

“As soon as I saw I had covered the field and I knew I would win, I was very happy and I started to celebrate.

“I wasn’t worried about the time. I just came here to win.”

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Watch the FULL Video as Usain Bolt of Jamaica Man-Handles and Completely Destroys the Opposition, and Sets A New World Record @ NBCOlympics.com

   Some predicted Usain Bolt could’ve turned in a 9.54 had he not
   shut it down with at least 15 meters left in the race.

AP Report - Bolts Record Breaking Run in Beijing

Previous Record Setting Bolts

9.72 - Usain Bolt 100 meters world record

Notes: Lightning-fast Bolt wins Olympic 100m

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Janeth Jepkosgei Celebrates Her Win
Kenya’s Janeth Jepkosgei celebrates with the national flag after she won the gold medal in the Women’s 800m final during the World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan, on Tuesday. Picture by AP

In a superb display of front-running, Janeth Jepkosgei won Kenya’s first women’s 800 metres global title. Janeth led from start to finish — and won in 1 minute, 56.04 seconds, with Morocco’s Hasna Benhassi getting silver in 1:56.99 and Spain’s Mayte Martinez third in 1:57.62.

“This medal is important for Kenya and for me,” Jepkosgei told reporters. “This is the first medal for middle distance where we don’t have many runners….said Janeth.

“It’s a challenge to my fellow Kenyans to do more at middle distance and not just concentrate on long distances.” ….added Janeth.

Maria Mutola of Mozambique was looking for her fourth world title but her first since 2003. The 2000 Olympic champion tripped up and stopped about 70 meters from the finish after her late challenge faded.

Defending champion Zulia Calatayud of Cuba was eliminated in the semifinals.

Women’s 800m Final - World Championships, Osaka - Japan
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Comments: Kenya’s World Games Athletic team, which was billed as one of the weakest ever, is proving everyone wrong — so far they have bagged a total of 7 medals (3 GOLD 1 SILVER 3 BRONZE), and are positioned in third place, in the overall medals table, just behind the United States and Russia.

I am also proud to note that Kenyan girls seem to be getting better and better, every year — and will some day equal the storied glory of their male counterparts — For example, in Osaka, Japan, other than Janeth’s superb win, the Kenyan ladies are closing the gap in the women’s Steeplechase too.

Ereng’s girl realises her coach’s burning ambition

By Omulo Okoth

The newly-crowned world 800m women’s champion Janeth Jepksogei was a creation of 1988 Seoul Olympic champion Paul Ereng.

It was Ereng who discovered her six years ago and groomed her to run the two-lap race. At that time Ereng was the technical director of the Kip Keino High Altitude Training Centre in Eldoret. | Kip Keino — Most Famous Kenyan Runner Ever |

Within months of horning her talents, Jepkosgei won the African Junior title in Mauritius. The following year, she won world junior title in Kingston, Janaica, in 2002.

“I knew this girl was destined for greater things. But I want her to win an Olympic title,” Ereng, now cross-country head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso, said on Tuesday.

Ereng was so convinced of the realisation of this ambition that even last year’s victories at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and African Championships in Mauritius were to him not good enough.

Steeplechasers had a field day

Jepkosgei has earned her place in the global sporting world. It was clear that Mozambican Maria de Lurdes Mutola was not going anywhere.

I feel sorry for her though for dropping out after realising she stood no chance. Mutola stayed around for too long. One must, however, appreciate staying power at the top for close to two decades.

She first appeared on the global scene in 1988 in Seoul Games and has won all there is to be won, including a $1m Golden Jackpot three years ago!

Our steeplechasers had a field day, too, thanks in part to the absence of Qatar’s Seif Saaeed Shaheen.

The last time they swept the medals was in Athens Olympics in 2004 where Ezekiel Kemboi won gold and Brimin Kipruto the silver.

They swapped the medals on Tuesday. But are we seeing the last of Kemboi, who lost to rookie Willy Komen at last month’s All Africa Games? Only time will tell.

Some More Great Kenyan Performances

Catherine Ndereba Wins The Women’s Marathon
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Kenya’s Yego Wins The 800m Final

Bernard Lagat — Kenyan Turned American Pulls Off A Rare Double:
Wins Both 1500m and 5000m

What a great show put on by Kenyan attletes — 13 Medals, and in second place overall, behind only the United States.

Congratulations!

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