Middle-distance runners thrive at Rieti GP; Canadian Sullivan fourth in 1500

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This article was published 27/08/2006 (6974 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

RIETI, Italy (CP) – Gary Reed of Victoria didn’t let a slow race keep him from a fast time.

Reed lowered his Canadian record en route to an eighth-place finish in the men’s 800 metres at the Rieti Grand Prix on Sunday, despite being slotted in the slower ‘B’ race.

Reed ran one minute 43.93 seconds, to better the previous mark of 1:44.16 he set last month at Lausanne, Switzerland.

“I’m very pleased with it,” Reed’s coach Wynn Gmitroski said in a phone interview from Edmonton, where he was taking part in a coaching conference. “I knew he was capable of doing that. My concern was that he was in the ‘B’ section again, and I knew he was the fastest seed in there and potentially he would be running the race by himself. He won by almost a second.”

“It was a crazy night on the track, lots of fast times,” Reed said in an e-mail. “I am really really pleased with the way things worked out this season. I have not been putting any preasure on myself, just having fun and enjoying the sport. It’s always going to be fun but it’s a lot sweeter when you are improving. ”

Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa beat a championship-quality field to win in 1:43.09. Wilfred Bungei of Kenya was the runner-up in 1:43.31 and Bram Som of the Netherlands, who won the gold medal at the European championships earlier this month, was third in 1:43.52.

Kevin Sullivan of Brantford, Ont., was fourth in the men’s 1,500 in 3:34.44.

In other Canadian results, Diane Cummins of Vancouver was ninth in the women’s 800 in 2:00.13, while Carmen Douma-Hussar of Cambridge, Ont., finished 14th in the women’s 1,500 in 4:08.38.

Gmitroski said Reed was in the slower section since he hasn’t raced much internationally this season. He’s hoping the 24-year-old’s performance will garner him a spot in the faster section at next Sunday’s Golden League meet in Berlin.

Gmitroski says, given a good field and fast track, Reed’s best may be yet to come this season. They’re gunning for a strong performance at next month’s World Cup in Athens.

“I still think there’s more there, probably another half a second yet. Whether we’re going to see that this year, it’s going to be difficult.

“It would be nice to see him run against the top competition for a little bit more experience, because that’s who he’s got to beat the next two years at the worlds and the Olympics. But soon enough.”

Bernard Lagat, a former Kenyan who runs for the U.S., won the 1,500 metres in 3:29.68 seconds, his best time of the year.

The event was just like past editions of this meeting in the mountains of central Italy, where six middle-distance world records have been set over the years at the 5,000-seat Raul Guidobaldi stadium.

“You don’t feel pressure like when you go to other meetings in the north,” Lagat said.

Isaac Songok of Kenya won the men’s 3,000 in 7:28.72, the fastest time this year.

On the final straight, Songok sprinted away from Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia.

Commonwealth Games champion Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya won the women’s 800 in 1:57.07, slightly off her seasonal lead of 1:56.66 set in Lausanne last month.

Gary Kikaya of Congo became the fourth fastest performer in the 400, clocking 44.46, ahead of the 44.53 that Xavier Carter ran at the U.S. college championships in June.

European champion Vanya Stambolova won the women’s 400 in 49.53.

Andrew Howe of Italy won the men’s long jump with a leap of 8.36 metres.

In the sprints, Francis Obikwelu of Portugal – who swept the 100 and 200 at the European championships – won the 200 in 20.20 after a false start.

The 100 lacked big names but Jason Smoots of the United States won with a relatively fast 10.01.