Thursday 21 September 2000
Coverage from the Olympic Stadium as the track and field events get underway. Women's 800m round 1; men's 400m round 1; men's 100m round 1; women's 100m round 1. Commentary by Stuart Storey, David Coleman, Steve Cram, Paul Dickenson, Brendan Foster, Sally Gunnell and Christina Boxer.
Friday 22 September 2000
Featuring women's 5000m round 1; men's shot put final; women's 400m round 1; women's 100m round 1; men's 100m round 2; men's 10000m round 1. Commentary by Stuart Storey, David Coleman, Steve Cram, Paul Dickenson, Brendan Foster, Sally Gunnell and Christina Boxer.
 |
| 14:00-15:30 |
| ATHLETICS: Olympic Games at Sydney's Olympic Stadium |
|
Women's 5000m Round 1; Men's Shot Put Final; Men's High Jump Qualifying Round; Women's 400m Round 1; Women's Triple Jump Qualifying Round; Women's 100m Round 2; Men's 100m Round 2; Men's 1km Round 1. Delayed.
|
| 20:30-22:15 |
| ATHLETICS: Olympic Games at Sydney's Olympic Stadium |
|
Highlights and interviews.
|
Olympic
Games: Sydney: Men's 5000m
 |
|
Brahim
Lahlafi
|
The
fastest man in the world this year is Morocco's Brahim Lahlafi - and the 32-year-old
will be especially determined in Sydney, having missed out on a medal in Seville
last year by 29/100ths of a second, despite setting his personal best in the
process.
But the leader
of this year's world rankings is Algeria's Ali Saidi-Sief - a versatile
22 year old who can compete at a world level in the 1500m. He's
very much the new kid on the block - having knocked 40 seconds off his personal
best this year, and if momentum is anything to go by, should figure very
strongly in Sydney.
 |
|
Daniel
Komen
|
Another who
could make the running is Belgium's Mohammed Mourhit. The World Championship
bronze medalist is the second fastest in the world this year, and lies just
behind Saidi-Sief in the world rankings.
The Kenyans
- for so long the dominaint force in middle to long distance running - are
led by 18-year-old Sammy Kipketer, with World Championship runner-up Benjamin
Limo, and probably either Paul Tergat or former world record holder Daniel
Komen making up the rest of their team.
 |
|
Haile
Gebrselassiee
|
But the man
they will all have to beat is Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie. The 27
year-old, has been nursing an achillees injury - saving himself for the
big two races - the Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m - of his season. His pedigree
is unparalelled - he's broken
world records on fifteen seperate occassions, so it's not as if he's had
anything to prove. A consumate win in the Weltklasse meeting in Zurich was
a timely reminder to anyone who believed Gebrselassie hasn't been firing
on all cylinders.
Olympic Games:
Sydney: Women's 5000m
 |
|
Gabriela
Szabo
|
Pocket-sized Romanian
Gabriela Szabo starts as the red-hot favourite in the 5000m, despite concentrating
on the 1500m and 3000m during most of the preceding outdoor season. The fastest
woman over 3000m this year yo-yoes between the distances with ease, and, provided
she can stay fresh, lines up in Sydney as one of the clearest favourites on
the track.
A double World
Champion at 5000m, the 6 1/2 stone bombshell made history in 1999 - becoming
the first female athelete to win more than $1million prize money in one
season. She took silver in the 1500m in Atlanta behind Masterkova, but now
at 25 years old, is much closer to her athletic peak.
 |
|
Gete
Wami
|
Her main threat
is likely to eminate from the Ethiopian triumverate of Gete Wami - fastest
woman in the world this year by a whoppping 11 seconds - Derartu Tulu and
Ayelech Worku - who finished 12th in Atlanta having just turned 17. Her
win at Crystal Palace in the Grand Prix event was the second fastest time
in the world this year.
With Paula
Radcliffe concentrating on the 10,000m, British chances rest with Jo Pavey,
who turns 27 five days after the games get underway. Making it into the
final, however, would be a tremendous birthday present for the athelete
who shaved 22 seconds off her 3000m personal best at Gateshead on August
Bank Holiday Monday.
|
