Rudisha's woes continue as Farah pips Kimeli

South African Wayde van Niekerk reacts during the IAAF World Challenge Zlata Tretra (Golden Spike) athletics tournament in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on June 29, 2014. PHOTO | MILAN KAMMERMAYER |

What you need to know:

  • Kiplagat clocked 2:18.51, beating Holusa Jakub and Filip Sasinek all from Czech in 2:18.60 and 2:19.03 respectively as Rudisha settled fourth in 2:19.43.
  • Wayde van Niekerk raced home at the Golden Sprike meet at the Mestsky Stadium in the northeastern Czech city of Ostrava in an outstanding 30.81 seconds.
  • The previous world record of 30.85sec was set at altitude in Pretoria in 2000 by American Michael Johnson.
  • World 100m and 200m record holder Usain Bolt won the men’s 100m in 10.07. Bolt ran 10.03 in Kingston on June 10

The 2009 World Under-18 800m bronze medallist Nicholas Kiplagat edged out a field that had World and Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha to win men’s 1,000m race at Ostrava Golden Spike Meeting on Wednesday.

It was also a good outing for little-known Benjamin Kigen after he cashed on the absence of injured Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto to win the men’s 3,000m steeplechase in personal best 8 minutes and 11.54 seconds.

Kenya’s 19-year-old Matthew Kimeli might have lost the 10,000m battle to a fine Olympic and World 10,000m, champion Mo Farah to finish second but the Kenyan youngster returned a personal best of 27:14.42 against the Briton’s 27:12.09.

Kiplagat clocked 2:18.51, beating Holusa Jakub and Filip Sasinek all from Czech in 2:18.60 and 2:19.03 respectively as Rudisha settled fourth in 2:19.43.

Rudisha, who is the world 800m record-holder, is yet to win a race this season even as he prepares to defend his world title in London next month.

Rudisha lost the battle to youngsters Kipyegon Bett and Willy Tarbei in Shanghai and Kingston respectively.

Kigen floored Ethiopians Getnet Wale and Hailemariyam Amare to second and third places in 8:13.16 and 8:13.39 respectively as another Kenyan Abraham Kibiwott came in fourth in 8:16.21.

VAN NIEKERK

Wayde van Niekerk had promised to get "ridiculous" and the South African tyro hailed as Usain Bolt's likely successor did just then when sprinting to a world record in the rarely-run 300m on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old raced home at the Golden Sprike meet at the Mestsky Stadium in the northeastern Czech city of Ostrava in an outstanding 30.81 seconds.

The previous world record of 30.85sec was set at altitude in Pretoria in 2000 by American Michael Johnson.

It was the second time the 24-year-old South African has usurped Johnson, having broken his 17-year-old 400m world record when racing to victory at last year's Rio Olympics.

Van Niekerk's time also shattered the meet record of 30.97sec — previously the second fastest time every run — set by Jamaican sprint star Bolt in 2010.

Running in lane five, Van Niekerk enjoyed a scintillating start that saw him catapult down the back stretch and pass Isaac Makwala of Botswana after the first 80 metres.

Negotiating the bend with aplomb, the South African shot into the home straight well in the lead.

As he seemed to pull up slightly, Makwala pushed but a final spurt saw Van Niekerk ease past Johnson's previous best.

The result is another feather in the cap for the world and Olympic 400m champion, who this year has set a leading mark of 19.84sec in the 200m and a personal record of 9.94sec in the 100m.

Van Niekerk is also the first athlete to break 10sec for the 100m, 20sec for the 200m and 44sec for the 400m, and it is little wonder Bolt himself taps the South African as his most likely successor when he hangs up his spikes come season's end.

World 100m and 200m record holder Usain Bolt won the men’s 100m in 10.07. Bolt ran 10.03 in Kingston on June 10.