Posted: July 1, 2005

Athletics: For Lagat, 2005 Is About 'running Fast'

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

PARIS -- With his recent change of nationality to the United States leaving him ineligible to compete at this year’s world championships, Bernard Lagat said that he focusing primarily on one goal this year as he prepares to defend his Gaz de France Golden League 1500 title.

“My motivation really is to run fast, and one of the races where I’m going to start running fast is tomorrow,” said the Kenyan-born American who claimed the silver medal at last year’s Olympic Games. “It’s one of the races that I’ve chosen where I’ve really put my mind into it, into running fast.”

Last year, Lagat clocked 3:29.21 to win the Paris race, his second of what would be three Golden League wins in 2004. Prior to last season, despite being the second fastest-ever to run the 1500 meters, with a personal best of 3:26.34 from 2001, Lagat had never won a Golden League competition. With no world title to aim for this season, key wins and fast times are his primary objectives.

“The biggest events for me actually start tomorrow. And I’d like to run fast. Faster than I’ve run before, another personal best of mine. And if that happens, I’ll be very, very, happy because that’s my goal this year.”

In three 1500/mile starts this season, Lagat has collected just one win with a 3:34.34 effort at the U.S. Open in Carson, Calif. in late May, and he expressed some disappointment with his last outing in Zaragoza, Spain six days ago, where he finished third in rainy, windy conditions, clocking 3:36.73.

“Normally for me, when I first come to Europe, most of the early races I don’t do that well,” he said. “I need maybe one or two races before I get the rhythm. I started a bit slow this year. My best so far is a 3:34, and sometimes by this time of year, I’d have a 3:33 or 3:32. But I know it’s going to be faster as I go.”

With Olympic champion and world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj racing less while gradually shifting his competitive focus to the 5000 meters, Lagat senses that his event will be undergoing a significant change.

“It’s going to be more tactical knowing that Hicham is not going to be there. We know that he always goes hard. Normally even the pacemakers have a hard time reaching the 1200. So now it’s going to be almost tactical. Everybody’s going to be there together.”

But Lagat insists that the metric mile’s gradual evolution to the post-El Guerrouj era will not preclude fast times, nor does it necessarily mean that now will be his time at the top of the event.

“With Hicham not in the races, we will do things differently. But’s it a hard thing to pinpoint and say, ‘now I’m going to be the top guy.’ There’s a lot of young athletes who are coming up. And they are really, really impressive.”

Lagat also said that he will miss his long-time rival and friend, to which he finished runner-up six times in 2001 and 2002.

“Yes, I will absolutely. I know he will be running again soon with me in the 1500, and hopefully he’ll be in some of the other Golden League races coming up. He’s a great athlete and he’s a positive role model for all of us.”

Those head-to-head battles may come at Rome’s Golden Gala Golden League race on July 8, or at the Norwich Union London Grand Prix, the only two races firmly etched into Lagat’s calendar.

As for his two-week break during the world championships, Lagat said it’ll simply be business as usual –minus the competitive frame of mind.

“I’ll be basically training and watching the championships. I have a lot of people to support. I like to see my friends run well at the world championships.”

Even with El Guerrouj out of the immediate picture, Lagat’s challenge in Paris will be a formidable one. Kenyans Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (3:30.77) and Alex Kipchirchir (3:31.10), along with Daham Najim Bashir (3:31.04) of Qatar, and Ukraine’s Olympic finalist Ivan Heshko (3:32.81) are all on the start list.