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Oslo GL: New lifetime best for Birmingham
Australia's middle distance men were in rare form at the Bislett Games in Oslo, the second leg of the $US1 million IAAF Golden League on Friday night.
Australian 10000m record holder Collis Birmingham continued his stellar season by running a sensational personal best of 13.14.43 in a 5000m race won by world record holder Kenenisa Bekele (13.04.87).
Birmingham found the pace too fast early on and was five metres off the back of the leading pack for the first half of the race. However the gutsy Victorian tacked onto the leading pack with five laps to go, crossing the finish line in 13th place.
The 24-year-old sliced nearly two seconds from his previous personal best of 13:16.36 set in Melbourne in March.
"They went through the first two laps pretty quick," Birmingham said after the race.
"I was happy that I hung in there. I had a crack and with a personal best you have to be happy with that."
The time moves him past Lee Troop to second on the Australian all-time list in the men’s 5000m behind Craig Mottram and shows his preparations for the world championships are right on track.
Birmingham who has yet to decide if he will do the 5000m or 10,000m in Berlin conceded tonight he was leaning towards to the 5000m.
"I'll probably do the 5k in Berlin.
"I'll get ready for World Champs by doing two more races. Probably Heusden and London.”
In the men’s 1500m, Australian junior record holder Ryan Gregson ran an impressive 3.37.76 to finish sixth behind Collins Cheboi from Kenya (3.36.24).
The time was his second fastest ever and just outside the record (3.37.24) he set at the Sydney Track Classic earlier this year.
Gregson was content with a conservative opening two laps trailing the leaders by over 10 metres.
"If I had gone out any faster I would have blown up. I had a mile two weeks ago and I went out more with them and blew up," said the 19-year-old, referring to his sub four-minute mile in Ostrava two weeks ago.
Only two races into his debut European season and already running with the confidence of a seasoned campaigner, Gregson started making ground on the leaders with one lap to go.
"At 200m to go I kind of felt that I was doing really well. They were looking around a bit and I thought hopefully they were done."
"As soon as I started to go, Colin McCourt (from Great Britain) went past me and the Kenyans started sprinting off."
Gregson's rise to prominence in the past twelve months has been rapid. A year ago he was preparing for the world junior titles and today he raced at perhaps the premier middle distance meet in the world.
"I always thought I'd be here and I'm really happy with it."
Five-time national 400m champion Tamsyn Lewis lined up in the women's 400m against a field worthy of a world championships final.
One-day meet specialist Sanya Richards won the race in a world leading 49.23s destroying 2008 Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogo (51.33s) in the process.
Lewis was not out well in the first 100m (the track-side scoreboard jutting into her lane not helping matters) and lost touch with the leaders early.
Nevertheless she battled on to finish eighth in 52.34s. Having arrived in Europe only 10 days ago, Lewis whilst not happy with the result, knows what she needs to work on.
"I just need the races. I only just got over here. 52.3 first up is not that bad."
"I don't have any speed yet as I just came from the winter. I have to do some speed work over here in the warm weather."
National champion Sean Wroe is proving that he belongs with the best in the world by finishing fourth in the men’s 400m.
Running from lane three Wroe, who recently set a new personal best over 200m on the Gold Coast, flew down the back straight. He led the field coming home but tired a little in the run to the line, stopping the clock in 45.74.
"I really wanted to give it a crack today," said Wroe.
"I ran out of legs a little but that’s just not racing that many fours."
"At Lille (his opening race last week where he ran 45.76) I was trying too hard and this time I just relaxed and allowed my rhythm to take over."
Wroe won't defend his World University Games 400m title in Belgrade next week, preferring to work on his speed by running the 100m and 200m instead.
"I am looking at getting my speed up."
Wroe, who made the semi-finals in Beijing and Osaka, is aiming to go one better this year.
"The goal is to go one step further and go top 8. I know I can mix it with these guys."
The finale to the Bislett Games in Oslo is always the Dream Mile which always brings together a field of the highest quality and this year included Australian 1500m champion Jeff Riseley.
Coming off a personal best over 800m in Ostrava, Riseley knew he was in shape to race the best in the world, although some early jostling meant that Riseley was not quite in the position he hoped.
However the 22-year old settled into the race and waited for his chance. With 300m the leaders kicked for home and so too did Riseley.
Riseley crossed the line in fifth place in a time of 3.51.25 and although the time moves him past former national mile record holder Mike Hillardt and into third position on the Australian all-time list he is more satisfied with his racing ability.
"I wanted to settle in the middle and I got shoved out the back".
"I'm happy with the time but the best thing about it is that I came fifth in a quality race".
Riseley will ride this wave of confidence into next week's Golden League meeting in Rome.
The action continues tonight in Spain, in-form Australian long jumpers Fabrice Lapierre and Mitchell Watt going head-to-head at the Madrid Grand Prix.
And on Sunday, Olympic 100m hurdles silver medallist Sally McLellan kicks off her European campaign in Sotteville, France.
With thanks to Pat Birgan
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