Kipketer sets new standared in 800m

WILSON KIPKETER, the naturalised Dane, ran a world indoor record of 1 minute 43.96 seconds in the heats of the 800 metres in Paris yesterday and then predicted that he can go even faster here.

Kipketer became the first athlete to claim the bonus of $30,000 for a world record in the indoor championships when he took almost a full second off the record set by his former Kenyan teammate, Paul Ereng, in Budapest eight years ago.

James Nolan, the 20-year-old Tullamore athlete, led the chasing, pack as Kipketer appeared to float across the tartan track in the Omnisport Centre on his way into history.

"I went out fast and when I realised I was on record pace, I just decided to go for it" Kipketer said."

Even if he records a faster time today, however, it will not entitle him to another bonus. After some confusion in the wake of the record performance, it emerged that only one bonus is payable in any one, event.

It provided some compensation for Kipketer who, after winning the world 800 metres outdoor title for Denmark at Gothenburg, was not cleared by the Kenyan Athletics Federation to run for his adopted country in the Atlanta Olympics.

Nolan, like the rest of the entry, quickly abandoned the idea of trying to keep pace after Kipketer had gone through the half-way mark in 50.44 seconds, but Nolan came through late to finish second in 1-minute 48.21 seconds.

It was, in its own right, a superb run by the UCD student who was classified as a junior until a matter, of months ago and" only achieved a qualifying time for these championships at Nenagh a fortnight ago.

Nolan said afterwards that he was determined to take second place when he decided there was no point trying to keep up with Kipketer.

Unfortunately, there was no luck for David Matthews, Ireland's other representative in the 800 metres, after he fractionally failed to gain one the last of the eight places, reserved for the fastest losers, in today's semi-finals. Matthews ran in fifth place throughout, finishing in one minute 49.65 seconds.

Gail Devers is the new women's 60 metres champion after an eventful final. The world record holder, Irina Privalova of Russia, was leading and, apparently, well on the way to repeating her 1991 success in these championships when she tore a hamstring half-way through the race.

Haralambros Papadias of Greece won the corresponding men's title relegating Michael Green to second place. Bruny Surin of Canada, the gold medallist in the last two championships, could only finish fifth.