RABAT, MOROCCO, May 28 — If grudge matches and rivalries are the key to marketing the sport, the latest episode of this season’s men’s 100 proved to be right on track in Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex. A day after Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala boasted, “I don’t care about competitors, there’s no pressure, I’m waiting for victory,” and 3 days after Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs withdrew, claiming a “nerve block” in his back, Fred Kerley crushed the field with a 9.94 meet record, saying, “This is the result I was expecting.”
Undefeated at any distance this season, world champ Kerley also has not lost a 100 since the Eugene DL exactly a year ago.
Of the Italian’s absence, Kerley said, “At the end of the day, I can’t actually worry about the next person, but I hope he is healthy and getting ready for the next competition if he’s available.”
Behind Kerley, South African Akani Simbine also got ahead of Omanyala, 9.99–10.05. Letsile Tebogo of Botswana was 4th in 10.09, just ahead of Trayvon Bromell at 10.10.
In the 1500, his outdoor opener, Jakob Ingebrigtsen stayed off the rabbits’ pace on lap 1 but put himself into position on the second. Shadowing him were On AC teammates Olli Hoare and indoor AR-setter Yared Nuguse. Little changed until the final turn, when the Norwegian started moving away. On the straight, the best wheels belonged to DL debutant Nuguse, but he started moving too late to threaten Ingebrigtsen, who crossed in 3:32.59 to Nuguse’s 3:33.02, with Hoare 3rd in 3:33.39.
“I felt good,” said the Olympic champion. “I could run faster but it was a bit difficult in the last turn because of the wind.”
The women’s 1500 produced a world leader from Ethiopia’s 5000m world champion Gudaf Tsegay. She followed rabbits through 2:03.63 at 800, then took over, with only teenager Birke Haylom following closely. She passed 1200 in 3:06.09, her margin growing to 10 meters by the bell. She made it to the finish in 3:54.03. Freweyni Hailu mounted a strong kick to catch Haylom at the line, 3:57.65–3:57.66. For the 17-year-old Haylom it was an improvement of her own World Youth Record from 4:01.86.
World champion Grant Holloway got a bit of a surprise in the hurdles from Rasheed Broadbell — who didn’t make the Worlds final last year but gave Holloway a challenge placing 2nd…
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