EUGENE, Oregon (AFP) — Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele captured the 10,000 metres at the 34th Prefontaine Classic here on Sunday, running the fourth fastest time in history in his first American outdoor showing.
The 2004 Olympic champion Bekele finished in 26 minutes, 25.97 seconds, becoming the first runner to break 27:00 in the United States.
The previous mark was held by Abraham Chebii who ran 27:04.20 seven years ago.
Organizers moved the men's 10,000m up to an early morning time slot in order to boost the three-time World Champion Bekele's chances of breaking his world record.
"I am happy with the time," said Bekele, who was competing in his first outdoor race in the United States. "The pace was too inconsistent at the beginning of the race and so I felt too tired at the end and didn't get the record."
Bekele led a podium sweep for Ethiopia as teammates Gashu Jeilan finished second in 27:13.85 while Meregu Zewedie was third in 27:14.13.
Former world record holder Mesaret Defar also charged to victory with a time of 14:38.73 in the women's 5,000m. The 24-year-old Defar was hoping to improve on her 14:16.63 world record but her job was made more difficult after Ethiopian compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba ran a world-record 14:11.15 on Friday in Oslo.
Reigning Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Liu Xiang, of China, was disqualified from the 100m hurdles Sunday after a false start.
Liu disagreed with the decision to award him a false start.
"I don't know what happened with the false start," Liu said. "It all happened so fast. I don't think I false started."
Liu was disqualified because his false start was the second in the race eventually won by American Anwar Moore in 13.09 seconds.
His teammate Shi Dongpeng was assigned the first false start. IAAF rules state that you can have one false start in a race and the athlete who commits the second one is thrown out.
Liu, who is China's best hope for athletics gold in the Beijing Olympics, has been troubled by a right hamstring problem that prevented him from taking part in last weekend's Grand Prix race in New York.
Liu and NBA star Yao Ming are the two most recognizable sports icons in China and injury scares to both have put the country's sports fans on edge ahead of the Summer Games.
"No problem," he said of being ready for Beijing.
Reigning world champion Brad Walker won the pole vault by clearing 6.04 metres to set an American and meet record in front of a crowd of 14,221 at the University of Oregon track.
Jeff Hartwig held the previous US record of 6.02m set in 1999.
Walker, who was named the top athlete of the Prefontaine meet, tried three times but failed to break Sergey Bubka's 14-year-old world record of 6.14m.
"It was surprising because I had taken lot of shots at it (US record) and hadn't made it," Walker said. "I thought if we had good conditions I could jump really high.
"Jeff Hartwig had the record for a long time, and I really look up to him and hopefully I will be the next in line to take it to the next level."
Walker said this will give him a boost going into the US Olympic trials in three weeks at the same Hayward Field track.
"I won worlds, I just jumped 6.04 the highest mark in the world this year, so anytime you get a big height in it gives you more confidence."
Maria Mutola won the women's 800m for her 16th consecutive victory at the Prefontaine meeting, finishing just ahead of American Alice Schmidt..
It was the final appearance in Eugene for Mozambique's Mutola who is retiring later this year.
"I been training hard thinking about this and I wanted to finish good with a win," Mutola said. "I am glad the way it went. It was a perfect finish.
"It was my last race and everybody has been talking about it, so it was tough. But I am very satisfied everything went well."
Bernard Lagat, the reigning world champ in the 1,500m and 5,000m, captured the men's two mile run with a time of 8:12.45.
Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi was second in 8:13.16 while Paul Koech of Kenya finished second in 8:13.31. Last year's Prefontaine winner Craig Mottram placed fifth with a time of 8:18.19.
Lagat, who won silver in the 2004 Olympic 1,500m, said this sets him up nicely for the US Olympic trials.
"I tested the waters today and I won my first two mile," said the Kenyan born Lagat, who is now a US citizen. "This gives me an idea of how I will feel over the next few weeks."
Reigning world champion Alfred Kirw Yego, of Kenya, broke American Dave Wottle's 36-year-old Hayward Field record by winning the men's 800 metres in a time of 1:44.01.
Adam Nelson outduelled his American compatriot Reese Hoffa by winning the shot put with a seasons-best toss of 22.12 metres.
World champion runner-up LaShawn Merritt of the US won the 400m in 44.65, beating out Angelo Taylor (45.14) and Trinidad's Renny Quow (45.41).
Torri Edwards won the women's 100m race (10.94) while Darrel Brown (10.07) captured the men's 100m with former world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica watching from the stands.
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