By Kuvee Kangueehi
WINDHOEK
NAMIBIAN sprinter who is coming closer to retirement Frank Fredericks ended second in the 200-m race of the ISTAF 2004 Golden League in Berlin, Germany on Sunday. Fredericks clocked 20.25 seconds while winner Asafa Powell of Jamaica finished in a wind-aided time of 20.24s seconds.
Joshua J. Johnson of the United States was third in 20.54s.
It seemed for one glorious moment that Frank Fredericks had who won the 1993 World Championship 200-m title in Germany, some 700 km away in Stuttgart, might end the German section of his illustrious career in winning form. He closed impressively on Jamaica's Asafa Powell in the last 20 metres ofÃÆ'Æ'ÀÃ...ÃÆ''šÃ‚ºthe 200-m but even a low level dive across the line couldn't quite pull off that fairytale ending. Powell, first 20.24, Fredericks, second 20.25. Fredericks finished fourth at the Olympics in Athens almost three weeks back. But there was not even a glimmer of a memorable ISTAF farewell for former twice World and Olympic Long Jump champion Heike Drechsler, 39, who ended up ninth and last (5.92) this afternoon in a competition won by Tatyana Lebedeva, who succeeded her as Olympic gold medallist this summer in Athens. The Russian's winning leap was 6.89.ÃÆ'Æ'ÀÃ...ÃÆ''šÃ‚º Drechsler, who has been hampered by injury, has two more competitions this year - Yokohama and Tahiti - before retirement.
The final event of the day, a special Decathletes 1500-m which was set up to bid farewell to another German hero, 1996 Olympic silver medallist Frank Busemann, also fell short of a perfect ending, as the protagonist finished fourth (4:27.67). In any case, it seemed an unusual choice for a farewell to any Decathlete, as this discipline is universally acknowledged by combined eventers as the most unpopular of their ten events. As if to make that point, finishing seventh and last (4:47.74) today was Olympic champion and World record holder Roman Sebrle. The winner was Christopher Hallmann in 4:16.71, a personal best. Meanwhile, three of the four Namibians who competed in the 100-km World Cup in Winschoten, Netherlands have finished among the first 100 (one hundred) runners on Saturday.
The 100-km race, held annually under the patronage of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), is organised annually by the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU).
It was the first time that Namibia was represented at the event. Namibia's leading ultra marathon runner Emil Roman was Namibia's best performer in Winschoten where he managed to run himself into 42nd position.
He covered the 100-km in seven hours, 46 minutes and 21 seconds while his compatriot, Mathew Hoeb finished in 51st position with a time of seven hours, 57 minutes and 27 seconds.
Salomo David, who finished 97th overall, clocked a time of eight hours, 42 minutes and 45 seconds to finish among the best 100 runners.
The fourth Namibian runner, Johannes Gawaxamab, finished outside the top 145 runners. Italy's Mario Ardemagni spent the least time on the road as he clocked six hours, 18 minutes and 22 seconds to win the gruelling 100-km race. - Additional Reporting Nampa and IAAF.