Track & Field: Kaki Steals World Championships 800m Victory

Abubaker Kaki entered the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships with exactly three races under his belt: an 800m in Leipzig which netted him the second-fastest time of the year (1.46,06), and two 1.000m races - the first which nabbed the 18-year-old the world junior record in Stockholm (2.15,77).

Kaki tripled his lifetime total of indoor races in Valencia, and did not disappoint in his attack on a truly stellar field, winning a stunning race against South African Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, 1.44,81 to 1.44,91.

Mulaudzi was the 2004 world indoor champion and Olympic silver medallist behind Yuriy Borzakovskiy in Athens, and had possessed the most experience and the highest credentials of the contestants in the final.

Mulaudzi equalled his standing set two years ago in Moscow, but did set a new national record tonight in the process.

Bronze medallist Yusuf Saad Kamal of Burundi (1.45,26) and fourth-placer Dmitrijs Milkevics (1.45,72), who had the third-fastest time in the world entering the final (1.46,09), also set national records in a race won with the third-fastest time ever run in the World Indoor Championships.

The field was so deep that fifth-placer, Russian Dmitry Bogdanov (1.45,76) and American Nick Symmonds (1.46,48), who had looked very strong in his heat and semi-final races, set personal records in what was truly one of the highlights of the evening behind Soboleva's world record run mentioned earlier tonight.

Symmonds' time was only 0,01 of a second from equalling the best mark for sixth place in the championships.

Kaki stated prior to the opening race that he wouldn't underestimate his competitors, but the strong Sudanese took the lead from the gun and split 24,92 - 51,26 the first two laps before Mulaudzi gave chase.

Entering the final lap, Kaki split 1.18,28 at the 600m mark, and all eyes in the stadium were on the fast-kicking Mulaudzi as he prepared to overtake his junior runner. Mulaudzi pushed Kaki hard down the backstretch, and it appeared that Kaki would not find the strength to hold off Mulaudzi, who has a 1.42,89 outdoor best.

Kaki came off the final turn with his arms pumping hard, his neck strained and his eyes on the finish line as Mulaudzi, running to his right in lane two, came up even with him, and attempted to overtake him with the remaining metres to the finish line in sight.

Malaudzi was unable to negotiate a better finishing spurt than Kaki, however, and the 18-year-old claimed his sixth victory in as many races this indoor season, running the second-fastest world junior time in history behind Borzakovskiy's 1.44,35 -- and the fastest time in the world since 2004.

Kaki's superlative mixture of strength and speed will make it very challenging for anyone to match strides with him as he takes a break, rests and prepares to translate his new-found talents to the outdoor oval.

Kaki shouldn't have too difficult a time with that, however, as he ran a solo 1.43 800m in November to fly under the radar nearly two months following the normal Grand Prix season.

IAAF World Indoor Championships

Men's 800m Final

1, Abubaker Kaki, SUD, 1.44,81 (WL); 2, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, RSA, 1.44,91 (NR); 3, Yusuf Saad Kamel, BRN, 1.45,26 (AR); 4 Dmitrijs Milkevics, LAT, 1.45,72 (NR); 5 Dmitriy Bogdanov, RUS, 1.45,76 (PB); 6 Nick Symmonds, USA, 1.46,48 (PB)

Photo credit: IAAF.org