Wilson Kipketer, loses a shoe but not the race. - (Photograph: Stu Foster/Allsport).
Wilson Kipketer, Denmark's Kenyan-born 800 metres world indoor and outdoor record-holder, maintained his interest in the million-dollar Golden League bonus in Paris last night when he won his event despite losing a shoe with 200 metres to go.
Aside from Kipketer the most noteworthy performance came from Noah Ngeny who won the 1,500 metres in three minutes 28.84 seconds. He broke the Kenyan record but failed in his bid for Hicham El-Guerrouj's world record.
Kipketer was one of just four athletes who kept their hopes alive of sharing in the million-dollar bonus for winning the seven-meeting Golden League series as American long jumper Erick Walder and Russian 800 metres star Svetlana Masterkova, who had an ankle injury, both lost to end their interest.
The other three are Marion Jones, who easily retained her unbeaten streak in the 200 metres going back to May 1995 and looks a certainty to take a second successive share in the bonus, Romanian Gabriela Szabo in the 3,000 metres, who set the fastest time this year of eight minutes 25.29 seconds, and Kenyan 3,000 metres steeplechaser Bernard Barmasai.
Kipketer, almost back to the shape he was in before struck down by malaria and liver problems last year, never looked like being beaten despite losing the shoe after taking it up with 150 metres to go and despite South African Hezekiel Sepeng leading the challenge in the final straight.
"I'm very happy to have won particularly after losing the shoe," he said. "I just don't know how I came to lose the shoe but it happened as I wound up for the final sprint."
However, the 26-year-old, who now trains on his own having disposed of his coach, maintained that his priority remained defending his world title in Seville in August.
The 20-year-old Ngeny took the lead on the final bell but was never in a realistic position to break ElGuerrouj's mark of three minutes 26 seconds for which he was one of the pacemakers in Rome last year.
There was an encouraging return to form after a seven-month absence by former 1,500 metres world record-holder Noureddine Morceli, who finished second albeit two seconds off Ngeny.
Maurice Greene, the 100 metres world record-holder, won the 200 metres but lost his bet with coach John Smith that he would become the first sprinter to break 20 seconds on this track as he finished in 20.13.
Szabo had a wonderful battle with the fast improving Moroccan Zahra Ouaziz passing her on the final lap but only succeeding in shaking her off in the final 30 metres. Ouaziz had the consolation of breaking the African record for the event.
Mutola, who was upset to have been edged out by just 0.01 second by Masterkova in the first Golden League meeting in Oslo, found an extra gear in the final straight to ease away from Austrian Stephanie Graf while Masterkova, the world 1000 metres and mile record-holder, found nothing and finished fourth.
Kenya's world 5,000 metres champion Daniel Komen enjoyed a ding-dong duel with Moroccan Salah Hissou in the final lap of the 3,000 metres with both passing each other twice before Komen overcame the former 10,000 metres world record-holder in the final 10 metres.
