Lagat smashes US 5,000 indoor record in debut race

Boston: American Bernard Lagat made a blistering kick to crush the US record in his first indoor 5,000 meters, finishing in 13:11.50 at the 15th Boston Indoor Games on Saturday.

Ethiopia`s double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba was 20 seconds off the world record in the women`s 5,000m but her 14:44.53 was easily the year`s fastest. Olympic 1,500m silver medallist Nick Willis of New Zealand launched his comeback from 2009 surgery with the fastest mile of 2010, 3:55.26, to pip Americans Will Leer and David Torrance. Lagat, a former double world champion at 1,500 and 5,000, sliced almost seven seconds off the record set in 2009 by Galen Rupp.He surged to the front with 300m to go and held off Ethiopians Dejen Gebremeskel and Bekana Daba with matching 13:11.78 times. Rupp finished fourth in 13:14.21, a new personal best. The popular Lagat ran a partial victory lap, high-fiving the cheering crowd. His time was the third-fastest in the world this year. "Certainly is not the last one. It`s so much fun," Lagat said of his debut. "The work starts in the fourth and last kilometres. I need to get more races with Galen, that would put me in good shape." Ethiopia scored a double in the women`s 3,000m, with 18-year-old Kalkidan Gezahegn at 8:46.19 narrowly besting Genzebe Dibaba. American Shannon Rowbury was third. It was a good night for American male sprinters. Ivory Williams posted the year`s best 60m dash of 6.51 seconds, backing up a win at New York`s Millrose Games a week ago. Terrence Trammell equalled his season`s best in the 60m hurdles at 7.49. Lisa Barber won the women`s 60m in 7.22, and Damu Cherry pipped Canada`s Perdita Felicien to win the 60m hurdles in 8.00. American Deedee Trotter nearly stumbled off the track with a lap to go in a physical women`s 400m but pulled away from the field easily in 53.08. In the men`s 400m American Bershawn Jackson ran 46.86 to win easily from Renny Quow of Trinidad. Bureau Report