SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) – Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia cruised to an easy win in the 5,000 meters at the Gaz de France meet Friday in a slow time way off her personal best.
The 2005 world champion in both the 5,000 and 10,000 won in 15 minutes, 21.84 seconds, nearly a minute off her best.
Never under pressure, she surged to the front on the last lap at the Stade de France.
Florence Kiplagat of Kenya was second in 15:23.85, with Meselech Melkamu of Ethiopia third in 15:24.19. Ethiopian world record holder Meseret Defar, who set the mark of 14:16.63 in the opening Golden League meet in Oslo on June 15, did not race.
The Gaz de France is the second of six Golden League meets in Europe in 2007.
Later, Olympic champion and world record holder Liu Xiang from China was to race against 2005 world champion Ladji Doucoure of France in the 110-meter hurdles.
Olympic and world champion Yelena Isinbayeva was competing in the pole vault.
The men’s 100 meters was weakened by the withdrawal through injury of world record holder Asafa Powell.
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