
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, September 6, 1993                   TAG: 9309060008
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: HOLIDAY 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RIETI, ITALY                                LENGTH: Medium

MORCELI SETS MILE MARK

Rarely is the world record in the mile run lowered by more than fractions of a second. Noureddine Morceli of Algeria did it by nearly two seconds Sunday.

Morceli, clocked in 3 minutes, 44.39 seconds at the Rieti Invitational, bettered the mark of 3:46.32 set by Britain's Steve Cram in Oslo, Norway, in 1985.

In shattering Cram's mark by 1.93 seconds, Morceli produced the biggest drop in the record in 28 years - when Jim Ryun of the United States lowered the mark of France's Michel Jazy from 3:53.6 to 3:51.3 - a difference of 2.3 seconds.

"I'd been close three times this season, but never had good atmospheric conditions," Morceli said.

Morceli, 23, took advantage of the cool mountain air to win by more than 11 seconds, with no one close to him after his two pace-setters dropped out at the 1,000-meter mark. The crowd cheered loudly as he headed toward the finish line with his long, smooth stride and then swept past it.

The record highlighted a brilliant season for Morceli. He won the 1,500-meter gold medal at the world championships in August and is unbeaten in the 1,500 and mile this year. He has come close to world records in nearly every meet he has run, at distances of 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 meters and the mile.

Earlier this year, Morceli made several attempts to better Eamonn Coghlan's 10-year-old world indoor record of 3:49.78 in the mile. He won every race, but he fell short of the record.

Rieti has been one of Morceli's favorite places to run. Last year, he set the world 1,500-meter record of 3:28.86 at Rieti.

"I hope to come back and break yet another record next year," Morceli said.

His record run highlighted a meet with other significant developments.

Sergei Bubka, the world record-holder in the pole vault, won at 19 feet, 1/2 inch, then missed three times at a record 20-1 3/4.

Jon Drummond of the United States ran a personal-best 10.03 in winning the 100 meters and beating Olympic and world champion Linford Christie of Britain for the second time this season. Christie also was timed in 10.03.

Nixon Kiprotich of Kenya recorded a 1993 world best in winning the 800 in 1:43.54.

Jens-Peter Herold of Germany took the 1,500 meters in 3:34.42 as runner-up Apoi Boru, 19, of Kenya, set a world junior record of 3:34.61.

by CNB