Sean Wallace-Jones reports from Cologne

Bernard Barmasai sprinted ahead of fellow Kenyan Moses Kiptanui to slash the 3000m steeplechase world record here in Cologne this afternoon. Barnabas Barmao (KEN) set the pace for the first 1000m at a fast 2:38.19 and Kiptanui then took up the lead, running through the 2000m split in 5:20.49. Running neck and neck to the final hurdle, Barmasai kicked clear and drove ahead of Kiptanui, whose second place time of 7:56.16 itself bettered the previous record by nearly three seconds. But Barmasai was nearly half a second faster and crossed the line to take the world record to a lightning 7:55.72, 3.36 seconds better than the time set by Athens gold medallist Wilson Boit Kipketer in Zurich on 13 August. A gracious Barmasai said after his win: "I am the third Kenyan world record breaker within 10 days. Today I would even have beaten Wilson Boit Kipketer. I wish him a speedy recovery and really thank also Moses Kiptanui who has done so much for steeplechasing in Kenya."

After Zurich, Wilson Kipketer bestowed his new 800m record on Cologne. Running a perfect race, pacemaker David Kiptoo (KEN) led through the 400m mark in 49 seconds and pulled off the track at 600 metres leaving the track clear for Kipketer to steam through the last 200 metres in a blistering 25 seconds to chip 13 hundredths off the 1:41.24 record mark he set himself in Zurich less than two weeks ago. The conditions here were ideal, an enthusiastic crowd of 31,000 knowledgeable spectators, a light breeze and 25 degrees C and, of course, a Kipketer in splendid form eating up the metres like a well-oiled machine. Wilson himself has no doubts that he can push the limits back still further (but probably not until next year) in an event which had been the exclusive preserve of Sebastian Coe for so long and which is now Kipketer’s, and his alone. "I wanted to run a world record here on this track because Joaquim Cruz ran a world record here in 1984 with 1:41.77. The record didn’t stand though because unfortunately Sebastian Coe was a little bit faster using semi-automatic timing. I thank God that I was able to give Cologne a great world record."

An ecstatic crowd greeted a new national record in the pole vault from Germany’s Tim Lobinger. Lobinger cleared 6.00 on his third attempt at the height to win the event ahead of Dimitri Markov (BLR) who retired at 5.95. Lobinger went on to unsuccessfully make two attempts at 6.05 before retiring.

After a clean start, Stephane Diagana of France, reigning world champion in the 400m hurdles, moved into the lead from the third hurdle and didn’t look threatened until the final straight, when Bryan Bronson (USA) took over the lead with two flights remaining, closely followed by Zambia’s Samuel Matete, Bronson breasted the line in a leisurely 47.94, half a step ahead of Matete, with Diagana trailing behind in 48.19.

Deon Hemmings (JAM) left no doubt in anyone’s mind who was the winner in the women’s 400m hurdles. Taking the lead from the gun after a relatively slow start, Hemmings stayed clear of the field right through the event, finishing well clear (53.54)of her compatriot Debbie Ann Parris (54.26), who herself finished nearly a second clear of third-placed Gudrun Arnanrdottir of Iceland (55.11).

Despite two false starts by other competitors, world record holder Donovan Bailey (CAN) was cleanly of the blocks at the third attempt with a relatively fast 0.158 reaction time and powered down the track ahead of Tim Montgomery (USA) and Dennis Mitchell (USA). A delighted crowd applauded Bailey’s 9.99 finish, much as they would have any other popular local athlete - Bailey spends three months a year in Cologne, which he considers his second home after Canada. Further credibility was added to Bailey’s result by the 7 m/s headwind he was running into at the time, an exceptional performance within the context of an otherwise unexciting field, as Bailey commented: "those who had written me off made a mistake. I spent a whole week preparing for this race here in Cologne - that’s why I was so fast. And in spite of a head wind. Like with Deon Hemmings, Cologne is home territory for me. No on can beat me here!" Who knows what would have been the result had reigning world champion Maurice Greene been part of the field.

Slowing noticeably in the last fifteen metres, Marion Jones once again had the better of rival Merlene Ottey in the women’s 200 metres and missed what would undoubtedly been one of the fastest times this year had she sprinted to the end. With Ottey trailing on her heels from the start, 21 year-old Jones proved that all of the forecasts of her potential are justified (just two days ago in Brussels, avid Jones watcher C.J.Hunter, is convinced that she has the ability to take the record in the 200m and today’s performance does nothing to discredit that belief). Jones ran 21.93 into a light headwind (-0.3) and finished 2 hundredths ahead of Ottey.

First and second places to Germany in the men’s discus throw, where reigning world record holder Lars Riedel threw 67.18 with his second throw to take the event ahead of compatriot Jurgen Schult 66.24 (5^th throw) and World Champion John Godina (65.64).

Riedel said after the event: "I managed here to get the key to the safe for the Grand Prix Final in Fukuoka. I’ll be trying my hardest to win that gala event!" And from Schult: "Here’s to Fukuoka!"

Lyudmila Engquist asserted herself as usual in the women’s 100m hurdles, finishing in 12.60, four hundredths ahead of Jamaica’s Michelle Freeman - exactly the same difference as their reaction times at the start.

Ana Fidelia Quirot of Cuba got her revenge for a serious of defeats at the hands of Mozambique’s Maria Mutola. Running on after pacemaker Lyubov Garina broke away at the 400 metre mark, with a split of 55.67, Quirot stayed ahead of arch rival Mutola for the final 400 and crossed the line in 1:54.82 (Mutola 1:55.29; Laetitia Vriesde of Surinam, 1:58.17).