Gebrselassie gets a win but not record

Haile Gebrselassie received a hero's welcome at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center last night. But he failed to challenge the world record in the 3,000 meters, finishing in 7 minutes 35.27 seconds in winning the race at the Adidas Boston Indoor Games.

"I could have run faster, but what can you do? I have to accept it," said Gebrselassie, competing in the United States for the first time since winning the 10,000 meters in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. "It was a little dry in here and I couldn't breathe easily. I expected to go faster but it's OK. The problem was not at the start. I didn't start feeling it until the last seven laps."

Gebrselassie set a track record but finished well off the world record of 7:24.9, set by Kenyan Daniel Komen in Budapest Feb. 6, 1998.

Gebrselassie was clearly satisfied with the reception, as dozens of spectators waved the green, yellow, and red of Ethiopia.

"I knew there were Ethiopians here but I didn't expect this," Gebrselassie said. "The crowd seemed like it was almost all Ethiopians."

Gebrselassie has set at least 17 world marks, competing in eight different countries. This was only his third race in the US and second in Boston (he finished second in the world junior cross-country championships at Franklin Park in 1992).

"The Olympics are a very different situation," said Gebrselassie, who also won the 10,000 at the Sydney Games in 2000. "It's seven months from now and we will see."

Gebrselassie and two-time Olympic 10,000-meter champion Derartu Tulu were expected to lead the way yesterday for the Ethiopians. But another Ethiopian, Meseret Defar, 20, won the women's 5,000 meters in 14:53.14, Tulu finishing third (14:54.73) behind countrywoman Tirunesh Dibaba (14:53.99). And Berhanu Alemu took the 1,000 meters in 2:20.53, with Kenyan Alex Kipchirchir runner-up (2:21.26), and David Krummenacker, who set the US record of 2:15.97 two years ago in Boston, third (2:21.33).

Brazilian Osmar Dos Santos, Canadian Carmen Douma, and Salem's Jen Toomey broke up the East African monopoly on the distance races.

Dos Santos took the 600 meters in 1:15.90, second-fastest time ever in the US, and No. 5 all-time behind the world mark of 1:15.12 by Nico Motchebon of Germany in 1999. Dos Santos was also among the surprise performers in this meet, his biography missing from the official guide. Part of the reason for Dos Santos's low profile is the fact he did not begin competing in track until 1994 -- when he was 25 years old. Now, at age 35, Dos Santos is emerging as a world-class contender.

"I am training for the Olympic Games but it all depends on how my training goes," said Dos Santos. "I wanted to win, but it is just the start of the year. I can still improve. Last season was my best season -- I won 11 times -- and I think I am still getting better." Dos Santos will compete in the Millrose Games in New York Friday and is preparing for the World Indoor Championships in Budapest March 5-7.

Toomey finished in 2:00.77 in the women's 800, ahead of Nicole Teter (2:03.68).

"I train here and it is so great to win before the home crowd," said Toomey, 32, who will run the mile next week in New York. "The pace went out pretty slow and I had a lot left at the end."

Douma took the 1,500 meters in 4:11.71, with Carrie Tollefson second (4:12.00), and Ethiopian Meskerem Legesse third (4:13.26). Jon Drummond won the 60 meters in 6.61 seconds, ahead of Mickey Grimes (6.64). John Capel was sixth in 6.68.

Gail Devers's 7.85 finish in the 60-meter hurdles was off her US mark of 7.74, set in Boston last year, and the world record of 7.69 by Lyudmila Narozhilenko of the Soviet Union.

"This the earliest I have ever started [the season]," Devers said. "I remembered how the crowd was so great here last year so I decided to get started a week early. I am not building toward Athens, I am taking it race by race, finding time to train."

Tonique Williams of the Bahamas won the women's 400 meters in 51.98 and 18-year-old Allyson Felix was second in 52.28. Stacy Dragila took the women's pole vault at 4.61 meters.

The meet was the opener for the US Track & Field Golden Spike tour and a warmup for the US Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston Feb. 27-29.