who won the opening Samsung Diamond League event in Doha in a world leading 1:56.94 looked in control of the race in the opening lap.After the bell, the Istanbul gold winner went through the gears to fire a broadside to one of her expected challengers for a successful defense of her Olympics title when she tore from Semenya to take the honors in a shining 1:58.49 in unfavorable headwind.The South African Daegu silver medalist, who like Jelimo a season earlier, sprung from the blue to shake up the women two-lap scene in 2009 when she bagged the world title in Berlin as a teen accepted second place in 2:00.80, well ahead of third finisher, Ethiopian talent, Fantu Magiso (2:01.03) who pushed the Beijing gold winner all the way in Doha.

“Of course everybody wants to do their best because it is so close to the Olympics,” said Jelimo, whose kick at the bell opened up too much air between her and the chasing pack. “I do not run against anybody, including Caster. I just focus on myself. I want to try and do even better next week,” the world junior champion told AFP after her win.Yet another sub 2:00 performance from Jelimo, the third in succession since March when she became the first Kenyan track female runner to bag a World Indoor title when she raced to a national record victory of 1:58.83, has given the country further belief that the ‘Kapsabet Express’ is close to the form that had seismic impact on her 2008 dream debut. “As we have continued to insist, it is too early to say she is a definite winner in London since we are taking each race as it comes.

“She has been through a difficult three years and every good performance is adding to her confidence she can do it again,” her management, Golazo Sports country director, Barnabas Korir said moments after the race. (IAAF)