Holmes undecided over Olympic ambition

Britain's Kelly Holmes was again tight-lipped about her Olympic ambitions after finishing second over 1,500 metres in tonight’s Weltklasse Golden League meeting in Zurich.

Holmes is entered for both the 800m and 1,500m in Athens and admitted deciding upon which event to tackle will probably entail the biggest decision of her career.

Holmes, at 34 in her third and final Olympics, desperately wants a gold medal to crown her distinguished international career which has spanned 11 years.

“Both races are wide open,” said Holmes, after being narrowly beaten by Wioletta Janowska who ran a personal best of four minutes 03.09 seconds.

Holmes, who insisted the defeat by the Pole will have no influence over the Commonwealth champion’s choice of event, posted a time of 4mins 03.48secs, her quickest of the year.

“Obviously Maria (Mutola) is favourite for the 800m,” she said of her Mozambique training partner.

Holmes also feels Russia’s former 5,000m champion Olga Yegorova will be the one to beat after today’s news that Olympic favourite Sureyya Ayhan will be an absentee through injury.

She will ponder her decision with coach Margo Jennings over the next couple of weeks at the British training camp in Cyprus.

“My plan is to continue training and prepare for both (races) across the board,” said Holmes.

She admitted: “The eight is before the 1,500m and that makes the decision harder. If the 1,500m was first, life would be easier.”

Holmes, who has always favoured the longer distance, insisted: “If I decide to do just that, I hope I don’t live to regret it. It’s a big decision.

“But I will go and run in what I think will give me the best chance. The 1,500m has given me strength to run the 800m as well.

“But at the moment I am undecided and I’m not trying to hide.”

Holmes, who was also narrowly beaten by Janowska last month at Madrid’s Super Grand Prix, was unperturbed by the defeat.

“This was a totally different race and I think I ran it very positively,” said Holmes who held the lead until being overtaken by the Pole 50m from the line.

“I’m trying to use different tactics and this is what I did tonight,” said Holmes. “I deliberately took the lead at the bell.”

Holmes hit the front pulling herself and Janowska clear but left Hayley Tullett, struggling.

Tullett fell back to sixth place in a time of 4:04.76.

Barely had Holmes recovered her breath than she was shown what she will need to win the 800m in Athens.

Mutola, showing she is back from a hamstring injury which has dogged her all summer, claimed a 12th successive Weltklasse title in a season’s best time of 1:57.47.

The 100m at this meeting has always been keenly contested by British sprinters.

But perhaps it was a wise decision that no Briton appeared tonight after Darren Campbell, Jason Gardener and Mark Lewis-Francis, were all soundly thrashed by overseas opposition in London a week ago.

Tonight would certainly have seen the same sort of treatment handed out, as Asefa Powell repeated his Crystal Place win ahead of reigning Olympic champion Maurice Greene.

The Jamaican resisted every challenge the US star made to get past to win by a 1/100sec in a time of 9.93.

“I’m feeling great because I beat Maurice Greene again,” said Powell. “I guess I’m the big favourite for the Olympic Games now. I’m very confident because I have been improving my start a lot.”

Greene insisted: “This doesn’t mean anything. Athens is going to be a completely different race and I’ve got a great feeling about it.”

The former world record-holder insisted: “I’m getting better, my start was better. He’s a tough competitor and we’re going to have a lot of great races.”

There was an excellent third place over 3,000m for Sonia O’Sullivan who was reined in by Edith Masai and Tola Zenebech after breaking with four laps remaining.

Masai won in a season’s best of 8:36.43 from the Ethiopian who clocked 8:40.32.

O’Sullivan tried desperately to edge ahead of Zenebech in the home straight, but had to be content with a season’s best of 8:41.42.

Jo Pavey, running her first race since the end of May, returned from injury to finish fourth with 8:46.58, while Olympic 10,000m contender Kathy Butler was sixth in 8:52.34.

A fast 1,500m race was won by Bernard Lagat by 0.24secs in a world-leading 3:27.40 ahead of world-record holder Hicham El Guerrouj.

While the Kenyan and Moroccan fought a battle worthy of any Olympic final, Michael East was out of contention throughout, placing 11th in 3:36.92.

Ireland’s Mark Carroll was 15th over 5,000m in 1338.40.