OSLO - Running in still and near perfect conditions, Meseret Defar smashed the world record in the 5000 meters to highlight the ExxonMobil Bislett Games in Oslo.

"No, I had no doubts,o/oo the reigning Olympic champion said after knocking nearly eight seconds from her own world mark with a phenomenal 14:16.63 run.

"I didn,t think I would break the record by such a big margin, but I was aiming under 14:20. So I think I did a good job."

Her record-breaking margin was the largest in the event in more than two decades, dating back to the Zola Budd-Ingrid Kristiansen rivalry when the record was slashed by more than 10 seconds on a pair of occasions.

"While I was running tonight I knew that I was going for the world record. I was ready for this. And when I was running I knew that I would get it."

Patiently shadowing pacesetter Olga Komyagina, Defar took over when the Russian finished her duties with seven laps to go, with only Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot keeping pace. At the 3000 mark, both were under the 8:42.8 pace during Defar,s record run in New York just over a year ago. By the time Defar turned in a sub-70 second split in the 10th lap, Cheruiyot had lost touch. A 68.6 and 66.6 lap followed before she closed with a 64.70 over the final circuit.

"I think today was a very, very good day for me," Defar, beaming, understated.

Just 23, Defar believes that she hasn,t yet reached her limit.

"Last year I ran 14:24 and this year I ran 14:16," the two-time world indoor 3000m champion said. "So I think if I do even better training, I can go beyond that."

Finishing second, Cheruiyot too dipped under the previous record, reaching the line in 14:22.51, a national record for Kenya.

"I'm not disappointed at all," said the tiny 23-year-old Cheruiyot, a finalist in the event at the 2000 Olympic Games when she was just 17. "This is absolutely fantastic. And," she added, "I can go faster."

With thin fields in many of the events, particularly on the track side of things, Defar's heroics saved an otherwise mediocre kick-off for the IAAF $1 million Golden League Jackpot chase. There were however some noteworthy individual performances, with three of the heavy favorites in the jackpot hunt taking home dominating victories.

100m world record holder Asafa Powell won his specialty in 9.94, well ahead of Portugal,s Olympic silver medallist Francis Obikwelu (10.06).

"It's faster than my win here last year, so I,m happy with the win," said Powell, who last season twice equalled his own world record on 9.77. His competes next at next weekend's Jamaican national championships to earn a spot on the Island nation,s world championships squad. Powell confirmed that he won,t be pursuing a 100/200 double at the championships.

American Sanya Richards, who along with Powell was a perfect six-for-six in the Golden League series, won handily in the 400, clocking a season,s best 50.26 in her second race of the season. Richards, last year,s World Athlete of the Year, again along with Powell, won by more than a second in her final tune-up before contesting both the 200 and 400 at next week,s U.S. championships. For tonight,s performance, she was given a B by coach Clyde Hart.

World, Olympic and European champion Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia was the easy victor in the pole vault with a 4.85 clearance in her season,s debut.

In other events that are part of the Golden League chase, Finn Tero Pitkamaki took a narrow win over American Breux Greer in the javelin throw, with an 88.78 throw, to win by just five centimeters over the American who earlier this season joined the event,s still-exclusive 90m club.

Kicking through on the inside down the final straight, Moroccan Adil Kaouch pulled off a minor upset with his 3:51.14 victory in the Dream Mile. The 28-year-old, perhaps best known as the pacer for Hicham El Guerrouj in the 1999 and 2001 World Championships finals, surprised Augustine Choge (3:51.62) who seemed poised for victory off the final bend.

"It was my first race of the year,o/oo said Kaouch, the silver medallist at the 2005 World Championships, ,,so I didn,t know what to expect."

Briton Andy Baddeley, who made his move at the bell, overtook defending champion Daniel Kipchirchir Komen to take third in 3:51.95. Australian Craig Mottram, the winner of last weekend,s two mile race at the Prefontaine Classic, was never in the chase, and finished a distant ninth (3:5457) in the field of 13 finishers.

In the women,s 100, American Stephanie Durst won her fifth straight race of the season, clocking 11.22, squeezing by Jamaican Sheri-Ann Brooks over the final few meters to win by just .01 seconds.

Racing for the first time since early May, last year,s fastest 100/200m sprinter Sherone Simpson eased up after 60m and finished last in 11.64. Troubled by a hip flexor in her right leg, the 22-year-old now faces bigger problems than being eliminated from the Jackpot chase. She,s planning a difficult 100/200 double at next weekend,s Jamaican championships, where she must finish in the top-three to secure her ticket to Osaka for August,s world championships.

Olympic champion Yelena Slesarenko of Russia won a hotly contested high jump with a 2.02 leap, beating back Croatia,s world leader Blanka Vlasic, who topped out at 1.98 in what is clearly this year,s most competitive events in the Jackpot chase.

Reigning world champion Michelle Perry tuned up for the U.S. trials with a 12.70 victory in the 100m hurdles over Sweden,s European champion Susanna Kallur, who clocked 12.76.

Briton Phillips Idowu rose to the occasion to draw first blood against a trio of favorites in the triple jump, winning by just two centimeters over Olympic champion Christian Olsson. Brazil,s world leader Jadel Gregorio was a distant fifth with a 17.12 best, again failing to display the form he achieves on home territory overseas. American Walter Davis, the reigning world champion, couldn,t fare better than 17 meters even, to finish sixth.

American Anwar Moore won the men,s high hurdles by the narrowest of margins, edging compatriot David Payne 13.26 to 13.27. As in the women,s 100, most of the event,s biggest stars and year,s fastest were absent, choosing to forsake the Jackpot chase in favor of preparation for upcoming national trials.

In non-Golden League action, Virgilijus Alekna opened the meet with a solid display in the discus throw. From his first round 67.95 heave, the Lithuanian, twice Olympic twice world champion, dominated the competition, with each of his four legal throws better than the best of runner-up --and current world leader-- Gerd Kantner who reached 66.33 in the final round. It was the 31st straight victory for Alekna who suffered his last loss on August 16, 2005.

Eunice Chepkorir opened the distance portion of the evening,s main program with a dominating performance in the 3000m steeplechase, winning by more than seven seconds in 9:19.44 to move up to the event,s No. 5 spot. The 25-year-old improved her personal best by more six seconds en route to her national record.

"This is my first international season," she said. "I think I have room for improvements."

Australia's Commonwealth bronze medallist Donna McFarlane finished strong to take second in 9:26.63, two seconds ahead of Korene Hinds, 9:28.86, a personal best.

Russian Yuliya Fomenko, formerly Chizhenko, appeared well on her way to victory in the 1500 until Maryam Yusuf Jamal made up a five meter gap over the final 35 meters to take the 4:01.44 victory. At the 2005 World Championships, Fomenko obstructed Jamal in the 1500m final, and was later disqualified. This time she simply didn,t feel the Bahraini ace making her move.

Propelled by a strong homestretch drive, Kuwaiti Mohammad Al-Azemi took the men,s 800 in 1:44.56, while Mohammed Al-Salhi of Saudi Arabia barely held off the closing charge of Ugandan teenager Abraham Chepkirwok, 1:44.89 to 1:44.95. It was the first sub-1-45 for the 18-year-old Ugandan, the bronze medallist at last year,s World Junior Championships.

Swede Johan Wissman made up a four meter deficit off the turn to run down and edge Brian Dzingai in the 200, with each credited with a 20.32.

In the men,s 1500, an early program event, Olympic 3000m steeplechase sliver medallist Brimin Kipruto put in a good speed workout to win in 3:36.27 ahead of Spaniard Alvaro Fernandez (3:36.40). The men,s 1500 is the only middle & long distance event this year designated as a Golden League event, but in Oslo, it,s the Dream Mile that carried the Jackpot chase status.

The six meet series continues on Friday, July 6 at the Meeting Gaz de France in Paris.

(c) 2007 TRACK PROFILE Report, all rights reserved