Tirunesh Dibaba tops world ranking

IAAF
July 18, 2006

Isinbayeva’s streak at the top was the longest ever by any woman since the introduction of the IAAF World Rankings in 2001.

Tirunesh’s rise to the top came as a result of her winning the 5000m at the Roma Golden Gala with 14:52.37 (1372 points) and Yelena Isinbayeva dropping points from last season.

Due to the 365-day-rule, the World Pole Vault record holder’s score from the Madrid meeting 2005 which she won with a then World record (4.95m – 1432 points) is now out of date. Her winning performance in Lausanne last week (4.90m – 1395 points), was not quite enough to stop the Ethiopian from becoming only the second African woman ever to lead the Overall Rankings.

Aside from Tirunesh’s rise to the top, there are four new Event Ranking leaders in the men’s category this week. Tyson Gay, Christian Cantwell, Andreas Thorkildsen and Irving Saladino have all gone from second to first this week as a result of their performances.

Gay was runner up to Xavier Carter in that blisteringly swift men’s 200m in Lausanne last week. Carter ran the second fastest time ever in the world by clocking 19.63 (1454 points) and entered the Men’s 200m Event Ranking in 9th place, while Gay finished runner-up with 19.70 (1418 points), which makes him the fourth fastest in the world ever, and allows the 23-year-old to replace his compatriot Wallace Spearmon at the top.

Another US athlete to move to the top is Christian Cantwell. The former World Indoor champion won in Madrid on Monday night with 21.79m (1368 points) and overtook reigning World champion Adam Nelson to move into the lead in the Shot Put Event. The gap between the two US throwers is only two points.