picture from BBC.com
Verona: Morceli sets JC 1500 Record
Morceli Sets JC 1500 Record
Verona, Italy, June 28 - If Indiana's Bob Kennedy wants to defend his 1500 title next year, he might have some very tough competition in Noureddine Morceli, who just finished his soph year at California's Riverside CC.Just 7 months older than Kennedy, the 20-year-old Algerian should have two years of Division 1 eligibility, although at this point there is no word on where (if anywhere) he might be headed.
Morceli confirmed his great potential here with a JC record 3:34.84, becoming the No. 5 collegian ever in crushing Italy's Gennaro Di Napoli (3:37.08), last year's No. 6 ranker.
- Track and Field News September 1990, p.13.
Nice GP
[cut]The 1500 has long been ripe for a blast-off all season. Even with 16 men in the race, Babacar Niang's 1:55.9 pace had taken care of the crowd problem. But the third lap sagged, resulting in only a 3:35.05 from Noureddine Morceli, who outkicked Simon Doyle (3:35.45) down the stretch. Things bunched up a bit among the also-rans, with 11 runners dipping under 3:40.
Joe Falcon, the lone American in the field, was 6th in 3:36.45. Afterwards, he said, "I'm going to have to sharpen my elbows a bit before the next race. There were a lot of gut checks in that pack."
- by Ed Gordon, Track and Field News September 1990, p.22.
Lausanne GP
[cut]Although the mile field contained no genuine star, it did include the summer's surprise, 20-year-old Algerian Noureddine Morceli, who stayed within the pack while the others dutifully followed omnipresent pacemaker Ken Washington through a 1:58.8.
At 1100m Washington departed and Morceli took the cue to move methodically into striking position. Accelerating down the final straight, he hit the wire first, in a PR 3:35.06, followed by Mogens Fuldberg (3:54.64). - by Ed Gordon, Track and Field News September 1990, p.23.