With his matter-of-fact talk of breaking world records, Moses Kiptanui could be considered a braggart.
Or just a skilled race tactician."We as Kenyans thought we needed to get another record," the 24-year-old said after running the fastest 5,000 meters ever Thursday night, finishing in 12 minutes, 55.30 seconds to clip over 11/2 seconds off the old mark.
Kiptanui's countryman Daniel Komen, 19, also bettered the old standard, finishing second in 12:56.12, a world mark for juniors.
"We have been talking a lot about world records," Kiptanui said of himself and Komen. "We decided, `If I am tired you break it, if you are tired I'll break it.' "
Kiptanui, who bettered Ethiopian Haile Gebresilasie's 5,000 mark of 12:56.96, set last June, is no stranger to the record books. He already owned the top marks in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:02.08), in which he is the reigning world champion, and the two-mile run (8:09.01).
He also previously held the record for 3,000 meters, which long distance star Nourredine Morceli broke last year.
Kiptanui, who trains in England three months a year, said his current objective is to lower his steeplechase record to under eight minutes.
Another Kenyan, Richard Kosgei, won that event Thursday in 8:07.47, the year's best time and the seventh-fastest ever. He finished ahead of countrymen Mattew Biri and Patrick Sang, the gold and silver medalists at the 1992 Olympics.
In other action at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Nigeria's Davidson Ezinwa upset world and Olympic champion Linford Christie in the 100-meter dash.
Ezinwa was a step ahead at the finish, clocking 10.10 to edge Christie by .05. American Dennis Mitchell captured the other heat in 10.16.
Year's bests were turned in by Italian Fiona May in the women's long jump (22 feet, 11/2 inches) and by Venuste Nyongabo of Burundi, who beat an outclassed men's 2,000 meters field in 4:54.02.
World record holders Colin Jackson (110-meter hurdles) and Sergei Bubka (pole vault) won their events handily.
Reigning world champion Heike Drechsler pulled out of the women's long jump, citing a stiff hamstring muscle.