Athletics: Smith's build-up continues

Beijing Olympian Kimberley Smith has continued an impressive build-up to the world athletics championships in August with another win on United States roads.

Smith, selected for the 5000m and 10,000m at the world championships in Berlin beginning on August 15, has recorded some classy performances in the past month.

She was in a class of her own in winning the Steamboat Classic, a 6.5km race on the downtown streets of Peoria, Illinois, on Sunday.

Smith defended her title in outstanding fashion, the Peoria Journal Star reported, covering the rugged course in 19 minutes 38 seconds.

Second place went to Kenyan Millicent Gathoni in 20min 56sec, while Ethiopia's Meskerem Legesse was third with 21min 08sec.

It was the third-fastest time ever over the four-mile distance, with only Kenyans Delilah Asiago, who won the 1995 Steamboat in 19min 28sec, and Lornah Kiplagat (19min 33sec in 2001) having gone faster. "That's pretty good company there, with the other women who have run faster," Smith said.

She led from the gun and outpaced a strong field, which included Beijing Olympic marathon winner Constantina Dita (Romania), who finished seventh.

"It's always good to race against the Olympic champion and beat her," Smith said.

"I know it's not her distance, but it's always exciting to race against that kind of competition."

Smith has impressed recently on the track as well as the road. She finished fourth over 5000m on May 31 at the New York grand prix athletics meeting in 15min 26sec.

Five days earlier, she won the prestigious BUPA London 10km in an outstanding 31min 38sec.

Smith, who finished fifth over 10,000m at the 2007 world championships, was disappointed with her ninth placing over the same distance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. NZPA