The Electronic Telegraph Saturday 21 July 2001 Astrid Andersson ANDRE BUCHER, Switzerland's World Championship favourite, ran an outstanding 800 metres to beat Russia's Yuri Borzakovsky in the Herculis Golden League meeting last night. Bucher clocked 1min 42.90sec, the fastest time in the world this year and a Swiss record, despite a late charge from Borzakovsky, 20, who has refused to run in next month's World Championships in Edmonton. Borzakovsky was last after the first lap, but as Bucher hit the front with 250 metres to go, he charged through but was unable to catch Bucher. The Russian clocked 1min 43.17sec in second place for a national record. Olympic 800m champion Maria Mutola, of Mozambique, and Romania's Violeta Szekely also posted the fastest times of the year in their events. Mutola won the 800m in 1-57.11 while, in the 1,500m, Olympic silver medallist Szekely clocked 3-59.35, another world best for the year. Eamonn Condon www.RunnersGoal.com
