It Is a Big Day for Moroccans

Hicham El Guerrouj ran the second-fastest 1,500 meters in history Friday at the Van Damme Memorial track and field meet in Brussels, Belgium, and Marion Jones defeated 100 world champion Zhanna Pintusevich-Block for the second time in a row.

Brahim Boulami of Morocco ended Kenya’s domination in the steeplechase by breaking the world record in the 3,000 steeplechase.

El Guerrouj, also of Morocco, chased his world record to the final meter but missed the mark by .12 seconds with a time of 3 minutes 26.12 seconds.

Bernard Lagat set a Kenyan record with a second-place time of 3:26.34.

Jones finished in 10.86 seconds, her third-best time this season. She took the lead after 10 meters and never looked back to see Pintusevich-Block struggling. Chandra Sturrup of Bahamas was second in 10.95 and Greece’s Ekaterini Thanou was third in 10.96.

Pintusevich-Block of the Ukraine faded badly over the final meters and finished in 10.99.

In the steeplechase, Boulami took the lead with 1,000 meters left and finished in 7:55.28, trimming 0.44 seconds off the mark set by Bernard Barmasai of Kenya in 1997. World champion Reuben Kosgei of Kenya finished second in 7:57.29.

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New International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge and Canadian member Dick Pound apparently have settled their differences over Pound’s letter to Olympic sponsors questioning the governing body’s commitment to reform.

In their first meeting since Rogge defeated Pound and three others in the presidential election last month, the two also discussed Pound’s future role in the IOC.

Rogge and other IOC members were stunned by the letter Pound sent to sponsors on July 24. Pound, a 59-year-old tax lawyer, has handled the sponsorship and TV deals that have raised billions of dollars for the IOC.

In the letter, he suggested the “troubling” election results indicated the IOC was not committed to the reform process enacted in the wake of the Salt Lake City bid scandal.

He expressed “grave concerns” for the Olympic movement and urged sponsors to “insist upon an early, clear and unequivocal commitment” from Rogge on the IOC’s direction.

“Clearly he would have preferred I had not sent such a letter,” Pound said. “I told him why I thought I had to and why I thought I should do so without seeking anyone’s approval or editing. I would say the gap between us on that has narrowed considerably.”

After his defeat in the July 16 election in Moscow, Pound resigned his powerful roles as the IOC’s marketing chief and TV rights negotiator. Rogge asked him to reconsider.

Pound has already agreed to stay on as chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency, at least through next winter’s Salt Lake City Games. No final decision was reached on Pound’s other positions.

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Rogge has turned down a request by American IOC delegate Anita DeFrantz to serve as an ex-officio member of the ruling executive board through the Salt Lake City Games.

DeFrantz’s term as first IOC vice president expired last month, leaving no U.S. presence on the 15-person board. She has asked to be able to continue to attend board meetings while not having a vote.

But Rogge said there would be no invitations to non-board members.

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The United States and China are planning a series of sports exchanges before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

U.S. Olympic Committee President Sandra Baldwin said the nations will play host to events in alternating years and exchange coaches and sports science.

“I think our trip has been very, very successful,” Baldwin said. A visit by a USOC delegation to Beijing coincided with the first days of the World University Games.