Bucher back on track
Swiss athletics star Andre Bucher began the new season in style on Sunday, comfortably winning over 800 metres at an indoor meeting in Ghent.
Bucher set an early year’s best time at the Belgian event, covering his specialist distance in 1’45″80. In what has become almost his trademark approach to the discipline, Bucher started ferociously, passing the halfway mark in less than 53 seconds.
Bucher’s pace was enough to take him across the finish line almost one and a half seconds faster than second placed South African Hezekiel Sepeng.
“I’m happy with my performance,” said the Swiss sportsman of the year afterwards. “Of course it’s a great motivation when you can start the season with a successful result.”
Just half a second off the Swiss record which he himself set last year, Bucher showed himself to be in great form as he looks to build on the successes of 2001.
In what was an almost flawless season, the Lucerne runner clinched Switzerland’s first ever track gold medal at a world championships when he won the 800 metres in Edmonton. He then went on to take a share of the Golden League jackpot before finishing 2001 on top of the IAAF world rankings.
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