As on so many other occasions that year, the 5000m final was a head-to-head duel between Zahra Ouaziz and Romanian Gabriela Szabo, the champion from 1997.
Szabo had won five consecutive Golden League meetings and led through 1000m and 2000m, keeping the pace slow enough to suit her tactics.
At 3000m Ouaziz realised that her only hope was to make a break but although the pack began to break up, she could not shake off Szabo or the Ethiopian Ayelech Worku. With two and a half laps to go, the Moroccan was clearly suffering while Szabo shadowed her effortlessly.
Like Gete Wami in the 10,000m the previous night, Szabo kicked on the back straight of the final lap and sprinted clear to the line to win in 14mins 41.82secs, a championship record.
It was the middle of a wonderful run for the Romanian - she was unbeaten over any distance for 18 months, and did not finish outside of the top three for five years until June 2001.
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