Bernard Lagat ties record with Millrose mile win

Bernard Lagat was honored to match Eamonn Coghlan's record in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games. He was even more flattered that Coghlan was rooting for him to do it.

Each man has won the race seven times after Lagat sped past Olympic bronze medalist Nick Willis on the final lap to win Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

"It's unbelievable, because normally you don't want someone to take your record," Lagat said. "But he wanted me to win today. That means a lot."

He said Coghlan told him afterward he had no doubt Lagat would win. Lagat finished in 3 minutes, 58.44 seconds to edge the New Zealander by more than a second.

Coghlan, dubbed the "Chairman of the Boards" for his dominance on the old wooden Millrose track, last won the Wanamaker Mile in 1987. He traveled from his home in Dublin, Ireland, to watch Lagat tie him in the record book.

Lagat won the 1,500 and 5,000 meters at the 2007 world championships and hoped to pull off the double again in Beijing. But a left Achilles' tendon injury hampered his training leading up to the Olympics. He failed to qualify for the final in the 1,500 and came in ninth in the 5,000.

Willis, who won bronze in the 1,500, had beaten Lagat in their past three meetings.

"I feel fast. I feel fresh," Lagat said. "It's good to come back again and win, because I ended the season not winning a lot."

Earlier, Olympic gold medalist Steven Hooker of Australia came up short of breaking the world indoor record in the pole vault.

Hooker missed on three attempts at 20 feet, 2 1/2 inches. Pole vault great Sergei Bubka has held the mark of 20-2 since 1993.

Hooker still set a personal best by clearing 19-8 1/2, and he accomplished it despite doing just one complete pole vault in preparation for the meet. He bruised the side of his knee when he broke a pole at a practice competition in Perth, Australia, about four weeks ago.

"He's the benchmark in pole vault, and that's the first time I've ever put the bar up to his world record," Hooker said of Bubka. "That's the first time I've felt what it's like to be attempting a height like that. And that's a good experience, particularly the first meet of the year. Hopefully, I get a few more shots at it in the coming weeks."

American Derek Miles, who finished fourth at the Olympics, was the runner-up, clearing 18-8 1/4.

Hooker can run and jump without pain - decelerating is the only thing that hurts. So on his practice runs, he would roll onto the mat at the end instead of slowing down.

"To come out here and jump a personal best is a bit of a surprise," he said. "To have such good jumps at the world record is also quite surprising, but very exciting."

Terrence Trammell, the two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 110-meter hurdles, won the 60 hurdles in his first meet since a left hamstring strain knocked him out of the Beijing Games. Minutes later, he finished second in the 60 dash to fellow American Michael Rodgers.

"I'm just glad to be at a meet after being out for so long," said Trammell, who weathered false starts in both events.

Kara Goucher, who posted the fastest marathon debut ever by an American woman in New York in November, dropped all the way down to the mile for the second straight year at Millrose. She defended her title, winning in a personal-best 4 minutes, 33.19 seconds as she worked on her speed as she prepares for the Boston Marathon in April.

"The mile tells me that I'm not doing too much," she said of her training.

American Bianca Knight won the women's 60 dash, beating U.S. Olympian Muna Lee.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson won the shot put with a throw of 68-2 1/2.

Amy Acuff won the high jump at 6 feet, 3 1/2 inches, and Jenn Stuczynski won the pole vault by clearing 15-5 1/2.