ZURICH, AUG 14: Wilson Kipketer shattered the oldest world record in track and field and two more world marks fell at the star-studded Weltklasse Grand Prix Meet on Wednesday.

While no world record fell during the nine-day world championship that ended in Athens on Sunday, the Zurich meet lived up to its name -- Weltklasse means `world class' in German.

Kipketer, a 24-year-old Kenyan-born star who is now a citizen of Denmark, smashed Sebastian Coe's 16-year-old record in the 800 metres with a time of 1:41.24.

Wilson Boit Kipketer of Kenya, no relation to the 800-metre runner, shattered the 3,000-metre steeplechase record with a time of 7:59.08.

Haile Gebrselassie, a 24-year-old Ethiopian, completed the fireworks by pulverising his own 5,000 record with a time of 12:41.86 secs, improving on his 1995 mark of 12:44.39.

Wilson Kipketer had already tied the Briton's 1981 mark of 1:41.73 in Stockholm earlier this summer and it was just a matter of time until he broke it.

``Everything was perfect today the weather, the pace, the crowd,'' Wilson Kipketer said. ``I am very satisfied for now. It wasn't easy after the worlds, I came here tired.''

His namesake smashed the steeplechase mark of 7:59.18 held by fellow Kenyan Moses Kiptanui since 1995.

``I didn't expect the record. I just felt good and ran,'' said Boit Kipketer, whom like Wilson was a gold medalist in Athens.

The race was on world record pace from the start. Barnard Barmasai, ``acting as a hare,'' pushed his fellow Kenyans with a blistering pace and the Kenyans swept the top six places. Kiptanui finished third.

The three record breakers got $ 50,000 and a kilo of gold each as a bonus for smashing the world marks.

``I still have a lot of respect for Moses Kiptanui. For this record I thank my Italian coach Gabriele Rosa,'' said Boit Kipketer, who is 23 and trains in Brescia, Italy.

``I hope that my eight brothers and three sisters will also celebrate at home, but I don't think I'll be a national hero now,'' he said.

Bernard Barmasai was second in 8:00.35, and Kiptanui finished in 8:00.78.

``When so many Kenyans start together in a race in this stadium, the only possibility is to expect a world record,'' Kiptanui said.

In the 800, Patrick Ndururi of Kenya was second in 1:42.62, while Rich Kenah of the United States was third in 1:43.38.

Gebrselassie, who is also world record holder and Olympic champion in the 10,000, said he would try to crack the 12:40 barrier but only if somebody breaks his record first.

``First, I must thank the Kenyan runners. They set a perfect pace. The weather was also marvelous,'' said the Ethiopian, who only ran and took the title in the 10,000 in Athens.

The race was so fast that Dieter Baumann of Germany, who finished fifth, still set a European record of 12:54.70.

Daniel Komen of Kenya, the world champion, finished second in 12:44.90, a national record, while his compatriot Paul Tergat was third in 12:49.87. Khalid Boulami of Morocco was fourth in 12:53.41.

Another world record was nearly shattered by world champion Hicham el Guerrouj of Morocco in the 1,500.

El Guerrouj posted a time of three minutes 28.91 seconds, the fastest this year. Nourredine Morceli of Algeria holds the 1995 world record of 3:27.37.

The Moroccan edged Fermin Cacho of Spain, the Olympic and world championship silver medalist, who set a European record with a time of 3:28.95. Venuste Niyongabo of Burundi finished third in 3:29.43, while Morceli was fourth in 3:30.23.

``I wanted to break the record but I was blocked twice and I had to concentrate on winning,'' El Guerrouj said.

Michael Johnson fought off a strong challenge from fellow American Tyree Washington to win the 400 metres in 44.31. Washington, bronze medalist in Athens, was second in 44.38.

Frankie Fredericks of Namibia and Merlene Ottey of Jamaica won the 100-metre dashes, both beating newly crowned world champions and other medalists.

Fredericks, fourth in Athens, clocked 9.98 seconds to beat champion Maurice Greene of the United States, who ran 9.99. Tim Montgomery of the United States was third in 10.05. Leroy Burrell, another American, was fourth in 10.13, while Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago had another disappointing 100, placing fifth also in 10.13.

Carl Lewis, who is on his farewell tour, received a standing ovation after running an exhibition 100 with juniors.

In the women's 100, Ottey, the 37-year-old Jamaican veteran, proved again that she can win when no medals are at stake. A disappointing seventh in Athens, Ottey beat all three medalists here.

She posted a time of 10.96 seconds, edging the world champion, Marion Jones of the United States, who clocked 10.97. Olympic champion Gail Devers of the United States was third in 11.06.