/ 13 August 2005

Russia strike back at world athletics meet

If Thursday was the United States's day, then Friday was definitely Russia's, as led by extraordinary pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva they won three titles at the World Athletics Championships. The 23-year-old broke her own world record for the ninth time this year -- vaulting 5,01m.

If Thursday was the United States’s day, then Friday was definitely Russia’s, as led by extraordinary pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva they won three titles at the World Athletics Championships.

The 23-year-old broke her own world record for the ninth time this year — vaulting 5,01m — as she effortlessly added the world crown to the Olympic one she won last year.

Like her compatriot in the 20km walk, Olimpiada Ivanova last Saturday, she also walked away with $160 000 in prize money and bonus for breaking the world record.

Russia added a second walk title as Sergey Kirdyapkin led from virtually start to finish in the 50km marathon to land his first senior title. The Russians also took second through his training partner, Aleksey Voyevodin.

Olga Kuzenkova continued the Russian revival, adding the world hammer title to her Olympic crown and seeing off defending champion Yipsi Moreno of Cuba.

However, the Russians didn’t have everything their own way as their women’s 4x100m relay team came to grief on the final handover of their heat.

Elsewhere, two other champions evoked nostalgic memories.

France’s Ladji Doucoure won the men’s 110m hurdles, beating Olympic champion and joint world-record-holder Liu Xiang of China as well as four-time world king Allen Johnson of the US, to become France’s first global champion in the event since Guy Drut won Olympic gold in 1976.

America’s Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner, coached by world-record-holder Michael Johnson’s former mentor Clyde Hart, coasted to victory in the 400m.

The US endured a miserable start to the evening when double sprint champion Justin Gatlin saw his hopes of emulating Maurice Greene’s three titles at a world championships shattered when his 4x100m relay teammates dropped the baton in the heats.

Gatlin was powerless to do anything about it.

He was not running in the heat and Greene, winner of three titles in the 1999 championships, also saw his hopes of winning a medal in his only event in Helsinki come crashing to the ground.

While Isinbayeva said she had achieved her target of winning the title, she remained modest about her achievements.

The praises were led instead by Ukrainian pole-vault legend Sergei Bubka.

”She proved she is a great athlete in the way she performed today and in the way she keeps breaking records,” said Bubka, whose 35 world records is being chased by the Russian phenomenon.

”She’s still young and will grow and gain in experience. She already has great confidence and great motivation.”

Doucoure was as modest as Isinbayeva.

”I am not the best. I was just the best tonight,” said the 22-year-old.

Johnson insisted that for him the battle was not over yet despite the advent of Liu, also 22, and Doucoure.

”I’ll be back in 2007, 2008, maybe 2009,” said the 34-year-old.

While Isinbayeva chases Bubka’s standard, Wariner wants to better Johnson.

”I’ll try to get some more strength in me to go for the world record,” said Wariner. — Sapa-AFP