Soboleva's new record steals the show

VALENCIA, Spain: Russian middle-distance runner Yelena Soboleva stole the show on the final day of the World Indoor Championships when she smashed her own indoor world record to take gold in the 1,500m.

The 25-year-old Russian left the rest of the field trailing in her wake as she crossed the line in a time of three minutes 57.71 seconds, 0.34 quicker than the record she set in Moscow last month.

Fellow Russian Yuliya Fomenko was second in 3:59.41, while Gelete Burka of Ethiopia grabbed the bronze.

United States heptathlete Bryan Clay, Australian 800m runner Tamsyn Lewis, African runners Tariku Bekele and Abubaker Kaki Khamis and British triple jumper Phillips Idowu also shone on the final day in which 14 titles were decided.

Clay, world decathlon champion in 2005 and twice runner-up in the World Indoors, claimed gold in the multi-event competition with an outstanding set of performances over the two days.

The American amassed a personal best total of 6,371 points, just 105 short of Dan O'Brien's 1993 world record, as he won four of the seven events to finish ahead of Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus and Kazakhstan's Dmitriy Karpov.

Last-lap burst

Lewis spoiled Maria Mutola's hopes of winning an eighth Indoor World title when she produced an impressive last-lap burst to hurtle past the 35-year-old from Mozambique and Tetiana Petlyuk to take gold.

The Australian crossed the line in two minutes 2.57, with Petlyuk taking the silver and Mutola the bronze.

Bekele took advantage of older brother Kenenisa's absence to storm his way to victory in the men's 3,000m in a time of seven minutes 48.23.

The 21-year-old set a scorching pace on the final two laps to give Kenyan steeplechase specialist Paul Kipsiele Koech and fellow Ethiopian Abreham Cherkos no chance of victory.

Kaki Khamis became Sudan's first World Indoor gold medallist at the age of 18 as he held off South African Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Yusuf Saad Kamel of Bahrain in the 800m.

Triple jumper Idowu won Britain's first gold of the Championships with a massive leap of 17.75m, just eight cm off Aliecer Urrutia's 11-year-old world record and more than half a meter better than his previous best mark of the season.

Silver medalist Arnie David Girat of Cuba was way back on 17.47, while world outdoor champion Nelson Evora took the bronze with a leap of 17.27.

Blanka Vlasic deprived Olympic champion Elena Slesarenko of a hat-trick of indoor titles when she won the high jump.

The Croatian cleared 2.03m, while the Russian could only manage 2.01, the same height as bronze medalist Vita Palamar.

Extra gear

Canada's Tyler Christopher found an extra gear in the final straight of the men's 400m to snatch the gold from Johan Wissman of Sweden in a time of 45.67, the fastest mark in the world this year.

As expected, the women's 400m was an all-Russian affair with Olesya Zykina equaling her world leading time of the year of 51.09 as she managed to hold off Natalya Nazarova by one hundredth of a second in the lunge for the finishing line.

Portugal's Naide Gomes, the world pentathlon champion in 2004, took the honors in the long jump with a leap of seven metres exactly, with Brazilian Maurren Maggi taking silver ahead of Russian favourite Irina Simagina.

New Zealander Valerie Vili added the World Indoor crown to her outdoor title with victory in the women's shot with a new area record of 20.19m.

In the pole vault Evgeniy Lukyanenko beat defending champion Brad Walker with a clearance of 5.90m while the American had to settle for a new personal best of 5.85 ahead of Steven Hooker of Australia.

Russia won its eighth consecutive gold in the women's 4 x 400m relay ahead of Belarus and the United States won its seventh title in the men's race.

The US ended up top of the pile in the medals table with five goals, five silver and three bronze, one silver better than the Russian haul.

Agencies

(China Daily 03/11/2008 page24)