August 29, 2007	Wednesday	Sha’aban 15, 1428

OSAKA (Japan), Aug 28: A nonchalant manner masking her lust for gold, Yelena Isinbayeva sashayed into Osaka’s Nagai stadium and stole centre stage at the World Athletics Championships on Tuesday.

Kenya swept the men’s 3,000-metre steeplechase and Janeth Jepkosgei gave Kenya gold in the women’s 800 metres but it was Russian gymnast-turned-pole vaulter Isinbayeva who sprinkled the stardust on day four in Osaka.

Not even the defeat of mighty discus thrower Virgilijus Alekna, or a surprise victory for American Kerron Clement in the men’s 400 metres hurdles could prevent her stealing the show.

Although Isinbayeva failed to extend her own world record, knocking the bar off twice at 5.02m, she won gold at a canter.

Stretched out on her back, her long limbs clad in a light blue tracksuit, the 25-year-old lay on the side of the track during the first three rounds, a white towel draped over her dark locks.

Up the bar crept and sure enough her rivals began to fall away.

She cleared 4.65 metres and sat back before sailing over 4.80 metres. It was enough to claim gold with just two clearances – the fewest number to win a world championship.

While Katerina Badurova and Svetlana Feofanova celebrated silver and bronze, the champion called for the bar to be raised to a new world record height.

The Nagai stadium crowd cheered her on, clapping rhythmically in unison.

Isinbayeva aborted her first jump, knocked the bar with her second and only just grazed it on her third before treating the crowd to an impromptu back-flip onto the mat.

While Isinbayeva swept all before her with ease, Alekna was toppled from his discus podium. The Lithuanian, winner of the last two world championships and Olympic Games, finished fourth in a contest won by his Baltic rival Gerd Kanter of Estonia.

Olympic silver medallist Brimin Kipruto led a Kenyan sweep in the men’s metres steeplechase. He surged clear of Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi in the final 150 metres, leaving Richard Mateelong in third before the trio celebrated together with a lap of honour wrapped in their national flag.

Their compatriot Jepkosgei ran from the front to win the women’s 800 metres gold. The 23-year-old Commonwealth champion clocked the quickest time of the year on her way to the final and improved it again to win in one minute 56.04 seconds.

In the men’s 400-metre hurdles, Clement took surprise gold, clocking the year’s quickest time of 47.61 seconds with Olympic champion Felix Sanchez taking silver for the Dominican Republic. Poland’s Marek Plawgo claimed bronze.

Results of finals on Tuesday:

Men’s 400-metre hurdles: 1. Kerron Clement (US) 47.61 seconds; 2. Felix Sanchez (Dominican Republic) 48.01; 3. Marek Plawgo (Poland) 48.12; 4. James Carter (US) 48.40; 5. Danny McFarlane (Jamaica) 48.59; 6. Periklis Iakovakis (Greece) 49.25; 7. Derrick Williams (US) 52.97.

Women’s 800 metres: 1. Janeth Jepkosgei (Kenya) one minute 56.04 seconds; 2. Hasna Benhassi (Morocco) 1:56.99; 3. Mayte Martinez (Spain) 1:57.62; 4. Olga Kotlyarova (Russia) 1:58.22; 5. Brigita Langerholc (Slovenia) 1:58.52; 6. Svetlana Usovich (Belarus) 1:58.92; 7. Svetlana Klyuka (Russia) 2:00.90.

Men’s discus throw: 1. Gerd Kanter (Estonia) 68.94 metres; 2. Robert Harting (Germany) 66.68; 3. Rutger Smith (Netherlands) 66.42; 4. Virgilijus Alekna (Lithuania) 65.24; 5. Gabor Mate (Hungary) 64.71; 6. Omar El Ghazali (Egypt) 64.58; 7. Ehsan Hadadi (Iran) 64.53; 8. Aleksander Tammert (Estonia) 64.33; 9. Zoltan Koevago (Hungary) 63.04; 10. Mario Pestano (Spain) 62.70; 11. Rashid Al Dosari (Qatar) 62.60; 12. Piotr Malachowski (Poland) 60.77.

Women’s long jump: 1. Tatyana Lebedeva (Russia) 7.03 metres; 2. Lyudmila Kolchanova (Russia) 6.92; 3. Tatyana Kotova (Russia) 6.90; 4. Naide Gomes (Portugal) 6.87; 5. Bianca Kappler (Germany) 6.81; 6. Maurren Maggi (Brazil) 6.80; 7. Keila Costa (Brazil) 6.69; 8. Brittney Reese (US) 6.60; 9. Anju Bobby George (India) 6.53; 10. Tianna Madison (US) 6.47; 11. Viktoriya Rybalko (Ukraine) 6.45; 12. Dana Veldakova (Slovakia) 6.21.

Women’s pole vault: 1. Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) 4.80 metres; 2. Katerina Badurova (Czech Republic) 4.75; 3. Svetlana Feofanova (Russia) 4.75; 4. Monika Pyrek (Poland) 4.75; 5. Vanessa Boslak (France) 4.70; 6. Yuliya Golubchikova (Russia) 4.65; 6. Fabiana Murer (Brazil) 4.65; 8. Anna Rogowska (Poland) 4.60; 9. Tatyana Polnova (Russia) 4.60; 10. Jennifer Stuczynski (US) 4.50; 11. Kym Howe (Australia) 4.50.

Men’s 3000-metre steeplechase: 1. Brimin Kipruto (Kenya) eight minutes 13.82 seconds; 2. Ezekiel Kemboi (Kenya) 8:16.94; 3. Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong (Kenya) 8:17.59; 4. Mustafa Mohamed (Sweden) 8:19.82; 5. Bouabdellah Tahri (France) 8:20.27; 6. Tareq Mubarak Taher (Bahrain) 8:22.51; 7. Eliseo Martin (Spain) 8:22.91; 8. Halil Akkas (Turkey) 8:22.95; 9. Abdelkader Hachlaf (Morocco) 8:24.18; 10. Gary Roba (Ethiopia) 8:25.93; 11. Abubaker Ali Kamal (Qatar) 8:26.90; 12. Nahom Mesfin (Ethiopia) 8:28.86.—Reuters

Medals table

(Tabulated under gold, silver, bronze, total):

United States 3 2 3 8

Russia 3 2 2 7

Kenya 3 1 3 7

Ethiopia 2 1 0 3

Belarus 1 1 1 3

Jamaica 1 0 1 2

Ecuador 1 0 0 1

Estonia 1 0 0 1

New Zealand 1 0 0 1

Portugal 1 0 0 1

Sweden 1 0 0 1

Germany 0 1 1 2

Spain 0 1 1 2

Bahamas 0 1 0 1

Brazil 0 1 0 1

Czech Republic 0 1 0 1

Dominican Rep 0 1 1 1

Morocco 0 1 0 1

Qatar 0 1 0 1

Slovenia 0 1 0 1

Turkey 0 1 0 1

Ukraine 0 1 0 1

Britain 0 0 1 1

Netherlands 0 0 1 1

Poland 0 0 1 1

Slovakia 0 0 1 1

Switzerland 0 0 1 1

Tunisia 0 0 1 1