March 09, 2008	Sunday	Safar 30, 1429

VALENCIA (Spain), March 8: Nigeria’s Olusoji Fasuba powered to victory in the 60 metres at the World Indoor Athletics Championships on Friday, edging out Dwain Chambers and Kim Collins who could not be separated in a photo finish.

Fasuba ran the best time of the year with 6.51 seconds, three hundredths quicker than joint silver medallists Briton Chambers and Collins of St Kitts and Nevis.

Chambers is trying to resurrect his athletics career after returning to the sport following a two-year doping ban and failed attempt to forge a career in American football

American Christian Cantwell took the day’s first gold when he recaptured the shot put title he won four years ago by beating compatriot Reese Hoffa.

Angela Williams chalked up another triumph for the United States, finally adding an indoor 60 metres gold to the silvers she won in 2001 and 2003 with a world leading 7.06 seconds.

Jeanette Kwakye was second in a British record time of 7.08, with Tahesia Harrigan of the British Virgin Islands picking up the bronze.

Belgium’s Tia Hellebaut won the women’s pentathlon title by finishing just 15 points ahead of Briton Kelly Sotherton after throwing herself at the line in the final test over 800 metres.

Hellebaut’s success was based on a predictably strong performance in the high jump but she managed to keep her rivals at bay by doing well in her less favoured events to take the gold ahead of Sotherton and Anna Bogdanova of Russia.

Shot putter Cantwell had a reputation of failing to perform on big occasions after finishing out of the medals in every major competition since his 2004 world indoor win in Budapest.

However, this time he lived up to his billing with the best three marks of the competition, including the longest put of 21.77 metres which he set in the fifth round.

Defending world indoor and outdoor champion Hoffa was second with 21.20 and Poland’s Tomasz Majewski third (20.93).

Results of finals on Friday:

Men’s:

60 metres: 1. Olusoji Fasuba (Nigeria) 6.51 seconds; 2 equal. Kim Collins (St Kitts and Nevis) 6.54, 2 equal. Dwain Chambers (Britain) 6.54; 4. Michael Rodgers (US) 6.57; 5. Vicente de Lima (Brazil) 6.60; 6. Isaac Uche (Nigeria) 6.63; 7. Simeon Williamson (Britain) 6.63; 8. Andrey Yepishin (Russia) 6.70.

Shot put: 1. Christian Cantwell (US) 21.77 metres; 2. Reese Hoffa (US) 21.20; 3. Tomasz Majewski (Poland) 20.93; 4. Andrey Mikhnevich (Belarus) 20.82; 5. Rutger Smith (Netherlands) 20.78; 6. Dorian Scott (Jamaica) 20.29; 7. Scott Martin (Australia) 20.13; 8. Peter Sack (Germany) 20.05.

Women’s:

60 metres: 1. Angela Williams (US) 7.06 seconds; 2. Jeanette Kwakye (Britain) 7.08; 3. Tahesia Harrigan (Virgin Islands (British) 7.09; 4. Kim Gevaert (Belgium) 7.22; 5. Yevgeniya Polyakova (Russia) 7.24; 6. Damola Osayomi (Nigeria) 7.26; 7. Ene Franca Idoko (Nigeria) 7.30; 8. Alexis Joyce (US) 7.37.

Pentathlon: 1. Tia Hellebaut (Belgium) 4867 points; 2. Kelly Sotherton (Britain) 4852; 3. Anna Bogdanova (Russia) 4753; 4. Nataliya Dobrynska (Ukraine) 4742; 5. Austra Skujyte (Lithuania) 4655; 6. Karolina Tyminska (Poland) 4580; 7. Tatyana Chernova (Russia) 4543; 8. Lyudmila Blonska (Ukraine) 4474.—Reuters