September 15, 2008	Monday	Ramazan 14, 1429

STUTTGART (Germany), Sept 14: Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova broke the women’s javelin world record with a throw of 72.28 metres at the World Athletics Final on Saturday.

“This is strange because I did not expect it,” said the Czech who broke the previous mark of 71.70, set by Osleidys Menendez of Cuba at the 2005 world championships in Helsinki, with her first throw of the competition.

The Czech threw her previous best of 71.42, a European record, in the final round in Beijing to take the Olympic title.

“I was thinking about how I can throw a personal best today, but I never really thought about the world record,” she said. “I was really shocked. I didn’t expect it. It’s just unbelievable.”

Spotakova, also the world champion, will receive a $100,000 bonus for the record on top of her $30,000 winner’s prize.

Unseasonably cool and damp conditions ruled out a world record assault in the men’s 100 metres but Jamaica’s Asafa Powell clocked 9.87 seconds to easily retain his title. It was his sixth sub-9.90 performance in the last 14 days.

“First, I was a little afraid to get hurt today,” he said, referring to the chilly weather. “But I knew I was going to run really fast. I just went out of the blocks and I did it.”

Powell led a podium sweep ahead of Nesta Carter (10.07) and Michael Frater (10.10), both members of Jamaica’s world record-setting 4x100 metres relay squad in Beijing.

Powell will finish his season in Warsaw next Wednesday.

The conditions affected many of the athletes on the first of the two-day competition but seven Olympic champions won.

In the afternoon’s most dramatic race, Olympic 400 metres champion LaShawn Merritt beat Jeremy Wariner by 0.01 seconds.

Merritt, behind heading into the final straight, gradually ran down Wariner before tumbling across the line in 44.50.

It was Merritt’s fourth victory in seven races against fellow American Wariner, the twice defending world champion, giving him the edge this year in the sport’s fiercest rivalry.

Beijing champion Andrey Silnov of Russia won the high jump by leaping 2.35 metres to beat Stefan Holm, the 2004 Olympic gold medallist, who was competing for the last time.

The Swede, who has cleared 2.30 or higher in 132 meets, got over 2.33 to finish second.

Results:

Men’s:

100 metres: 1. Asafa Powell (JAM) 9.87sec; 2. Nester Carter (JAM) 10.07; 3. Michael Frater (JAM) 10.10; 4. Kim Collins (SKN) 10.22; 5. Marc Burns (TRI) 10.22; 6. Michael Rodgers (USA) 10.27; 7. Ronald Pognon (FRA) 10.27; 8.

Marlon Devonish (GBR) 10.37.

400 metres: 1. Lashawn Merritt (USA) 44.50; 2. Jeremy Wariner (USA) 44.51; 3. Christopher Brown (BAH) 45.36; 4. Angelo Taylor (USA) 45.37;5. Martyn Rooney (GBR) 45.82; 6. Gary Kikaya(COD) 45.92; 7. Kamghe Gaba (GER) 46.22; 8. Johan Wissman (SWE) 46.48.

800 metres: 1. Alfred Kirwa Yego (KEN) 1:49.05; 2. Abraham Chepkirwok (UGA) 1:49.22; 3. Youssef Saad Kamel (BRN) 1:49.40; 4. Marcin Lewandowski (POL) 1:49.40; 5. Amine Laalou (MAR) 1:50.03; 6. Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (RSA) 1:50.70; 7. Richard Kiplagat (KEN) 1:50.75; 8. Steffen Co (GER) 1:55.69.

3,000 metres: 1. Bernard Lagat (USA) 8:02.97; 2. Edwin Soi (KEN) 8:03.55; 3. Mattew Tegenkamp (USA) 8:03.56; 4. Mike Kigen (KEN) 8:03.63; 5. James Kwalia (QAT) 8:04.07; 6. Mark Kiptoo (KEN) 8:04.30; 7. Chris Solinsky (USA) 8:04.78; 8. Abraham Chebii (KEN) 8:05.87; 9. Mohammed Farah (GBR) 8:05.97; 10. Isaac Songok (KEN) 8:06.33; 11. Boniface Kiprotich Songok (KEN) 8:07.59; 12. Shadrack Kosgei (KEN) 8:09.41.

400-metre hurdles: 1. Kerron Clement (USA) 48.96; 2. Danny Mcfarlane (JAM) 49.00; 3. Isa Phillips (JAM) 49.22; 4. Markino Buckley (JAM)

49.52; 5. Louis van Zyl (RSA) 49.95; 6. Marek Plawgo (POL) 51.13; 7. Reuben McCoy (USA) 51.38; 8. LaRon Bennett (USA) 52.02.

High jump: 1. Andrey Silnov (RUS) 2.35m; 2. Stefan Holm (SWE) 2.33; 3. Jesse Williams (USA) 2.29; 4. Yaroslav Rybakov (RUS) 2.29; 5. Linus Thvrnblad (SWE) 2.26; 6. Jermaine Mason (GBR) 2.26; 7. James Nieto (USA) 2.22; 8. Kabelo Kgosiemang (BOT) 2.18.

Women’s:

1,500 metres: 1. Maryam Yusuf Jamal (BRN) 4:06.59; 2. Gelete Burika (ETH) 4:07.45; 3. Iryna Lishchynska (UKR) 4:07.65; 4. Lisa Dobriskey (GBR) 4:07.72; 5. Shannon Rowbury (USA) 4:08.16; 6. Nuria Fernandez (ESP) 4:08.24; 7. Sylwia Ejdys (POL) 4:08.56; 8. Erin Donohue (USA) 4:08.64; 9. Sarah Jamieson (AUS) 4:09.21; 10. Agnes Samaria (NAM) 4:12.20; 11. Btissam Lakhouad (MAR) 4:18.68.

5,000 metres: 1. Meseret Defar (ETH) 14:53.82; 2. Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 14:54.60; 3. Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 14:58.76; 4. Linet Chepkwemoi Barasa (KEN) 14:58.88; 5. Prisca Jepleting (KEN) 14:59.74; 6. Sylvia Chibiwott Kibet (KEN) 15:00.03; 7. Grace Kwamboka Momanyi (KEN) 15:02.44; 8.

100m hurdles: 1. Josephine Onyia (ESP) 12.54; 2. LoLo Jones (USA) 12.56; 3. Delloreen London (JAM) 12.56; 4. Dawn Harper (USA) 12.67; 5. Brigitte Foster (JAM) 12.76; 6. Priscilla Lopes (CAN) 12.81; 7. Sally Mclellan (AUS) 12.82; 8. Joanna Hayes (USA) 13.06.

3,000m steeplechase: 1. Gulnara Samitova (RUS) 9:21.73; 2. Eunice Jepkorir (KEN) 9:24.03; 3. Ruth Bisibori Nyangau (KEN) 9:24.38; 4. Yekaterina Volkova (RUS) 9:29.49; 5. Violetta Frankiewicz (POL) 9:31.89; 6. Cristina Iloc-casandra (ROM) 9:35.27; 7. Donna Tyberek-MacFarlane (AUS) 9:36.72; 8. Ancuta Bobocel (ROM) 9:37.89; 9. Helen Pattinson (GBR) 9:39.72; 10. Zemzem Ahmed (ETH) 10:03.20.

Javelin: 1. Barbora Spotakova (CZE) 72.28m (WR); 2. Christina Obergfvll (GER) 63.28; 3. Steffi Nerius (GER) 62.78; 4. Zahra Bani (ITA) 60.22; 5. Linda Stahl (GER) 58.90; 6. Katherine Sayers (GBR) 58.04; 7. Barbara Madejczyk (POL) 56.71; 8. Mercedes Chilla (ESP) 54.29.

Hammer: 1. Yipsi Moreno (CUB) 74.09 m; 2. Martina Danisova (SVK) 71.40; 3. Anita Wlodarczyk (POL) 70.97; 4. Ivana Brkljacic (CRO) 70.00; 5. Betty Heidler (GER) 69.72. —Agencies