Andreas Thorkildsen made a breakthrough when he won the World title in Berlin. Finally, he had done something no other javelin thrower has done which is hold World, Olympic and European titles simultaneously. Not even the great Jan Zelezny achieved that; he always fell short at the European championships.
“It’s incredible,” said Thorkildsen. “It’s strange that Jan did not manage to do it, but it’s nice to claim something for my own, something that he doesn’t have. But I still have a lot of work to do to catch up in numbers of medals that Jan has won.” And that is the goal. According to Thorkildsen’s coach, Asmund Martinsen, they are “only half way to achieving our goals." In other words, more Olympic titles? “That’s the goal,” said Martinson. “We are hoping for two more Olympic titles.” In total they are aiming for 6 more major titles in total to overtake Zelezny’s score, which of course would make the Norwegian the greatest javelin exponent of all time. But what of the World record? Where does he stand in relation to that? “First of all, it’s a damn good record (98.48m Zelezny 1996),” said Thorkildsen. “But the biggest problem I have with the World record is that I don’t prioritise it. I prefer not to go to stadiums where the wind conditions are deliberately favourable to throwing records. The Golden League and the major championships are my priority. When you look at the stats there is always a lot of wind when people throw long. No, my goal is to win titles.” For winning in Berlin, he would have pocketed $60,000. Amongst some nations there would also be an extra prize from the government. The Russian walker, Vladimir Borchin, for example was given a BMW Jeep last year and this year all Russian gold medallists in Olympic sports will be given an extra $7000. What does the Norwegian government plan to give Thorkildsen for his medals: “A luxury yacht and Oslo castle,” were just two of the light-hearted answers Thorkildsen gave, but in reality he was sent an email from the country’s prime minister congratulating him on his victory. “But he did not send it to my email,” said Thorkildsen, “because I checked.” One of Thorkildsen’s main opponents, Tero Pitkamaki of Finland, had picked up an infection before the finals and was out of sorts and finished fifth. Did Thorkildsen give him any support during the competition? “We talked together and I tried to give him a boost,” said Thorkildsen. “But I don’t think it helped. At the World championships you have to be at your best.” Which comes to the next question. Despite the odd niggle, the Norwegian always seem in rude health for the big championships. What is the secret? “Well, first of all, I do get injured. But the advantage before the big championships is there is always a couple of weeks off that gives us the time to iron out a few things. The problem arises with competitions like the Golden League (He was injured for Bislett). But we try to train so that I don’t get injured and I have a good team looking after me at the high performance centre at Sognsvann (Oslo).” Martinsen revealed another possible reason why injuries tend not to intervene in Thorkildsen’s case: “First of all, we never do anything dangerous and, second, if he’s too tired or there’s something wrong we stop and come back the next day.” Every year, Thorkildsen works on something different which is calculated to make him stronger and ensure that he always improves. This year he has been practising hurdles so as to improve his leg speed. “The last three steps are crucial before the block,” said Martinsen and he needs to improve his speed over the last three sideways steps. The hurdles helps us to improve not his sprinting speed, but his leg speed.” They are also working on his strength so that he does not drop his left shoulder too much at release: “It needs to stay up so that the angle of release is improved and the javelin can go further,” said Martinsen. “That requires strength and Thorkildsen can bench-press 190kg; he is very strong across the chest. It’s important for launching the javelin.” They also work a lot on running in the general conditioning period before Christmas. There are 150m sprints with a 45sec interval together with a lot of jumping and bounding exercises. He also does a lot of gymnastics and can do the crucifix on the rings, lower himself and raise his 90-kilos again. That is some achievement. Activities that have been banned are roller-blading and skateboarding because of the risk of injury. When he was 17 Thorkildsen was doing backward somersaults on a ramp on rollerblades. Not the sort of activity conducive to a healthy life. “He is good at trampolining too,” said Martinsen. “He can do forward somersaults with one and a half twists. Every year we try something different because he needs to be able to do things. He needs that feeling of learning something new all the time.” When he is not training, Thorkildsen walks his dog, a pug, when he is relaxing. Though born in Kristiansand in the south he moved to Oslo in 2001 to be near Martinsen. He now lives on Vindern near the national stadium, Ullevaal, with his girlfriend, Christina Vukicevic, the sprint hurdler who won European U-23 gold in Kaunas this summer.&nbsp; Apart from outdoing Zelezny, there is also someone else he has outdone, his father. 35-years ago Tomm Thorkildsen was Berlin champion when he was studying physiotherapy here with a throw just a little under 70m. Today his son threw 20m further for the World title.&nbsp; That’s another stat that is special to Thorkildsen. Michael Butcher for the IAAF

Andreas Thorkildsen made a breakthrough when he won the World title in Berlin. Finally, he had done something no other javelin thrower has done which is hold World, Olympic and European titles simultaneously. Not even the great Jan Zelezny achieved that; he always fell short at the European championships.

Thorkildsen does what Zelezny couldn't!

Berlin, GermanyFinishing second and not getting a lap of honour seems like the least satisfying way to win a gold medal. No arms aloft stride through the line, no leap for joy, no victory lap with your country’s flag draped around your shoulders. But Maryam Yusuf Jamal doesn’t see it that way. The Ethiopian-born Bahraini, who retained her world 1500m title at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin this afternoon, says the rather messy manner of her victory will not tarnish the feeling of becoming a double World champion. Quite the opposite. “I am happier this time than I was in Osaka,” says the 24-year-old who was awarded the title following the disqualification of Spain’s Natalia Rodriguez. “What the Spanish girl did was wrong and it is right that she was disqualified. “However this does not take away from my victory and I am confident that had she not come through on the inside and cut us off I would have won anyway.” The battle was meant to be between the reigning gold medallist, who became her adopted nation’s first ever world champion two years ago, and her former compatriot, Gelete Burka. It was a battle. But Burka’s part in it ended with 200m to go shortly after she and Jamal began their push for home. Burka struck out 300m from the line with Jamal on her right shoulder, both ready to unleash their finishing kicks. It could have been quite a finish for the two have been close rivals recently with the score between them standing at one-one this season, Burka winning in Lausanne and Jamal in Monaco, and they were both comfortable winners of their semi-finals in Berlin. But Rodriguez had other ideas. She and Britain’s Lisa Dobriskey were chasing down the two favourites as the race approached its climax when the Spaniard tried to squeeze through a gap on the inside that simply didn’t exist. As a result she virtually shoved Burka to the track meaning Jamal had to dance around the Ethiopian’s flailing limbs just to stay upright. Rodriguez took the advantage and sprinted for home with Jamal and Dobriskey in her wake. “The race was not difficult before then, although there was a lot of pushing,” says Jamal. “But when the Spanish girl pushed Gelete that threw me off. In the end it was all right but I am very disappointed that Gelete fell behind because I am certain she would have taken a medal.” The Spaniard’s victory was met by boos from the crowd, and none of the top three finishers bothered with a lap of honour as a DQ seemed inevitable. At first Jamal was happy to be second, she says, delighted to escape without crashing to the track herself. “I’m disappointed I lost my gold medal but I’ve still made it to the podium” she said as soon as she left the track. “My plan was to follow the leader and kick at the end, maybe with about 100m to go. I tried, but she passed me in the end.” It was just a relief to have finished, she says. “It was a shock when it happened and I could not move away easily, but I could have fallen like Gelete and not got a medal. “When someone falls next to you it throws you off and you become nervous. I finished second so when I found out I had the gold it was a great feeling.” It may not have happened in the way she would have liked, but Jamal is happy to have given Bahrain its second victory of the championships following Yusuf Saad Kamel’s gold in the men’s 1500m on Wednesday, especially after she finished a disappointing fifth in the Beijing Olympics last summer. The story of her journey to Bahraini citizenship is well known. Born Zenebech Tola in Arsi province, she took to running at a young age growing up in the same village as Haile Gebrselassie. Well, who else would you have as your idol? “Like all boys and girls from Arsi, I wanted to emulate him,” she says. Like her hero she developed her endurance by going to school on foot – 16km in her case. “Sometimes we had to run when we were late,” she says. As a young athlete she tried sprinting, then high jumping, but eventually she turned to middle distances and joined the Muger Club in Addis Ababa which also counts a certain Kenenisa Bekele among its members. She moved to Switzerland to race and be with her manager, deciding for personal reasons not to return to Ethiopia, fearing that she might not be allowed abroad again. She filed for political asylum in May 2002 and, for a time thought she would give up athletics until persuaded by her partner, Mnashu Taye, also an asylum seeker from Ethiopia (now also a Bahraini called Tareq Sabt Hasan), to stick with her talent. It was a good a decision, although her career has hardly been easy. After being refused a place in Ethiopia’s 2004 Olympic team, and then turned down for Swiss citizenship (because she hadn’t been resident for 12 years), she eventually opted to run for Bahrain and took her new name. Although she spends less than a month in the kingdom each year, the move has certainly paid dividends – after winning gold in Osaka, for example, she received a diamond watch from the queen. “A really nice gift,” she says. No doubt, the royal family will be waiting to present her with another present this time. After all, not many nations have double world champions to celebrate, even if their flag didn’t get paraded around the stadium. Matthew Brown for the IAAF

Berlin, Germany – Finishing second and not getting a lap of honour seems like the least satisfying way to win a gold medal. No arms aloft stride through the line, no leap for joy, no victory lap with your country’s flag draped around your shoulders.

Jamal on title defence – ‘Happier than in Osaka’

23. August 2009BerlinZweite zu werden und keine Ehrenrunde zu laufen, das scheint eine unbefriedigende Art und Weise zu sein, wenn man am Ende doch Gold gewonnen hat. Keine Siegpose beim Erreichen des Ziels, keine Nationenflagge zum Jubeln - doch Maryam Yusuf Jamal (Bahrain) sieht das nicht so tragisch. Nachdem sie ihren 1.500-m-Titel bei den 12. IAAF Leichtathletik-Weltmeisterschaften&nbsp;auf ungewöhnliche Weise&nbsp;verteidigt hatte, sagte sie sogar: "Ich freue mich mehr über das Gold als in Osaka."
Die 24-jährige Läuferin, die aus Äthiopien stammt, wurde aufgrund der Disqualifikation der Spanierin&nbsp;Natalia Rodriguez nachträglich zur Siegerin erklärt. "Was die Spanierin gemacht hat, war falsch und sie wurde richtigerweise disqualifiziert. Aber das schmälert nicht meinen Sieg. Ich bin sicher, dass wenn sie nicht durch die Innenbahn gekommen wäre und uns damit geschnitten hätte, dann hätte ich trotzdem gewonnen", sagte Jamal.
Maryam Yusuf Jamal hieß als Äthiopierin noch&nbsp;Zenebech Tola. Sie kommt aus der Provinz&nbsp;Arsi und wuchs im gleichen Ort auf, aus dem Haile Gebrselassie stammt. "Wie alle Mädchen und Jungen aus Arsi wollte auch ich so werden wie Haile", sagt Jamal. Wie ihr Vorbild entwickelte sie ihre Ausdauer zunächst, weil sie zur Schule rennen musste. Die Distanz betrug 16 Kilometer. "Manchmal mussten wir rennen, wenn wir zu spät dran waren."
Als junge Athletin versuchte sie sich auch als Sprinterin und sogar Hochspringerin, aber die Mittelstrecken wurden dann ihre Events. Sie startete schließlich für&nbsp;den Muger Club in Addis Ababa, dessen Mitglied auch&nbsp;Kenenisa Bekele ist.

- Berlin – Zweite zu werden und keine Ehrenrunde zu laufen, das scheint eine unbefriedigende Art und Weise zu sein, wenn man am Ende doch Gold gewonnen hat. Keine Siegpose beim Erreichen des Ziels, keine Nationenflagge zum Jubeln - doch Maryam Yusuf Jamal (Bahrain) sieht das nicht so tragisch.

Jamal nach Titelverteidigung glücklicher als in Osaka

Berlin, GermanyOnce more Kenenisa Bekele has conquered a superlative. One year after his double Olympic triumph he repeated that amazing feat on the final day of the 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin. 
Six days after winning the 10,000 m final the Ethiopian also took the gold in the 5000m. By doing so Bekele became the first man to take both the long distance track gold medals at the same World Championships. 
“It was a very hard race, because everybody was strong. Now I have won the double which makes me very happy and proud – this is something special,” said Bekele, who including World Cross Country team titles the 27-year-old has now won an incredible total of 24 world championships gold medals. 
Back in 2003 Bekele had first attempted the long distance double, but in Paris he was beaten by Eliud Kipchoge and Hicham El Guerrouj in the 5000m. So far his fellow Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie had been closest to this double gold. In Stuttgart in 1993 Gebrselassie took the 10,000m gold and the 5000m silver. 
There probably was no one who was able to describe better what Bekele had achieved in Berlin than Bernard Lagat. After a great battle on the homestraight the defending champion from the USA (Lagat hat won the 1500 and the 5000 m in Osaka in 2007) took second in 13:17.33 minutes behind Bekele (13:17.09). 
“Kenenisa has really everything that it takes to be a champion. I would love to be like him. He is really great and I presume we will have to wait for a long time before we will see another runner like him in the future. Kenenisa is one of the greatest athletes of all time,” said Bernard Lagat.
“It is nice to run with him in such a great final. We have both given really everything we had on the homestraight – he won gold and I won the silver. It is good running against him because he gets out the very best of me.”
Being the only double medal in a single event besides Usain Bolt (100 and 200m) in these World Championships Bekele was asked if he feels relegated concerning the media interest compared to the Jamaican. 
“In my eyes it is correct that Usain gets that much more attention, because what he did was unique. He not only won the two golds, but broke two World records as well. What Usain Bolt does is good for the development of our sport,” said Bekele, who had said earlier in the week that he would be ready for an 800m contest against the Jamaican. “I would definitely beat him at this distance.”&nbsp; &nbsp; Bekele had a shaky opening of the season, when he dropped out of a 1500 m race in Hengelo and then just managed to keep his AF Golden League Jackpot dream alive at the first meeting in Berlin. There he won the 5000m. But afterwards he got stronger and stronger again. 
“When I saw him in Hengelo I noticed that he was a little overweight,” said his Dutch manager Jos Hermens, who revealed that the injury that Bekele had sustained last November was not a stress fracture in his foot but a badly bruised bone above the ankle. “The problem was that the bruise was inside the bone, which was very painful and takes much longer to heal than a stress fracture,” explained Hermens. 
“When I had come to Berlin Jos checked my calf to find out if I was fit and had lost weight, because in Hengelo I had too much weight,” said Bekele. “After Hengelo I sat down with my family, because I knew I had to do something to get back to peak form,” said Bekele, who revealed that he has coached himself already for the past two years. 
“A coach could only help me with may be 10 or 15 percent of what I do. So I do not really need a coach, I do it on my own. But sometimes I get help from Woldemeskel Kostre (the Ethiopian long distance national coach) when it is about doing some track sessions,” said Bekele, who added: “I also determine my own tactics and I like doing this.” Asked if the coach’ would be happy with his athlete Bekele laughed and said: “Yes, the ,coach’ is happy!”
Bekele will now focus on the AF Golden League Jackpot. He needs to win the 5000 m races in Zurich next Friday and in Brussels in the following week to make sure that he takes at least a share of the US$1 Million prize. 
“He may be able to improve his season’s best of 12:56 minutes,” said Hermens. But World record attempts will not play a role this season. “I believe that I can still improve my world record in the 10,000m, but not this year,” said Bekele. Next year, when there will be no major championships, it will be different. 
If he would dream of winning Bekele was asked. “Oh yes, I always dream that I win,” he replied. Has he also dreamt about a marathon victory yet? “No I have not had that dream yet and at present I can not say when I will run one.” But for sure the marathon will be another challenge in the future for Bekele.
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF

- Once more Kenenisa Bekele has conquered a superlative. One year after his double Olympic triumph he repeated that amazing feat on the final day of the 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin.

Bekele conquers another superlative

Ein weiteres Mal hat Kenenisa&nbsp;Bekele ein Superlativ erobert. Ein Jahr nach seinem olympischen Doppelsieg wiederholte diese erstaunliche Leistung nun am finalen Tag der 12. IAAF Leichtathletik-Weltmeisterschaften in Berlin.
Sechs Tage nach seinem Sieg über 10.000 m entschied der Äthiopier auch die 5.000 m&nbsp;für sich.&nbsp;Er ist der erste&nbsp;Mann, dem dieser Doppelsieg in der Geschichte&nbsp;der Leichtathletik-Weltmeisterschaften gelang.
"Es war ein hartes Rennen, denn jeder in diesem Finale war stark. Jetzt habe ich das Doppel gewonnen, was mich sehr froh und stolz macht - das ist etwas besonderes", sagte Bekele, der nunmehr&nbsp;inklusive der Mannschaftswertungen bei den Cross-Weltmeisterschaften schon 24&nbsp;WM-Goldmedaillen gesammelt hat - eine unglaubliche Zahl für den 27-Jährigen.&nbsp;
Es gab wohl keinen, der die&nbsp;Leistung von Kenenisa Bekele besser beschreiben konnte als&nbsp;Bernard Lagat (USA). Der&nbsp;Titelverteidiger aus den USA, der in Osaka&nbsp;bei der WM 2007 die 1.500 und die 5.000 m gewonnen hatte, wurde in Berlin&nbsp;Zweiter in 13:17,33 Minuten, knapp geschlagen von Bekele&nbsp;(13:17,09). 
“Kenenisa hat wirklich alles, was man braucht um ein Champion zu sein. Ich wünschte ich wäre wie er. Er ist ein wirklich großer Athlet und ich glaube, wir werden sehr lange warten müssen, bis wir wieder einmal einen Läufer wie Bekele sehen werden in der Zukunft. Kenenisa ist einer der größten Athleten aller Zeiten", sagte Bernard Lagat.

- Ein weiteres Mal hat Kenenisa&nbsp;Bekele ein Superlativ erobert. Ein Jahr nach seinem olympischen Doppelsieg wiederholte diese erstaunliche Leistung nun am finalen Tag der 12. IAAF Leichtathletik-Weltmeisterschaften in Berlin.

Bekele erobert ein weiteres Superlativ

23. August 2009BerlinDie 22jährige&nbsp;Brittney Reese gewann als dritte US-Amerikanerin den Frauen-Weitsprung bei den IAAF Leichtathletik-Weltmeisterschaften. Dabei steigerte sie ihre persönliche Bestleistung in Berlin auf 7,10 m.
Reese&nbsp;sicherte sich&nbsp;eine von fünf Medaillen, die die USA am Schlusstag der Titelkämpfe gewannen - drei davon waren golden.
"Dass ich in meinem so jungen Alter schon Weltmeisterin geworden bin, ist eine aufregende Geschichte", erklärte Brittney Reese, die auch schon vor zwei Jahren in Osaka im Finale stand sowie bei Olympia 2008.
Reese ist die drittjüngste Weitsprung-Siegerin in der WM-Geschichte hinter Heike Drechsler, die 1983 unter ihrem Mädchennamen Daute in Helsinki erstmals triumphierte. Damals war sie 18 Jahre alt, Tianna Madison (USA) gewann den Titel dann mit 20 Jahren 2005. Die Siegweite von Reese war die beste seit Drechslers WM-Sieg in Stuttgart 1993.

-jährige&nbsp;Brittney Reese gewann als dritte US-Amerikanerin den Frauen-Weitsprung bei den IAAF Leichtathletik-Weltmeisterschaften. Dabei steigerte sie ihre persönliche Bestleistung in Berlin auf 7,10 m.

Reese: ‘Ich wusste, dass ich es kann’

Berlin, Germany22yearold Brittney Reese became the third American woman in the history of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics to win the Long Jump title as she improved her personal best to a new World Leading 7.10m here in Berlin. Reese won one of five medals for Team USA – three of which were gold – on the ninth and last day of competition in the Olympic stadium alone. She contributed to the Americans’ overall tally of 10 gold, 6 silver and 6 bronze medals which topped the medal standing by nations. “It sounds good,” Reese said at the thought of her being the World champion. “And for me to get it so young, I am just so excited.” Despite her young age, Reese was a finalist two years ago at the Osaka World Championships and at the Beijing Olympic Games last summer. Reese is actually the third youngest champion in the history of the event following on inaugural champion and German national legend Heike Drechsler (who competed under her maiden name Daute in Helsinki 1983) who won her first title aged 18 and compatriot Tianna Madison who was a surprise winner four years ago when aged 20. Her effort today was the longest winning mark since Drechsler’s second World title in Stuttgart 1993. “Today I felt a lot better than in the qualifying round. I went back and looked at some of my jumps from Eugene, Oregon (where she took the US title) and saw that I needed more speed. So I got to work on speed,” she explains of her preparation following her automatic qualifying jump at 6.78 two days ago. “I have been losing sleep,” she commented on her title. “This is the way I wanted it to be. People were saying I couldn’t come through to the final but I knew I had it in me.” Reese took the lead with her very first attempt at 6.92, a mark which was challenged by defending World champion Tatyana Lebedeva only. The 33-year-old former Olympic and three-time World champion Russian actually surpassed that mark with her second round 6.97 which prompted Reese to respond with her eventual winner with her very next try. “For her to take the lead, it was a big motivation to put my biggest jump together. It’s great that we can compete at this level in the long jump. “I knew Tatyana could easily go 7 metres with any of her remaining jumps so it did put a little pressure on me. I kept my focus and in the end she did not jump 7 metres. “Actually before coming to Berlin I have been thinking ‘I’ve got to go 7.10 at the World champs.’ Since I jumped 7.09 with a little bit of wind at nationals I said I wanted to go here and jump 7.10 with no wind.” And that is exactly what Reese delivered. “I was surprised. I didn’t think I was going to get it now, I thought I would get it in 2 years. But to be the World champion so young it just shows how much I’ve improved and how much I can get better.” Reese was an outstanding jumper at Gulfport High School in Mississippi, where she earned the 2004 “Player of the Year” award for track and field. She then played basketball and didn’t participate in track and field at Gulf Coast Community College. She returned to the track after transferring to the University of Mississippi, where she competed in the long jump, high jump and triple jump. Asked about what has made the difference since her fifth place at the Beijing Olympic Games, Reese does not hesitate. “Last year in Beijing, I was still competing in the collegiate system. I had just finished the College season so it meant I had to go to a lot of meets. This year I didn’t have to. So I could relax, stay calm and come here and do what I had to do. “It’s so much easier without the College meets; it takes so much pressure on your legs to compete so often. This year I had less jumps in me. I was fresher,” she concluded. Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF

old Brittney Reese became the third American woman in the history of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics to win the Long Jump title as she improved her personal best to a new World Leading 7.10m here in Berlin.

Reese – ‘I knew I had it in me’

The written editorial content of the IAAF website at 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was brought to you by the following:&nbsp;
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Feature writers Laura Arcoleo Matthew Brown Michael Butcher Richard Lewis David Powell Jörg Wenig
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We hope you enjoyed our coverage of Berlin 2009
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IAAF Website written editorial team in Berlin 2009 , 23 Aug

Kerron CLEMENT, USA: The plan was to come out here and win the gold medal. We were not too concerned about the passes. It is not too much of a problem to get the stick aroung in the 4x400m. The WL did not surprise us. With LaShawn and Jeremy anything can happen.LaShawn MERRITT, USA:&nbsp; Championships are all about gettting the medal. I always focus on times later on. We had the top two in the 400m and the winner of the 400m hurdles. All we had to do is to get the stick around and have fun. I actually will be in Zurich. I did not know what happened in the 4x100m with our relay. I focussed on our race. You must avoid to think about negative things. Martin ROONEY, GBR - There are so many times we've run below 3 minutes and didn't get a medal. Now we've got it and that is what matters most. John STEFFENSEN, AUS - It was extremely hard competition and maybe we are little bit disappointed to take only bronze. But we did our best.Ben OFFEREINS, AUS - I normally compete at 400m hurdles. It was my pleasure to represent our country and I am going to be very proud to see how our flag will be raised up. Tristan THOMAS, AUS - I am happy to be a part of these World championships, even it is bronze. 
Sean WROE, AUS - We tried hard and the atmosphere here was fantastic. We are very proud about what all Australians managed here in Berlin - Hooker, Samuels... It really touches your heard when you listen to the national anthem. The next year there are the Commonwealth games to be on the program, so I hope we can beat Great Britain then.

Kerron Clement: The plan was to come out here and win the gold medal. We were not too concerned about the passes.

Men's 4x400m Relay Final

I've been losing sleep for the past three days, studying my jumps. Today, after my first attempts, the coach helping me said I need more speed. After the third attempt, I had to stay focused, because I knew the Russian girl could also jump that far. It's good for me to get it so young. I'm just 22. It's my first year as a professional. I'm still at school but no longer in the track team. There are still lots of years ahead. Now, I need to go back and train. It's not over. I must admit that 2 days before the long jump qualification I did not feel in shape to fight for medals in the long jump. I had very bad triple jump and I was very disappointed about it. My technique escaped me from these feelings and I am very happy to achieve silver here. Before the championships in Berlin, everybody was asking me if Berlin is a good city for me to compete in. Now I can say, yes it is.

I've been losing sleep for the past three days, studying my jumps. Today, after my first attempts, the coach helping me said I need more speed. After the third attempt, I had to stay focused, because I knew the Russian girl could also jump that far.

Gold - Brittney REESE, USA

Berlin, GermanyWhen the Chinese women’s distance running squad raided the medals vault at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, they took gold at 1500, 3000 and 10,000m but found the safe door to the Marathon firmly closed. Now, 16 years later, and back in Germany, China finally has its first Olympic or World champion at the distance of either sex. Bai Xue, who ran her first Marathon at the age of 14, and who, remarkably, was making her 11th appearance over 26 miles 385 yards, at just 20, said that there was only one word – “joy” - to describe her feelings. “I feel it is a great honour for me to win this gold medal on the last day of the championships,” Bai added. It was China’s first women’s gold medal in a World Championships running event since that unforgettable year in which Liu Dong won the women’s 1500m, Qu Yunxia the 3000m, and Wang Junxia the 10,000m. Wang did go on to win the World Cup Marathon, in San Sebastian, that year but, at the World Championships, China’s only competitor failed to finish. Gracious enough to acknowledge that she triumphed in a weakened field, Bai said that she still had much to learn. “I am very happy to win this championship but also I think I was a little bit lucky because the top runners were not here,” she said. “I still have a lot to improve to compare with these top runners and catch up with them.” Going into the race, Bai felt none of the anxiety which had accompanied her into the Olympic Games back home last year. Competing in the 10,000m in Beijing, she finished 21st. “As for the Olympic Games, it is a very bad memory,” Bai said. “Athletes are sometimes in good form and sometimes in bad form. And sometimes they don’t know why. “I think one of the very important reasons was that it was at home, a once in a lifetime competition. Mentally, there was a lot of pressure and maybe it was simply that there was too much expectation. But, when I came here for my first appearance in the World Championships I was expecting many of the top runners and I was just telling myself to relax. “My preparation for the Olympic Games was not very good, I was not in good shape, and afterwards I felt very bad. But all the people around me supported me very well and I was encouraged by them. Gradually I got back my form. I had very good training before coming here and I think that, when I arrived, I was mentally very strong.” Recording 2:25:15, Bai did not even have to come close to her personal best of 2:23:27, set last year, to win. It would no doubt have been different had the cream of the event not been missing. Paula Radcliffe, the World Record holder, Catherine Ndereba, the World champion, Constantina Tomescu-Dita, the Olympic champion, and Irina Mikitenko, the World Marathon Majors series champion, were all missing. That said, the field nevertheless contained 12 women with sub 2:25 personal best times. It was, therefore, hardly a soft touch. So a new star is born, albeit one long accustomed to the Marathon, despite her tender years. Now the youngest World champion in her event, she had clocked 2:37:07 at 14. “I ran a marathon race in 2003,” Bai confirmed. “It was not for competition, the coach just wanted me to see what the race was like.” Another incredible statistic – Bai was running her fifth marathon in a year and her third in 2009 (13th in Nagoya, 7th in Dailan). Until today all of Bai’s marathons had been contested in Asia, her best result being victory in the 2008 Beijing Marathon (not the Olympics). “After I won the Beijing Marathon in October 2008 I was not in very good shape but, from February this year, I started very good training,” Bai said. “This is my third Marathon this year, and my first two show very bad results, but those Marathons were not really for competition reasons. They were mainly for tests or training reasons.” In a lead group of three, Bai made her move for victory inside the last two kilometres. “At the 40km point, when I threw my cap away, I thought I had already secured a medal,” she said. “That was very good for me in my first appearance in these championships. I was feeling so well that I thought I could now work for the gold.” Of the course and weather, Bai added: “The course was very flat, although there were a lot of turns. But, if you have similar training before the championships, that is ok. As for the weather and humidity, I think in my country it is even more humid and warmer at this moment, so it was not a problem at all.” Leading China to the three-to-score World Cup title, held in conjunction, Bai said that this enhanced her experience here. “It was very important to win the World Cup as we missed it by only a few seconds the last time in Osaka (when Kenya won with 7:35.02 and China placed second with 7: 35.52). This time we were very determined.” And none more than she. David Powell for the IAAF

When the Chinese women’s distance running squad raided the medals vault at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, they took gold at 1500, 3000 and 10,000m but found the safe door to the Marathon firmly closed. Now, 16 years later, and back in Germany, China finally has its first Olympic or World champion at the distance of either sex.

Marathon champion Bai – ‘I still have a lot to prove’

Allyson Felix: I felt really comfortable. 
Lashinda Demus: I am happy and blessed. I was playing my part. Debbie and Allyson ret me up and gave me a good lead. But still, there was no relaxing there. 
Sanya Richards: It was an amazing relay. Except for the first leg we were always leading clearly. We achieved a great time! In two years' time if the Jamaicans will want to get the 4x400m gold? Well, we will be ready. Novlene Williams-Mills - We did an awesome job. It's nice to bring Jamaica the last medal of the championships. We have a team that just did what it had to. It feels good but we are tired. A. Krivoshapka - I was on the last leg and I felt big responsibility for it. This race was almost the same as the individual 400 meters final - almost the same competitors, the same fast pace.The USA team was very very strong. We were hoping for medal, so we are satisfied now. I am just little bit disappointed because I took the baton as second and we finished third. But I did my best. 
Rest of the team - We did what we must have done. It was quite difficult after the Olympics to keep the top shape but we are happy that we managed to get a medal. We followed the advices of our coach Maslakov and everybody gave something special to get this medal.

Allyson Felix: I felt really comfortable. 
Lashinda Demus: I am happy and blessed. I was playing my part. Debbie and Allyson ret me up and gave me a good lead. But still, there was no relaxing there. 
Sanya Richards: It was an amazing relay.

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