Hestrie Cloete concealed heartbreak to score a soaring triumph when she retained the World High Jump title during a dramatic final session at the ninth World Athletics Championships in the Stade de France. Despite her victory with 2.06 metres, equalling the best jump in 16 years, to give South Africa a second high jump victory in these championships, Cloete described it as "a bad day". "It was," she said, "the third anniversary of the death of my sister's little girl." This had been in her thoughts, along with the death of another sister, in an accident, shortly before she came to Europe. "I don't want to talk about it." The stress of the occasion made her success even more remarkable. When she won two years ago, the 26-year-old Cloete was her country's first global title-winner in a women's field event since Esther Brand took Olympic gold in 1952. When Brand won in Helsinki, it was with a height of 1.67m. Now nearing 80, Brand still officiates at competitions in Bloomfontein, and has encouraged Cloete's career. "She normally phones me a lot, and we spoke on the phone just before I came to Europe," said Cloete. "She encourages me. She's one of the ladies of the past who still takes a keen interest. She likes to see me keep the flame alive." Cloete cleared every height first time, eight jumps from 1.85 to 2.06m. This made her the equal third best outdoor performer in history, behind Stefka Kostadinova's 1987 world mark of 2.09, and Lyudmila Andonova (2.07 - 1984). Runner-up Marina Kuptsova, of Russia, and Sweden's Kajsa Bergqvist both cleared 'just' 2.00m. It is the first time that all three medallist have been over 2.00m in what has been a vintage season for high jumping. Bergqvist, who had cleared 2.06 herself in July, was content with bronze, struggling against a foot injury. "I had to treat my injury constantly to be able to jump with it," she said. "I had no choice but to go ahead and keep jumping." Cloete, the double Commonwealth Games winner beat her previous best by a centimetre to improve her Commonwealth record. Her win made it a high jump double for South Africa, after Jacques Freitag had taken the men's event. It was a double which Sweden had cast covetous eyes upon. "I came here and defended my title. That was the most important thing for me," added Cloete. "I am proud that South Africa won two gold medals here. It looks like we are coming back into the world of athletics." Cloete, from the village of Coligny in Northern Province, is still coached by Martin Marx, the teacher who discovered her talent at school in Lichtenburg. They have grown up together in the sport. At first she showed promise as a heptathlete, and also at 400 and 800 metres. "I switched to high jumping, because it was less painful than the 800," she said. Her father is a train driver, and she is married to a panel-beater. She had planned to quit after Athens next year, to have a baby, but her form is so good that a family may now be put on hold. "If the season ends well, I will go on for another year," she said. Cloete took three attempts at the world record height of 2.10. The world mark of Bulgaria's Kostadinova has stood since August 30 1987. "I was a child at school then, but I honestly feel that 2.10 metres is within my reach. Both my head and legs can do it, but just not today. Maybe by the end of this year, or maybe next year, but I know I will try it, and I know I can get it." She dismissed jibes about her eccentric style. "It works for me," she said. "I just jump in front of the crossbar. Let's leave it there."

Hestrie Cloete concealed heartbreak to score a soaring triumph when she retained the World High Jump title during a dramatic final session at the ninth World Athletics Championships in the Stade de France.

Cloete - heartbreak and gold

As the world watched Ethiopia&rsquo;s World 10,000 metres champion and Morocco&rsquo;s World 1500 metres champion tussle over the world 5000 metres&nbsp;title, the Kenyan who charged past to snatch the victory was not Abraham Chebii, who had beaten the Ethiopian nor two-time former World cross country champion John Kibowen, but the last Kenyan to make the world championships team.
Eliud Kipchoge finished third behind Chebii and Kibowen at Kenya&rsquo;s trials in July to make the squad that would join Richard Limo, the defending champion.
In Paris, the double gold bids of Ethiopia&rsquo;s double world cross country champion Kenenisa Bekele and Morocco&rsquo;s world record-holder Hicham El Guerrouj commanded attention.
&ldquo;I knew that everybody is watching Chebii, Bekele and Hicham, so I took the prize,&rdquo; said a smiling Kipchoge, 18. &ldquo;I have never raced Hicham. I have raced with Bekele, and he beat me in Oslo,&rdquo; he said, adding that he thought, &ldquo;If Bekele and Hicham are watching Chebii, let me go, they won&rsquo;t get me.&rdquo;
Kipchoge, who set the 12:52.61 world junior record for the event in Oslo, had been mulling over the opportunity for a while, only with a slightly different goal. &ldquo;When we came here, from the beginning of the championships, I was thinking that if the pace is faster, I will become a medallist,&rdquo; he said.
He took the lead more than once during the race, but then began to gather strength. &ldquo;I had to regain energy to prepare for Hicham,&rdquo; he said. After El Guerrouj took the lead I with about two laps left, and was being chased by Bekele, it was Kipchoge who managed to overtake one and then the other in the final straight. &ldquo;With 300 metres, I was thinking of a medal,&rdquo; said Kipchoge. &ldquo;When there was 70 metres, I saw Hicham is no longer going. I decided to go.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I am now the World champion, and I am very happy,&rdquo; said Kipchoge. &ldquo;Richard is my training partner, so I am glad I have this title now.&rdquo;
The two Kenyans have the same manager, Jos Hermens, who also manages Bekele, and said he expected two medals, from Bekele and Kipchoge, but not in the order things worked out. &ldquo;But we know he is very good and that he has a good kick,&rdquo; said Hermens of Kipchoge. &ldquo;He ran a smart race tactically.&rdquo;
Kipchoge used the same sprint finish to blast past Uganda&rsquo;s Boniface Kiprop in the junior race of the world cross country championships in March, where he earned his only other global medal, although on a junior level. At 18, Kipchoge can still compete at junior level, but showed he can play with the big boys as well.
It was as a boy growing up in the rural Kapsisiwo area of the Nandi district, some 50 kilometres from the town of Kapsabet and not far from Eldoret, that Kipchoge first thought about running. &ldquo;Patrick Sang is my neighbour,&rdquo; he said of Kenya&rsquo;s steeplechaser Sang, whom Kipchoge watched and tried to imitate in running.
However, it wasn&rsquo;t until 2000, after running in school but never having taken it seriously that Kipchoge, the last of five children of subsistence farmers who grew corn and beans, and kept cattle, began to train seriously, encouraged by Sang.
Kipchoge made it to provincial cross country championships in February of 2001 and placed fifth in the world cross juniors in 2002. The year 2003 will certainly be remembered as his breakthrough year, with his world cross title being followed up by the world junior record, wins over 5000m on the European circuit in Milan and Stockholm, and now, the World 5000m title coveted by multiple World champions.
Kipchoge&rsquo;s victory in Paris gives the running powerhouse of Kenya only its second gold medal of the championships, both earned on the last day, beginning with Catherine Ndereba&rsquo;s marathon victory. &ldquo;This is so important for us,&rdquo; said head Kenyan coach Moses Kiptanui. &ldquo;We were expecting gold on the first day, the women&rsquo;s 10,000m, and then the second day, and so on.&rdquo;
Restoring Kenyan pride has become something of a habit with Kipchoge, who won the junior men&rsquo;s title on the last day of the World cross country championships after Ethiopia swept all three individual gold medals on the first of the two-day championships. In Paris, too, the first three of the distance track events, the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 10,000 and the women&rsquo;s 5000m, went to Ethiopia, but Kipchoge swooped in during the last individual track event, to pull Kenya back up the medal table.
&ldquo;I know people in Kenya are watching, and it feels great,&rdquo; said Kipchoge.
Sabrina Yohannes for the IAAF

As the world watched Ethiopia’s World 10,000 metres champion and Morocco’s World 1500 metres champion tussle over the world 5000 metres title, the Kenyan who charged past to snatch the victory was not Abraham Chebii, who had beaten the Ethiopian nor two-time former World cross country champion John Kibowen, but the last Kenyan to make the world championships team.

Unheralded Kipchoge salvages Kenyan pride

Jim Dunaway brings us perhaps the most unexpected news to emerge from a press conference in&nbsp;Paris 2003 Saint-Denis. Yes, the rumours on the Internet about Edwin Moses are true: Moses is going to make a comeback in the 400m Hurdles. But no, he's not crazy. He still looks as fit as he looked when he set the world record at 47.02 in 1983 -- still the second fastest ever -- and he hasn't gained a pound. This morning, on his 48th birthday, the two-time World champion, and 1976 and 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the 400m Hurdles announced here in Paris that he has already started training, with the objective of attaining the U.S. Olympic Trials standard of 50.50 seconds. And if he makes the standard he'll run in the Trials.
"I'm not planning a full-scale comeback," he said. "I don't plan on seeing Mr. Sanchez' back," he grinned, referring of course to Felix Sanchez, who won the 400 Hurdles here in 47.25, the eleventh fastest performance of all time. "But I've always said I wanted to run senior athletics and be competitive. I'm not planning to run against world-class athletes; I know what that takes and I don't want to do that. At my age I'm not willing to train three times a day, do the physical therapy, run the cross-country and so on. But I never have lost the ability to hurdle."
He had plenty of that. From 1977 to 1987 he won 107 consecutive 400 hurdles races against the best in the world, almost all of them in big races - Olympics, Worlds, national championships, Olympic Trials, the European circuit. He never insisted on picking his opponents and avoiding people who might be good enough to challenge and perhaps beat him. I saw the first race in that string of 107 wins at the 1977 World Cup in Dusseldorf,&nbsp; and I saw the next-to-last one, in Princeton, New Jersey, in May, 1987. A couple of weeks later Danny Harris broke the streak at a race in Madrid.
That set up what many&nbsp;consider the single most exciting World Championships race ever -- including me. It was at the second World Championships, in Rome, September 1, 1987--sixteen years to the day when you are reading this.There was tremendous anticipation&nbsp; of the encounter between Moses, Harris and Germany's Harald Schmidt -- and the race lived up to it. They roared down the home straight in a virtual three-way tie, with Moses outleaning the other two by a few centimetres, 47.46 to 47.48 for Harris, second, and also for Schmidt in third. It seemed a lot closer, and what's more, every time I looked at the slo-mo replay of the finish it appeared as if a different one had finished first. Sixteen years later at today's press conference, someone asked Moses if he thought he could run in the 47s again. He laughed. "For me to think about running 47 seconds is stupid. For me to run 50.5 seconds is realistic. I won't be a gladiator any more; I'll be an ex-gladiator."

Jim Dunaway brings us a snippet of perhaps the most unexpected news to emerge from a press conference in Paris 2003 Saint-Denis

'Dunaway's Worlds' 

The only thing about the men's 800m final that was predictable was it's unpredictability.&nbsp; But even then, Algerian Djabir Said-Guerni was on few observers' radar screens.&nbsp; And being ignored suited him just fine.
"It was a good position for me to be an outsider," said Said-Guerni.&nbsp; "I was able to prepare very well."
His preparation showed.&nbsp; Said-Guerni, The 2002 African Champion and bronze medallist at Sydney, immediately tucked in behind leader Wilson Kipketer from the gun, and was never further back than third.&nbsp; Until, that is, his stunning finishing lunge to edge Russian Yuriy Borzakovskiy by just three one-hundredths of a second in 1:44.81.&nbsp; Only the 1999 World Championships race in Sevilla, with a two one-hundredths margin of victory, was closer.
The stunning victory capped a tremendous comeback for the 26 year-old Siad-Guerni, who lives just three kilomters from the Stade de France.&nbsp; After his bronze medal performances in Seville and Sydney, he was sidelined with a serious achilled tendon injury the following year.&nbsp; So close to the pinnacle of his event, his career was in jeopardy of coming to a sudden end.
"I was injured in 2001, and was out of track for a year," he said.&nbsp; "Last year I was in good shape, I won the African champs, and this year I was getting my rhythm back. I had some problems in May and June when my father was sick, and after I did some meets, I was out of competition.&nbsp; People forgot about me."
Last night's sizzling kick will provided a quick reminder.
"It's very difficult to come back after your doctor tells you that you have to stop your career," he said, "which is what happened for me."
Before the race, he said, he was hoping for a fast start, but didn't get it.&nbsp; For a seasoned tactician, adjusting wasn't too much of a problem.
"I saw the startlist, and I knew that the Brazilian [Osmar Barbosa Dos Santos] was in the final.&nbsp; I was happy because I knew that he was very tough in the first 400, so I went behind him."&nbsp; When Dos Santos wasn't leading 200 metres into the race, the Algerian said he gave world record holder Wilson Kipketer some encouragement.&nbsp; "I pushed Kipketer a little to do the leading, and stayed behind him."
Most 800m runners don't like the idea of Borzakovskiy attacking strongly from behind, but for Said-Guerni, the Russian's tactic fit perfectly into his. &nbsp; "When I saw Yuriy coming in the last 200m, it was really great for me because it was the only serious solution --to be in third position heading to the finish.&nbsp; And then when I saw him in the last 20 meters, getting a little bit tired, then I just believed I could do it.&nbsp; And I did."

The only thing about the men's 800m final that was predictable was it's unpredictability. But even then, Algerian Djabir Said-Guerni was on few observers' radar screens. And being ignored suited him just fine.

Being overlooked played into Said-Guerni's hands

Although the nine days of competition in Paris have seen an inordinate number of surprises and upsets, none was as great as Tatyana Tomashova’s unexpected win in the Women’s 1500 Metres on the final day of competition.
The heavy favourite had been Süreyya Ayhan, the soon-to-be-25-year-old Turkish runner who had captivated European audiences the past month with her bold, go-to-the-front style of running and spectacular times.
Tonight, the 28-year-old Tomashova had the better plan as she outkicked the pixie-like Ayhan over the final eighty metres of the race to win the gold medal and establish a new championships record.
“I knew it would be a tactical race, and I wanted to kick at the end,” the elated Russian said afterwards.
Ironically, it was Tomashova’s two Russian teammates, Yelena Zadorozhnaya and Yekaterina Rosenberg, who stayed near the front with Ayhan during the early part of the race, making certain that the Turk didn’t forge a large lead which had characterized most of her earlier races.&nbsp; 
As the front runners finished the third lap, with 300 metres remaining, Ayhan, just emerging from a boxed-in situation, started her sprint and moved out to a five-metre lead.&nbsp; Midway down the final backstraight, there seemed to be a momentary bit of indecision on the part of the others, until Tomashova began moving on the outside from her position in the middle of the pack.
With 120 to go, and now only those two battling for the gold coming off the final turn, the stronger Tomashova closed out the race marvelously and dipped under four minutes for the first time in her career with 3:58.52.
Ayhan’s 3:59.04 led the bronze-medal performance of Britain’s Hayley Tullett, a PB 3:59.95.
“With about a lap to go, I felt the pace was too slow, and it surprised me,” Tomashova revealed.&nbsp; “I could see that the others around me were tired, so I just hung in there and came away at the end.”
The two protagonists had met one previous time, two weeks ago in Zürich, when Ayhan had her brilliant 3:55.60 win and Tomashova was running a PB 4:00.91.&nbsp;Still, the Russian perhaps saw something in that competition which allowed her to find a way to crack Ayhan’s dominance tonight.
It was somewhat unusual that, at age 28, Tomashova should be moving to shorter distances after a career running the 3000 and 5000, and with formidable PBs of 8:25.56 and 14:39.22, respectively.&nbsp;And in looking back at the race tonight, she felt that this background gave her a lot of “resistance” and stamina in awaiting what was sure to be a fast finish.
The Perm-based runner had been a 5K finalist in both Sydney (13th) and Edmonton (10th), and she was still doing the longer distances on the main European circuit last year.&nbsp;&nbsp; But she also had started dabbling seriously with the 1500, successfully representing Russia in the European Cup (3rd), the European Championships (3rd) and the World Cup (2nd), besides winning her second consecutive Russian title in 2002.&nbsp; 
This season, however, has brought an almost exclusive concentration of races at the 1500-metre distance.&nbsp; 
“I started running the shorter distance to develop speed for use in the longer races.&nbsp; But in the end, we decided to move completely to the 1500, and I’ll concentrate on that next year for the Olympics.”
Athough it was a sad evening for Ayhan, and for all of the Turks who had gathered in cities and villages in front of outdoor video screens, the suspense of the race had great spectator value and created another important chapter in the history of athletics.

Although the nine days of competition in Paris have seen an inordinate number of surprises and upsets, none was as great as Tatyana Tomashova’s unexpected win in the Women’s 1500 Metres on the final day of competition.

Tomashova's Turkish delight

The 9th IAAF World Championships came to a thrilling conclusion with one of the closest ever finishes to a men's 4x400m Relay Final, won by just 12 hundredths of a second by the USA from a French quartet who raised the 60,000 noisy spectators to their feet and had them bellowing at their raucous best in hope of another gold. &nbsp; France's silver came with a national record, 2:58.96, while USA's winning 2:58.88 gave them their seventh World Championships victory in this event. The only times they have suffered defeat was to the Soviet Union at the inaugural championships in 1983, and in 1991 when Great Britain beat them by just four hundredths, the closest ever margin. &nbsp; But it wasn't just a two-horse race, for there were five teams still in the hunt for medals as the final leg runners entered the home straight. As USA and France battled it out for gold and silver, Jamaica held off the challenge of Bahamas and Great Britain to take the bronze in 2:59.60, the first three all breaking three minutes. &nbsp; Calvin HARRISON led off for the USA. Running in lane three, he chased France's Leslie DJHONE a lane outside him, and Jamaica's Brandon SIMPSON in five. But former world champion Arvard MONCUR was most impressive, giving the Bahamas a strong start. Individual silver medallist Tyree WASHINGTON took over for the USA, with France's Naman KEITA in hot pursuit, followed by Danny MCFARLANE (JAM) and Dennis DARLING for Bahamas.
But the USA weren't going to have it all their own way. On the third leg Derrick BREW was overhauled by Jamaica's Davian CLARKE, who came from third to second around the final bend, and then edged into a lead. Nathaniel MCKINNEY was also running well for Bahamas and he moved onto to Brew's shoulder, as French 400m hurdler Stephane DIAGANA kept his team in touch. &nbsp; It looked like these four were going to fight out the medals, and so it proved, with Jamaica's Michael BLACKWOOD in a marginal lead at the final exchange, followed closely by USA's individual 400m champion Jerome YOUNG, then the French 400m bronze medallist Marc RAQUIL. The Bahamas' Christopher BROWN was still close, and Britain's former world indoor champion Daniel CAINES made up huge ground down the back straight to challenge the top four. &nbsp; As they entered the final straight, Young kicked for home, but he was challenged by the typically fast finishing Raquil, who came like a blonde train on the outside. If the line had been another five metres away he probably would have won, but Young had timed his effort well, leaving just enough left to hold on. &nbsp; Blackwood was another five metres back in third, Brown brought the Bahamas home for fourth (3:00.53), and Caines's valiant efforts gave Britain fifth (3:01.00).

The 9th IAAF World Championships came to a thrilling conclusion with one of the closest ever finishes to a men's 4x400m Relay Final

Event Report men 4x400m Relay Final

It is not often that a US relay victory is considered an upset but when they ran 3:22.63 to beat the fancied Russian team it was. In fact, the Russians just won silver, finishing in 3:22.91 in front of a fast finishing Jamaica in 3:22.92. &nbsp; This edition of the team from the USA lacked the stars of previous generations in comparison to the Russian quartet, made up of two 400m finalists and the silver medallists from the 200m and the 400m Hurdles. &nbsp; The USA's first runner Me'Lisa BARBER led on the back straight and handed over to Demetria WASHINGTON in equal first with Russia and Senegal, after Fatou Bintou FALL had run a superb leg for the Africans. &nbsp; Washington lead Yuliya PECHONKINA in the back straight but the strength of the hurdle specialist showed and Russia led at the next change. During this leg, Allison BECKFORD brought the Jamaicans from back in the field to third place. &nbsp; It was then a battle between a 200m runner and an 800m runner as Anastasiya KAPACHINSKAYA (RUS) tried to chase down Jearl MILES-CLARKE (USA). The Russian managed to maintain the speed which carried her to the silver medal in the 200m. Meanwhile the Jamaicans stayed in third, just in front of Great Britain who were now in contact with the leaders following a strong leg from Catherine MURPHY. &nbsp; The final change was to prove decisive as Kapachinskaya took an age to place the baton into the fumbling hands of Natalya NAZAROVA (RUS) and allowed Sanya RICHARDS (USA) to move into the lead on the final leg. Richards stayed in front until the home straight when Nazarova drew almost level. The Americans were also under threat from the Jamaicans courtesy of a mighty leg by 400m silver medallist Lorraine FENTON whose speed between the 250m and 300m mark suggested she might pass both of the leaders. &nbsp; It looked like Russia had claimed their prize but Richards held her form and held off the challenge from the Russian 400m finalist to claim victory. While Nazarova just managed to scrape home ahead of FENTON. &nbsp; Senegal was disqualified after 2001 world champion Amy MBACKE-THIAM moved to lane one to receive the baton for the last leg, instead of maintaining her team's position at the 200m mark.

It is not often that a US relay victory is considered an upset but when they ran 3:22.63 to beat the fancied Russian team it was.

Event Report Women 4x400m Relay Final

Gold MedallistUSA 
Tyree WASHINGTON &nbsp; "The race went well. I've had an injury on my knee the whole season, but I didn't want to talk about it before these championships. I still feel dead shocked about the 400m final. The time was so lousy. Now I'll stay out of football which seems to cause me a lot of trouble."
Jerome YOUNG &nbsp; "It was a good race for me. The noise was incredible. I knew that guy (RAQUIL Marc) was going to come from behind. But I was well prepared and ready for that."
Silver Medallist - FRANCE 
Stephane DIAGANA: &nbsp; "We are a little disappointed. I understand Marc's (RAQUIL) sadness because he was extremely close to the American (YOUNG Jerome) at the end. But let's be honest, it is a great result and a new national record. The US guys are always tough to beat, but they knew we were going to be here and we were."
RAQUIL Marc: &nbsp; "I am sad but that's the way life goes. Stephane (DIAGANA) ran a wonderful leg. I'm happy for him with silver. We have nothing to regret after all, we gave it all."
&nbsp;Naman KEITA &nbsp; "It is a great moment of happiness. We believed all along we could get the gold but we're pleased with silver."
Bronze Medallist - JAMAICA 
Michael BLACKWOOD: &nbsp; "It was a very good race. We were right up there, but the French made a huge effort in front of the home crowd. We didn't have any pressure competing but we also knew we had a chance to challenge those two. We were quite optimistic about it."

Flash interviews after the Final of the men's 4x400m Relay

Interviews Men 4x400m Final

It started quietly but ended with an attempt on the World record by South Africa's Hestrie CLOETE as the women's High Jump lived up to its high expectations. &nbsp; All jumpers were successful until 1.95m when four were eliminated - Ruth BEITIA (ESP), Viktoriya STYOPINA and Olga KALITURINA both of Russia and most surprisingly American champion Amy ACUFF. &nbsp; The next height was 1.98m and once again four athletes failed to clear it. The third Russian Anna CHICHEROVA, Juana Rosario ARRENDEL (DOM) and Vita PALAMAR (UKR) all were unsuccessful. Two-time world junior champion Blanka VLASIC (CRO) was well down on her best of 2.01, looking ragged and exiting at this height. &nbsp; And then there were four. Bulgarian Venelina VENEVA entering the meet with only having cleared 1.95m this season. She faced world champion Cloete, European champion Kajsa BERGQVIST and 2.02m Russian jumper Marina KUPTSOVA for the medals. Accordingly, Veneva was the first to falter and she was relegated to fourth. &nbsp; Bergqvist after clearing 1.98m in a clutch third attempt took two jumps to clear 2.00m, while Kuptsova sailed over first time, as did Cloete who had yet to miss a height. &nbsp; At the next height, 2.02m, Bergqvist jumping first, got nowhere near the bar on her first attempt. Kuptsova had a solid try but didn't succeed either. Putting pressure on the other two, Cloete once again sailed over on her first attempt. &nbsp; In response Bergqvist and Kuptsova passed and had the bar raised to 2.04m. As with the previous height, the first two failed and the South African soared. With their final attempts, first Bergqvist and then Kuptsova, failed handing the gold medal Cloete. Due to earlier misses Bergqvist finished with the bronze, while Kuptsova took silver, as she did behind the Swede at last year's European titles. &nbsp; Knowing she had already won her second world title, Cloete flew over 2.06m first time. She rolled around on the bags celebrating the clearance. This was the second highest jump at the world championships since Stefka KOSTADINOVA's (BUL) world record 2.09m in Rome in 1987. The jump also moved her to equal third on the all-time list alongside Bergqvist's leap from July. &nbsp; Cloete then asked the officials to raise the bar to 2.10m in an attempt to break the world record. She knocked the bar off with her hand on the first attempt, to record her first miss of the competition. The second and third efforts were better, but the world record will have to wait for another day. &nbsp; South Africa now rule the world of high jumping with Jacques FREITAG (RSA) taking out the men's final last Sunday.

The women's High Jump lived up to its high expectations, it started quietly but ended with an attempt on the World record by South Africa's Hestrie CLOETE.

Event Report Women High Jump Final

Sergey Makarov of Russia at the age of 30 years and 165 days at last turned base metal into gold after previously taking Sydney Olympic silver and 2002 European Championships bronze. With a 85.44 metres throw in round one the Russian convincingly won the men’s World Javelin title, and backed that up with a 85.31 release to cap his afternoon.
Considering Makarov’s age we can hardly talk about a changing of the generations in this event but significantly three-time World and Olympic champion Jan Zelezny (CZE) was back in fourth place with a lowly 84.09 metres, and four-time European champion Steve Backley (GBR) was even further adrift with 80.13m in ninth place, and didn't even&nbsp;make the cut for the final three throws.
The competition was fought at a very low level, with 85.44m the lowest winning mark since 1987, when the ‘new’ specification men’s spear was first introduced at the World championships.
A rich vein of silver has run in the Makarov family until this moment, as Makarov’s father Aleksandr had taken Olympic Javelin silver in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Quite a sporting family considering that Sergey’s wife Oksana was once Russian record holder, and finished in eighth place in the 1999 World Championships final.
“I have never had such a great feeling in all my life, this is a great victory,” said Makarov. “I cannot compare this sensation with anything else in my life. To win! It’s crazy what a difference there can be between silver and gold.”
“Of cause the distance of 85 metres is not that good but this year I was able to win many competitions with such a result, as the event has been at a low level.”
“I am sure I have the potential to throw much further again this summer&nbsp; but strangely everybody seemed to be very nervous out there. In fact we had all been feeling nervous about these championships for weeks before. It was very strange the atmosphere in the infield today.”
“There was everyone there today, every name, and it was impossible for me to choose who was going to be my greatest opponent.”
“Also I think everyone was affected by this strange nervousness, I cannot explain it. It was the same in the qualification round,” confirmed Makarov.
In what was a marvellous first round, the silver and bronze medals were ultimately also decided. Estonia’s surprising Andrus Värnik took the silver medal with 85.17m, and Germany’s Boris Henry, who at 29 years of age has had a similar series of minor podium places to Makarov - 1995 Worlds and 2002 Europeans, both bronze&nbsp;– fell into that third place category again today with 84.74 metres.
Henry also agreed with Makarov about the nervous&nbsp;feeling in the&nbsp;air&nbsp;out in&nbsp;the infield, so strange an atmosphere that “even Jan (Zelezny) and Steve (Backley) had terrible competitions,” said Henry.&nbsp; "I can’t explain such a low competition perhaps it was something to do with the javelins themselves because we were all feeling it, even in the qualifying round. I certainly felt I could throw long today and I am sure the others did as well," confirmed&nbsp;Henry.
Then came a difficult question to Henry. As someone who has been in a similar situation to Makarov, a minor podium medallist but with no titles, how would the Russian be feeling at this time?
“I don’t have to ask him. I know in my heart it means the world to him, the absolute world. How can anyone explain the feeling of winning and being the best?”
Makarov is going to have many happy&nbsp;moments trying to answer that question in the&nbsp;coming weeks. No more a nearly man, Makarov now IS the man.
IAAF

Sergey Makarov of Russia at the age of 30 years and 165 days at last turned base metal into gold after previously taking Sydney Olympic silver and 2002 European Championships bronze. With a 85.44 metres throw in round one the Russian convincingly won the men’s World Javelin title, and backed that up with a 85.31 release to cap his afternoon.

Makarov - The nearly nearly man comes good

Gold MedallistUSA 
Jearl Miles: &nbsp; "We had such a hard time coming here, because everybody was telling us that Russia will win, but we said 'No way!'. &nbsp; "We came here to win, nothing else. &nbsp; "Our tactics were very clear; go out really hard, stay relaxed and push hard all the way to the end. It seems to have worked out for the best, I am so happy, GO USA!"
Silver Medallist - RUS 
Y.PECHONKINA.: &nbsp; "I am disappointed to have to go home without the gold medal - again."
A. KAPACHINSKAYA: &nbsp; "We are disappointed because our last exchange was very unfortunate. The Senegalese runner just stood in front of us and there was nothing we could do."
Bronze Medallist - JAM 
Lorraine Fenton: &nbsp; "We thought we had a chance if we run hard and give our best effort to it. I think we did that, I think we did well. It's only that the others were doing well, too.
"We wanted to win but it didn't come together.
"We had some problem with our first exchange, it just was not as smooth as the rest, but it did not change anything in the end."

Flash Interviews after the women's 4x400m Final

Interviews Women 4x400m Relay Final

Past experience of being tripped led to Catherine Ndereba picking the pace up in the last five miles of today’s World Championships women's marathon.
The former world holder of the fastest time ever for the marathon&nbsp;was seen to point angrily at her rivals after 34km but it triggered her winning move as she went on to set a championship record of 2:23:55.
With three sub-2:20 marathons under her belt – although on two of those occasions she was beaten into second by Paula Radcliffe – she was the clear favourite, but she became increasingly concerned during the race when getting clipped by her rivals.
“All the race some of the girls kept stepping on my shoes and I was getting worried that I might fall down. I have experience of falling and bruising myself, as I had a very bad fall in the Beach to Beacon Race in America once. I suffered nasty bruising that day so I decided to get away from any trouble and tried to pick the pace up.
“I felt strong so instead of risking a fall I decided to make my move. I put my trust in God today. In have never run a championship marathon, so I said to God ‘I do not know what to do, I need your help.”
When Ndereba knelt on the track after winning the gold medal, she was thanking God for helping her win. She says: “God deserves the glory for my win today. Without him I could do nothing.”
Ndereba has always tended to run championship marathons but agreed to compete for her country in Paris because she was threatened that she may otherwise be left out of the Kenyan team for next year’s Olympics.
But her victory not only lifted Kenyan spirits after a disappointing championships but kicked off a day of improved fortunes with Eliud Kipchoge going on to add another Kenyan gold two hours later when defeating Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele in the 5000m.
Ndereba spends much of the time in the States, where she trains in Pennsylvania, her days working for the Kenyan Prison services now long behind her. Ndereba is the third of nine children and younger sister Anastasia is also showing a talent for the marathon and won in Turin last year.
She has some way to go before she matches Catherine, who has won around 70 road races in the USA. The 31-year-old, who is married to three-time Kenyan prisons cross country champion Anthony Maina, is coached by former London Marathon runner-up El Mustahpha Nechchadi.
Her marathon debut came in Boston four years ago and she has now won that event twice as well as Chicago on a couple of occasions, but she admits: “I have never won anything on this scale before. It was wonderful to come into the packed stadium to hear all the cheering.
“I would love to experience the same thrill of winning in the Olympics next year.”

Past experience of being tripped led to Catherine Ndereba picking the pace up in the last five miles of today’s World Championships women's marathon.

WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Great TV ratings for IAAF World Championships in Paris

Ethiopian Team returns to a rapturous welcome

IAAF Internet coverage of Paris 2003 Saint-Denis

Paris 2003 – from a distance

'Dunaway's Worlds'