The Russian pair of Yelena Soboleva, the recently-minted World Indoor record holder* in the event, and Yuliya Chizhenko were expected to be in the hunt for top honours in the 1500m. But it was Chizhenko who emerged as the winner from a delightfully tactical contest as she reached the line in 4:04.70.
The pair, with Soboleva in front, led the field through the first 1000 metres, before Maryam Yusef Jamal of Bahrain made her bid for the lead. But her challenge would be short-lived. Hind Dehiba of France made a surprise move for the lead at the bell, picking up the pace, and leaving Jamal a few steps behind.&nbsp; Soboleva and Chizhenko past the Frenchwoman to regain control. Soboleva powered on, only to passed by Chizhenko as she headed off the final turn. The 26-year-old made up for her disqualification from last summer's World championships with her impressive win, well ahead of Soboleva's 4:05.21.
"We had a tactical plan that worked," Chizhenko revealed. "We wanted with Yelena to make the pace and not allow others to reach the front."
Dehiba's brave move for the lead nearly paid off; the European Indoor bronze medallist was on her way to a global bronze until she tripped just a few metres before the finish line, allowing Jamal to collect the bronze (4:05.53). Dehiba's 4:05.67 was nonetheless a French national record.
Further back in fifth, Iryna Lishchynska crossed the line in 4:07.82, a season's best for the Ukrainian champion.
BR
*World record subject to ratification

minted World Indoor record holder* in the event, and Yuliya Chizhenko were expected to be in the hunt for top honours in the 1500m. But it was Chizhenko who emerged as the winner from a delightfully tactical contest as she reached the line in 4:04.70.

Women's 1500m Final

Producing the biggest shockat least to the enthusiastic crowd at the Olimpiyskiy arena - Wilfred Bungei notched an upset win in the 800 metres over Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy.
The Kenyan, annually among the fastest runners in the world, finally claimed his first major international title as he crossed the finish line in 1:47.15, a mere one one-hundredth of a second ahead of defending champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa. So thrilled with his apparent victory, Bungei's early celebration, just a metre or two before the line, nearly allowed Mulaudzi to slip by on the inside to steal the title.
After the pair shared the early lead, Bungei charged to the front at the midway point (55.65), and upped the tempo dramatically. Following his time-tested playbook, Borzakovskiy took his time moving up with the leaders, reaching third at the bell. But when he challenged for the lead, Bungei responded, injecting a surge that the Russian couldn't answer. Fading on the outside, Borzakovskiy reached the line in 1:47.38.
"It was unbelievable that after a 55.6 first half we could run the second half in 51.5," Bunge said. "I expected them to come close and push at the end, but&nbsp;I still had enough energy."
Latvia's Dmitrijs Milkevics, whose initial intention this season was to spend this weekend at the NCAA championships in Fayetteville, came to Moscow instead and finished fourth in 1:48.01. Spaniard Juan de Dios Jurado was fifth (1:48.44), with Briton James Watkins sixth (1:48.56).
BR

at least to the enthusiastic crowd at the Olimpiyskiy arena - Wilfred Bungei notched an upset win in the 800 metres over Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy.

Men's 800m Final

The result of men's 4x400m relay was hardly surprising. The United States quartet of Tyree Washington, LaShawn Merritt, Miton Campbell and Wallace Spearmon powered to a commanding 3:03.24 win, more than a second ahead of Poland who clocked a notably brisk 3:04.67.
The Americans, never challenged, won their sixth title in the event, while Poland, the champions in 2001, claimed their second silver. Dmitriy Petrov anchored the Russian squad, the runners-up in 2004, to a surprise third place finish. They reached the line in 3:06.91.
BR

The result of men's 4x400m relay was hardly surprising. The United States quartet of Tyree Washington, LaShawn Merritt, Miton Campbell and Wallace Spearmon powered to a commanding 3:03.24 win, more than a second ahead of Poland who clocked a notably brisk 3:04.67.

Men's 4x400m Final

Tatyana Kotova had been waiting for this since Helsinki when the unsung Tianna Madison snatched gold from her grasp in the Finnish rain. This time there was to be no surprise, as the Russian killed the competition off in round one with a world leading 7.00m. She had qualified with ease with one jump at 6.73 the day before and said. &ldquo;I usually add around 20cm to my qualification in the finals, so if that happens, it should be OK.&rdquo; She was as good as her word.
But Madison is too good an athlete to be phased by that and came back in round two with a season&rsquo;s best 6.75. It was something to build on. Portugal&rsquo;s Nadia Gomes was close on her heels 3cm down.&nbsp; Kotova meanwhile backed up her lead with 7.89. Spain's Concha Montaner went out to a season&rsquo;s best of 6.64 but made no impression on the medals.
Then Gomes, 2004 World Indoor Pentathlon gold, increased her Portuguese record again here with 6.75 and moved into silver, shunting Madison to bronze. The Portuguese was to make a big effort in round five but fouled and threw a handful of sand away in fury.
In round six the competition for the minor medals was to come alight as the Spaniard pulled out a season&rsquo;s best 6.76 to move briefly into silver.
Madison responded with a PB of 6.80 to regain silver while Gomes then pulls out all the stops for yet another national record of 6.76.
MB
Note: In March 2013, it was announced that Kotova was one of six athletes whose re-tested doping sample from the 2005 World Championships outdoors proved to be positive. She was eventually suspended from 2013 to 2015, with two years of results in 2005 to 2007 also annulled. Tianna Madison (now Bartoletta) therefore was the rightful World Indoor Champion of 2006, from Portugal&rsquo;s Naide Gomes and Spain&rsquo;s Concepci&oacute;n Montaner.

Tatyana Kotova had been waiting for this since Helsinki when the unsung Tianna Madison snatched gold from her grasp in the Finnish rain. This time there was to be no surprise, as the Russian killed the competition off in round one with a world leading 7.00m. She had qualified with ease with one jump at 6.73 the day before and said. “I usually add around 20cm to my qualification in the finals, so if that happens, it should be OK.” She was as good as her word.

2006 World Indoor Championships women's long jump final

Let’s hear it for the small people. Even as she stood on the podium, Yelena Slesarenko was shorter than silver medallist, Blanca Vlasic, but the Russian was the one with the gold. It’s not always about being tall, as Stefan Holm would agree.
And so while Slesarenko entered this competition with a modest 1.96 this season, she rose to the challenge with gusto to take gold away from under the nose of the Croat... 
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Let’s hear it for the small people. Even as she stood on the podium, Yelena Slesarenko was shorter than silver medallist, Blanca Vlasic, but the Russian was the one with the gold. It’s not always about being tall, as Stefan Holm would agree.

Slesarenko out-foxes Vlasic - Moscow

In the competition's race of champions, it was the most highly decorated, Kenenisa Bekele, who emerged victorious in the eagerly-anticipated final in the 3000 metres.
Bekele, the multiple World record holder and World and Olympic champion, collected his first World Indoor title, clocking 7:39.32. After Ireland's European Indoor champion Alistair Cragg controlled the pace for the initial seven laps, the 23-year-old Ethiopian forged ahead, followed by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and, two laps later, World Steeplechase champion and World record holder Saif Saaeed Shaheen. After Bekele unleashed his long sustained kick with two laps to go, the order would remain the same.
After allowing Bekele to create a ten metre gap, the pursuers gave chase. Shaheen powered past Kipchoge at the bell and for a moment it appeared that he might have the stamina to challenge Bekele. That appearance was a fleeting one as Bekele, who will chase his fifth double victory at the World Cross Country championships next month in Fukuoka, simply increased his lead heading into the final turn.
Shaheen reached the line in 7:41.28 to get the silver, his first global indoor medal, more than a full second clear of Kipchoge, who was third in 7:42.58. It was also the first indoor medal for the Kenyan, the 2003 World champion in the 5000 metres.
“That was not very intelligent of me,” said Shaheen. “I knew exactly when Kenenisa would start his kick and I planned to be close to him at that time. But I wasn’t.”
While he couldn't match the finish of the podium finishers, Cragg held on for fourth (7:46.43), with Kenyan Shadrack Korir fifth (7:47.11) and Tariku Bekele, Kenenisa's younger brother, who was sixth (7:47.67). BR

In the competition's race of champions, it was the most highly decorated, Kenenisa Bekele, who emerged victorious in the eagerly-anticipated final in the 3000 metres.

Men's 3000m Final

Moscow, RussiaThe occasion was probably too much for Andre Niklaus. “I started competing in the Decathlon in 1986,” he said.
Up to this point, his English was good. Are you sure?&nbsp; “Yes, 1986.” He then started laughing when he realised that in 1986 he was only five, which even by decathlon standards is a pretty young age to start and when he swapped the date for 1998, he still had a chuckle across his face.
We could, of course, excuse any slip up from the Heptathlon gold medallist at the 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships because the past hour had been the greatest of his career.
Late surge
From nowhere, he had won the final two events of the day, the Pole Vault, with a clearance of 5.30m, and the 1000m, to beat American Bryan Clay, who had led from the first gun of the 60 Metres on Saturday morning.
“Did I think I would win with two to go,” said Niklaus, 24. “Simple answer: No. But I had a great Pole Vault and knew I had a good time beforehand in the 1000m. But you can never tell. Bryan and Roman (Sebrle) are fantastic competitors and I could not anything for granted.”
Though by the time he charged down the home straight he was celebrating becoming the champion, even though when the race finished, with Niklaus first in 2:47.80, he had to wait to see where Clay was, and then hang on anxiously to see how the times transferred into points.
Before the event, Clay was 38 ahead. He was fourth in the race in 2:50.92, behind Sebrle, the world record-holder from Czech Republic, who was second in 2:49.38 with Russia’s Konstantin Smirnov third in 2:50.90.
Niklaus had done enough to triumph with 6192. The 789 points he earned were 43 better than Clay and a dramatic, thrilling Heptathlon competition had been won at the last moment by a German who was fourth at the Decathlon in Helsinki at the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics last summer.
A new home of the Decathlon?
Then he had to watch the medal ceremony after Clay had beaten Sebrle. This time he looked down on them from the top of the podium, with the American second, five points behind with 6187, and the Czech star third with 6161.
An athlete who studies media training through the day was not quite sure what he would do with the $40,000 that improves his previous best prize money, from Helsinki, by $32,000. “I will be going to the bank to pay it in and then I shall see,” he said.
But he would like his victory to stretch beyond what happened here today. Niklaus lives in East Berlin, he was born in the city and he hopes he can now inspire the area to become a ‘home for decathlon’.
In three years time, Berlin will host the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics and with their spectacular blue track and the Olympic Stadium, it should mean a thriving future in the sport.
Of course, a certain event stands in Niklaus’ way for now. “The football World Cup in Germany this summer means everyone is talking about that,” he said. “It is hard.&nbsp; I want to make an impression. But we I would like to think what I have achieved here might start something off.”
He will now target the European Championships in Gothenburg in August before beginning his countdown to Osaka which stages the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics next year.
Clay, the World Indoor silver medallist from 2004, and the reigning World Champion for the Decathlon, already has his sights set on that. “I want to go there and break the World record,” he said.
But as typical with so many multi-eventers of this modern age, he was gracious in defeat. “I did not perform well overall but Andre did and he is a worthy champion,” he said.
Clay said it was down to the athlete who made the least mistakes and he looked towards the Shot Put, where he produced an effort of 13.89 to finish sixth, and today’s Pole Vault, where he was last with 4.60m, 30 centimetres outside of his best, as key moments.
Niklaus took full advantage - and as Clay wandered past him in the interview room, they shook hands and agreed to meet for a drink in their hotel tonight. Sporting comradeship does not get any better than that.
Richard Lewis for the IAAF

The occasion was probably too much for Andre Niklaus. “I started competing in the Decathlon in 1986,” he said.

Niklaus’ brilliant two event surge snatches ‘Clay’s gold’ - Moscow

tape performance, Maria Mutola showed the world why she is the greatest 800m runner of all-time after winning her seventh World Indoor title.
Mutola, who has claimed the last three straight titles, controlled the race from the outset en route to a 1:58.90 win,&nbsp;her fastest time of the year.
Despite several challenges, particularly from previous world season leader Olga Kotlyarova of Russia, no one could match the race brilliance of the 33-year-old Mozambican. Surprisingly it was Jamaican Kenia Sinclair who came closest. The 25-year-old former 400m sprinter, continued her coming out campaign with a runner-up finish, producing yet another national record of 1:59.54.
Hasna Benhassi, the reigning World and Olympic silver medallist, held on for third in 2:00.34, also a season's best.
Kotlyarova, who tried to get by Mutola just beyond the bell, faded to fifth to reach the line in 2:01.26, behind Elisbeth Grousselle of France (2:00.74).
BR

tape performance, Maria Mutola showed the world why she is the greatest 800m runner of all-time after winning her seventh World Indoor title.

Women's 800m Final

Tatyana Kotova had been waiting for this since Helsinki when the unsung Tianna Madison snatched gold from her grasp in the Finnish rain. This time there was to be no surprise, as the Russian killed the competition off in round one with a world leading 7.00m.
She had qualified with ease with one jump at 6.73 the day before and said. &ldquo;I usually add around 20cm to my qualification in the finals, so if that happens, it should be OK.&rdquo; She was as good as her word...
Note: In March 2013, it was announced that Kotova was one of six athletes whose re-tested doping sample from the 2005 World Championships outdoors proved to be positive. She was eventually suspended from 2013 to 2015, with two years of results in 2005 to 2007 also annulled. Tianna Madison (now Bartoletta) therefore was the rightful World Indoor Champion of 2006, from Portugal&rsquo;s Naide Gomes and Spain&rsquo;s Concepci&oacute;n Montaner.
&nbsp;

Tatyana Kotova had been waiting for this since Helsinki when the unsung Tianna Madison snatched gold from her grasp in the Finnish rain. This time there was to be no surprise, as the Russian killed the competition off in round one with a world leading 7.00m.

Kotova hits 7m on first - Moscow

If it is not one Belarussian it is another. Just when the outdoor World champion Nadezhda Ostapchuk decides to have a bad day, has four no-throws and can manage no better than sixth, along comes second-string Natallia Khoroneko to take responsibility and throw a PB 19.84m for gold.
For the 2005 World Student Games champion it was a well-deserved title. She was not expected to do well here after the recent death of her father, but came out and threw further than ever before indoors.
In silver was Germany’s Olympic runner-up, Nadine Kleinert, 19.64, also a PB, followed in bronze by Russia’s double European Cup winner, Olga Ryabinkina on a season’s best 19.24.
Round one saw Kleinert in the lead with 19.26 followed by Khoroneko, 19.00 and Ryabinkina 18.96. Ostapchuk had fouled, but no one could have suspected what was to come as she fouled in round two as well, the shot slithering out of the side of her hand and landing around the 16.50-mark.
Round two was to be the decisive round where the top two went out to their medal winning throws, while in round three Ryabinkina snatched the bronze medal position from Germany’s Petra Lammert by three centimetres.
The medals seemed to hang in the balance as long as Ostapchuk had a throw left, but the best she could manage in the final round was 18.13 and the battle was over. She was not the only one to have a nightmare though. Cuba’s Yumileidi Cumba, the reigning Olympic champion, only managed one valid throw of 18.28 in round one. 
MB

If it is not one Belarussian it is another. Just when the outdoor World champion Nadezhda Ostapchuk decides to have a bad day, has four no-throws and can manage no better than sixth, along comes second-string Natallia Khoroneko to take responsibility and throw a PB 19.84 for gold.


Women's Shot Put Final

Scoring a sterling upset, Olesya Krasnomovets finally moved out from compatriot Natalya Nazarova’s shadow with her convincing 50.04 win, breaking the 50.19 Championship record set by Nazorova in Budapest two years ago.
As expected, the Russian pair forged to the lead as they made the break at the midway point, with Nazarova, the two-time defending champion, a step ahead on the inside. Krasnomovets, who was second to her domestic rival in Budapest two years ago, ran slightly to outside, just ahead of Bahamian Christine Amertil and Bulgarian Vania Stamboleva. The Russians still led approaching the final turn, effectively blocking any passing attempt until the final straight.
With Nazarova beginning to slow on the inside, Krasnomovets was the first to move up, followed by Amertil and the Bulgarian. With Krasnomovets fully in command forty metres from the finish, Nazarova soon faded out of the medal picture, while Stamboleva moved ahead of the Bahamian to snatch the silver. The 22-year-old Bulgarian completed her stellar breakout campaign with yet another national record as she lowered her own mark to 50.21.&nbsp; Amertil, the World silver medallist indoors in 2003, held on for third after smashing her personal best clocking a 50.34 Area Record.
Jamaican Novelene Williams was fifth in 51.82 with Mariyana Dimitrova of Bulgaria&nbsp; a distant sixth (52.66).
BR

Scoring a sterling upset, Olesya Krasnomovets finally moved out from compatriot Natalya Nazarova’s shadow with her convincing 50.04 win, breaking the 50.19 Championship record set by Nazorova in Budapest two years ago.

Women's 400m FINAL

The USA’s Brad Walker had looked serious both in the qualifying and for most of this final until he was sure he had the gold in his possession. It may be partly his nature, but there was another good reason for his caution: “I had a small accident during warm-up yesterday so I wasn’t sure I would be able to compete,” he explained after the poles had been put away.
Injured or not, he was World Indoor champion with a third attempt clearance at 5.80m for a season’s best. In silver was the Gambian-born Swede, Alhaji Jeng, earning his first ever big medal: “I was too fired,” said the Swede who has lived all his life in the Nordic country apart from the first few months of his life.&nbsp; “I did all I could.”
Bronze went to Germany’s Tim Lobinger who must have thought he was in with a shout of regaining the gold he won in 2003 when there were only three men left to contest the medals at 5.70. There his attempt stayed, though, as he failed twice at that height, reserving his third for a shot at 5.75, but hit the bar with his feet on the way up. “The medal is Ok but the result is definitely not,” complained the German. “It is my worst result of the season and enough for a medal. This I did not expect.”
Now it was down to Jeng and Walker to decide the gold. Both went go clear at 5.70, but the Swede was in the lead as Walker had had one failure at his opening height of 5.60. Both passed at 5.75 but at 5.80 it was the American whose nerve held as, at the third time of asking, he cleared and the gold was his.
Despite Walker’s season’s best, Lobinger’s assessment held good as the final failed to ignite when one by one, seasoned competitors fell by the wayside at heights they would normally manage. The first shock was world leader at 5.85, Jeff Hartwig of the USA, failing at his opening height of 5.60. He was to be joined by Mexican Giovanni Lanaro and the Ukraine’s Denys Yurchenko. By 5.65 only the medallists were left.
So Walker moved up a medal after his silver in the outdoor Worlds last year. But with Jeng’s silver, a change is in the offing as Walker explained: “There’s a new generation of jumpers. With the Australians, Jeng, the Mexican and a couple of the American guys, the competition will help us get higher.” MB

The USA’s Brad Walker had looked serious both in the qualifying and for most of this final until he was sure he had the gold in his possession. It may be partly his nature, but there was another good reason for his caution: “I had a small accident during warm-up yesterday so I wasn’t sure I would be able to compete,” he explained after the poles had been put away.nsert News Comment Here

WORLD ATHLETICS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Highlights – World Indoor Championships, Final Day

Evergreen Mutola

Men's Triple Jump Final

Women's High Jump Final

Women's 4x400m Final