Men's 3000 metres final

After two seasons of inactivity indoors, Hicham El
Guerrouj capped his brief return to the roofed stadium circuit with a splendid win in the
3000 metres, holding off an exciting challenge from his former countryman, Mohammed
Mourhit of Belgium.

El Guerrouj's winning time was 7:37.74, as Mourhit
clocked 7:38.94 for a new Belgian national record.

The Moroccan used others as pacemakers for more than half
the race, taking the lead only at the 1950-meter mark. But that was where he also tossed
in a 28.0 lap to shake away all but the most resolute challengers, as he passed the
two-kilometer mark in 5:12.98.

At this moment, the scenario behind El Guerrouj found
Sydney 5000-metre champion Million Wolde of Ethiopia leading Mourhit and Spain's Alberto
Garcia as the chase for the medals began. Within a lap, Wolde began to drop back, turning
it into a three-man race.

El Guerrouj wasn't able to forge a lead of more than ten
metres during the last kilometer, as Mourhit chewed up all but one or two metres of the
difference.

At this point, it had all of the trappings of an
intra-Moroccan grudge match. 

As the pair entered the final two laps, El Guerrouj
started to pull away with a 28.5 final circuit, and Mourhit did not respond, and Morocco
had its first gold medal of the weekend. 

Running closely behind the lead pair, Garcia posted a
personal-best of 7:39.96 for the bronze medal.

Also in the final stages, El Guerrouj's erstwhile
training partner, John Mayock of Britain, was able to overtake the still-fading Wolde and
capture fourth place in 7:44.08, ahead of the Ethiopian's 7:44.54. 

The Olympic bronze medallist in the 1500, Kenyan Bernard
Lagat, took sixth in 7:45.52, ahead of current European 3000 champion Mark Carroll of
Ireland, who registered a 7:46.79.

After two seasons of inactivity indoors, Hicham El Guerrouj capped his brief return to the roofed stadium circuit with a splendid win in the 3000 metres.

The final of the men's 3000 metres

&#150; pole vault

Lev Lobodin took a major step in the direction of a
possible silver medal with a 5.20 performance in the pole vault. The Russian's six-event
total is 5368 as he got back 92 of the 138 points which had separated him from Jon Arnar
Magnusson after five events. 

Now, the gap is only 46 points between the Icelander and
the Russian. That corresponds to a difference of just over four seconds in the 1000
metres, the final event of the two days.

Magnusson didn't help himself with a 4.90 performance,
considerably off his personal best of 5.20. Not only did he allow Lobodin to close in from
behind, he also failed to gain any ground on Roman Sebrle's lead, as the Czech also
cleared 4.90. 

Sebrle's aggregate of 5523 is 77 points ahead of his
season-leading performance pace last month.

Thus, the identity of the three medal winners is looking
more and more certain. Only the final assignments need to be made.

Standing in fourth place is American Stephen Moore at
5285, just ahead of Sydney champion Erki Nool at 5249.

Along with Lobodin, Oleksandr Yurkov of Ukraine also
jumped 5.20 in the pole vault, a personal best. His composite 5241 positions him in sixth
place, only eight points behind Nool.

Lev Lobodin took a major step in the direction of a possible silver medal with a 5.20 performance in the pole vault. 

Men heptathlon event 6

Men 60 metres heats

Aggelos Pavlakakis of Greece registered the fastest time
in the first round of the men's 60 metres with a time of 6.59. His team-mate, Yeoryios
Theodoris, also advanced as a heat winner with 6.65.

The first two in each heat, plus the eight next best
times, qualify for the semi-finals, to be contested today at 16:00 local time.

The US also moved its two contestants forward to the next
round as both Tim Montgomery (6.60) and Tim Harden (6.67)--the
Maebashi silver medallist--were victorious.

Additional finalists from the 1999 World Championships
who moved onward to the next round included Nigerian Deji Aliu, a winner in 6.62, and Matt
Shirvington of Australia, who ran 6.62 behind the personal-best performance of Britain's
Mark Lewis-Francis (6.61). 

A surprising victim in the opening round was yesterday's
silver-medal winner in the 200 metres, Christian Malcolm of Great Britain, whose 6.77 was
the fastest of the non-qualifiers.

Another seasoned sprinter, Ibrahim Meite of Ivory Coast,
also fell by the wayside with the same 6.77 clocking.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Aggelos Pavlakakis of Greece registered the fastest time in the first round of the men's 60 metres with a time of 6.59

Men 60 Metre heats

Women 800m Final

The muchanticipated &quot;clash of the titans&quot;
lived up to the hype, with Steffi Graf and Maria Mutola battling it out down the length of
the final straight in the women's 800m final. The Mozambican won, but it needed a
photo-finish to separate the runners -1:59.74 to 1:59.78.

As a native Portuguese speaker, Mutola, got a huge roar
of approval as she tried to claw back the gap on her perennial rival Graf around the final
circuit.

Graf had taken the lead from the gun, going through the
first 200m in 28.38, but it was the Czech Helena Fuchsova who then took the initiative,
dragging Graf, Mutola and Yelena Afanasyeva (RUS) through 400m (59.99) and 600m (1:30.47).
But soon after the final bell, Graf burst into the lead, opening up a gap of three metres
on Mutola. Still leading around the final bend, Graf looked like she was heading for gold,
until Mutola edged past just before the finish line. Mutola's last 200m was timed at
28.64, with Graf clocking 29.18 for the final circuit. Fuchsova, who held off Lwiza Msyani
John's late charge, won bronze with 2:01.18.

anticipated "clash of the titans" lived up to the hype, with Steffi Graf and Maria Mutola battling it out down the length of the final straight

Women 800 metre final

Women's 60m heats

There were no surprises in the first round of the women's
60m, with Bahama's Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Chandra Sturrup was the most
impressive. After a good start, Sturrup cruised to 7.14 - her fastest of the season.
Bulgaria's Petya Pendareva also looked sharp, clocking 7.15 to win the first heat. Other
likely contenders for medals are the 21 year-old US hope Angela Williams, who clocked
7.18, and Nigeria's powerful Endurance Ojokolo who ran 1/100th faster in heat
5. Ojokolo's team-mate Mercy Nku took the final heat with 7.16 - two metres clear of
Portugal's Severina Cravid.

Heats of the women's 60 metres Bahama's Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Chandra Sturrup was the most impressive

Women 60 metre heats

Women 4x400 Final

Defending champions and world record holders Russia,
maintained their winning streak clocking 3:30.00 after a toughly contested race which saw
the lead change in bewildering manner. 

The Russian lead-off runner Yuliva Nosova clocked 53.6,
but faded dramatically in the last strides to allow Germany's Claudia Marx past with
Monique Hennagan's strong run ensuring that the USA held a three metre advantage at the
changeover. 

But it was all change on the second leg, as a 52.1 effort
from Olesva Zykina pulled Russia back into the lead, and Juliet Campbell - winner of the
200m yesterday - running the same time to bring her country right back into contention.
Germany's Birgit Rockmeier also overtook Donna Howard, dropping the USA to fourth.
Catherine Scott tried to maintain Jamaica's advantage but she faded dramatically (54.0
split), letting Germany's Florence Ekpo-Umoh go past and take the lead. 

By the fourth leg, Shanta Ghosh was a stride ahead of the
experienced Olga Kotlyarova, but a 50.7 split (the fastest of the night) helped the
Russian sweep past for a well-deserved victory. Another superb run from the 400m world
champion Sandie Richards (50.9) helped Jamaica move from third to second, with Richards
passing Ghosh in the last few strides to win silver in 3:30.79. Germany held on for bronze
with 3:31.00.

&nbsp;

Defending champions and world record holders Russia, maintained their winning streak clocking 3:30.00 after a toughly contested race which saw the lead change in bewildering manner. 

The final of the women's 4x400 metre relay

Men 60 metres semifinals

&nbsp;Tim Harden of the US eased into the finish line in
the third of three semifinal races and still came away with the round's fastest time of
6.52, a season best. 

Behind Harden, taking the other automatic spot for the
final, was young German sprinter Tim Goebel, in 6.59.

Harden's win followed that of the other American
sprinter, Tim Montgomery, in the second heat with 6.57. He will be accompanied to the
final by Greece's Yeoryios Theodoridis whose 6.60 easily took second.

The opening race was won by Nigeria's Deji Aliu in 6.55
in a tight race with 18-year-old Mark Lewis-Francis of Great
Britain, who posted a PB 6.56.

That section also produced both of the time qualifiers,
Matt Shirvington of Australia (6.59) and Cuba's Freddy Mayola (6.60).

The final is scheduled for 17:40 local time.

 Tim Harden of the US eased into the finish line in the third of three semifinal races and still came away with the round's fastest time of 6.52, a season best. 

Men 60 metre semi-finals

One of the weekend's biggest shocks was delivered in the final event of the three days in Lisbon.
The men's 4x400 relay has traditionally been the property of the Americans. Only the British team at the Tokyo World Championships in 1991, plus the German team's world-record performance at the Seville World Indoor championships earlier that same year, have conquered the USA in this event in a world championship setting.
Now it is Poland's turn to join the august company of US beaters.
As the final American runner Jerome Young came off the last turn of the eight-lap race, Robert Mackowiak moved to the outside and cut down the US Olympian just before the finish line.
The Polish team's winning time was 3:04.47, surpassed this year only by the Louisiana State University quartet's 3:04.43 in winning the NCAA championships one day earlier. The US team was clocked in 3:04.64.
Even the Russians had the Americans in their scope at the end, as Andrey Semyonov had the same idea as Mackowiak. His effort fell short of its intended goal, however, but the 3:04.82 time for the bronze medal produced a new Russian national record.
The Americans enjoyed a lead throughout the entire race, from the ten metres carved out by Milton Campbell's leadoff 400 to the two-metre advantage Young had when he took the baton.
But Poland dogged the US runners in second place until the time came for the final strike.
It would be unfair to the Americans not to acknowledge the absence of their indoor champion, James Davis, in the relay. The Colorado runner sustained a hamstring injury in the relay heats yesterday, and was not even able to compete as scheduled in the 400-metre final earlier this afternoon.
Behind the three medal winners were the teams from Jamaica (3:05.45), Great Britain (3:09.21) and Nigeria (3:16.53).
Note: In 2003 it was confirmed that Jerome Young had committed a doping violation in June 1999. All his performances from then until June 2001 were annulled. So Russia were promoted to silver with Jamaica third.
&nbsp;

One of the weekend's biggest shocks was delivered in the final event of the three days in Lisbon. 

2001 World Indoor Championships men's 4x400m relay final

Women's 400m Final

With Cathy Freeman, the defending champion, still
recovering from her Olympic exertions, and the in-form Katherine Merry also absent, the
women's 400m title was wide open in Lisbon. And it was the experienced Sandie Richards,
the 32 year-old Jamaican who won this title back in 1993, who ended up with the crown.

Monique Hennagan (USA) tried to gain the lead as the
runners broke from lanes after 150m, but Richards had the initiative at the bell, and she
made sure that those chasing her had to go the long way round. Russia's Olga Kotlyarova
and Olesya Zykina chased hard, with Kotlyarova, the fastest woman in the world this year,
drawing level on the final bend, but she faded and by the finish the Jamaican still had a
three metre gap on Kotlyarova - 51.04 to 51.56, with Zykina taking bronze with 51.71.

it was the experienced Sandie Richards, the 32 year-old Jamaican who won this title back in 1993, who ended up with the crown.

Final of the women's 400 metre final

By IAAF Correspondent

11 March 2001 - Lisbon - Tradition can be a difficult opponent but Daniel Caines proved
in the Atlantico Pavilion arena today that nothing stands in his way.

At 21, Caines is a thrilling arrival on the 400 metres scene and the British star
completed a remarkable year by winning the World Indoor title with the type of performance
which has dominated his season--leading all the way.

The law graduate from Birmingham succeeded Welshman Jamie Baulch as the 400m champion
and followed in the impressive line of Britons who have excelled at this distance, from
double European champion Roger Black to Iwan Thomas, the current European, Commonwealth
and World Cup title-holder.

&quot;We have a fantastic reputation at this distance and I am delighted to be able to
carry it on,&quot; said Caines. &quot;I don't go into races thinking about what others
have done before me but it is great to join them on the champions' list.&quot;

Caines has emerged onto the world class 400m stage in the past 13 months, winning the
British indoor gold last winter, making no mark at the European Indoors before reaching
the semi-finals at the Olympic Games.

But this winter, having completed his studies, he is concentrating full-time on
athletics and the result was a grade A pass mark as he controlled this 400m final.

He has not lost a race this indoor season, based on the foundation of being able to
dominate from the start.

Even with Milton Campbell, the 1999 silver medallist in the field, Caines was away in
style and at the break at 170m, maintained the lead.

American Campbell, who was third behind Jamaica's Danny McFarlane with 70m to go,
switched to the outside but Caines, sensing the challenge, increased his speed to win in
46.40 seconds.

Campbell was second in 46.45 with McFarlane third in 46.74.

Baulch had failed to make the British team, such is the standard which Caines has set
this winter and the new champion added: &quot;It was a shame Jamie was not here but I am
delighted with my run.

&quot;I keep having to pinch myself to see if what has happened to me over the past
year is real. It is like being in a fantasy.

&quot;I now aim to move on from this in the summer.&quot;

With America's double Olympic champion Michael Johnson retiring this year and not
planning to run at the World Championships in Edmonton in August, Caines added: &quot;If
he was there, it would raise everyone's performance. But without him, the event is now so
wide open and I think I am better outdoors than in because of my long stride.&quot;

He was born to be an athlete. His mother Blondelle Thompson is the former British 100m
hurdles champion, she is now his agent and his father Joe, a former British junior 400m
runner, is his coach.

&quot;I have so much to thank them for,&quot; added Caines who then revealed that, on
his mother's advice, he regularly has Porridge for breakfast as part of his winning diet.

&quot;It sets me up for the day with all its goodness,&quot; he said. &quot;It is one
of the reasons behind this win.&quot;

Which he served up in style.

Tradition can be a difficult opponent but Daniel Caines proved in the Atlantico Pavilion arena today that nothing stands in his way.

Caines keeps British 400 tradition going strong

Women triple jump final 
Marinova uses Sydney method

If something works well the first time, why not do it
again? That simple strategy worked perfectly well for Tereza Marinova in the women&#146;s
triple jump. Last September in Sydney, the bouncing Bulgarian had put up a big number
&#151; in fact, the best of her life - in the first round of the Olympic final then
watched the rest of the field unsuccessfully try to better it. She did the same thing
here, scoring a lifetime indoor best of 14.91 as the last jumper in the first round. The
best mark in the world for 2001, only five other women have ever bettered the performance.

The silver medal position was also decided early. Olga
Bolshova stood 2nd after the first round with her Moldavian record 14.17, but
Tatyana Lebedyeva surpassed that with a 14.29 in the second stanza. The Russian improved
to 14.53 in the third round and 14.85 in the fifth, but couldn&#146;t quite catch
Marinova. Bolshova&#146;s mark held down the final medal position through rounds two and
three, but in four American champion Tiombe Hurd surprised by producing a personal record
14.19.

The second half of the competition was almost completely
devoid of excitement, as only Hurd (fourth round) and Lebedyeva (fifth round) were able to
improve on what they had done in the first three rounds.

Marinova's victory also made her the first Olympic
Champion to win gold in Lisbon.

Marinova becomes the first Olympic champion to win gold at Lisbon Indoors

Final of the women's triple jump

Men's Heptathlon 7th and final event1000
metres

The fact that Roman Sebrle had a rather safe lead after
six events didn't keep the Czech athlete from putting on a fine display of running in the
1000 metres. 

The Sydney silver medalist posted the second-fastest time
of his career, a 2:37.86, to win both the final event as well as the two-day struggle with
6420 points.

It represented the best performance by any heptathlete
during the current season, but more tellingly, it was the third-best performance of
all-time, being surpassed only by the 6424 of Tomás Dvorák in winning last year's
European championships, and the current world record of 6476 established by Dan O'Brien in
winning the 1993 world indoor title.

The main focus in this final event involved the battle
between Iceland's Jon Arnar Magnusson and Lev Lobodin of Russia for the silver medal.

Going into the event, Magnusson's lead over Lobodin was
46 points, which translated into slightly more than four seconds in the kilometer race.

As the runners moved out from the start, Magnusson held
the last position, immediately behind Lobodin. For Magnusson, the final point totals were
immaterial: his only goal was to keep Lobodin in check, a task he accomplished without
problem.

The tactic pushed Lobodin to a personal best of 2:43.59
for a final total of 6202, but the Russian fell short of Magnusson's silver-medal
performance of 6233, resulting from a 2:44.99 kilometer.

The US champion, Stephen Moore, finished the 1000 metres
in second place behind Sebrle with 2:42.35, and his total of 6132 (a personal best) earned
him fourth place ahead of the Sydney decathlon champion, Erki Nool, who completed the
seven events with 6074.

The fact that Roman Sebrle had a rather safe lead after six events didn't keep the Czech athlete from putting on a fine display of running in the 1000 metres. 

WORLD ATHLETICS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Stefan Holm flying high

Japanese sprinters Nobuharu Asahara and Shingo Kawabata get to the semis

El Guerrouj moving up the distance

Pedroso sets World Indoor Championships medal record in Lisbon

Final of the men's 60 metres