Kluft
captures senior gold and new world junior record
Patrick F. Merle for the
IAAF
10 August 2002 – Munich, Germany – Teenager Carolina Kluft of Sweden won the
Heptathlon gold medal in a world junior record to usher in a new era for the
women’s multi-event on the penultimate day’s competition at the European
Championships.
In the women's heptathlon, the prodigy Carolina Kluft of Sweden, crowned World Junior champion in Kingston for the second time, set a new world junior record with a total of 6542 points, improving on her 6470 (set in Kingston). The Swedish student, born in 1983, improved her marks in 100m hurdles, shot put, 200m, long jump and javelin to shatter her record by 72 points.
"Athletics is a fun thing to do for me," she said smiling. " I love to play with the crowd".
On course for the victory as well as the record, Kluft showed great temperament as she made sure that she won her 800m heat and break the 6500 points barrier.
"I can't find any words to describe the extent of this performance. I thought the highlight of my career was my title in Kingston but this is the victory now. I would have never guessed either, that I would be able to go above 6500 points."
Behind the Swedish sensation, the old guard of the multi-event followed the youngster led by Sabine Braun of Germany with 6434 for silver and Belarus’ Natalya Sazanovich with 6341 for third.
With Olympic champion Denise Lewis of Britain having just given birth to her first child and France’s 1999 world champion Eunice Barber still out of action with injury, Kluft looks to have swept the heptathlon into a new youthful era.
Last night, Britain’s Steve Backley took his fourth consecutive European gold in the men's javelin, and today it was the chance of his team mate Colin Jackson to do the same in the 110m hurdles.
Colin Jackson, 35, who plans to retire from athletics after the World Indoors in Birmingham next year, did not make the same first hurdle mistake as he did in the recent Commonwealth Games, and fully lived up to the expectations of the British spectators in Munich’s Olympic stadium.
Away well at the gun, he crossed the finish line ahead of his opponents in a new European season’s best of 13.11 seconds.
"I lost the Commonwealth due to a mistake. Here, I felt very strong. I was in an excellent form and I therefore had no excuses to lose this race," Jackson admitted. "This is something special to win a fourth title.”
As sweet as this fourth consecutive success might have been, Jackson nevertheless confessed that his first one in Split 1990 that had a special flavour.
"It was my first big title. The conditions were unique. It will always stand as a special memory," he explained.
Having been operated on seven times on his knee - four on the right and three times on the left - Jackson has dominated Europe sprint hurdling for more than 12 years. Even if he is still on top of his form, he has, however, no intention to run at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris.
"I want to leave on top and to be able to do that on home soil in Birmingham would be great," he explained.
Apart from Jackson, Great-Britain collected another European title today in the women's triple jump thanks to Ashia Hansen, in a competition which for five rounds had unexpectedly been dominated by Finland’s Heli Koivula.
Britain’s European indoor champion added the outdoor crown to her collection with a last jump of exactly 15 metres, the world season’s lead. Koivula, who had taken the lead with 14.83 m at her first try, produced a long but fouled leap with her final attempt in response but was quite content to settle with the silver, a first in women’s triple jumping for Finland.
"I was seriously expecting a medal," the Finnish athlete commented. "Until the final jump, I was afraid Ashia would do it and she did. But, anyway, Finland counts an extra happy girl tonight," she concluded.
Antonio Jimenez had also some reasons to be joyful. In a tactical and slow 3000 m steeplechase, he out-sprinted the Dutch runner, Simon Vroemen on the line to capture gold in 8.24.34 minutes. Vroemen the new European record holder had attacked in the final 200 but made the mistake to leave the first lane open for a possible comeback.
"Ten meters before the finish line, I definitely thought I had won," Vroemen explained. "I am disappointed but in the same time, I think I made an error. I paid the high price for it.”
Jimenez, the third best performer on the continent this season, gave Spain their first title in this event.
“This gold medal is for my family," he told the enthused Spanish journalists. "They were watching me from the tribune. I got the feeling I could win only 5 or 4 meters before the line, so I pushed myself very hard and made it," he said.
The Spanish fiesta continued in the women's 5000m. After the 10,000 m last Tuesday, the Irish expected Sonia O'Sullivan to take her revenge and defend her title. It was, however, Spain’s Marta Dominguez, bronze medallist in 1998, who out-kicked her rival down the home-straight to win in 15.14.76. O'Sullivan had to settle for her second silver in a week, this time by just 0.9 seconds.
"I would have liked to get the gold but the line was not coming quick enough," O'Sullivan said. "The championships went great though, two silver medals is a nice performance.”
Russia's Yelena Zadorozhnaya completed the 5000m medal podium.
In the women's marathon, an event only held since 1982 at the European championships, Italy's Maria Guida went against tradition. The 36-year-old runner became the first non-Portuguese athlete to write her name in the record books as she crossed in a championship best of 2:26.04, 1.6 minute faster than Manuela Machado's mark set in Budapest 1998.
"It was incredible to come into this stadium and hear the reaction of the public. I waited so long for this moment because I have been quite unlucky in my career," Guida said afterwards.
Hampered by lingering tendon injuries, Guida, whose coaching is supervised by Stefano Baldini and Gelindo Bordin, hadn't been able to finish a marathon since winning Rome in 2001.
Third at mid-race which was reached in 1:12:20, behind Belgium's Marleen Renders and Germany's Luminita Zaituc, the small Italian waited until the 30-km-mark to launch her decisive assault. The final kilometers didn’t see any late challenge and the Italian was free and clear.
Maria Guida, pacemaker at the London marathon last April, had lived up to the Italian marathon reputation. They have celebrated a medal in four of the five previous editions of the European women's marathon.
Germany also had their share of marathon happiness as two of their representatives completed the medal podium, Luminita Zaituc placing second in 2:26.58 and Sonja Oberem taking the third spot 2.40 minutes outside the winning time.
Later in the day Germany added two more medals to their tally. In the men's pole vault, despite being pushed on by more than 46,000 spectators, Lars Borgeling and Tim Lobinger were unable to clear 5.85 and catch up with Israel's Alex Averbukh. The Russian-born Israeli had only been able to jump over 5.72 previously this season.
Averbukh's pole vault triumph came 30 years after 11 Israelis were killed at the 1972 Olympic Games in the Bavarian city. The 27-year-old emigrated from Russia to Israel in 1999, just in time to compete at the world championships that year in Seville, where he won a bronze medal.
"It's a special day," Averbukh said after clearing 5.85.
In the women's shot, the East Europeans dominated as Russia's Irina Korzhanenko (20.64m) defeated Ukraine's Vita Pavlysh (20.02) and her teammate Svetlana Krivelyova (19.56) to take her first gold. Vita Pavlysh was bidding to clinch her third consecutive victory in this event.
In the men's 800 semi-finals, Nils Schumann pleased the local crowd. The reigning Olympic champion advanced to the final winning his race in 1.48.01. Defeated at the nationals, Schumann unveiled his attack in the final 200 to romp home comfortably.
"This race actually makes me optimistic for the final. But I don't see myself as the favourite," said Schumann.
In the second race, the Kenyan-born Dane, world record holder Wilson Kipketer also showed his opponents his determination. Kipketer, winner in Monaco, ran 1.46.56 while Switzerland's world champion Andre Bucher, fourth in the race, qualified as one of the two fastest times.
"I am confident but the other seven are also confident," the soft-spoken Danish said. "I will try my luck and we will see.”
In the first round of the 4x100 m relay, Great-Britain dominated their opponents. Unless they drop the baton or pass outside the changeover zone, mistakes which they are accustomed to in championships, the quartet led by Dwain Chambers is poised to win their fourth title in a row on Sunday.
In the women's sprint relay event, the German team composed of Paschke, Rockmeier, Schielke and Wagner posted the fastest time running in 43.05. France set the second quickest time in 43.52 despite competing without their new 200m European champion, Muriel Hurtis.
Germany should eventually expect two more medals on the final day in the men and women's 4x400. Both teams, respectively captained by Ingo Schultz and Grit Breuer captured their heats ahead of the field. Breuer's team may, however, have to settle with the silver as the Russian team appeared stronger.
One day before the end of the championships, Russia dominate with a total of 18 medals ahead of Germany with 14. In terms of victories, Russia have 7 gold medals, to Spain and Britain's 5 wins each.
