Cuba's Ivan Pedroso celebrates winning the long jump title in Maebashi (© © Allsport)
Olympic long jump champion Ivan Pedroso sounded a warning to his rivals ahead of next month's World Indoor Championships in Lisbon beating an accomplished field in Athens on Wednesday with a year's best of 8.31 metres.
Pedroso needed his last effort to edge out fellow Cuban Luis Meliz, who cleared the eight-metre mark twice with a best of 8.11 metres.
Compatriot Javier Sotomayor, the high jump world record holder, stamped his class on his event but could not manage the 2.34 metres he needed for a world best in 2001.
However, a clearance of 2.31 metres on his third effort was enough to see off Yugoslav Dragutin Topic and Russian pair Yaroslav Rybakov and Sergei Klyugin.
Svetlana Feofanova claimed a European record in the pole vault with a height of 4.65 metres before making the evening's only serious assault on a world record.
The Russian athlete could not clear the bar at 4.71 metres to break U.S. vaulter Stacy Dragila's 4.70 world mark set last Saturday but she expressed happiness with her progress and vowed: "I will break the record this year."
Kenyan distance runner Japheth Kimutai led home a moderate field in the men's 1000 metres with the fastest performance of the year, clocking two minutes 18.61 seconds.
Compatriot Benjamin Kipkurui and Algerian Aden Hecini placed second and third in 2:19.69 and 2:19.90 respectively.
Tim Montgomery beat U.S. rival Greg Saddler in the 60 metres clocking 6.53 seconds to Saddler's 6.56.
Local favourite and course record holder Giorgos Theodoridis was third in 6.57 seconds.
Reuters for the IAAF
Leading results:
Women:
Triple jump
1. Tatyana Lebedeva (Russia) 14.89 metres
2. Teresa Marinova (Bulgaria) 14.58
3. Oksana Rogova (Russia) 14.37
60 metres hurdles
1. Michelle Freeman (Jamaica) 8.02 seconds
2. Irina Lanski (Israel) 8.10
3. Glory Alozie (Nigeria) 8.12
400 metres
1. Olesia Zykinka (Russia) 52.12
2. Deon Hemmings (Jamaica) 52.75
3. Yulia Sotnikova (Russia) 52.86
60 metres
1. Glory Alozie (Nigeria) 7.23
2. Christye Gaines (U.S.) 7.24
3. Susanthika Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka) 7.32
800 metres
1. Yelena Afnaseyeva (Russia) 2:00.27
2. Natalya Gorelova (Russia) 2:00.40
3. Anca Safta (Romania) 2:01.12
Pole vault
1. Svetlana Feofanova (Russia) 4.65
2. Elena Belyakova (Russia) 4.55
3. Pavla Hamackova (Czech Republic) 4.40
Men:
60 metres hurdles
1. Yoel Hernadez (Cuba) 7.61 seconds
2. Tony Dees (U.S.) 7.63
3. Elmar Lichtenegger (Austria) 7.68
60 metres
1. Tim Montgomery (U.S.) 6.53
2. Greg Saddler (U.S.) 6.56
3. Giorgos Theodoridis (Greece) 6.57
Long jump
1. Ivan Pedroso (Cuba) 8.31 metres
2. Luis Meliz (Cuba) 8.11
3. Stergios Nousios (Greece) 7.98
1000 metres
1. Japheth Kimutai (Kenya) 2:18.61
2. Benjamin Kipkurui (Kenya) 2:19.69
3. Aden Hecini (Algeria) 2:19.90
200 metres
1. Christopher Williams (Jamaica) 20.68
2. Coby Miller (U.S.) 20.81
3. Allyn Condon (Britain) 21.16
400 metres
1. Jamie Baulch (Britain) 46.62
2. Danny McFarlane (Jamaica) 46.79
3. Du'aine Ladejo (Britain) 46.83
High jump
1. Javier Sotomayor (Cuba) 2.31
2. Dragutin Topic (Yugoslavia) 2.28
3. Yaroslav Rybakov (Russia) 2.28
Shot put
1. Milan Haborak (Slovakia) 20.11
2. Paolo Dal Soglio (Italy) 20.05
3. Gheorghe Guset (Romania) 19.73
