Niklaus stuns Clay
ByReuters
Published 12/03/2006 at 17:24 GMT
Germany's Andre Niklaus snatched the world indoor heptathlon title by five points from American Bryan Clay in Moscow on Sunday. He beat the outdoor champion by racing clear of the pack in the final event, the 1000m, pushing Clay into silver.
ATHLETICS 2006 World Indoor Champs. - Moscow Andre Niklaus
Image credit: dpa
World decathlon champion Clay had a precarious lead of 28 points going into the 1,000 metres but Niklaus ran a powerful race, celebrating before he had crossed the line, to seal his first major medal and Germany's first gold of the championships.
"After five events I never thought I would win," Niklaus told reporters.
But in the penultimate event, the pole vault, he cleared 5.30 metres, 40 cms higher than anyone else and leapfrogged into second place from sixth.
Niklaus faced a challenge from the 2004 heptathlon champion, the Czech Roman Sebrle, in the 1,000 metres, but the German swept past him in the final lap to clinch victory.
"I never expected this result," said Niklaus, who finished fourth in the world championship decathlon last year.
Sebrle, who was not well in the run-up to the meet and had not been sure whether he would come, finished third overall, 31 points adrift of Niklaus.
Clay said he was very disappointed to miss the title.
"My pole vault wasn't acceptable and I haven't thrown that short in shot put since I was a freshman. But you can count on me to go out and challenge the world record in the decathlon," he told reporters.
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