Russians dominate
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Published 12/03/2006 at 16:40 GMT
Hosts Russia's women dominated the final day of the World Indoors with five golds to top the medal table at the end of the championships. Yelena Slesarenko, Tatyana Kotova, Yuliya Chizhenko, Olesya Krasnomovets and the women's 4x400m relay team all took
ATHLETICS 2006 World Indoor Champs. - Moscow women's 1500m podium Russia Chizhenko Soboleva
Image credit: Reuters
800M
Maria Mutola won an unprecedented seventh world indoor athletics title in the 800m final on Sunday.
The 33-year-old from Mozambique led from the start and kicked at the bell to win comfortably in a time of 1:58.90.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/12/260988-24510945-2560-1440.jpg)
ATHLETICS 2006 World Indoor Champs. - Moscow Mozambique women's 800m Maria Mutola
Image credit: Reuters
Jamaica's Kenia Sinclair, considered an outsider in a strong field, put in a late surge to snatch silver in 1:59.54 ahead of Morocco's Olympic and world silver medallist Hasna Benhassi, who had to settle for bronze in 2:00.34.
Home favourite Olga Kotlyarova, who posted the best time of the season in 1:57.51 at last month's Russian national championships, faded badly on the final lap to finish a disappointing fifth in 2:01.26.
HEPTATHLON
Germany's Andre Niklaus won the world indoor heptathlon title by five points from Bryan Clay at the Olympiysky Stadium on Sunday.
World decathlon champion Clay had a slim lead of 28 points going into the 1,000 metres but Niklaus ran a powerful race to cross the line first and seal his first major medal.
The 2004 heptathlon champion Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic finished third, 31 points adrift of Niklaus. Niklaus swept up to second place from sixth after the penultimate event, the pole vault.
3000M
Ethiopian star Kenenisa Bekele sprinted to a comfortable win in the men's 3000m in 7:39.32 , pulling away from the pack with two laps to go to add to his outdoor title.
Saif Saeed Shaheen took silver, while Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya came third.
800M
The men's 800m was won by Wilfred Bungei in 1:47.16, just one hundredth of a second ahead of one of the pre-race favourites Mulaudzi Mbulaeni who almost pipped him on the line.
Borzakovskiy Yuriy of Russia took bronze in an exciting finish that saw Brit James Watkins slip down to last place after pushing the favourites hard for much of the race.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/12/260979-24510994-2560-1440.jpg)
ATHLETICS 2006 World Indoor Champs. - Moscow 800m Wilfred Bungei Mulaudzi
Image credit: Reuters
Russian duo Yuliya Chizhenko and Yelena Soboleva bossed the women's race in a home one-two, with Maryam Yusuf Jamal fighting back for bronze by pipping a falling Hind Dehiba on the line.
400M
Alleyne Francique crusied to the 400m title after a confident race won in 45.54s, a season's best for the Grenadan.
California Molefe of Botswana got silver (45.75) and Chris Brown of the Bahamas bronze with a national record of 45.78.
In the women's event a tearful Olesya Krasnomovets won with a great finish in championship record of 50.04s, Vania Stambolova of Bulgaria took silver in 50.21 and Christine Amertil bronze (50.34).
4x400m
The USA and Russia cruised to expected relay victories for men and women respectively, Russia's women in particular looking comfortable throughout.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/12/260992-24510917-2560-1440.jpg)
ATHLETICS 2006 World Indoor Champs. - Moscow 4x400m USA team pic
Image credit: Reuters
The reigning men's champions Jamaica had crashed out in qualifying, with Poland taking silver and Russia bronze.
For the women, Russia were four second ahead of second-placed USA with Belarus taking bronze in a race that was all about the minor medals. Outdoor bronze medalists Great Britain were never really in it and finished last.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/12/260987-24510952-2560-1440.jpg)
ATHLETICS 2006 World Indoor Champs. - Moscow women's 4x400m Russia Levina Nazarova
Image credit: Reuters
Pole Vault
After Yelena Isinbayeva's dominant performance in the women's event the previous day, the men were somewhat more evenly matched, with Brad Walker taking gold for the USA with 5m80.
Young Swede Alhaki Jeng picked up silver with 5.70, while Tim Lobinger of Germany got bronze with 5.60.
Shot put
Women's shot put - Natalia Khoroneko of Belarus wins gold with a pb of 19.84m, Nadine Kleinert of Germany gets silver with 19.64, also a pb, and Olga Ryabinkina gets another medal for the Russians with 19.24.
World Indoors day 1: Barber edges Williams
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement