Jones back on the podium

By K. P. Mohan

EDMONTON, AUG. 10. That patented, radiant smile was back on Marion Jones's face. And why not? She had lost the other day the one title she had won twice. On Friday, she won the one which was not in her World championships collection, the 200 metres.

More than anything else she was back to her winning ways and that must have been the greatest relief.It was not one of those super fast races nor a classic duel between two great rivals in the women's 200 metres. The threat to Jones had to come from Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas and that is the way it developed. But at no stage in the race was the American really pushed after she came blasting through the curve, well in front.

``It was hard fought,'' said Jones, rather diplomatically. She gave credit to Ferguson and team-mate Kelli White, who took the bronze, for the challenge they put up. The gold came rather cheap, in 22.39 seconds. Ferguson was more than a metre behind, in 22.52s, while White's bronze, her first medal at this level, came in 22.56s.

She had the poorest start in the field, with a reaction time of 0.186s, while Ferguson had 0.176s and White 0.147s.

But the start did not matter, as it had in the 100 perhaps. For, Jones ran a brilliant curve. Past the 170-metre mark, Ferguson seemed to have closed in on her rival, but the American pulled away slightly once again at the first hint of threat and was comfortably home.

Kelli White was overjoyed with her first medal in the World championships. Jones noted with pride at the same time that there were three American girls in the final as was the case in the 100m final as well. The third one in this race, Latasha Jenkins finished fourth.

Sanchez dethrones Mori

Though not an American, but a product of the American system, Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, clinched the gold in the men's intermediate hurdles, edging defending champion Fabrizio Mori of Italy. There was an unexpected medal for Japan in this extremely tight race with Dai Tamesue claiming the bronze in a National record of 47.89, his first sub-48.

The disappointment for Asia was in Olympic silver medallist, Hadi Souaan Al-Somaily of Saudi Arabia ending up fourth after having led up to the ninth hurdle.``I expected Tamesue also to be ahead. They had put in a lot of work in the first half. I was more concerned with Mori. I knew he was a fast finisher. But I had the speed and the technique to pick him up,'' said Sanchez.

Past the ninth hurdle, both Al-Somaily and Tamesue seemed to have exhausted their reserves. As they slowed down, coming to a virtual crawl onto the 10th, Sanchez had only one challenger who could deny him and his country the first ever medal at the Worlds - Mori.

The Italian tried till the very end, but Sanchez held onto the advantage he had. As he crossed the line, he started cupping his mouth which had opened in exclamation. Then he wept.

Later, in the press conference room, more composed and better equipped to handle the queries of the journalists than Mori or Tamesue, Sanchez said: ``This is for my parents, my coach and more than anyone else this is for my country.'' The baseball player who broke his wrist and thus decided to join track, had won for his country its first ever medal at the Worlds, and that happened to be a gold.

Sanchez clocked a world leading 47.49 seconds. Behind him Mori had a National record of 47.54s, while Tamesue had another National record. Somaily had a season best of 47.99, but that was no consolation for having ended up in fourth place. He seemed to have misjudged the race completely, allowing the better finishers to carry home the plum while burning himself out over the first 300 metres.

Limo pulls off an upset

The Kenyans seem to have come to these championships with a winning strategy and a `beat-the-Ethiopian' mantra. If on Wednesday it was the great Haile Gebrselassie who was beaten, on Friday it was the turn of the Olympic 5000 metres champion, Million Wolde to be conquered. In his winning wake, the 20-year- old Richard Limo also outstripped Algerian Ali Saidi-Sief, kicking hard and going into over-drive from 120 metres out.

Saidi-Sief, one of the best 1500m runners this season, changed track and choose the 5000 metres only at a very late stage. Perhaps he wanted to avoid Moroccan El Guerrouj in the metric mile or perhaps he visualised a better gold medal chance in the longer event.

Sammy Kipketer did all the hard work. He paced the field up to 3000 metres before giving way to Saidi-Sief. The Algerian, silver winner in the 5000 at the Sydney Olympics, looked eager to finish it off. Towards the end, he put in a lap of 61.32 and then raised the tempo further with a lap of 57.65. The lesser lights were shaken off. But, Limo was there along with team-mate John Kibowen.

Saidi-Sief would have been better off had he allowed the pace to continue, around 63-64 secs per lap. His undoubted talent as a 1500m runner and his finishing speed would then have come into play. He had not reckoned with Limo's `kick' as he sped towards the finish from 250 metres out.

Limo, twice silver winner in the World junior cross- country championships, clocked 13:00.77 for the gold, Saidi-Sief had the silver in 13:02.16, while Wolde took the bronze in 13:03.47. Hailu Mekonnen of Ethiopia, the favourite in the opinion of many, finished eighth.

Lebedeva wins triple jump

Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia won the women's triple jump gold. She opened with a big 15.11 and that sort of killed the competition. Olympic champion Tereza Marinova of Bulgaria was comfortably placed for the silver at 14.58, but Cameroon's Francoise Etone Mbango came up with a 14.60 on her final attempt. Marinova tried her best on her final attempt but all that she could manage was a 14.57. Lebedeva went up to 15.25m on her final attempt.

``It was my day,'' said the 25-year-old Russian. ``With an excellent first jump, I thought I could even better the result in the next rounds. Then the wind changed its direction and with a headwind I couldn't do it. In the last round, I wanted to show the wonderful crowd another good jump. I felt so emotional I didn't even understand right away how far that went. The level of competition was not very high. I think my first jump was enough for the others,'' said the new champion. Marinova hardly looked capable of mounting a challenge. Sydney was easily avenged.

Maria Mutola of Mozambique led the qualifiers into the final of the women's 800 metres clocking 1:59.47. In the other heat, Mutola's closest rival, Stephanie Graf of Germany had to put in a lot of hard work for a 2:01.24 victory.

Jan Zelezny needed just one throw to go through to the javelin final. It measured 90.76. Greek Konstadinos Gatsioudis was next with 87.81.

Gail Devers clocked a world-leading 12.56s to head the qualifiers list for the women's 100m hurdles final. Bulgarian Svetla Dimitrova won the other semfinal in 12.65, followed by American Jenny Adams at 12.67s.

Bridgette Foster of Jamaica, who finished fifth in Devers's heat, suffered a seizure in the `mixed zone' (where both electronic and print media interview athletes immediately after an event). She suffered a second seizure as she tried to stand up, according to the Jamaican team doctor, Dr Glendor Smith. She was transported to hospital and her condition was described as `stable'.

The results:

Men's 5000m: 1. Richard Limo (Ken) 13:00.77, 2. Ali Saidi-Sief (Alg) 13:02.16 and 3. Million Wodle (Eth) 13:03.47.

Men's 400m hurdles: 1. Felix Sanchez (Dom) 47.49s, 2. Fabrizio Mori (Ita) 47.54 and 3. Dai Tamesue (Jpn) 47.89.

Women's 200m: Marion Jones (U.S.) 22.39s, 2. Debbie Ferguson (Bah) 22.52 and 3. Kelli White (US) 22.56.

Women's triple jump: 1. Tatyana Lebedeva (Rus) 15.25m, 2. Francoise Etone Mbango (CMR) 14.60 and 3. Tereza Marinova (Bul) 14.58.

* * *

Stephanie vs Stefanie

EDMONTON, AUG. 11. Stephanie Graf is not pregnant and will not marry Andre Agassi. Graf made the statement at the athletics World championships.

The Stephanie Graf in question is Austrian 800m gold medal contender and not German tennis heroine Stefanie Graf, the pregnant fiance of Andre Agassi who is better known as Steffi Graf.

Graf (the Austrian) said that some Americans seemingly did not realise that the two only shared the name but not the looks.

Graf (again the Austrian) said she had no plans to marry Agassi: ``I am already married, at least there I am one step ahead of Steffi.''

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