USA eases to men’s 4×400m relay title

DOHA, March 14, 2010 - It was no surprise that the United States took the gold medal in the men’s 4x400m relay tonight – after all they’ve taken the title six times before. But just about everything else that happened here was utterly unpredictable. Here’s the facts. The US quartet containing individual finallists Bershawn Jackson and Jamaal Torrance, won the race with consumate ease in 3:03.40. Belgium were second, a good 30 metres behind in 3:06.94, with Great Britain, who only qual

Robles grabs first World gold in style

DOHA, March 14, 2010 - Coming into these Championships two-time winner Terrence Trammell was the season’s fastest hurdler, reigning US champion and undefeated all winter. Tonight, the 31-year-old American ran the best 60m Hurdles of his life, the equal fourth fastest ever in the world and became the co-owner of the American record with Greg Foster and Allen Johnson and yet it was not enough for the win. As it turns out Dayron Robles was just that little bit faster winning his first World

EVENT REPORT – WOMEN’s LONG JUMP Final

DOHA, March 14, 2010 - It all happened in the first round of the women’s long jump. Naide Gomes and Brittney Reese were the first two jumpers and the Portuguese athlete’s 6.67 and Reese’s 6.70 stood up as the best two jumps of the day. For good measure, Keila Costa of Brazil went 6.63 in the opening round and, despite one other woman equalling the distance and two others getting within two centimetres, she ultimately took the bronze medal. The winning distance was by some way the sho

EVENT REPORT – WOMEN’s POLE VAULT Final

DOHA, March 14, 2010 - Unthinkingly, Yelena Isinbaeva is no longer a world champion. A relatively new face and an old one dethroned her in the Aspire Dome today. After losing her outdoor world title in Berlin, Isinbaeva now has only her Olympic title and her world records to console her. Given she has two of the former and has set no fewer than 27 of the latter, Isinbaeva has a lot to fall back on, but for now she has to make way for Fabiana Murer of Brazil, a joint bronze medallist in Valenc

EVENT REPORT – WOMEN’s 60 Metres Final

DOHA, March 14, 2010 - Jones-Ferrette or Jeter? That one question had formed the basis of all the pre-race talk for the women’s 60m, after the pair had dominated the event on the circuit this year. No other woman even came into the equation. Until, that is, Veronica Campbell-Brown made her intentions known. The Jamaican ran her second fastest ever 60m to qualify for the final, but the expectation was still with Jones-Ferrette and Jeter, who occupied the top two places on the 2010 world list

EVENT REPORT – WOMEN’s 4×400 Metres Final

DOHA, March 14, 2010 - Russia had won the past eight 4x400m titles at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, and so had a proud tradition to uphold. But the USA, buoyed by individual champion Debbie Dunn and two-time World 200m Champion Allyson Felix, were out to spoil their party and put an end to Russia’s run. USA wanted to let their opposition know that they meant business, and so put Dunn on the first leg. She handed over to Deedee Trotter in first with a 51.25 split, but Jamaica’s chan

EVENT REPORT – MEN’s 800 Metres Final

DOHA, March 14, 2010 - Abubaker Kaki became the first man since the Kenyan great Paul Ereng (the 1989 and 1991 champion) to successfully retain this title after producing a totally dominant front-running display. The Sudanese athlete, who became the youngest ever winner of a World Indoor title in Valencia two years ago, once again demonstrated his prodigious talent to land gold in 1:46.23. Boaz Lalang, 21, of Kenyan earned a deserved silver medal in 1:46.39 with Poland's Adam Kszczot, 20,

EVENT REPORT – WOMEN’s 800 Metres Final

DOHA, March 14, 2010 - Last year Europe, this year the world. That seemed to be the message Mariya Savinova was sending after her convincing victory in the 800m at the Aspire Dome today. “I had my tactics, but I didn’t expect such a fast race,” said the 24-year-old Russian, who outmuscled Jenny Meadows of Great Britain over the final 50 metres en route to a 1:58. 26 run, the year’s fastest. With the race not playing into her tactics, Savinova was forced to be react, and the Russian

Lagat makes 3000m win look easy

DOHA, March 14, 2010 - Is there a cooler guy in athletics than Bernard Lagat? The US athlete regained the title he last won six years ago with a totally dominant display and after opening up a 10m lead on this well beaten rivals had the time midway down the home stretch to raise an arm in acknowledgement to the crowd. Beautful. It may have been one of the most competitive races in the programme, but as soon as Lagat took the lead from long-time leader and defending champion Tariku Bekele w

Gezahegne recovers from heat tumble to become youngest ever female champion

DOHA, March 14, 2010 - Ethiopia did take another women’s 1500m title, but the gold didn’t go to defending champion Gelete Burka. Running with the grit and determination of a seasoned veteran, 18-year-old Kalkidan Gezahegne effortlessly kicked past Burka and Spaniard Natalia Rodriguez to become the youngest woman to ever win a World indoor title. “I was hesitating to attack after falling down in the heats,” said Gezahegne, whose tumble to the track and brave run to victory was perha