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Europeans spice up stellar finale for U.S
2007-09-02
The finale of the world athletics championships belonged to the glittering United States track team on a Sunday night spiced up by charismatic European performances in the field. American Allyson Felix, assisted by DeeDee Trotter, Mary Wineberg and Sanya Richards, ran away with her third gold medal of the championships in the women's 4x400m relay. She was joined as a multiple gold medalist by compatriots Jeremy Wariner, anchor of the triumphant men's 4x400 team, and Bernard Lagat who became the first man to win the 1,500 and 5,000 titles at the same worlds. Felix, Wariner and their team mates embraced and draped themselves in U.S. flags. Sunday's victories meant the U.S. became the first nation to sweep all four relays in world championships history. "I feel truly blessed," Felix smiled after becoming only the second woman to win three golds at the same world championships after East German Marita Koch in 1983. EXTRA SPECIAL "Tonight was extra special for me to run with these young women. I couldn't ask for a better team." Richards summed up her team mate. "Allyson Felix is phenomenal," she said. "She has proved this year she is fast, strong, everything." While the Star-Spangled Banner rang out over Osaka, stunning individual performances on the field earned first gold medals for both Croatia and Finland. A tearful Blanka Vlasic captured the hearts of the Nagai stadium with a commanding victory in the high jump. The 23-year-old clinched the title by sailing over the bar at 2.05m. Jumping to her feet, one hand on her hip, one pointing to the sky, she treated the Osaka crowd to an impromptu dance and wiggle as she celebrated gold. She was not finished yet, though, and went after Stefka Kostadinova's world record of 2.09m. The Croatian clipped the bar on each occasion, though, before falling to the mat and sobbing as her triumph sank in. "I wanted it so bad ... now I am in a state of shock," the pale-eyed Vlasic said. "My dance? I couldn't repeat it now. In every competition I have a different one -- you need to spice it up." "WEIRD COMPETITION" In the javelin, Finn Tero Pitkamaki utilized his uniquely acrobatic style to confirm gold with his final throw. Already assured of victory, he hurled the javelin skywards and himself to the ground to propel his final effort 90.33m, the longest of the night. "The party at home in Finland will be pretty big," Pitkamaki told reporters. "That was my dream, to win the gold medal...today was my day." Norway's Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen took silver in 88.61m and American Breaux Greer bronze. Felix and her team mates won in a time of three minutes 18.55 seconds. Jamaica were again forced to play second fiddle, with Britain taking bronze. Wariner's team mates LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor and Darold Williamson had all but won their relay race when the individual 400m champion took over for the final leg. FIRST TITLE He crossed the line in two minutes 55.56 seconds, the third fastest time in history as the U.S. won the event for the eighth time in 11 world championships. The Bahamas took silver and Poland a surprise bronze. In the 800 meters, Kenya's Alfred Kirwa Yego beat Canadian Gary Reed by just one hundredth of a second. The 20-year-old winning time was one minute 47.09 seconds and he became the first Kenyan to win the event since Paul Ruto at Stuttgart in 1993. Bahrain's Maryam Yusuf Jamal claimed her first world title with victory in the 1,500 meters. Kenyan-born Lagat's 5,000m victory in 13.45.87 capped an incredible double for the 32-year-old who only this year became eligible to represent the U.S. in international competition. Lagat joined Hicham El Guerrouj, who achieved the feat at the 2004 Olympics, and Paavo Nurmi (1924 Olympics) in winning both titles at a single global championship. "This double means a lot a to me," Lagat said. "The story I was following was the one by Hicham El Guerrouj in Athens. I wanted to do the same because he inspired me. He is a wonderful man and friend."
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