Report 3 - Day 2

March 8 - 20:30

Nick Davies reports from Paris

Lawrence Johnson, became the first black man, and definitely the first wearing sunglasses, to win a pole vault medal in a major Championships. It looked as if the American’s second time clearance of 5.85m was going to win gold until Igor Potapovich, who had two failures at 5.85m, gambled on clearing 5.90m (a new personal best) with his remaining attempt. The ploy worked perfectly and Potapovich sailed over to grab Kazakhstan’s first major gold medal. Johnson, failed his three attempts at 5.95m and settled for silver. Bronze went to Maksim Tarasov who cleared 5.80m. Okkert Brits’ big event jinx struck again as the big South African cleared just 5.65m and finished sixth while his countryman Riaan Botha, who set a personal best of 5.75m, was fourth..

Emma George , the attractive former-circus performer who is helping to make women’s pole vault a credible event had no problems qualifying for Sunday’s final. She looked a cut above the opposition, particularly in the run-up where the speed she developed as a former sprinter/hurdler is used to devastating effect. George herself believes her circus training is her secret weapon though: "You need spatial awareness to be a good vaulter. You need to sense your position in the air . My acrobatic background helps me greatly."

Hicham El Guerrouj turned the men’s 1500m final into a display of awesome ability. After reaching the 600m mark in 1:26, accompanied by Kenya’s William Tanui, El Guerrouj decide to go it alone. Gliding over the wooden boards, the Morrocan injected enough pace to burn off the opposition. Reaching 1000m in 2:24.60 and the bell in 3:07.17, El Guerrouj sprint the last lap in 28 seconds to retain his world indoor title. Tanui was overtaken by Germany’s Rudiger Stenzel in the last 40 metres.

Another sprint title for Greece came courtesy of Eketarina Koffa, who ran a national record of 22.76 to win the women’s 200m. Koffa’s victory came from lane 6 while favourite Juliet Cuthbert was running in lane 3, one of the "seeded" lanes but tighter and, some have complained, harder to negotiate at top speed.

Paris will be remembered as the Championships where the white sprinter, long given up for dead, roared back to life. Last night we had Papadias and today we have Koffa and now, after a major upset in the men’s 200m, Kevin Little. The US sprinter, running in lane 6, reacted well to the gun but, as both men accelerated down the back straight, it seemed that favourite Ato Boldon had a slight edge. The final bend was decisive. Little, who won World Indoor bronze medals in 1989 and 1993, handled the curve better than the Trinidadian who seemed to stumble as he came into the straight. As Little eased away to win his first major title in a personal best 20.40 (also a Championship record), Boldon fell to the track clutching his hamstring.

The men’s long jump was a fabulous competition. Not only did Paris see the return to top form of Ivan Pedroso but the emergence of a genuine European talent, Kirill Sosunov. Pedroso was unbeatable in 1995 but, following surgery for a major injury, saw Carl Lewis win yet another Olympic crown last year. Apparently upset by the speed with which his own great achievements had been forgotten, Pedroso swore he would return to the top. His first jump of the final was extraordinary. Showing all his old speed on the runway Pedroso hit the board perfectly and catapaulted himself high into the air. The Cuban knew it was a good one and the roar from the crowd confirmed it - 8.48m. Just 2 centimetres shy of Lewis’ winning mark in the Olympic Games. Perhaps anxious to try and break the world record Pedroso fouled his next three jumps before extending his lead with 8.51 in round five. Sosunov moved into the silver medal position with a pb 8.41m in the last round. Joe Greene matched this feat with his last jump but the Russian had a better second effort, 8.23m as compared to 8.22m. Erick Walder finished fourth, having been in the silver medal position up till the last round with 8.24m.

Britain’s Jamie Baulch, the dreadlocked sprinter who has been the revelation of the indoor season stamped his authority on his 400m semi-final. The short, heavily muscled Welshman - coached by Colin Jackson and Linford Christie - has the perfect style for running indoors. Only Michael Johnson has quicker leg speed among top quarter milers and Baulch’s low centre of gravity also helps him to whiz around the tight bends. Baulch’s winning time of 46.03 was the quickest in qualifying. Nigeria’s Sunday Bada ran with controlled power, taking the lead at the bell before going on to win the second heat in 46.06 while Japan’s Shunji Karube also impressed with a new national record of 46.16 in heat three.

Vita Pavlysh of the Ukraine ended Astrid Kumbernuss’ long reign as queen of the shot put. The German Olympic champion had won 52 consecutive competitions in 1995 and 1996 until Pavlysh propelled the shot to exactly 20.00m with her last throw. Kumbernuss’ best of 19.92m was not good enough.

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Reports from the championships.