Gay clocks stunning 100m in China

Tyson Gay equalled the second fastest time ever over 100m with 9.69 seconds at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.

The American has struggled with a groin injury of late but still won a Worlds silver medal behind Usain Bolt.

At China's end-of-season meet, Gay, 27, equalled the world record Bolt set when he won Olympic gold last year before he reduced it to 9.58 secs in Berlin.

American Carmelita Jeter ran 10.64 secs to overtake Marion Jones as the world's second fastest woman over 100m.

Only the late Florence Griffith-Joyner has run faster having run 10.49s.

Gay, who has been suffering from a strained groin and is set to have an operation, admitted at the start of the month he had been "running on one leg".

After running the third-fastest 100m in history, 9.71, at the World Championships, where he had to pull out of the 200m, Gay beat Jamaican Asafa Powell by 0.16s in China with American Darvis Patton in third (9.89).

Gay revealed afterwards he intends to challenge Bolt's world record when he returns to full fitness.

"I'm not too motivated because I've not been fully healthy," he said. "I ran my run so well, even though my groin hurts."

The Chinese crowd saved their biggest cheer for former world and Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang as he returned to action for the first time since limping out of the Beijing Bird's Nest last year.

"Being back on the track is a pivotal step for me," Liu said ahead of the 110m hurdles race.

The 26-year-old 2004 Olympic gold medallist had an operation in the United States in December to repair the Achilles tendon that forced his agonising Olympic withdrawal during qualifying.

However, the local superstar was pipped on the line by American Terrence Trammell with both men clocking 13.15s.

"I didn't expect I could run so fast, but once I stepped on the track I could not hold back," Liu said.

Meanwhile, Russian Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva failed in three attempts to improve her own pole vault world record of 5.06m.

There were other victories for Wallace Spearmon in the 200m, while Britain's Rob Tobin impressed in second place behind Lashawn Merritt in the 400m.

Yelena Isinbayeva breaks pole vault world record

Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva broke her own women's pole vault world record at the Weltlklasse Golden League meeting after clearing 5.06

Isinbayeva, who last week failed to register a vault in a shock defeat at the world championships in Berlin, beat her previous record of 5.05 metres set at the Beijing Olympics.

Entering the contest at 4.71 metres, Isinbayeva easily cleared the bar at her first attempt and also had no trouble with her next jump at 4.81.

The 27-year-old won the competition when Poland's world champion Anna Rogowska failed at 4.86, then sent the stadium into uproar by clearing 5.06, again at the first attempt, to break the outdoor record for the 15th time.

"In Berlin, I only had three jumps so I felt fresh. This is unbelievable, crazy," she said.

Before her defeat in Berlin, Isinbayeva had won the last four global titles, claiming gold at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and 2005 and 2007 world championships as well as a host of European and indoor titles.

On Thursday, Isinbayeva blamed her Berlin flop on over-confidence and said competing had become like a daily job for her.

'I want to vault for many years' - Yelena Isinbayeva

Yelena Isinbayeva is the queen of pole vault. The Russian won the gold medal in Beijing with a World Record jump of 5.05 metres, her 24th record in all. On Monday, she was voted as the Athlete of the Year, along with Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. And Isinbayeva is not done yet. She intends to compete until the 2012 Olympics. She spoke to Joe Williams in an exclusive interview, soon after receiving her award in Monte Carlo

The first World Record you set was on July 13, 2003. 23 more have followed since. Which one of those did you enjoy the most?
Every World Record and gold medal in major championships has been great. Of course, the first record is special but also my first jump over 5 metres was very special for me.

Svetlana Feofanova has been your main opponent. After you broke her record (4.87m) in Gateshead in 2004, she bounced back the following week to reclaim the record. How do you view her as a rival?
There is no main opponent. Everyone who is in the competition is there to jump as high as possible.

How important is the competition to you? Do you monitor your rivals’ performances? Does it help motivate you to perform better?
I don’t think about the other jumpers when I compete. I just focus on myself and jump as high as possible. What others do, does not affect me.

In 2005 in London, you became the first woman pole vaulter to clear 5m, achieving the mark with a single attempt. How did that feel?
I was so happy! Clearing 5 metres has always been one of my main goals. That day, after I cleared the 4.96m, I felt that I could do it. I was so happy when it happened.

You’ve set 24 World Records (14 outdoors and 10 indoors). Is Sergi Bubka’s record of 35 World Records your target now?
I take each competition at a time. We will see what happens…

Your technique, especially the second part of your jump, is better than even the men pole vaulters. What is it that you do differently?
I have a great coach in Vitaly Petrov and I am very dedicated to what I do.

Has your gymnastics background helped you in any way in your success?
Everything that I have done in the past is behind what I do today. I think doing gymnastics as a young girl has been very good because you learn a lot about how to control your body and also how to get a strong body.

In the Russian club competitions, you represent the Railroad Military team and were recently promoted to the rank of captain. Will you serve the military after your athletics career?
Right now I only want to focus on my athletics career. I do not want to think about what to do after my career just as yet because I hope to pole vault for many many years to come.

How important is discipline in being a perfect sportsperson?
It is very important. You need to be extremely disciplined to succeed, I think, in all sports.

You are such an icon around the world. What is your message to young athletes?
Try many different sports when you are young and soon you will find ‘your’ sport. Make sure to have fun but also be disciplined and focus on what you are doing.

Lisa Dobriskey slams 'Russian seven'

British 1500m star Lisa Dobriskey has backed her sport's move to give longer bans to the seven Russians caught cheating before the Beijing Games.

World athletics' governing body has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the bans handed to the seven by their national federation.

The Russian federation backdated the bans to get their athletes back for next year's world championships.

"I would definitely be angry if they were able to run," said Dobriskey.

"I'd feel cheated if I had to line up against any of them in Berlin next year.

"And I speak for the majority of women's 1500m runners because it has caused quite a big stir, and not only in our event but in athletics in general."

The seven women, who include double world 1500m champion Tatyana Tomashova and 1500m indoor world record-holder Yelena Soboleva, were provisionally suspended in July, shortly before this summer's Olympics, after being found guilty of tampering with their urine samples.

The suspensions followed a year-long investigation by the sport's governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), after it had grown suspicious they were being tipped off ahead of "no-notice, out-of-competition" tests and then manipulating their samples.

A trap was sprung at last year's world championships in Osaka when DNA in samples taken from the seven did not match the DNA in their earlier samples. Five of the women were in Russia's team for Beijing.

Having denied claims of systematic doping, the All Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) caused consternation last month when it finally announced details of the bans it was dishing out.

The athletes were given the mandatory two-year bans but those suspensions were backdated to the time of those first out-of-competition tests, April and May of 2007. This meant they would be eligible to compete in Berlin in August.

The IAAF, however, wants those sanctions to start no earlier than the day the athletes were provisionally suspended. It also wants the Lausanne-based arbitration body to extend the bans beyond the mandatory two-year minimum.

"It is unacceptable that these athletes, who have committed serious and deliberate breaches of our anti-doping rules, would receive an effective ban of approximately nine to 10 months and see them eligible to compete in the summer of 2009," said IAAF president Lamine Diack.

"What is more, I consider the circumstances surrounding these cases warrants the IAAF to seek extended bans."

The 25-year-old Dobriskey, who finished fourth in the women's 1500m Olympic final in Beijing, supports Diack's stance entirely.

"It would be very damaging to the sport if they are allowed to get away with this, simply because they've obviously cheated," she said.

"They need to be punished and be seen to be punished. We need to set an example and show people who are cheating, or who are thinking about cheating, that they can't get away with it."

The Loughborough-based star said she was particularly disappointed with Tomashova, one of the favourites for Olympic gold in Beijing and an athlete she had admired for many years.

"As it stands they will have missed only one season," Dobriskey added.

"OK, I know it was an Olympic season but people miss the Olympics through injury, when they haven't done anything wrong. So I think it would be very damaging if the Russians are allowed to compete next year, and very unfair."

The other athletes in question are middle-distance runners Svetlana Cherkasova, Yulia Fomenko and Olga Yegorova, former world champion hammer thrower Gulfiya Khanafeyeva and European discus champion Darya Pischalnikova.

Bolt and Isinbayeva scoop awards

Usain Bolt and Yelena Isinbayeva have been named as male and female athletes of the year by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The Jamaican sprinter and Russian pole vaulter took the awards as well as £67,000 each at a ceremony in Monaco for their superb Olympic displays.

Bolt, 22, became the first man in history to break world records in all three sprint events at a single Games.

Isinbayeva, 26, raised the world record to 5.05m to retain her Olympic title.

Bolt broke the 100m world record of 9.74 seconds held by compatriot Asafa Powell earlier in the season but he again eclipsed the new mark by clocking 9.69 in Beijing.

He then broke Michael Johnson's world record of 19.32 in the final of the 200m by lowering it to 19.30 before leading Jamaica's 4x100m sprint relay to Olympic victory in a record time of 37.10.

"I have a motto that anything is possible, but this really is such an honour," said Bolt, who became Jamaica's first Olympic 100m champion.

"Just to be included with every great name in the sport is wonderful. I'll try to do it year after year."

Isinbayeva, who took athlete of the year honours in 2004 and 2005, added: "I'm very proud. It feels like the first time."

During the season the Russia raised her own world record in the pole vault three times, first to 5.03 metres in Rome and 5.04 in Monaco in June and then at Beijing - her 24th world best mark.

Isinbayeva just edged out Ethiopian distance runner Tirunesh Dibaba, who produced an unprecedented Olympic double victory in the 5000 and 10,000 metres in Beijing.

Cuban 110m hurdler Dayron Robles won the male performance of the year award after setting a new world record of 12.87sec as well as claiming the Olympic title.

Dibaba and Barbora Spotakova, of the Czech Republic, who set a new world record after claiming the Olympic javelin title, took the women's equivalent.

Pamela Jelimo, who won the 800m Olympic title at the age of 18, was given the revelation of the year award.


IAAF Award winners

Male world athlete: Usain Bolt (Jam)

Female world athlete: Yelena Isinbayeva (Rus)

Male performance: Dayron Robles (Cub)

Female performance: Tirunesh Dibaba (Eth)/ Barbora Spotakova (Cze)

Revelation of the year: Pamela Jelimo (Ken)

Distinguished Career award: Kajsa Bergqvist (Swe)/Stefan Holm (Swe)/Jefferson Perez (Ecu)

Inspirational award: Henry Rono (Ken)

80 Years of Women Athletes at the Olympic Games: Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA)

Special Olympic award: Usain Bolt (Jam)/Tirunesh Dibaba (Eth)/Yelena Isinbayeva (Rus)/Francoise Mbango (Cmr)/Angelo Taylor (USA)/Andreas Thorkildsen (Nor)

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Top moments of the Beijing Olympics

The Opening Ceremony



Charging towards the finish line, Usain Bolt has his eye on the clock all the way and once again celebrates his triumph in style, this time, after he completed his run.


Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva turns the Bird's Nest into her private theatre with a gold medal and world-record-breaking pole vault performance that captivated the 91 000 crowd. After she spent most of the competition lying under a towel, she broke her own world mark with a leap of 5.05m.



Liu Xiang was the most popular sportsman in China.
He has to withdraw from the defence of his 110m hurdles title because of a leg injury. His grimacing departure clouded the Games for millions of home fans.



American Matt Emmons blows a 3.3-point lead on the very last shot of a 120-shot
competition to throw away the gold medal in the "marathon" event of shooting.




China drew the biggest cheers of the day after becoming the first non-European country to win a medal in the team event.




Michael Phelps, the Phenomenon




German weightlifter Matthias Steiner kisses a picture of his late wife Susann on the gold medal podium, choking back tears over the promise he made to her that he would keep their Olympic dream.



Estonian Gerd Kanter celebrates his discus gold medal by sprinting down the 100 metre track at the Bird's Nest and mimicking Bolt's marksman routine.





Rohullah Nikpai wins Afghanistan's first Olympic medal with a bronze in the men's 58-kg taekwondo.

Yelena Isinbayeva will keep raising

In the foreseeable future, Yelena Isinbayeva will keep raising the bar till she hits that vertical limit. Post-retirement, the iconic Russian pole vaulter says she wants to help the sport expand its horizon to newer pastures, including India.



















In an exclusive interview with PTI, the greatest female pole vaulter in the game's history said she would return to 2012 London Olympic Games to defend the gold medal she won here.

But once she calls it quits, Isinbayeva said she would love to tour India if that helps spread the game.

"Once I'm through with it all, it would be my obligation to spread the game," she told PTI at the Omega Pavilion here.

"If travelling India and interacting with the youngsters helps the cause, I would love to do that," said the lithe Russian, who won the gold medal here bettering her previous world record with an intimidating 5.05m, something she has also started putting beneath her calligraphic autograph these days.

Isinbayeva continues the glorious tradition of erstwhile Soviet Union's incredible supremacy in pole vault and reckons the Russian and Ukrainian dominance stems from their excellent infrastructure, good coaches and a crop of talented athletes.






Yelena Isinbayeva Celebrates


Courtesy : PTI , www.Hindu.com

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Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia



Silke Spiegelburg, Germany