PARIS, 24 August 2003 — Sweden’s Carolina Kluft and Berhane Adere of Ethiopia were in record-breaking form on the first day of the World Athletics Championships yesterday but while the latter already has gold the former has a hard day ahead of her today if she is also to be crowned world champion.
While Berhane won the women’s 10,000m in a championship record of 30min 04.18sec, 20-year-old Kluft set four personal bests in the heptathlon to take a lead of nearly 200 points over local heroine Eunice Barber into the decisive day.
Ecuador’s Jefferson Perez was also in record-breaking form as he set a world best in the men’s 20 kilometers walk but there is to be no $100,000 bonus as it is only given out for a world record.
Later a man with a darker past, 27-year-old Belarussian Andrey Mikhnevich, found some form of redemption when he won the shot title 20 days after returning from a doping ban imposed after he finished 10th in the 2001 final.
Another controversial male athlete was also to the fore. The man formerly known as Stephen Cherono, until he changed nationality from Kenyan to Qatari and assumed the name of Saif Saaeed Shaheen with the promise of $1,000 a month for life, displayed little brotherly love after his sibling Abraham finished fourth in the same heat of the 3,000 meters steeplechase.
“Whether my brother makes the final is not my problem,” said Shaheen who pointedly did not shake hands with him afterward — Abraham did qualify.
The 30-year-old Adere beat home compatriot Worknesh Kidane while Yinglie Sun of China took bronze with both running personal bests. Adere, who took silver in the event in the 2001 championships, seized the lead on the back straight of the final lap from Sun and quickly ensured there was no comeback from the 25-year-old Chinese woman. “The competition was very strong and I was worried about the Chinese girl but in the end I was able to use her as a pacemaker,” admitted Adere.
Kluft looks set to become the next pin-up of world athletics after setting four personal bests in the four events of the heptathlon.
Barber’s hopes of regaining the heptathlon world title she won in 1999 looked good after the morning session but by the end of the first day Kluft seemed to have the title in the bag. The 20-year-old set personal bests in all four disciplines and expressed her delight at the first day in which she finished nearly 200 points ahead.
“I don’t see myself as the favorite just yet because Barber has a stronger second day and I could lose points on the long jump,” she said.
Barber, meanwhile, said she had not given up hope. “I will fight to the end,” said the 28-year-old Sierra Leone-born athlete. Whether the medal is silver or gold does not really matter as I have had to fight back from a succession of injuries and either would represent a remarkable success.”
Britain’s Olympic champion Denise Lewis lost all chance of winning when she had a dreadful high jump but had improved from 17th to seventh by day’s end.
The women’s 100m looks like being as open as previously thought after all the favourites made today’s semifinals as reigning champion Zhanna Block edged out home favorite Christine Arron in her quarter, though the French girl was delighted.
“I have a lot left in the locker and am over the moon with my race,” said the 1998 European champion.
They were joined by the in-form Bahamian Chandra Sturrup and Kelli White of the USA as well as two evergreen veterans Gail Devers and former Jamaican turned Slovenian Merlene Ottey, though the 43-year-old gave a dismissive shake of the head as she came off. Sturrup, a former training partner of absent star Marion Jones, was forthright about who was going to win.
“It’s an open race but I’m putting my money on me,” said the 31-year-old.
Shaheen eased through his 3000m steeplechase heat and brazen as ever declared he had switched allegiance because he felt the job market was better in the Gulf state.
The 20-year-old came from third to first in the straight to win and make Tuesday night’s final. “I decided about my future not my country,” said Shaheen, who is being paid $1,000 a month for life by the Qataris in a switch which has been heavily criticized by IOC President Jacques Rogge.
The two Russian favourites for the women’s pole vault — world record holder Yelena Isinbeyeva and Svetlana Feofanova — came through qualifying safely with the latter edging out her compatriot.
However, news of former world record holder Stacy Dragila’s demise as a force may be premature as the 32-year-old Olympic champion also progressed to tomorrow’s final.
India Sets Date for Inaugural Afro-Asian Games
Meanwhile, India has formally approved the hosting the first Afro-Asian Games in the southern city of Hyderabad later this year, a Cabinet spokeswoman said in New Delhi yesterday. “The Cabinet approved the first Afro-Asian Games at Hyderabad to be held from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1,” Sushma Swaraj told reporters.
