PARIS, 27 August 2003 — Jerome Young of the United States at last fulfilled his undoubted talent when he won the men’s 400 meters at the World Athletics Championships on yet another dramatic day here yesterday.

Saif Saaeed Shaheen, won the men’s 3000 meters steeplechase, Olympic champion Maria Mutola of Mozambique took the women’s 800 meters, three-times champion Gail Devers failed to qualify for the 100 meters hurdles and defending champion Olga Yegorova failed to qualify for the women’s 5,000 meters final.

The 27-year-old Young won in 44.50sec beating hot favorite and compatriot Tyree Washington while Frenchman Marc Raquil took the bronze edging out Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games champion Michael Blackwood.

Young, born in Jamaica but raised in the States and who became a naturalized citizen in 1995, had previously finished fifth and fourth in the 1997 and 1999 finals but ensured the title was his this time as he kicked off the bend and left his rivals scrambling for the minor placings.

It looked set halfway down the straight to be an American 1-2-3 but Calvin Harrison weakened while Blackwood came through but he had no answer to Raquil’s late burst. “This is a great moment for me,” Young said. “I’ve waited for this and thought about it for a long time and it has come through — it’s fantastic.”

Washington was left to add the silver to the bronze he took behind Michael Johnson in Athens in 1997 and soak up the fact he had failed to live up to the legend’s billing as his natural successor.

Meanwhile, the athlete formerly known as Stephen Cherono, until he became a Qatari and assumed the name of Saif Saaeed Shaheen, won the men’s 3000 meters steeplechase. The 20-year-old won in a time of 8min 04.39sec to beat home his former Kenyan compatriot Ezekiel Kemboi while Eliseo Martin of Spain was third.

Shaheen covered the first kilometer in world record pace and his lead stretched to over 20 meters at the halfway point before Kemboi started to run him down.

As the pair entered the final kilometer, Kemboi finally reached the shoulder of Shaheen and looked to have the measure of his former training partner. On the final lap the lead changed hands several times but Shaheen called on all his resources to pass his former compatriot 30 meters from the line and have the bitter last laugh.

Shaheen’s victory ends a run of success for Kenya which stretches back to the 1987 World Championships.

Olympic champion Mutola of Mozambique won the women’s 800 meters for the third time. The 30-year-old triumphed in a time of 1min 59.89sec ahead of her training partner Briton Kelly Holmes while Natalya Khruschelyova of Russia was third.

Russia’s Tatyana Lebedeva retained her triple jump title yesterday with a jump of 15.18 meters to beat Cameroon’s Francois Mbango Etone, who took silver for the second time running with an African record of 15.05. Magdelin Martinez of Italy was third with 14.90 to get among the medals after her fourth place finish two years ago.

However, there was shock for Devers, who failed to qualify after finishing third in her heat in 12.87 seconds behind Canadian Perdita Felicien. The first two finishers in each of the three heats and the two fastest losers went through to today’s final.

The first four in the second heat were quicker than the American, who won a silver in the event two years ago. “I hit the fourth hurdle with my trail leg,” said Devers.

Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna underlined his status as the master of men’s discus by also winning the world title yesterday. The 31-year-old Lithuanian bettered his previous best with a first throw at 69.69 meters to beat Hungarian Robert Fazekas and Vasiliy Kaptyukh of Belarus into second and third.

Fazekas, the only man to have exceeded 70 meters this year, produced a throw at 69.01 meters at his second attempt for the silver. Kaptyukh capitalized on his experience at major events for the bronze courtesy of a first throw at 66.51 meters.

Meanwhile, world 100m record holder Tim Montgomery left for the United States yesterday following his disappointing performance in the individual 100m final on Monday and throwing the 4x100m relay team into chaos.

The 28-year-old joins controversial teammate Jon Drummond, who announced he was not competing for the rest of the season earlier yesterday, while Olympic champion Maurice Greene is a major doubt after suffering a thigh injury in the 100m semifinals.

And there was heartbreak for Olympic champion Erki Nool, who pulled out of the decathlon final because of a thigh injury. Estonian Nool, who was third from bottom in the 20-strong table after the 100 meters, the long jump and the shot put, did not start the high jump.

Greece’s defending 200 meters champion Konstantinos Kenteris also yesterday pulled out of the defense of his title because of injury.