BUDAPEST, 7 September 2004 — Finland’s Olli-Pecka Karjalainen and Russia’s Olga Kuzenkova clinched the men’s and women’s hammer titles yesterday in the season-ending World Athletics Final held in Szombathely.

Olympic champion Kuzenkova was the clear favorite but was pushed hard by Belarussian Olga Tsander who had three throws over 70 meters and finished just 84 centimeters behind.

Kuzenkova broke the Olympic record with a throw of 75.02 meters in the final in Athens, the fourth longest in history, but was some way short of that mark as she produced a best throw of 72.90 with her fourth attempt on Sunday.

“I’m happy with the result, especially after the Olympic Games,” she said. “I feel extremely tired at the moment and I would like to have some rest. It was a great competition.”

France’s Manuela Montebrun was third after her fifth effort of 70.63 kept local favorite Katalin Divos off the podium.

Karjalainen’s victory helped make up for the disappointment of failing to reach the Olympic final despite going to Athens with a season’s best 83.30 — the third best throw of the year.

“The Olympics were a great disappointment for me, so this competition meant a lot,” he said.

“I had a great result here today and this helps me a lot in my preparations for next year.”

The Finn, who is looking forward to the World Championships in Helsinki in 2005, was the first to throw over 80 meters on Sunday and won with his fourth round mark of 81.43.

Belarussia’s world champion Ivan Tikhon could not improve on his third throw of 80.44 and settled for second place ahead of Hungary’s Krisztian Pars who lifted the crowd as he threw 79.17.

Hungary’s Adrian Annus, who won the final last year, retired from the sport after winning Olympic gold in Athens but was later stripped of his medal for failing to take a drugs test.

Japan’s Koji Murofushi, who was awarded the Olympic gold medal, did not compete in Szombathely after deciding to return home for a reception by the Japanese prime minister.

The main events of the World Athletics Final take place in Monaco on Sept. 18-19 but the hammer throw cannot be held there because of the design of the Louis II Stadium.

Instead, the hammer has been held in its ‘spiritual home’ of Szombathely after a successful inaugural edition last year.

O’Sullivan Wins Hyde Park Road Race

Ireland’s Sonia O’Sullivan, the 1995 5,000m world champion, returned to form following her Olympic disappointment to win the 5km road race in London’s Hyde Park on Sunday.

O’Sullivan, who finished last in the Olympic 5,000m final while suffering from an upset stomach, showed superb form to win in 15min 6sec.

A powerful sprint finish 500m from the line brought her victory ahead of Ethiopia’s Derartu Tulu by two seconds, with Mihaela Botezan of Romania third in 15min 24sec.

Takahashi Sidelined with Injury

Japan’s Sydney Olympics marathon champion Naoko Takahashi, who missed the Athens Games last month, will not race this year due to injury, her agent said yesterday.