Kenya's Jepkosgei upstages Isinbayeva at worlds

By John Bagratuni Aug 28, 2007, 17:32 GMT

Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya celebrates winning the 800m final at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan, 28 August 2007. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA

Osaka, Japan - Janeth Jepkosgei stole the spotlight from everyone including mighty Yelena Isinbayeva with an awesome and historic 800 metres world championship triumph for Kenya on Tuesday night.

Jepkosgei led from start to finish to get the first ever gold for Kenyan middle distance women at the worlds or Olympics. She did so in a personal best time of 1 minute 56.04 seconds, the fastest time of the year.

'I decided to go in front and not to wait for the others. I had to do my best, and that's what I did,' said the 24-year-old.

There was more joy for Kenya in form of a men's 3,000m steeplechase sweep.

Tatyana Lebedeva led a Russian sweep to get long jump gold, following two triple jump crowns, while fellow-Russian Isinbayeva secured successive pole vault titles in rather unspectacular fashion - by her standards.

The men's discus gold went to Estonian Gerd Kanter and Kerron Clement wrapped up the night with a 400m hurdles gold for the US.

But it was Jepkosgei, 24, who was the most impressive on the night in her demonstration of strength. Hasna Benhassi and three-time champion Maria Mutola of Mozambique made a desperate attempt to catch her in the final turn, but never got close enough.

Benhassi of Morocco took silver like at the 2004 Olympics and 2005 worlds in 1:56.99. The bronze went to Mayte Martinez of Spain in 1:57.62 minutes.

'Now I know I'm competitive. It's the first gold medal for Kenya and the first world championship gold for me, and it's also my personal best, so I'm happy. I did not expect another personal best after the semifinal,' said Jepkosgei.

Benhassi named Jepkosgei's pace 'suicidal' and was quite happy with another silver due to various illnesses.

The race ended in agony for Mutola, who injured herself on the home stretch and had to be stretchered away.

Kenya made the most of the injury-related absence of Qatari double world champion Saif Saeed Shaheen to sweep the steeple from Brimin Kiprop Kiprutu, Olympic champion Ezekiel Kembio and Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong for the first time in a decade.

Kipruto who provided the best finish to win in 8:13.82 minutes, with Kemboi on silver yet again with 8:16.94 and Mateelong on 8:17.59 minutes.

All three Kenyans raised their firsts in the air well before the finish line in celebration of the sweep.

'We had a plan as a team to run together until the final 400 metres. I am so happy. It's the first time I won a gold medal. We will celebrate tonight as a team, as a country,' said Kipruto.

Kemboi said: 'I thank god for this medal although before the race I was of course thinking about a win. Next year will be even more important, I want to defend my Olympic title.'

Isinbayeva required just three jumps be assured of gold with 4.80m, but then failed on all three attempts to better her world record to 5.02m.

'I won and that is the most important. The only small disappointment is that I did not jump the world record. I wanted to show everybody something special,' said the Olympic champion Isinbayeva who won the 2005 title by a big margin of 41 centimetres.

Katerina Badurova of the Czech Republic got silver with 4.75m, ranking ahead of third-placed 2003 world champion Svetlana Feofanova of Russia (4.75m) on countback.

Lebedeva added more silverware in the form of a first long jump world with an early-round leap of 7.03m. She also has a long jump Olympic gold plus silver and bronze there in the triple jump.

Compatriots Lyudmila Kolchanova (6.92m) and Tatyana Kotova (6.90) clinched the sweep in the final round, relegating Portugal's Naide Gomes to fourth place with 6.87m.

Lebedeva was delighted with the elusive win but later also named the win 'kind of a warm-up for the triple jump' for which qualifying was set for Wednesday.

Kanter shocked Virgilijus Alekna in a Baltic duel to win the men's discus with 68.94 metres from German Robert Harting (66.68) and Rutger Smith of the Netherlands (66.42).

The Lithuanian Alekna had to settle for fourth with 65.24m, the double world and Olympic champion equalling his worst performance at the worlds since 1997. It was his first defeat in two years.

Clement got his first major title in the 400m hurdles when he hung on in the home stretch to win in a 2007 world best 47.61 seconds, making up for a fourth-place finish from 2005.

Former champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic ca,e second in 48.01 and Marek Plawko took bronze for Poland in 48.12 seconds.

The 100m champion Tyson Gay meant business in the 200m second round with a fast 20.08-second run, saying: 'I shut it down. I felt better than in the morning and was pretty focussed.'

Defending champion Michelle Perry of the United States led the way into the 100m hurdles final with 12.55 seconds.

The worlds continue on Wednesday with five finals: The women's 100m hurdles, 400m and discus, and the men's 1,500m and high jump