By Bob Ramsak
(c) 2008 TRACK PROFILE Report, all rights reserved
BEIJING - Yelena Isinbayeva broke the world record in the pole vault for the second straight Olympic Games, capping the fourth day of action at the National Stadium in the Chinese Capital.
Competing before a capacity crowd, the Russian defended her title with a leap of 5.05m (16-6 ¾ ), adding a centimetre to her own 5.04m record set last month at the Herculis Super Grand Prix in Monaco.
"I was trying to do my best for the crowd," said the 26-year-old after setting her 24th world mark. "I felt that I could not go without a world record because of the support the crowd gave me." Success came on her third attempt, although her second was reasonably close as well.
The majority of the half dozen other competitors who remained in the competition were already struggling when Isinbayeva opened at 4.70m, a massive clearance by some 30cm that clearly illustrated that a World record would be a possibility.
She had already clinched the gold with her second jump, a clean effort at 4.85m. Next came an assault on her four-year-old Olympic record of 4.91m, which she managed on her third try at 4.95m.
"I remembered my feelings from Athens and I wanted to feel that again."
Isinabayeva is now a dozen records shy of overtaking men's Pole Vault legend World record haul of 35, and she reiterated that she'll keeping going until she gets there.
"Yes, I will do it. I have just 12 more to go. Life would be boring without records to break."
According to script, American record holder Jenn Stuczynski took the silver, topping out at 4.80m with one solid attempt at 4.90.
Isinbayeva was asked about the American's comments earlier in the summer that she would beat her at the Olympic Games.
"You saw tonight what happened," Isinbayeva said. "Sometimes people talk too much."
4.75m was enough for silver four years ago; here it was needed to strike bronze. Athens silver medallist Svetlana Feofanova finished third on the countback with Yuliya Golubchikova who needed a pair of tries before going clear, adding two centimetres to her personal best.
Pre-meet medal favourite Fabiana Murer of Brazil, who upped her career best to 4.80m this summer, made an early exit, though the blame wasn't apparently her own. After sailing over her 4.45m opener, she realized that the pole she needed for her next height, 4.55m, was missing. After a delay of several minutes, her search went in vain and she chose to skip the height, expending considerable energy in the process.
TAYLOR LEADS US 400m HURDLES SWEEP
Eight years ago in Sydney, Angelo Taylor made history with his gold medal-winning run in the 400m hurdles from lane 1. Tonight, he made history again, returning to take another gold and leading a U.S. podium sweep in the process.
"It means the world to me," said Taylor, whose quick 47.25 performance was a career best. "I think I could have run faster though. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me."
Blazing from the gun, his was a power that simply couldn't be matched, with Kerron Clement, the 2007 world champion, and Bershawn Jackson, the world champion in 2005, beating back a series of crashed barriers and stutter steps to carry through to take silver and bronze in 47.98 and 48.06, respectively.
"We are the best three hurdlers in the world," Clement said. "We proved that today."
Their's was the fifth podium sweep for the U.S., but the first in 48 years.
JELIMO DOMINATES, TAKES FIRST EVER KENYAN WOMEN'S GOLD
Continuing one of the most spectacular rises from obscurity that the sport has witnessed in recent years, Kenyan teenager Pamela Jelimo ran away with the Olympic 800m title tonight at Beijing's National Stadium.
With the year's five fastest performances and with eight victories in as many races this season, Jelimo was the overwhelming favourite to take the gold, and she hardly disappointed, clocking 1:54.87, her fourth World junior record of the summer. Notably, the 18-year-old claimed the first ever Olympic gold medal for Kenya in an event she first contested on the 19th of April this year.
"It makes me very happy to be the first for Kenya," said Jelimo. "I'm still young and I'm looking forward to doing better. Maybe I can be the best again."
In Olympic lore, she made an immediate impact. She succeeded 1968 champion Madeline Manning as the youngest-ever champion and her performance has only been bettered by two women in Olympic competition, Nadezhda Olizarenko and Olga Mineyeva of the Soviet Union, who ran 1:53.43 (then a World record) and 1:54.81, respectively, at the 1980 Games in Moscow.
Her Kenyan teammate Janeth Jepkosgei, the reigning World champion, took the lead from the outset, and held on for second, in 1:56.07, with Hasna Benhassi (1:56.73) of Morocco closing fast to follow up her Athens silver with Beijing bronze.
In her fifth consecutive Olympic final, 2000 gold medallist Maria Mutola settled for fifth, with a season's best 1:57.68.
"I'm pleased," said Mutola, "but it would have been better if I could have finished on the podium. But you know, I did my best."
KENYAN 1-3 IN MEN'S STEEPLECHASE, BUT THE FOCUS IS ON SILVER MEDALLIST
That Kenyans would dominate the men's 3000m steeplechase was never in doubt. But that a relatively unknown newcomer, a European no less, would threaten their and in the end spoil their medal sweep ambitions was not on anyone's radar.
Indeed, so surprising was the undaunted challenge by the unheralded Frenchman, Mahledine Mekhissi-Benabbad, that it will be his relentless homestretch charge that will be perhaps more memorable than world champion Brimin Kipruto's 8:10.34 victory.
Timing his late race surge perfectly, Mekhissi-Benabbad forced his way through Kipruto and Richard Mateelong with less than 50 meters to go to take unexpected silver in 8:10.49.
The slate for tomorrow's day 5 action on the track includes the finals in the men's 1500m, the women's 400m and 100m hurdles. Also, 10,000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba will compete in the first round of the 5000m while 100m champion Usain Bolt continues his double dash quest in the semi-finals of the 200m.
SALADINO DELIVERS
Despite a string of injury and inconsistency since a 8.73m leap in may thrust him into the all-time top-10, Irving Saladino came through to take the long jump title with a relatively modest 8.34m jump.
His was the first gold medal for Panama, adding to his triumph at the world championships in Osaka last summer.
South African Godfrey Mokoena took the silver with an 8.24m best, while Cuban newcomer Ibrahim Camejo came through with an 8.20m leap to take the bronze.
Besides the boycotted Moscow Games in 1980, Beijing marked the first time that a long jump final was contested without an American.
BROWN TRAFTON ENDS US GOLD DROUGHT
After a three-day dry spell, the U.S. finally won it's first gold, and it came in the most unexpected of ways. The American No. 3 in the event, Stephanie Brown Trafton led from start-to-finish to take surprise gold in the women's discus throw.
Her opening round effort, a modest 64.74m (212-5) held up for the first American gold in the event since 1932. In a sub-par competition, it was the shortest winning throw since 1968.
Cuban Yarelys Barrios was second with a 63.64m (208-9) with Olena Antonova of Ukraine third (62.59m/205-4).
On Tuesday, field event finals will be contested in the men's high jump and discus throw.
