Grenadian ace sprinter Alleyne Francique competes in the men's 400m dash (Photo by Mark Lee)

Francique, Mutola repeats; Bungei and Niklaus surprises on final day - IAAF World Indoor Championships
Sunday March 12, 2006

MOSCOW, Russia - In-form Grenadian Alleyne Francique became only the second man to successfully defend a World Indoor title when he crossed the line first to win men's 400m dash on the final day of competition at the 11th IAAF Indoor Championships in the Olympic Sports Complex in Moscow on Sunday.

Running his own race

Francique, who will start as favourite to win Commonwealth Games title later this month in Melbourne, Australia, covered the first half of the race steadily before taking the lead at the sound of the bell to finish in a seasonal best time of 45.54.

"It was my race and of course I have to be satisfied that I was able to defend my title," said Francique, who finished fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens after been picked as the favourite.

"I just ran as I wanted and as I planned. This gives me more motivation for the Commonwealth Games."

California Molefe of Botswana came back from fourth place to finish second in 45.75, while Bahamian Chris Brown, a finallist at the World Championships in Helsinki, last summer took the bronze medal in a national record time of 45.78.

Another Islander Davian Clarke of Jamaica, the silver medallist from Budapest two-years-ago, was fourth with another season best 45.93. He came home ahead of American champion and two-time World Indoor silver medallist Milton Campbell (46.15) and Russian Dmitriy Petrov, in 47.33.

Fading Nazarova fail to defend title - Krasnomovets goes one up

There was no repeat for Russian two-time defending champion Natalya Nazarova as she finished fourth in the women's race.

However, fellow countrywoman Olesya Krasnomovets, who finished second to Nazarova in Budapest, raced to a championship record 50.04 seconds to win the race. Vania Stambolova clocked a Bulgarian record 50.21 for silver, while Bahamian 2001 silver medallist from Birmingham Christine Amertil, took the bronze in a Central American record time of 50.34.

Nazarova was on her way to defend her title but faded poorly in the homestretch to finish in 50.60. Jamaican Novlene Williams, a semi-finallist at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens placed fifth in 51.82.

Mutola the great

The women's 800m went to Mozambique's Maria Mutola, who proved to the world that she is the greatest 800m runner of all-time by  winning her seventh World Indoor title.

"A seventh title is something special," Mutola said after the race. "But it was tough, definitely not as I wanted. It was a lot harder than I expected."

The 33-year-old held off a valiant challenge from Jamaican Kenia Sinclair, who finished as the surprised silver medallist.

Mutola finished the race in a year best 1:58.90 ahead the 25-year-old converted sprinter Sinclair, who continued to impress in the distant by producing yet another national record at these championship, with 1:59.54.

Hasna Benhassi, the reigning World and Olympic silver medallist, held on for third in 2:00.34, also a season's best.

Bungei's surprising run

The men's race saw Kenya's Wilfred Bungei creating a an upset victory over home favourite and Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia.

Bungei claimed his first major international title after a stunning final lap to finish the race in 1:47.15, one one-hundredth of a second ahead of South African defending champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, at 1:47.16.

"It was unbelievable that after a 55.6 first half we could run the second half in 51.5," said Bunge. "I expected them to come close and push at the end, but I still had enough energy."

Unable to match the pace of the two Africans, Borzakovskiy faded in the homestretch to third in 1:47.38.

Bekele rules globally

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, the World and Olympic 10,000m champion, emerged with yet another world title when he becoming the first person to win global titles on three surfaces after crossing the line first in the men's 3,000m final.

The Ethiopian pulled away in the final lap to take the win ahead of from Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar and Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge in seven minutes 39.32 seconds.

"After winning titles outdoors and in cross-country, indoors is like a fun-run for me," Bekele said after his victory.

Russian Yelena Slesarenko took gold in the women's high jump with a season-best mark of 2.02m.

"I am very glad," Slesarenko told reporters. "I have had a good result today...I can say even a grandmaster result."

Croatia's Blanka Vlasic, who came into the championships as the gold medal favourite took the silver with a clearance of 2.00m.

American Brad Walker won the men's Pole Vault with a mark of 5.80m, while countryman Walter Davis took the triple jump with a personal best jump of 17.73m.

U.S. and Russia are relay champions

Pre-meet favourites USA and Russian claimed the men's and women's 4x400 relay titles.

Running with a quartet of Tyree Washington, LaShawn Merritt, Miton Campbell and Wallace Spearmon the American squad finished more than a second ahead of silver medalists Poland to snatched their sixth title in the event in 3:03.24.

"It feels great. We came here to do a job and win the 4x400 and bring it home to the U.S. and that's what we did," Merritt, who was disqualified from the individual race to reporters.

"It feels great, magnificent! My first gold medal. I did what I had to do," said newcomer Spearmon.

Poland took second in 3:04.67, while Russia's season's best 3:06.91 was enough for the bronze.

Earlier defending champions Jamaica crashed out in the heats after Lanceford Spence collided with a French athlete on the final changeover. Spence tumbled to the track and failed to finish the race.

World-Track Sports Media Team