10.03.2008

Lewis captures World Indoor title

Tamsyn Lewis has produced the race of her life to win the 800m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain.

In other Australian results, Steve Hooker won the bronze medal in the pole vault, Craig Mottram finished fifth in the 3000m and Sean Wroe sixth in the 400m final in a night that belonged to Lewis - who collects US$40,000 for her win.

In a result described as a "seismic shock" by the IAAF, the 29-year-old raced to the lead when a gap opened up with 350m remaining and despite being headed by Ukraine’s Tetiana Petlyuk in the last lap, Lewis fought back to claim the biggest win of her long career.

"When I saw that gap, I said to myself 'if I'm going to go down it might as well be in spectacular fashion', so I took it and from then on everything went perfectly," an amazed Lewis said after the race.

"I am in complete shock. I was happy to be in the final and then take whatever came from then on.

"But this probably wasn't in the script. It's amazing."

Despite going into the final as the sixth ranked qualifier Lewis was simply too good in the finishing straight, lifting as she had done in the concluding stages of her Australian championship victories over 400m and 800m the previous weekend in Brisbane.

The race was billed as a battle between Maria Mutola and Mayte Martinez; Mutola, the Mozambique superstar, bidding for an unprecedented eighth World Indoor 800m title and the Spanish favourite Martinez, the 2003 World Indoor bronze medallist.

Lewis was able to defeat the duo, and the fastest qualifier Petlyuk to become Australia’s fourth World Indoor champion (see fact box below), winning in 2:02.52. Petlyuk was second in 2:02.66 with Mutola, in her final competitive season, third in 2:02.97. Martinez was fourth with 2:03.51.

Despite more than a decade of competing on the international scene since her debut as a 16-year-old at the Commonwealth Games in 1994, this championship has seen Lewis with a level of confidence and command of her tactics not previously seen before in international meets.

"My coach (brother Justin) and I decided I should come here to get more racing against the top girls, and to ensure I did that my aim was to get out of the heat. When I did, I guess my self belief and confidence just grew and grew," Lewis said.

Lewis became only the fourth athlete ever to win the 800m title in 12 editions of the championships; Mutola with seven wins, East German Christine Wachtel with three gold medals and Czech Ludmila Formanova in 1999 being the other champions.

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In the men’s pole vault final, Evgeniy Lukyanenko of Russia improved his own personal best and world leading performance of the year to 5.90m to take the title. The 23-year-old Osaka finalist edged defending champion Brad Walker (USA) whose best of the day was a lucky first time clearance at 5.85m.

Steve Hooker, who had been in the lead up until 5.80m after first time clearances at 5.55m, 5.70m and then 5.80m, had to settle for bronze. The 25-year-old Commonwealth champion failed once at 5.85m and twice at 5.90m.

"I guess I feel it was a bit sweet and sour. I feel like I jumped really well but didn't have luck on my side. (His) second and last attempt at 5.90 was just a slight touch which in a stack of other jumps might have stayed on - just as Walker's had done at 5.85."

"I’m happy to have won a medal though," Hooker said.

In the men’s 3000m final it was Bekele who triumphed, but this time it was younger brother Tariku who claimed gold, succeeding older brother Kenenisa as world indoor champion. Craig Mottram finished fifth in a high quality final.

Tariku, sixth behind his brother two years ago in Moscow, took control over in the concluding stages to score a convincing 7:48.23 victory. Kenyan Paul Kipsiele Koech, who took command of the race in the early stages, held on to finish a distant second in 7:49.05.

Abreham Cherkos Feleke, who raced Mottram over 5000m in Melbourne last month, followed Koech across the line to take bronze (7:49.96) in his first world championships appearance, followed by Edwin Soi (7:51.60) with Mottram next (7:52.42).

Kipsiele Koech, better known as a steeplechaser, took control from the gun, followed by Ethiopian No. 2 Cherkos Feleke, with Bekele and Craig Mottram tucking in behind. Little changed by 1000m, with the field running as a fairly solid pack. The order remained with 800m to go, but the pack was beginning to spread out, with Koech still in the lead and Bekele ready to pounce.

Bekele  took the lead with two laps to go, with Koech, Cherkos, Mottram and Edwin Soi struggling to hang on. With Soi and Mottram dropping back, the medals and finishing order were already decided.

In the men’s 400m, Sean Wroe finished sixth. Canadian Tyler Christopher took a commanding victory, cruising to a 45.67 performance lowering his own 2008 world leader.

Sweden’s Johann Wissman and Chris Brown of the Bahamas, finished with the silver and bronze, with Wissman lowering his own national record to 46.04. Brown collected his second successive bronze, clocking 46.26. Wroe clocked 46.93.

Earlier, the Australian men’s 4x400m team missed the final after a botched baton change between Joel Milburn and Mark Ormrod, despite a strong opening leg by Daniel Batman and then Milburn having the Australians in second place when the stick problem struck. Ormrod continued on and Dylan Grant finished strongly but the team placed fifth in their heat 3:12.69 to miss the final by three seconds.

Australian medallists at the World Indoor Championships

GOLD
Mike Hillardt	QLD	1500m	Paris 1985
Kerry Saxby-Junna	NSW	3000m walk	Budapest 1989
Melinda Gainsford-Taylor	NSW	200m	Barcelona 1995
Tamsyn Lewis	VIC	800m	Valencia 2008
SILVER
Kerry Saxby-Junna	NSW	3000m walk	Seville 1991
Damien Marsh	QLD	200m	Toronto 1993
Melinda Gainsford-Taylor	NSW	200m	Toronto 1993
Kerry Saxby-Junna	NSW	3000m walk	Toronto 1993
Emma George	VIC	Pole vault	Paris 1997
Susan Andrews, Cathy Freeman, Tamsyn Lewis, Tania Van Heer-Murphy	AUST	4 x 400m relay	Maebashi 1999
BRONZE
Dave Smith	VIC	5000m walk	Paris 1985
Darren Clark	NSW	400m	Toronto 1993
Andrew Murphy	NSW	Triple jump	Lisbon 2001
Steve Hooker	WA	Pole vault	Valencia 2008