Athletics-Isinbayeva sets vault record, Chambers wins

Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva set a world record in the women's pole vault in front of a sparse crowd in a Super Grand Prix meeting in Gateshead on Sunday.

The 21-year-old's mark of 4.82 metres exceeded American Stacy Dragila's 4.81 metres set in California in June 2001.

Isinbayeva, who collected a cheque for $50,000, has been on top form and set a world leading mark of 4.73 metres in Poznan, Poland just over two weeks ago.

She told the IAAF website: "This was not unexpected because I have been jumping quite well in training sessions.

"I was just waiting for the moment to come when this would happen. I have jumped 4.80 numerous times in training. Today was my moment," said the world indoor silver medallist.

"As I came up to jump I was thinking this is not a world record jump, it's just one of those jumps I do in training everyday. It's only 4.82, I have done that many times before (in training). Just go for it without any worries."

She had opened at 4.30 metres and progressed through 4.44, 4.54, 4.64 and 4.74, needing two attempts at all those heights except the first and the third. By the time she attempted the world record mark, most of the 10,000 crowd had gone home.

The bar wobbled for a few seconds before Isinbayeva landed in triumph to the delight of a sparse crowd that had shrunk to about 1,000 for the last event of the night.

Her compatriot Svetlana Feofanova, who holds the world indoor record of 4.80 metres set at the world championships in Birmingham in March, was second on Sunday with 4.54 metres.

CONTROVERSIAL RACE

Earlier, Briton Dwain Chambers won the men's 100 metres in controversial circumstances after rivals Kim Collins and Bernard Williams had already run the race once following a false start.

Neither Collins from St. Kitts and Nevis nor American Williams heard the two guns fired to alert the athletes to the false start by Briton Mark Lewis-Francis and they crossed the finish line together before realising they had been recalled.

After a short delay Chambers led a British clean sweep in 10.27 seconds followed by Lewis-Francis (10.35) and Darren Campbell (10.36). Williams and Collins faded towards the end to finish sixth and eighth.

"It was a bit of a difficult one with the false start and near enough running the whole race," Chambers told the BBC. "I heard something but I thought no-one's stopping so I carried on.

"I heard another gun and I saw a few people stopping so I thought I'm not carrying on running if no-one else is. It (the gun) wasn't loud enough but instinct told me to stop running.

Collins felt the organisers could have rescheduled the 100 metres to allow the sprinters a brief rest.

"If they'd said we'd put you (the sprinters) a little bit further (back in the day's schedule) that would have been great because it was a great disadvantage to us who'd run the 100 metres already. Of course we were going to be tired.

Chambers was second in the 200 metres, sandwiched between fellow Britons Christian Malcolm, who won in 20.73 seconds, and Marlon Devonish.

PERSONAL BEST

European champion Christian Olsson managed a personal best to win another triple jump duel with Briton Jonathan Edwards. The Swede recorded 17.92 metres to beat the Olympic champion, who nevertheless jumped a respectable 17.61.

"When I came here I felt that I was probably in the shape of my life, which I proved today," said Olsson.

Edwards, however, was also upbeat.

"That was my furthest opening jump of the season ever. To open with 17.61 -- I'm flabbergasted really," he said.

A below-par Hicham El-Guerrouj was still streets ahead of his rivals as he won the 1500 metres in 3" Allen Johnson won the men's 110 metres hurdles in 13.37 seconds ahead of fellow American Duane Ross (13.58).

Maria Mutola of Mozambique coasted home in the women's 800 metres in 1:58.80, ahead of Slovenia's Jolanda Ceplak, her main rival for gold at next month's world championships in Paris. 

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