© Stade de France ®
Macary, Zublena et Regembal
Costantini - Architects
ADAGP - Paris - 2002
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COMPETITION  NEWS |
 WHITE AT THE DOUBLE
Paris 2003 Saint-Denis
American sprinter Kelli White wrote her name in World Championships history on Thursday, bursting clear in the 200m to complete a famous sprint double. Manuela Montebrun won host nation France its 4th medal with a bronze in the hammer.
Women’s 200m: White hot
Kelli White is the undisputed sprint queen of these World Championships. The American was never in trouble in the 200m, romping home in 22.05, yards ahead of her nearest rival Russian Anastasiya Kapachinskaya (22.38). The Californian got off to an explosive start, kicked clear round the bend and ran away from the field over the final 50m. French hopeful Muriel Hurtis came in a disappointing fourth in 22.59, some 18th of a second slower than her semi-final time. “I’m hugely disappointed. The last twenty metres I had nothing. That’s how it is sometimes. That’s athletics…,” she said simply.
Women’s hammer: Montebrun content with bronze
France’s strongest gold medal hope Manuela Montebrun had to be content with third (70.92m) behind Cuban Yipsi Moreno (73.33m) and Russian Olga Kuzenkova (71.71m). Her bronze takes France’s medal haul to four, a best-ever World Championship tally for the host nation.
Men’s pole vault: Gibilisco causes upset
After the premature elimination of favourites Aleksandr Averbukh and Romain Mesnil, the men’s pole vault competition was wide open. Italian Giuseppe Gibilisco surprised everyone by setting a new PB of 5.90m to become world champion. “It’s a great day for me. I was really in very, very good form,” said the man who is trained by Ukrainian Vitaly Petrov, formerly coach to Sergei Bubka. South African Okkert Brits took silver (5.85 m) and Swede Patrik Kristiansson bronze (5.85 m).
Women’s 400m hurdles: Pittman after Freeman
These World Championships heralded the arrival of an exciting new talent from Australia: Jana Pittman. A mere 20 years of age, the precocious talent from Sydney won her first major 400m hurdles title (53.22). In a race led out at a cracking pace by Russian Yuliya Pechonkina, the Australian gambled all over the last 50 metres to edge American Sandra Glover into second. Pechonkina tied up down the home straight but still held on for bronze.
Barber and Lacasse qualify
The sixth day of competition saw heptathlon silver medallist Eunice Barber back in action, this time in the long jump qualifiers. The French girl needed only one jump to make it into the final with the longest leap of the day (6.78m). Russia’s Lyudmila Galkina finished second (6.72m) while reigning world champion Fiona May looked to be in indifferent form (6.57m). Of the three French entries in the 800 metres only Florent Lacasse made it past the heats. Jimmy Lomba finished down the field in 6th place while Nicolas Aissat fell.
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