Olympic title at last for El Guerrouj

Hicham El Guerrouj claimed the Olympic gold medal that eluded him in two previous Games yesterday to confirm he is unquestionably the greatest 1,500 metres runner in history.

The 30-year-old Moroccan moved to the front at 800 metres in a bold bid to dictate the race. He was still ahead at the bell as the field began to accelerate and clung on in the straight to hold off Kenyan Bernard Lagat and win in three minutes 34.18 seconds.

Despite four world titles and world records over both the 1,500 and its imperial equivalent the mile, a question mark has hung over the 30-year-old Moroccan's ability to perform on the biggest stage of all.

El Guerrouj fell just before the bell at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was beaten in a frenzied sprint finish by Kenyan Noah Ngeny in Sydney four years later.

All doubts were assuaged yesterday as El Guerrouj crossed the line first. He then embarked on an ecstatic victory lap draped in the Moroccan flag and stopping at one point to dance an impromptu jig as the theme tune from "Zorba the Greek" thundered through the Olympic stadium.

The evening's track events took place against a backdrop of another fascinating women's pole vault competition, won by Russian Yelena Isinbayeva who went on to set her seventh world record of the year when she cleared 4.91 metres.

Isinbayeva was one jump away from defeat on a windy evening which made vaulting a perilous occupation but decided to gamble on an attempt at 4.80 after failing at 4.70 and 4.75.

Victory over compatriot Svetlana Feofanova confirmed, Isinbayeva then flew over the bar to collect yet another world record and a handsome bonus from the Russian federation.

Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic confirmed himself as the world's best all-round athlete with a convincing win in the decathlon.

Sebrle took the lead from Kazakhstan's Dmitriy Karpov when he sent the javelin soaring 70.52 metres in the penultimate discipline of the two-day event.

A 46-point deficit on Karpov was transformed into a 63-point lead over American champion Bryan Clay and Sebrle safely completed the 1,500 metres.

Tonique Williams-Darling won the first Olympic individual gold ever for Bahamas with a hard-fought but ultimately convincing 400 metres win over Mexico's world champion Ana Guevara in a time of 49.41 seconds.

American Joanna Hayes won the 100 hurdles in an Olympic record 12.37 seconds after world champion and pre-race favourite Perdita Felicien crashed into the first barrier.

Felicien veered into the adjoining lane and brought down Russian Irina Shevchenko with her. The Russian athletics federation filed a protest against the result.