Richards, Robles thrill in world final in Stuttgart

Sanya Richards left world champion Christine Ohuruogu trailing to win the 400 metres at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart yesterday before Dayron Robles, of Cuba, stole the show with a brilliant 110 metres hurdles victory.

American Richards, who scooped half the million-dollar Golden League jackpot in Berlin last week, ran 49.27 seconds again to match the season's best time and finish clear of Jamaican Novlene Williams and Briton Ohuruogu in third.

The two-day competition at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion ended with a bang, as the 20-year-old Robles ran a blistering 12.92, just four hundredths of a second outside Xiang Liu's world record, in the final event on the green track.

Robles, who missed out on a medal in Osaka, had the crowd on their feet as he beat a field including the Americans Terrence Trammell and Allen Johnson.

"There was a lot of tension and everyone was well prepared I knew it was going to be fast," Robles said at a news conference.

Richards did not make the US team for the 400 metres in Osaka but she has been untouchable ever since.

"The number one goal now is to get the Olympics gold," Richards said. "Anything else would be the icing on the cake."

Norway's Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, who finished second in the 100 metres on Saturday, went one better in the 200, winning in 19.89 to set a national record and edge out American Wallace Spearmon.

There was an upset in the 400 metres hurdles when the Pole Anna Jesien took advantage of a mistake from Australian world champion Jana Rawlinson to win in 54.17 seconds.

Outstanding Kenyans

The other outstanding effort came from Kenya's Edwin Cheruiyot Soi, who won the 3,000 metres on Saturday and returned to take the 5,000 yesterday.

On a good day for Kenya, Paul Kipsiele Koech won the 3,000 metres steeplechase in 8:00.67 ahead of two countrymen, Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong and world champion Brimin Kiprop Kipruto.

Daniel Kipchirchir Komen outsprinted Frenchman Mehdi Baala to win a great 1,500 metres in 3:37.96, while Janeth Jepkosgei was at her peerless best to win the women's 800 metres in a championship record 1:57.87 ahead of Spain's Mayte Martinez.

The only non-Kenyan to win a distance event yesterday was Meseret Defar, of Ethiopia. She ran a championship record 8:27.24 to win the women's 3,000 metres.

German Franka Dietzsch won the discus with her second throw of 62.58, while American Brad Walker won an entertaining tussle in the pole vault by going over at 5.91, beating Germany's Bjoern Otto into second spot.