Richards, Defar finish season in style

American sprinter Sanya Richards and Ethiopian distance runner Meseret Defar put their Olympic disappointments behind them with victories at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart yesterday.

American 400 metres record holder Richards added the 400 title to her 200 victory on Saturday with a convincing win over British Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu in 50.41 seconds.

Defar outkicked Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot for the second day in a row to win the 3,000 metres in eight minutes 43.60 seconds.

Richards finished third in Beijing while Defar lost both her world record in the 5,000 metres and her Olympic title to compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba.

"Ending my season like this is a good indicator for 2009," Richards told reporters. "Winning the 400 at the world athletics final was more important than winning the 200. I will work hard for next year's world championships."

Despite chilly conditions, Jamaican Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser clocked 10.94 seconds to win the women's metres.

Kenyan teenager Pamela Jelimo continued her remarkable success story by winning the 800 metres by more than two seconds in 1:56.23. The 18-year-old, who had not contested the event until April this year, was undefeated this season, winning both the Olympic title and the million dollar Golden League jackpot.

After two major disappointments, Blanka Vlasic ended her season on a high note with a victory in the high jump. The 24-year-old Ukrainian leaped 2.01 metres, beating both Olympic champion Tia Hellebaut of Belgium, who was third, and German Ariane Friedrich.

Friedrich's victory over the Croatian in Brussels the previous weekend cost Vlasic a half share of the Golden League jackpot.

Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion Melaine Walker won her event in 54.06, nearly a full second ahead of Ukraine's Anastasiya Rebchenyuk. Briton Tasha Danvers of Great Britain, the Olympic bronze medallist, tumbled over the second hurdle and finished eighth.

Elsewhere, Olympic hammer champion Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia won his event with a final round throw of 79.99 metres. Olympic women's shot put champion Valerie Vili of New Zealand won her event easily with a best of 19.69.

Paul Kipsiele Koech, the season's undisputed number one despite missing the Olympics, won the 3,000 metres steeplechase.

In the absence of world record holder and Olympic champion Dayron Robles who was sidelined due to injury, American David Oliver won the high hurdles in 13.22 seconds.

Oliver, who joined the sub-13 second club this season, was the only man to defeat Robles this year.