Foster-Hylton

Jamaica's Brigitte Foster-Hylton,running for the Americas team, won the women's 100m hurdles as the curtain came down on the IAAF World Cup in Athens yesterday.

Foster-Hylton who has been running well without much success on the Grand Prix circuit took the event in 12.67 seconds ahead of Susanna Kallur (Europe) 12.77 and Virginia Powell (U.S.) 12.90.

Two other Jamaicans featured in a relay victory as the Americas team won the women's 4x400m in 3:19.84. Shericka Williams ran the lead off leg and Novlene Williams ran on the anchor. The other members of the quartet were World and Olympic champion Tonique Williams-Darling and Christina Amertil, both of the Bahamas. Michael Blackwood was also a member of the Americas men's 4x400m team which lost out in a close finish to the United States. The Americans clocked 3:00.11 and the Americas 3:00.14 for second.

Usain Bolt was second in the men's 200m in 19.96 behind American Wallace Spearmon who won in 19.87.

Europe and Russia took the team titles but the second day of competition belonged to Qatar-based Saif Saaeed Shaheen and Sanya Richards of the U.S. who completed competition doubles.

Shaheen, running for Asia, produced a spectacular finish to add the 3,000 metres steeplechase to the 5,000 metres that he won on Saturday.

Easy work

Sanya Richards (second left) of the U.S. runs to win the 200 metres event in 22.23 seconds at the IAAF World Cup athletics tournament in Athens yesterday. - Reuters

Richards, meanwhile, who won the 400 metres on the opening day, made easy work of the 200, winning in a time of 22.23.

Both Shaheen and Richards, however, ended up on the losing sides in the competition as Europe won the men's title for the first time since 1981 and Russia retained the women's title that they won in Madrid four years ago.

Returning to the track where he ran 7:56.32 - the fastest time of the year - in July, Shaheen contented himself with a slow pace, sitting on the shoulder of the Kenyan runner Paul Kipsiele Koech in the steeplechase.

With 300 metres remaining, he made his break and in a tight finish just outsprinted Koech. Shaheen's winning time of 8:19.09 was just 0.28 seconds quicker than Koech.

"My first thought was to stay behind and follow the pace. I wasn't tired by yesterday and I am very satisfied in fulfilling my goals," said Shaheen.

The U.S. continued their domination of the sprint events with Allen Johnson clocked 12.96 to snatch the 110 metres hurdles from Olympic champion and world record holder Xiang Lu.

World indoor and outdoor champion Walter Davis took the triple jump with a leap of 17.54 metres, while the Australian Craig Mottram defended his World Cup title in the 3000 metres, beating Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele in a time of 7:32.19.

Looked comfortable

Richards, who broke the U.S. 400 metre record on Saturday, looked comfortable as she eased to victory in the 200 metres ahead of European champion Kim Gevaert.

World record holder Meseret Defar of Ethiopia was another comfortable winner in the 5,000 metres, romping home in 14:39.11, more than 26 seconds ahead of the Russian Liliya Shobukhova.

In spite of her win, Defar was disappointed not to break her own world record of 14:24.53 set in New York in June.

"My aim today was to break the world record, but it was difficult because I ran alone. If I had a pacemaker I think I would have been able to do it," she said.