He walks into the record books

SYDNEY, SEPT. 29. In the world of sport, some race into history. A few others jump into history. No matter what they do, in an area of human activity where things are forever on the fastforward mode, most athletes get into the history books in quick time. Not Robert Korzeniowski. For the lanky Pole, it's been a long walk. So long, in fact, that you could have spent five hours trying to get the pronunciation of his surname right and Korzeniowski would still have been walking for his place in the pantheon! In the end, of course, it was all well worth the effort for the Pole who became the first man in Olympic history to win the 20 km and 50 km walk double, retaining his title in the longer event on Friday in 3hrs 42m and 22s.

Korzeniowski had won the 20km event on the opening day of the athletics programme in 1hr 18m and 59s and it took him a total walking time of 5hrs 01m and 21s to create history.

The 32-year-old Krakow sports teacher won the shorter walk last week in controversial style when Mexico's Bernardo Segura was disqualified 11 minutes after he crossed the line in the belief that he had won gold. Today's triumph, however, was much more clear-cut. As Korzeniowski removed his sunglasses to reveal the sweat on his face in the baking Sydney sun, Latvia's Agars Fadejevs took the silver and Joel Sanchez of Mexico the bronze.

A PRAYER FOR A PLACE IN HISTORY: Poland's Robert Korzeniowski kneels down and prays after winning the 50 km walk event in the Olympics in Sydney on Friday.

- Reuters

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