WINGLESS WONDER: Yelena Isinbayeva asserted her supremacy in the pole vault event at the European championships. — PHOTO: AP

GOTEBORG (Sweden): Yelena Isinbayeva completed her collection of gold medals from major meets on Saturday when she won the women's pole vault at the European athletics championships.

The Russian — the reigning Olympic and World champion — cleared 4.80 metres for a meet record, then failed in three attempts to raise her world record to 5.02. She holds it at 5.01.

Isinbayeva would have won at 4.70 as well, but decided to go higher.

Monika Pyrek of Poland — who beat Isinbayeva at a meet in Stockholm this year — cleared 4.65 for silver. Tatyana Polnova of Russia earned the bronze, also at 4.65. Defending champion Svetlana Feofanova of Russia was fourth.

Swedish hero

Christian Olsson of Sweden only had two valid attempts in the men's triple jump, but that was enough for him to repeat as champion. He cleared 17.67, the leading distance in Europe this year.

In 2004, Olsson became the first athlete to hold five titles simultaneously — Olympic, World, world indoor, European and European indoor champion.

Nathan Douglas of Britain took the silver at 17.21 and Marian Oprea was third at 17.18.

Stanislav Olijar of Latvia won the men's 110m hurdles in 13.24, earning the title that had belonged to Britain's Colin Jackson. Ulrike Maisch of Germany stepped up the pace in the final two kilometres to win the women's marathon.

First gold

Olivera Jevtic of Serbia won the silver 26 seconds behind and Irina Permitina of Russia took the bronze, 52 seconds off the winner's pace.

She gave Serbia its first medal since its split this summer from Montenegro, the last remnant of the country once known as Yugoslavia.

Belarus recorded a double gold in the field, World champion Ivan Tikhon winning the men's hammer and Natallia Khoroneko claiming gold in the women's shot put by one centimetre from fellow Belarussian Nadzeya Ostapchuk (19.42m).

Tikhon threw a best of 81.11m, with Finland's Olli-Pekka Karjalainen (80.84m) taking silver and Belarussian Vadim Devyatovski (80.76m) bronze.

The men's discus was won by Lithuania's two-time Olympic and World champion Virgilijus Alekna with a best of 68.67m. Estonian duo Gerd Kanter (68.03m) and Aleksander Tammert (66.14m) took silver and bronze respectively.

Back on the track, defending champion Marta Dominguez of Spain retained her women's 5000m title, producing a cracking turn of speed to come home in 14min 56.18sec.

The results (winners only):

Men: 110m hurdles: Stanislav Olijar, Latvia, 13.24. Triple jump: Christian Olsson, Sweden, 17.67. Discus: Virgilius Alekna, Lithuania, 68.67. Hammer: Ivan Tikhon, Belarus, 81.11m.

Women: 5,000m: Marta Dominguez, Spain, 14:56.18. 3,000m steeplechase: Alesia Turava, Belarus, 9:26.05. Pole vault: Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia, 4.80. Marathon: Ulrike Maisch, Germany, 2:30:1. Shot put: Natallia Khoronenko, Belarus, 19.43m. — Agencies

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu