Date:11/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/11/stories/2008051156281900.htm

Sport - Athletics

Anju George finishes fifth

NEW DELHI: Anju George finished fifth with a jump of 6.55 metres in the Doha Super Grand Prix on Friday.

Russian Tatyana Kotova won the title with a season best 6.83m.

Anju, who was down with fever on Thursday, managed to post her best for the season but that proved far too inadequate to get her a podium finish in a tough field.

The favourite, Kotova, obliged, with the silver going to Maurren Higa Maggi of Brazil at 6.75 and bronze to Jamaican Chelsea Hammond with 6.69. Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan (6.58) was fourth.

Anju had two foul jumps to begin with, jumped a ‘safety’ 6.36 next before touching 6.55m in her fourth jump.

That ended the competition with Anju, unaware of the restricted number of jumps, looking forward to the fifth and sixth rounds.

“The competition rhythm is back; it was a good contest. I didn’t feel much strain because of the fever,” said Anju over phone from Doha.