'Batman' flies to 400m hurdles title
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-08-11 06:24

HELSINKI: Bershawn Jackson lived up to his nickname of 'Batman' here on Tuesday as he flew past his rivals to take the 400 metres hurdles title at the world athletics championships.

The 22-year-old declared afterwards that he would like to become heir to the throne of the greatest athlete in the event's history Ed Moses, who was on hand to congratulate him.

However, before the race took place, torrential rain halted the championships for almost two hours.

Jackson announced himself as the new kid on the block, two years after being disqualified in the first round of the last championships, two former champions also lost their crowns.

Defending 400 metres hurdles champion Felix Sanchez pulled up clutching his right hamstring in the final but there is no doubting that the 27-year-old will be back.

Having gone against doctor's advice to race here - he has a broken bone in his right foot - the Olympic champion did well to even get to the final.

However, Maria Mutola's fourth place in the 800m final may have signified the end of the road for the three-time world champion, who now has just the Commonwealth Games crown to defend after losing her Olympic title last year.

The 32-year-old Mozambiquean saw her world title go to the 25-year-old Cuban Yulia Catalayud, who in two successive Olympic finals had not been in the same class as her beaten rival.

Qatar's Saif Saaeed Shaheen held onto his 3,000m steeplechase crown, making a decisive break from his former Kenyan compatriot Ezekiel Kemboi to easily retain his title.

For Jackson though, it was a case of at last coming of age, though, at 22 and only three years out of high school it seems a bit premature.

"I am now a great athlete. Last year I had a lot of technical problems but they've been resolved," said Jackson, who always competes in a headband inscribed 'Richard Jackson RIP', in honour of the uncle who inspired him to take up the event.

However, there was only one target now for Jackson.

"I want to be like Edwin Moses. Tonight was the first time I've ever met him. That's the man I want to be," said the American.

For Shaheen, victory was some consolation for having missed out on the Olympics last year when the Kenyan National Olympic Committee stopped him from running with the Africans, who were still smarting over his switch of allegiance to Qatar.

Calatayud's win evoked memories of her compatriot and two-time world champion Ana Quirot, though she shrugged off any comparisons with the 1995 and 1997 queen of the discipline.

"I do not want to be seen as the new Quirot," said Catalayud.

"I just want to dedicate this to my mother, Petra, because I love her very much and even if I don't tell her that very often, when I get back to Cuba I will give her the medal and a kiss to go with it."

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