Roundup: Isinbayeva's new world record highlights Russia's day at Helsinki worlds

Russia won three gold medals out of six on a day highlighted by their pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva who set her 18th career world record at the 10th world championships here on Friday.

Isinbayeva, who won the Olympic gold in Athens, became the day's biggest star in the Olympic Stadium. The 23-year-old, who became the first woman to clear five meters in London last month, leapt 5.01 meters in her second try to capture her first world title.

Russia's Sergey Kirdyapkin claimed the day's first gold in the men's 50km walk. The 25-year-old clocked three hours 38 minutes and eight seconds for the gold. His compatriot Aleksey Voyevodin finished second in 3:41:25 and Italy's Alex Schwazer won the third place in 3:41:54.

Olympic champion Olga Kuzenkova added one more gold for Russia in the women's hammer throw.

The United States won another pair of golds, following their golden double on Thursday, from the men's 400m and women's 200m, raising their gold tally to 11.

The day's other gold went to Ladji Doucoure in the men's 110m hurdles.

The women's pole vault final was postponed from Wednesday because of gusting wind and rain. It was fine and dry after morning rain and Isinbayeva took full advantage to soar 5.01 meters for her ninth world record of the year and total prize money of 160,000 US dollars. This was the second world record in the world championships.

"I'm extremely happy and satisfied with the world record and the gold medal in the world championships," she said. "Helsinki was my main competition this year and my training was aimed for this competition. Becoming a world champion was not a dream, but the target.

Isinbayeva, who earns 100,000 US dollars each time she sets a new mark, has already set her sights on surpassing Sergei Bubka's total of 35 world records.

"I think I can go to 5.02m or 5.03m this season because I still have five competitions left after these championships," she said.

Kuzenkova, 34, got the women's hammer gold with 75.10 meters, followed by Cuban Yipsi Morend in 73.08m. Another Russian, the current world record holder Tatyana Lysenko, finished third in 72.46m.

Kuzenkova won three silver medals in three successive world championships from 1999 to 2003. She also finished second in the Sydney Olympic Games. But finally she won both gold medals, first in Athens and then here at the world championships.

The US athletes continued to show their dominance in the track, with Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner winning the men's 400m and Allyson Felix taking the women's 200m.

The 21-year-old Wariner clocked 43.93 seconds for the title, followed by compatriot Andrew Rock in 44.35 seconds. The third place went to Canada's Tyler Christopher in 44.44.

Wariner said after the race: "I ran a great race tonight, I can't say anything else. I stayed focused the whole race, that's what we have been working on with my coach. Two gold medals in two years is nice."

Felix, 19, who won the silver at Athens Olympics last year, clocked 22.16 seconds for the gold medal. Her fellow American Rachelle Boone-Smith was second in 22.31 and Frenchwoman Christine Arron was third in an identical time of 22.31. It was also Arron's second bronze following her third place finish in the 100m.

Doucoure captured France's first gold at the championships in style, beating Olympic champion Liu Xiang of China and four-time world champion Allen Johnson into second and third places.

Doucoure, who led the world this season with 12.97 seconds, overtook the Chinese to win the race in 13.07 seconds. Liu was second in 13.08. Four-time world champion Allen Johnson of the United States took the third in 13.10.

The 22-year-old Doucoure said after the race: "I can not tell you just how long I have been dreaming of this. This victory is the result of a lot of hard work, and also a lot of support from people who had believed in me.

Liu, who won the Olympic gold with a world record-tying time of 12.91 seconds, said: "I'm very satisfied with the second place. The result could have been worse. I felt quite well and did my best. I'm not tired, I had some clearance problems at the start, so I should practice that some more."

The 34-year-old Johnson was disappointed failing to lift his fifth world title.

"I'm very disappointed. Start was good, but then I made too many mistakes. I have run very well during the season and I feel that I should win, but this was the year's worst race."

Source: Xinhua