Kenia Sinclair sealed Jamaica's only medal as the 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships ended in Moscow, Russia yesterday. Sinclair proved that Jamaica is not just a land of sprinters by taking the silver in the 800 metres, trailing Mozambique Maria Mutola, who notched up a record seventh World Indoor title.

Mutola clocked 1 minute 58.90 seconds, ahead of Sinclair who chased the African and broke the Jamaica indoor record again for a new mark of 1:59.54. Morocco's Hasna Benhassi took the bronze in 2:00.34.

"This is something special, but it was tough, definitely not the way I wanted it to be. It was too risky to come from behind so I went into the lead from the start. Now I am full of new motivation for my career," said an ecstatic Mutola.

No other athlete in the history of the championships has won more than five titles. The 25-year-old Sinclair continued to advertise her credentials as a rising star for the Caribbean track and field powerhouse and with Mutola fly straight to Melbourne today for the Commonwealth Games.

Grenada's Alleyne Francique became only the second man to repeat as 400-metre champion when he won the gold medal in the event.

Francique, 29, clocked a season-best 45.54 seconds to defeat Botswana's California Molefe (45.75) as he joined American 1987 and 1989 winner Antonio McKay as the only back-to-back winners of the event at the World Indoors.

Bahamian Chris Brown got third in a national record 45.78 seconds and Jamaican Davian Clarke, a silver medallist behind Francique two years ago in Budapest, finished fourth in 45.93 seconds.

Francique, beginning in lane four, ran steadily for the first 150 metres before making his break into the lead as he reached the bell.

Milton Campbell, the American champion and two-time World Indoor silver medallist, chased with Brown but the tall Grenadian stood firm and maintained a solid lead to the finish.

"It was my race and of course I have to be satisfied that I was able to defend my title," said Francique, who placed fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games.

The English-speaking Caribbean secured one other medal as the three-day meet finished in triumph for the local Russian team, edging the Americans to top the medal table.
Bahamian Christine Amertil won bronze in the women's 400 metres.

Russian Olesya Krasnomovets impressively won the women's 400 in a championship record 50.04 seconds, pulling silver medallist Vania Stambolova to a Bulgaria national record 50.21 seconds, and Amertil to an Area Record 50.34.
Race favourite Natalya Nazarova, of Russia, faded and finished fourth in 50.60 seconds.

Amertil chopped a huge chunk off her previous season's best 51.09 with the run and added to the silver medal she won at the 2003 World Indoors in Birmingham.

Jamaican Novlene Williams was fifth in 51.82 with Mariyana Dimitrova of Bulgaria a distant sixth in 52.66.

The men's 1600-metre relay served up catastrophic preliminaries for top Caribbean teams Jamaica and The Bahamas, both failing to finish.

Lansford Spence, the final leg runner, collided with France's third leg runner at the changeover and fell to the track, dashing Jamaica's hopes of repeating their gold medal run of two years ago in Budapest.
The Bahamas also failed to finish in their qualifying race.

The USA won the final in three minutes 03.24 seconds, ahead of Poland (3:04.67) and Russia (3:06.91) with the Dominican Republic getting fifth in 3:08.47.

The Jamaicans got fifth in the women's 1600-metre relay final in a national record 3:29.24, as the Russians strode to a remarkable eighth consecutive win in the event, clocking - the fourth fastest indoor time ever - 3:24.91 to easily defeat the USA (3:28.63).

Russia topped the medal table with eight gold, five silver and five bronze in an 18-medal haul, to lead the USA, with seven gold, four gold and two silver medals.

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