Olimpiada Ivanova of Russia broke the women's 20 kilometres world record when she won the women's 20 kilometre walk here at the World Championships on Sunday. The 34-year-old timed 1hr 25min 41sec breaking the old mark of 1hr 26min 22sec jointly held by Yan Wang of China, who set it in November 2001, and Yelena Nikolayeva of Russia, who equalled it in May 2003.
Former world record-holder and Olympic champion Stacy Dragila was the biggest name casualty as the American failed to make the women's pole vault final here at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday.
The 34-year-old was unconvincing from the start of qualifying - twice going to the last vault to clear 4.30m and 4.40m before failing to clear 4.45m, way below her personal best of 4.83m set last year.
It is the latest big competition misfortune to hit the so-called 'chick with the stick', who used to lift haybales in her home state of Kansas as a form of weight training.
The two-time world champion also failed to make it to the Olympic final last year.
She was almost joined in the out tray by the girl who she enjoyed a terrific duel with at the 2000 Olympics, Australia's Tatiana Grigorieva, who also only managed 4.40m but qualified for the final on count back.
The 29-year-old Russian-born naturalised Australian - a world bronze medallist in 1999 - entered the competition badly out of sorts having no heighted in two of the last three Grand Prix's she has competed in.
World record holder Yelena Isinbayeva had no such problems entering the qualifying at 4.40m and successfully negotiating that and 4.45m with her first attempts.
This was hardly a surprise given the 23-year-old Russian recently raised the record mark to 5m in London.
Title favourites Christine Arron and Chandra Sturrup eased into the women's 100 metres semi-finals with smooth heat victories.
Arron, who failed to make the Olympic final last year and finished out of the medals at the 2003 world championships in Paris, set the fastest time of the second round.
The Frenchwoman, winner of all three Golden League races this season, clocked 11.03 to go through automatically with Olympic champion Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus and former world champion Zhanna Block following her home.
Bahamian Sturrup, the fastest woman in the world this year, powered to 11.10 to finish well clear in her heat.
Olympic 200 metres champion Veronica Campbell, who is attempting a sprint double in Helsinki, recovered from a tardy start to leave her heat rivals trailing.
US trio Lauryn Williams, Me'Lisa Barber and Muna Lee also advanced.
ON SATURDAY: Tirunesh Dibaba led a three-star performance by Ethiopia here on the opening day. as the teenager led home a cleansweep in the women's 10,000 metres.
Elsewhere, Justin Gatlin looked assured as he bids to add world 100m gold on Sunday to last year's Olympic title while the sport's glamour girl, and fellow Olympic champion, Carolina Kluft battled through the pain barrier to lie just two points adrift of arch-rival Eunice Barber in the heptathlon.
However, other champions had days to forget.
Cameroon's women's triple jump Olympic champion Francoise Mbango Etone failed to even start while Russia's women's high jump Olympic heroine Yelena Slesarenko did turn up for the qualifying event.
However she saw her chances of adding the world title to her collection dashed when she failed to even make one attempt because of an injured ankle.
While Gatlin prospered in the 100m early rounds, the man whose title he is here to take Kim Collins struggled to even make the semis squeezing through as the last of the four fastest losers.
Another Olympic champion Felix Sanchez, the Dominican Republic's 400m hurdles titleholder, did run - against doctors' advice.
Sanchez, who has a fracture in his right foot, qualified for the second round.
The 27-year-old reigning world champion, known as 'Superman' insisted on carrying on despite hobbling off the track following his heat.
"I will die defending my title," said Sanchez.
Another champion to bite the dust was shot put legend John Godina.
The 33-year-old American failed to overcome elbow and foot injuries and the three-time outdoor and one-time indoor champion crashed out in qualifying.
However there was a happy ending for the Americans as Adam Nelson shed his nearly-man tag to take the title leading to an emotional lap of honour from the 30-year-old.
Nelson won gold with his first throw but endured a nervy final round.
In his career, he has twice finished in second place both in the world championships and the Olympics; he lost the title in the 2004 Games on countback.
"I wanted to execute a great first throw and put down my marker which I did to perfection," he said.
"It is amazing as things have come full circle. I am overcome at having finally achieved this because for so long I have been tagged the nearly man of the sport," said Nelson.
Dibaba added 10,000m gold to her 5,000m title from the 2003 world championships as she produced a quite devastating burst of speed. Along with two of her team-mates, she blew away her rivals including last year's Olympic flop Paula Radcliffe.
The 19-year-old stormed home ahead of 2003 champion Berhane Adere while a stunning night for the victor's family was completed when her sister Ejagayou Dibaba took bronze.
Not content with this title the indefatigable Dibaba will bid to retain her 5,000m title later in the week.
While she goes for a double, 31-year-old Radcliffe will aim to restore her credentials by bidding to win the marathon on Sunday week.
The British darling of the sport was not discouraged by her performance - a far cry from the disconsolate figure who trudged from the track in Athens last year after failing to finish the 10,000 metres.
The moment of truth for Gatlin will come sooner as he goes for gold in the 100m on Sunday but judging by his performance and demeanour there will be only one result. The only other gold decided on Saturday saw Ecuador's Jefferson Perez taking the men's 20km walk.
RESULTS:
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Women's 20km walk
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1. Olimpiada Ivanova (RUS) 1h25:41 (world record)
2. Ryta Turava (BLR) 1h27:05
3. Susana Feitor (POR) 1h28:44
4. Maria Vasco (ESP) 1h28:51
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MEDALS TABLE:
HELSINKI: World athletics championships medals table after Saturday's opening day:
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G S B T
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Ethiopia 1 1 1 3
Ecuador 1 0 0 1
United States 1 0 0 1
Spain 0 1 1 2
Netherlands 0 1 0 1
Germany 0 0 1 1
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TODAY'S SCHEDULE
HELSINKI: Monday's schedule at the world athletics championship, the third day of the 2005 showpiece (Times GMT):
Afternoon/Evening session
1540 M Hammer - final
1550 W 100 Metres - semi-final
1620 M 10,000 Metres - final
1620 W High Jump - final
1705 M 1500 Metres - semi-final
1735 W 3000 Metres steeplechase - final
1800 W 400 Metres - semi-final
1835 W 100 Metres - final
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