Brizzel reaches Olympic standard

PAUL BRIZZEL walked away from the Stade de France with a broad smile last night after he had posted his A standard for next year’s Olympics.

He ran a sparkling 21.56 secs for a close up fifth place but just missed qualifying for the semi-finals by three hundredths of a second.

And his time ­ just two hundredths of a second outside his national record ­ was run in the most difficult circumstances from Lane 8 and would have got him through to the semi-finals from any of the other three heats.

While disappointed that he did not get another run today, he was thrilled with achieving the Olympic qualifying standard.

“I have been doing really fast times in training. I ran a 14.57 sec 150 time trial before I came here so I knew I was in great shape,” he said.

“I have been working on my start with Mike McFarlane and has made me a totally different athlete.”

Brizzel ran 20.75 in the morning to go through well placed among the fastest losers and then drew Lane 8 for his quarter-final.

But if he ran a strong bend in the morning he looked even more powerful in the evening when he produced the quickest reaction time of the eight competitors ­ .144 secs ­ and then powered his way into the straight to finish a close up fifth behind John Capel (USA), 20.30, Darren Campbell (Great Britain) 20.35, Frankie Fredericks (Namibia) ,20.49 and closing on Marcin Jedrusinski (Poland) 20.53.

Meanwhile, Moroccan great Hicham El Guerrouj won the men’s 1,500m world title for the fourth successive time.

The 28-year-old came home in 3min 31.77sec to beat France’s Mehdi Baala while Ivan Heshko of the Ukraine took bronze.

“I am in ecstasy,” said El Guerrouj who has dominated this event since 1997 and who may yet try for the 5,000m title as well.

“It was a great victory in a wonderful race,” added the Moroccan whose one missing piece from his golden collection is still the Olympic title.

El Guerrouj took up the pace after just one lap and despite Baala being roared on by the home crowd and pressuring him the rest of the way, the Moroccan drew away in the final straight.

Running the fastest time in the world this year, Ana Guevera claimed her first world title, winning the 400m in a terrific 48.89sec.

Russia’s Svetlana Krivelyova ended a heartbreaking 11-year wait to add the world title to her 1992 Olympic crown when she triumphed in the women’s shot.

Krivelyova, coached by the 1972 Olympic discus champion Faina Melnik, finally got to stand on the top step of the medal podium with a fourth round toss of 20.63 metres.

The gold medal completes Krivelyova’s collection after a silver in 1993 and bronzes in 1991 and 1999.