Michael Johnson signs off on winning note

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Sydney: Michael Johnson signed off from his final Olympics with a sparkling win in the Sydney Games 400 metres on Monday. Through no fault of Johnson's, his race was overshadowed by the emotional women's 400 final a quarter of an hour earlier, won by Australian Aborigine Cathy Freeman.

It was also a foregone conclusion that, barring unexpected accidents, Johnson would win by a comfortable margin. Johnson was slow to unwind out of the blocks before turning on the power at the 200 mark.

With upright body and legs pumping furiously the American was an impressive sight as he came around the curve clear of teammate Alvin Harrison who had pushed him through the first half.

Well clear in the straight, Johnson even appeared to slow slightly as he approached the line, winning his third individual Olympic gold in 43.84 seconds with Harrison second in 44.40 seconds. Jamaican Gregory Haughton took the bronze in 44.70.

The victory is the perfect Olympic finale for Johnson whose 13 Olympic and world medals are all gold.

He was unable to defend his 200 title after both he and world 200 metres champion Maurice Greene, who won the Olympic 100 title on Saturday, failed to finish in the US trials after hobbling to a halt with identical left hamstring injuries.

Johnson returned from injury and, able to concentrate on just one race, coasted through the first three rounds in Sydney without raising a sweat before an equally convincing performance in the final.

Garcia upstages the big names

Sydney: Anier Garcia of Cuba won a shock victory in the Olympic 110 metres hurdles at the Sydney Games on Monday as the top two favourites missed out.

The 24-year-old, the world silver medallist, timed 13.00 seconds to edge out Terrence Trammell of the United States (13.16), with American Mark Crear (13.22) taking the bronze.

Most pundits had expected a two-man race between 1996 Olympic champion Allen Johnson of the United States and world record holder Colin Jackson of Britain.

Jackson, however, false-started, as he had in the semi-finals, to leave the Welshman struggling. He and the American duo of Johnson and Crear hit hurdles early on, allowing Garcia to take a quick lead.

The big Cuban, who also won the indoor 60 metres gold, kept his form throughout the race, barely disturbing any of the 10 barriers to win by almost two metres.

Johnson went into the final as the only man under 13 seconds this season.

He had seemed the likely victor after winning in Atlanta four years ago and also taking the 1995 and 1997 world titles. But Jackson, the world record holder, won his second world title last year when Johnson was forced out of the semi-finals with injury.

There was meagre consolation for the pair, with Johnson finishing fourth and Jackson in fifth. Jackson's world record of 12.91 seconds at least survived the night, as did Johnson's Games record of 12.95.

Edwards wins men's triple jump title

Britain's Jonathan Edwards won the men's triple jump Olympic title on Monday with a year's best leap of 17.71 metres. The world record holder was the hot favourite, but he had been plagued by self-doubt since finishing second to American Kenny Harrison four years ago in Atlanta.

Edwards, 34, registered the previous longest jump this year when he leapt 17.62 metres in August. He set the world record of 18.29 metres at the 1995 world championships.

Mutola wins women's 800 metres gold

Maria Mutola won the women's 800 metres Olympic title on Monday to become the first gold medallist from Mozambique. She timed one minute 56.15 seconds.

The 27-year-old won bronze in the same event at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, when she became Mozambique's first Olympic medallist.

Mutola, who mastered her running skills in the United States, took part at her first Olympics in Seoul in 1988 at the age of 15. Monday's victory was her first major title since she won the world championships in Stuttgart, Germany in 1993.



(c) Reuters Limited.