‘This is the greatest day of my life’

Add as a preferred source on Google

Sydney: Russian Dmitry Svatkovsky landed the Olympic modern pentathlon on Saturday with a perfectly timed run in the stamina-sapping 3,000 metres that wrapped up a grueling day's competition.

He out ran Hungary's Gabor Balogh and Pavel Dovgal of Belarus to land the gold medal after 10 hours of battling them in five disciplines - shooting, fencing, swimming, equestrian and running.

Svatkovsky, who staggered across the line and sank to his knees in joyous disbelief, said, ''this is the greatest day of my life.'' Still gasping for breath after a day that tested his endurance to the full, Svatkovsky told Reuters, ''it was like a miracle, all my dreams came true.''

But he confessed ''I was a little bit nervous before running as I know the American guy Velizar Iliev ran very fast in the last world championships.''

''I have had two injuries in the past year - heel, back, knee, everything. I am not so young. I am old now,'' said the 28-year-old who is currently ranked 45th in the world.

The day started disastrously for Svatkovsky in the shooting. ''For me it was terrible. In fencing I also made a terrible start.''



(c) Reuters Limited.