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ATHLETICS

Golden girl Klüft claims European record

Sweden's Carolina Klüft ran, jumped and flexed her muscles to win a record third straight world heptathlon gold medal Sunday and dismissed talk that she was on the verge of retiring.

Golden girl Klüft claims European record
Photo: Bildbyrån/SVT

The 24-year-old golden girl, unbeaten in the event since 2002, finished with a total of 7,032 points over two hot and humid days – breaking her personal best of 7,001 which she set in winning her first world title in 2003.

It was also a new European record and the world’s best this year.

Rejoycing in the victory, Klüft backed down on her earlier comment that she might stop competing in the heptathlon after the Beijing Olympics, or possibly here, to concentrate on single-sport events.

“I’ll definitely continue what I’m doing. How long I’ll do this? I have no idea. As long as it’s fun and as long as I have the motivation, I’ll continue with the heptathlon,” she said.

“I’m just happy with my victory. It’s amazing to have the personal record and to win at the same time.”

Asked about her Olympic plan, she shot back: “I’ll definitely have a week off now and I’ll continue to do this season. And then I’ll try to do my plans for Beijing.”

World indoor champion Lyudmila Blonska of Ukraine finished second with 6,832 points and Britain’s Kelly Sotherton was third with 6,510. Another Briton Jessica came in fourth at 6,409.

Klüft, the reigning Olympic champion is now unbeaten in 18 heptathlons along with three five-sport pentathlons.

Her new personal best remains a far cry from the world record of 7,291 set by the late American Jackie Joyner Kersee at the 1988 Olympics, a mark the two-time has European champion vowed not to challenge.

She ended the first day with a 4,162-4,014 lead over Blonska after the 100m hurdles, the high jump, the 200m dash and the shot put.

Klüft, a world-class long jumper in her own right, was outdone by Blonska in the event where the 29-year-old Ukrainian produced the leap of her life at 6.88 against 6.85 for the Swede.

But Blonska, who narrowly lost to Klüft by 6,681-6,626 points at the IAAF Combined Events Challenge in Gotzis in May, could not close the gap in the javelin and the 800m, the events in neither excel.

Both Blonska and Sotherton admitted Klüft, whose exuberance and friendliness has made her popular among fellow athletes and fans, had been a guiding light in the energy-sapping sport.

“Character matters in the multi-sport event and Carolina’s performance and results have inspired us to follow her and do as well,” Blonska said.

“I will continue striving to catch up with her as Carolina is such a big character.”

Sotherton, 30, said: “The weather has been a factor here but everybody ignored the conditions, trying to break their personal bests.

“I didn’t think 7,000 (points) would be possiblle. Now, I’m proud to be in the 7,000 event,” she said. “It shows how tough it will be in the Olympics next year.”

SPORT

Nuns on the run: Vatican launches its first athletics team

Faster, higher...holier. The newly-formed Vatican Athletics team, which is aiming to compete in international competitions, including the Olympics, was officially launched on Thursday after reaching a bilateral agreement with the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI).

Nuns on the run: Vatican launches its first athletics team
Priests take part in a fun run in front of St Peter's in 2013. Photo: Tiziana Fabi/AFP

So far there are 60 members of Vatican Athletics — the first Sports Association constituted in the Holy See — which includes nuns, priests, Swiss Guards and other workers.

Monsignor Melchor José Sánchez de Toca y Alameda, president of Vatican Athletics, said at the launch that the Olympic Games were “the dream but not in the short term”.

“The dream that we have often had is to see the Holy See flag among the delegations at the opening of the Olympic Games,” he said. But in the immediate future Vatican Athletics would like to be present at smaller competitions such as the Mediterranean Games.

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Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) president Giovanni Malago praised the latest initiative at the Holy See, which already has football and cricket teams.

“It will be necessary to affiliate with other federations,” he told Vatican News. “I'm sure this will happen, today we have started a courageous and winning start up.”

The CONI agreement allows the team to take part in national and internationally sanctioned events and to have access to Italian national coaching and medical facilities.

Team members wearing navy track suits with the Holy See's crossed keys seal were present at the launch. The youngest athlete is a 19-year-old Swiss guard, and the oldest a 62-year-old professor of the Vatican Apostolic Library.


Priests play football by the Vatican as part of the Clericus Cup. Photo: Tiziana Fabi/AFP

Two young Muslim asylum seekers, Jallow Buba, a 20-year-old Gambian, and Anszou Cissè, a 19-year-old Senegalese, have also been registered as honorary members.

Vatican pharmacist and runner Michela Ciprietti said she welcomed the initiative as “sport is the means of bringing people together.”

The team's first official event will be the Corsa di Miguel on January 20th, a 10km race in Rome honouring Miguel Sanchez, an Argentine distance runner who disappeared during the country's dictatorship.