United States' Clement brings home gold medal

OSAKA, Japan -- The kid salvaged an otherwise tough night for the United States at Nagai Stadium.

Kerron Clement powered his way to victory in the 400-meter hurdles to give the Americans an eighth medal, and third gold, in the first four days of the world track and field championships.

It wasn't pretty.

No one will compare Clement with Edwin Moses in terms of style, but boy does he have the raw talent to dominate a race. He stutter-stepped before the last two hurdles, and still won going away.

"I'm 21," Clement said. "I'm still young. I have a few things to work on, and the future is very bright."

Youth outraced age at the finish, but Felix Sanchez, who turns 30 on Thursday, was more than happy with a silver medal.

Sanchez is the reigning Olympic champion and a two-time world champion. He once won 43 races in a row, but the past two years have been a miserable mix of injuries and poor performances.

"I feel the fire again," he said.

Born in New York City and raised in California, Sanchez runs for the Dominican Republic, only because his parents were from there.

When Clement was talking to reporters following his victory, Sanchez poured water on the winner's head from behind, an anointing of sorts.

There's no telling how good Clement might be if he ever gets those steps down between hurdles.

"He's an amazing athlete," Sanchez said. "It's not really that he can't hurdle. He really doesn't have the rhythm. I've said many times that the most difficult thing about the 400 hurdles is the rhythm. He has a decent technique, not the greatest technique, and knowing the flat speed he has makes him very dangerous."

Just before Clement's victory, Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva charmed the crowd en route to her second pole vault world title. She clinched the victory by clearing 15 feet, 9 inches, then missed three times at a world record 16-5½.

She's set the world record, indoor and out, 20 times, but none since clearing 16-5¼ at the world championships in Helsinki two years ago. Since then, she's changed her vaulting technique and believe the world records will begin falling soon.

"It's OK," she said. "Next time it will happen for sure."

Along the way, she laid on her back with a towel over her head, pretending to sleep. She braided her hair between world record attempts and winked twice to the camera that closely followed her every move.

Two nights after winning the 100 meters, an admittedly weary Tyson Gay advanced through the first two rounds of the 200, and Jeremy Wariner breezed through the preliminaries of the 400.

In the final events, though, there were American disappointments all around.

Defending champion Tianna Madison was 10th in the long jump, an event swept by the Russians. American record holder Jennifer Stuczynski, bothered by an ankle injury, was 10th in the pole vault. Defending 400-meter hurdles champion Bershawn Jackson didn't even make the final, striking the final hurdle hard and fading in the semifinal.

Perhaps the most upset of them all was James Carter, the U.S. 400 hurdles champion who had the fastest time in the world entering the meet.

But Carter managed only a fourth Tuesday night. He stormed past reporters afterward. Little wonder. He was fourth in the Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004.

Two years ago in Helsinki, Clement eased up down the stretch and couldn't make up the difference in the final dash to the finish line. He knew better this time, and led after the final hurdle.

"When Kerron went by me, I knew at that point I was running for second, because I know how strong he is at the finish," Sanchez said. "He's probably the only person I can't catch from behind."

Clement was born in Trinidad, then moved with his family to Texas. In 2004, he won the world junior 400-meter title, and in 2005, he broke Michael Johnson's indoor world record in the 400 at the NCAA indoor championships. He won the first of his two U.S. 400 hurdle titles later in 2005, at age 19.

In the long jump, Olympic champion Tatiana Lebedeva led the Russian sweep.

Estonia's Gerd Kanter won the discus. Lithuania's Virgilius Alekna, going for his third straight discus world title, was fourth.

Kenya's Janeth Jepkosgei led from start to finish in 800 meters. Maria Mutola of Mozambique, the 2000 Olympic champion, was looking for her fourth world title, but the 32-year-old runner collapsed to the infield 70 meters from the finish.

Kenyans swept the 3,000 steeplechase, led by Brimin Kipruto. Runners from the African nation have won the past nine world titles in the event.

Gay made it with apparent ease through the first two rounds of the 200, but fellow American Wallace Spearmon and Jamaican Usain Bolt eased through as well. Neither Spearmon nor Bolt were in the 100.

Even though he looked strong Tuesday night, Gay said his 100 triumph had taken a toll.

"Just physically and mentally it drained a lot out of me," he said, adding that his left knee was bothering him. "I am just trying to refocus and re-gather everything."