DATE=AUGUST 31, 2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=PARIS 2003 -- DAY 9 WRAP ALT (L O)

NUMBER=2-307032

BYLINE=STEVE SCHY

DATELINE=PARIS

INTERNET=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The 2003 World Athletics Championships in France have ended with gold medals being handed out in nine different events. As V-O-A's Steve Schy reports from the Stade de France near Paris, Day-Nine was exciting for American runners.

TEXT: Team U-S-A continued its domination in the sprint events, capturing gold in the men's four-by-100-meter relay, and both the men's and women's four-by-400 meter relays.

In the 100, the U-S was in third place heading into the final leg, but anchor J-J Johnson blew by the leaders to take the gold medal in 38.06 seconds. In the women's four-by-400, Sanya Richards ran a strong anchor leg to lead the Americans to victory in 22.63 seconds.

And in the final event of the night, Jerome Young ran the anchor leg in the men's four-by-400 race, holding off a determined charge from the French anchor and crossing the line in two minutes and 58.88 seconds. But he did not realize how close it was.

/// YOUNG ACT ///

I felt real good, but when I had about two meters left, then I knew that I had the race. But soon as I crossed the line I did not know that the French guy was going to be right there. And I was very surprised, and I'm glad we came off with the win.

/// END ACT ///

Other gold medals on the final day went to Hestrie Cloete of South Africa in the women's high jump (2.06-m), Russia's Tatyana Tomashova in the women's 15-hundred meters (3:58.52) and Djabir Guerni-Said of Algeria in the men's 800 (1:44.81).

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya won the championship in the men's five-thousand meters (12:52.79), while Sergey Makarov of Russia took men's javelin gold (85.44-m) and Catherine Ndereba of Kenya won the women's marathon (2:23:55).

The United States ended the Ninth Championships at the top of the medals table, with 10 gold, eight silver and two bronze for a total of 20. Russia was second with 19, 6 gold, eight silver and five bronze. Ethiopia was third with seven total, three gold, two silver and three bronze. (SIGNED)

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