DATE=8/31/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

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

NUMBER=2-307031

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. He talks about running from behind.

/// JOHNSON ACT ///

My thoughts were to stay calm, stay composed, and I stayed relaxed. These guys were depending on me so I had to give it (the victory) to them.

/// END ACT ///

In the women's four-by-400, American Sanya Richards was even with the favored Russian quartet as she started her anchor leg.

/// RICHARDS ACT ///

I was excited that the other three legs did their part, and when I saw Jearl (Miles-Clark) coming in really strong, I just wanted to take her out the best I could. And then when I saw the Russian fumbling (the baton exchange) I just took the lead and said, if they are going to get it, they are going to have to get me from behind.

/// END ACT ///

But no one could catch her, as the U-S took the gold in three minutes and 22.63 seconds.

Jerome Young anchored the American 400-relay team to victory in two minutes and 58.88 seconds, holding off a determined charge from the French anchor.

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). (SIGNED)

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