Athletics: Christie loses out in photo finish
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Your support makes all the difference.Linford Christie, officially retired, maintained his unpredictable progress this season with two impressive sprint performances in an impromptu appearance at yesterday's meeting in Stuttgart, where Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj shattered the world indoor 1500 metres record.
Also Britain's other Olympic champion from 1992, Sally Gunnell, pronounced herself "very pleased" with her first race since being carried from the track at the Atlanta Olympics. Gunnell was a close second in the 400m B final, recording 52.30sec - a time which would have won her the AAA indoor title the previous weekend.
Christie, who is due to fly to Australia today for a month's training break, demonstrated that he is still in formidable form. He was second on a photo-finish in the 60m in a time of 6.56, behind Michael Green of the United States despite his finishing lunge after trailing from the start.
Christie's time was 0.10sec faster than he had produced in winning an event at Stanger, Norway, the previous weekend. One hour later, Christie returned to the track for the 200m which he won in 20.70. Not bad going for a 36-year-old who declares his main interest this season to be coaching.
For El Guerrouj, the 22-year-old whose career has been shaped by his illustrious compatriot Said Aouita, yesterday represented a small consolation after the deep disappointment of the Olympics, where a fall in the final prevented him from contesting the 1500m gold which went to Noureddine Morceli of Algeria.
But El Guerrouj's new record of 3min 31.18sec, which took nearly three seconds off Morceli's six-year-old mark, served notice of his intent to end the Algerian's long reign as king of the middle distance. Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie, finished second in 3:32.39, well inside the old record.
In the 60m hurdles Colin Jackson maintained his winning start to the season with victory in 7.47.
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