Meseret Defar blitzes to fourth consecutive world indoor 3000m title

From David Jordan, Sportsbeat, in Doha

 ETHIOPIA'S Meseret Defar blitzed her way to her fourth consecutive world indoor title with a scintillating display of long-distance running to romp to gold in Doha.

RECORD BREAKER: Meseret Defar of Ethiopia re-writes the record books with a fourth consecutive world indoor 300m title in Doha (Getty Images)

Defar, 26, turned the screw on the final lap and left her rivals for dead as she streaked clear of compatriot Sentayehu Ejigu and Kenyan duo Sylvia Jebiwott Kibet and Vivian Cheruiyot.

The 2004 Olympic champion over 5000m suffered heart-ache at the World Championships last year as she fell to pieces in the closing stages of the 10,000m, slipping from first to fourth in the final 50m.

But indoors, Defar is untouchable and she bided her time to perfection before roaring her way into the record books in Qatar.

Her winning time of 8:51.17 minutes was well down on her personal best and her season's best of 8:24.46 but in the tactical battle, Defar out-thought and then out-fought her opponents.

"This was a very important victory for me," said Defar.

"I changed my tactics: at first I was thinking about a fast race, but then I saw it would be better to wait for the final kick, and that worked well."

There was to be no Ethiopian 1-2 however as Ejigu had to settle for bronze, 0.91 seconds behind Defar with Cheruiyot, the world 5000m champion,  clinching silver, 0.68 off the pace.

Meanwhile, in the men's shot put two-time defending and world champion Christian Cantwell clinched gold with a final throw of 21.83m.

Former world champion Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus had applied the pressure with a penultimate throw of 21.68m but the American saved his best for last to clinch his third consecutive crown.

Bronze went to former European Champion Ralf Bartels of Germany, who set a new personal best of 21.44m.

Live commentary from day two of the 2010 World Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha