Shaheen retains 3000m steeplechase title

Saif Saaeed Shaheen retained the world 3,000 metres steeplechase title for his adopted nation Qatar during an evening of thunder, lightning and torrential rain on Tuesday.

Competition was suspended for 90 minutes in the Olympic stadium and the women's discus final was postponed until Thursday after the pelting rain which flooded the streets of the Finnish capital.

The three track finals were staged at 15-minute intervals, starting with the steeplechase where Shaheen was again too good for his former Kenyan team mates.

Cuban Zulia Calatayud scored an unexpected victory in the women's 800 metres and Bershawn Jackson won the 400 metres hurdles for the United States after defending champion Felix Sanchez pulled up injured.

Shaheen, who used to compete for Kenya under his original name of Stephen Cherono, won the world title two years ago in Paris but was banned from competing in last year's Athens Olympics.

He responded by breaking the world record in Brussels at the same meeting where Sanchez incurred the injury that has dogged him for the past year.

On Tuesday Shaheen dominated the Kenyan trio who swept the medals in Athens, holding off Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi in a replay of the Paris final to win in eight minutes 13.31 seconds.

"This is a consolation for missing the Olympics," he said."I want to win more in my career and prepare for the Olympics in China in 2008."

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In the women's 800 Calatayud emerged in the final stretch to win in 1:58.82 ahead of Moroccan Hasna Benhassi, with pre-race favourite Tatyana Andrianova of Russia in third place.

Defending champion Maria Mutola of Mozambique, the greatest women's 800 metres runner of them all who was attempting a fourth world title, finished fourth after leading for the first lap.

The intensive track programme concluded with Jackson winning his first major title in 47.30 seconds ahead of team mate James Carter. Japanese Dai Tamesue prevented an American sweep by finishing third ahead of U.S. champion Kerron Clement.

Jackson, nicknamed Batman at high school, missed the Olympics after finishing fourth in the U.S. trials.

"I said it would never happen again," he said.

After the first day of the decathlon, Olympic silver medallist Bryan Clay of the United States led with 4,527 points ahead of Olympic champion Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic on 4,513.

"I think it's going to be a fight to the finish," Clay said.