ATHLETICS: Mark Carroll last night had an encouraging run ahead of the Athens Olympics, finishing second over 3,000 metres at the IAAF Grand Prix in Linz, Austria. The Corkman clocked seven minutes 48.03 seconds, just a stride behind the Algerian Khoudir Aggoune (7:47.77).
After racing sparingly in recent months Carroll appears to be finding form at the right time and hopes to peak just in time for the 5,000 metres in Athens. Last night suggests he is going in the right direction.
Carroll, despite beating his season's 3,000m fastest, was run out of first place by fast-finishing Aggoune.
Carroll, who hit the front with 500 metres of the race left, showed his injury problems might be history.
Also running well in Linz was Freda Davoren, who clocked a season's-best 4:08.16 when taking second in the 1,500 metres, behind the American Jen Toomey, who posted 4:07.69.
Davoren, however, won't be headed to Athens, for which the standard is 4:05.80.
Davoren followed the pacemaker before gamely challenging the eventual winner over the final circuit.
Her brave tactics drew her clear of the chasing pack, although she almost lost the runner-up spot when badly tying up in the final 20 metres.
"My legs just turned to jelly," said Davoren, disappointed at missing the Olympic qualifying standard of 4:05.80.
"I just started to wobble."
The meeting also saw a sprint double for Coby Miller of the US, his times 10.15 and 12.20, and wins for his compatriots Duane Ross, who clocked 13.30 in the high hurdles and Allyson Felix, who ran 11.16 for the 100 metres.
Tim Lobinger of Germany cleared 5.70 metres to win the pole vault
London-based Yamile Aldama flies out to Athens tomorrow convinced she can win Olympic triple jump gold - but in Sudanese rather than Team GB colours.
The Cuban-born star, who narrowly missed the bronze medal four years ago in Sydney, admits that when she moved with her Scottish husband to London three years ago she expected to be competing for Britain.
But government bureaucracy, and what she claimed was lack of support from UK Athletics, will see her compete for Sudan, who granted her a passport of convenience in January.
Certainly Aldama has not let the African nation down since becoming a citizen.
Already she has claimed the world indoor silver medal and last month was crowned African champion.
Aldama, who topped last summer's world outdoor rankings with a career-best leap of 15.29 metres, was again in sizzling form last night.
Aldama produced a marvellous series of jumps, three times clearing world-class distances in excess of 15 metres.
Her winning effort, an African record leap of 15.28m - her previous best was achieved competing as a virtually stateless athlete - beat off the challenges of Trecia Smith and Tiombe Hurd.
Smith, lifted by the high quality of the competition, raised her Jamaican national record by a huge 26 centimetres to 15.16m, with Hurd of the USA third with 13.96m.
Aldama, still not 100 per cent fit, revealed: "I could have broken the world record tonight."
That mark stands at 15.50 metres, set a decade ago by Inessa Kravets when she won the world title.
"But I'm still lacking in speed, which is because I've been troubled with a hamstring injury in my right take-off leg," added Aldama.
"It's not fully recovered but at least I'm not suffering from any pain and tonight I felt no ill effects."
Aldama, now trailing Lebedeva's 13.34m world's best this year by only six centimetres, believes she has the ability to overtake the world number one - and preferably in the Athens Olympic Stadium.
She insisted: "The only thing that has stopped me being at the top is the hamstring problem. Now it's better I'm a serious contender for a medal and even to win."
American long jumper Dwight Phillips underlined his status as favourite for this month's Olympic Games with the world's best leap in four years.
World champion Phillips, a good bet for gold at the Athens Games, jumped 8.60 metres, bettering his previous best for the season, set in May in Mexico, by a huge 16 centimetres.
