Felix Sanchez celebrates winning the 400m Hurdles gold medal (© Getty Images)
Just one victory was enough for Felix Sanchez this time, but after his World Championship 400 metres Hurdles win, he was still enthusing over the possibility of a first championship tango on the flat.
Sanchez, from the Dominican Republic, stretched his unbeaten hurdles series to 30 races, dating back to July 2001. He retained his title with a time of 47.25 seconds, best in the world this year, fastest ever in these championships, eleventh quickest ever, and a personal best.
"My birthday is tomorrow," he said. "This is the best present I could have given myself.
"Nobody has ran this fast over the past 10 years. It really is an honour to win this title with such a time."
In fact, Bryan Bronson logged 47.03, in 1998, and it is the fastest since then, but nobody chose to argue on such a night.
Sanchez finished nearly 10 metres ahead of Joey Woody (USA, 48.18), with Periklis Iakovakis, of Greece, third in 48.24.
Born in New York, and brought up in California, he went to university there to study psychology. He competed for the Dominican Republic, where his parents were born, after he had finished sixth in the 400m hurdles at the US trials for the worlds in 1999.
Just 12 months ago he was talking about tackling both hurdles and flat 400 here in Paris.
''I do believe I can win both," he had said. Inspired by Michael Johnson, he was exploring the possibility of having the timetable changed, just as it was manipulated in the London grand prix last year when he won both events.
It did not work out this time, but he has not lost sight of the ambition. "In future I will try it," he said, "but I have to be realistic, and set objectives and goals. One of these has not been achieved yet. I want a medal at every championships, but I need other things to motivate me, so the thing now is to get a medal in the Olympics. After that I'll think more about doing both."
He had been determined to stop the hurdles jinx which had seen the women's sprint and one-lap favourites beaten. Jamaica's Brigitte Foster and Russian Yuliya Pechonkina, had suffered shock defeats in the women's 100m and 400m hurdles respectively.
"Today everything went fine. I tried to run all out and not play any games with myself. My coach told me to just run fast and concentrate, and everything came together. It did. I did not run too fast, and had no trouble at all throughout the race."
His British coach, Avondale Mainwearing, was unable to be present because he has a hip problem, and couldn't travel. "He likes to stay in the background," said Sanchez. "He likes to take a back seat."
He said that winning in Paris had been an easier task than taking the recent Pan American Games title in his home country just a few weeks ago.
"I never experienced more pressure than at the Pan Americans," he said. "Everyone thought I should win easy, but I was so nervous I was shaking in the warm-up. Being able to get over that, in the biggest race of my life, made it less of a worry here."
The pressure of home expectation is something which Iakovakis could relate to. The Greek anticipates similar problems before a home crowd at the Athens Olympics.
"Now I'll be one of the athletes at the top of the list. I have to be focussed and prepare myself for next year."
He looks forward to racing Sanchez in Monaco at the World Athletics Final, "and maybe a better time for me."
Sanchez might still have been playing baseball had he not broken his wrist, wrestling at the age of 15. He could not throw wearing a plaster cast, so to keep fit, he went running, and so discovered athletics. He has been in serious training now for just four years.
Improbably slight for his event, he has put the tiny Dominican Republic on the sporting map. "I love to uplift my nation." He returns for three or four weeks every year.
After winning his country's first world medal two years ago, he was given a a police escort from the airport, and met his country's president. There could be a few more presidential audiences before Sanchez loses again.
Sanchez, from the Dominican Republic, stretched his unbeaten hurdles series to 30 races, dating back to July 2001. He retained his title with a time of 47.25 seconds, best in the world this year, fastest ever in these championships, eleventh quickest ever, and a personal best.
"My birthday is tomorrow," he said. "This is the best present I could have given myself.
"Nobody has ran this fast over the past 10 years. It really is an honour to win this title with such a time."
In fact, Bryan Bronson logged 47.03, in 1998, and it is the fastest since then, but nobody chose to argue on such a night.
Sanchez finished nearly 10 metres ahead of Joey Woody (USA, 48.18), with Periklis Iakovakis, of Greece, third in 48.24.
Born in New York, and brought up in California, he went to university there to study psychology. He competed for the Dominican Republic, where his parents were born, after he had finished sixth in the 400m hurdles at the US trials for the worlds in 1999.
Just 12 months ago he was talking about tackling both hurdles and flat 400 here in Paris.
''I do believe I can win both," he had said. Inspired by Michael Johnson, he was exploring the possibility of having the timetable changed, just as it was manipulated in the London grand prix last year when he won both events.
It did not work out this time, but he has not lost sight of the ambition. "In future I will try it," he said, "but I have to be realistic, and set objectives and goals. One of these has not been achieved yet. I want a medal at every championships, but I need other things to motivate me, so the thing now is to get a medal in the Olympics. After that I'll think more about doing both."
He had been determined to stop the hurdles jinx which had seen the women's sprint and one-lap favourites beaten. Jamaica's Brigitte Foster and Russian Yuliya Pechonkina, had suffered shock defeats in the women's 100m and 400m hurdles respectively.
"Today everything went fine. I tried to run all out and not play any games with myself. My coach told me to just run fast and concentrate, and everything came together. It did. I did not run too fast, and had no trouble at all throughout the race."
His British coach, Avondale Mainwearing, was unable to be present because he has a hip problem, and couldn't travel. "He likes to stay in the background," said Sanchez. "He likes to take a back seat."
He said that winning in Paris had been an easier task than taking the recent Pan American Games title in his home country just a few weeks ago.
"I never experienced more pressure than at the Pan Americans," he said. "Everyone thought I should win easy, but I was so nervous I was shaking in the warm-up. Being able to get over that, in the biggest race of my life, made it less of a worry here."
The pressure of home expectation is something which Iakovakis could relate to. The Greek anticipates similar problems before a home crowd at the Athens Olympics.
"Now I'll be one of the athletes at the top of the list. I have to be focussed and prepare myself for next year."
He looks forward to racing Sanchez in Monaco at the World Athletics Final, "and maybe a better time for me."
Sanchez might still have been playing baseball had he not broken his wrist, wrestling at the age of 15. He could not throw wearing a plaster cast, so to keep fit, he went running, and so discovered athletics. He has been in serious training now for just four years.
Improbably slight for his event, he has put the tiny Dominican Republic on the sporting map. "I love to uplift my nation." He returns for three or four weeks every year.
After winning his country's first world medal two years ago, he was given a a police escort from the airport, and met his country's president. There could be a few more presidential audiences before Sanchez loses again.
