Smith bounces back from serious injury

Steve Smith cast aside any doubts about his future as a world-class high jumper after a serious neck injury when he produced the best jump in the world this year on Sunday.

Despite cold and damp conditions at the Gateshead international, he cleared 2.36 metres, a superb performance from the Briton whose 1998 season was destroyed this time last year by the neck injury in training.

Smith had the confidence to go for a British record of 2.40 but failed in three attempts. But it was still his best performance outdoors for six seasons. Since winning bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Smith's career has the been hampered by injuries. He was clearly delighted by his victory.

Smith did not want to talk too much about the injury afterwards, saying his focus was now on next year's Sydney Olympics. He regards August's world championships in Seville as just a stepping stone in that direction.

"Once upon a time I was a special athlete, then I got the injuries and I was an 'average' athlete," he said. "I am special now again. I hope that sends a message (to the other athletes).

"It was a surprise today. I have had that sort of a big jump in me for well over a year and it has been frustrating not being able to compete because of my injury problems.

"To be out of competition for so long is hard...to all the people who doubted I could come back from such a serious injury, well I'm back."

The performance was the highlight of the meeting and lifted the spirits of the crowd, many of whom sat under umbrellas in the pouring rain for most of the afternoon.

Britain's world record holder high hurdler Colin Jackson and improving sprinter Dwain Chambers also produced some impressive early-season form despite the conditions.

After officials had to brush pools of water off the track just before the race, Jackson produced a flowing performance to win in 13.36 seconds, clipping a few hurdles but keeping his form to the end. Britain's Commonwealth champion Tony Jarrett took second in 13.43 with Latvian Stanislav Olijar third in 13.59.

The 32-year-old Welshman won his first world indoor title earlier this year and has shown some good form ahead of the world championships in Seville in August.

"It's very wet today which makes it very difficult," Jackson said. "Once I got halfway down I picked up my lead leg and a rush of water splashed up into my face. I thought 'Ah, I can't see what's going on'.

"But if you are keen to run, the conditions really don't affect you that much. You've just got to get on with the business.

"I lost my luggage on the way to Dortmund and had to run in borrowed kit. But obviously it's always nice to run the world's fastest time.

"I had a little bit of a sad period in my career but I've bounced right back and it's fun right now to be the person to beat again."

Chambers, who has broken the 10-second barrier this season, dominated the 100 metres, racing way from the rest to record 10.05, a very impressive time in the cold.

But Britain's other former world champion and world record holder Jonathan Edwards was unable to delight his supporters in his native northeast England with a victory. Edwards produced a jump of 16.98 to finish second behind Russian Denis Kapustin who won with 17.15.

He said: "I started the season great, jumping 17.43 metres but I seem to have gone right downhill since. I really don't have any words to describe it. If I was the type of person who swore, I would be swearing now."

Ethiopia's record-breaking distance runner Haile Gebrselassie clocked three minutes 52.39 seconds to win the men's mile and said he planned to run the 5,000 in Wednesday's high-profile meeting in Oslo.