Four out of four: A PB of 6.61m with her opening effort in the long jump, the fourth lifetime best of the day, put Carolina Kluft in sight of the Pentathlon world best that has stood since 1992 to Irina Belova, of Russia.
Belova's five-event total that day of 4991pts looked to be well within Kluft's grasp, as she accumulated 4048pts from the first four disciplines, needing an 800-metre run of around 2min 11.45sec at the end of the day to add the world record to the double world junior champion's first senior world title. Her indoor best coming to Birmingham is 2:14.95. A run of 2:21 or better would secure for Kluft the World Indoor Championships best performance.
Behind the Swede, Natalya Sazanovich, the defending champion, from Belarus, was putting up a game performance, her 6.50m jump confirming her second position overall with 3959, well on course for a lifetime best of her own.
The battle for bronze looked to be going the way of Frenchwoman Marie Collonville, after she leapt to a PB 6.40m with her third and final effort, giving her a four-event tally of 3752. Naide Gomes (POR) was fourth going into the final event, 3714pts, after a 6.24m long jump, with Sonja Kesselschlager (GER), one of the better 800-metre runners in the field, placed fifth on 3688pts.
