PARIS – Close calls and near-misses plagued Team USA’s athletes in final events Monday at the 2003 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships, but America’s female hurdlers showed strength in their numbers and performances.

Two-time defending world champion Stacy Dragila tied for fourth in the women’s pole vault with a best clearance of 4.55m/14-11. Indoor world record holder Svetlana Feofanova of Russia became the first woman other than Dragila to win the world outdoor title, clearing 4.75m/15-7. Annika Becker of Germany was second at 4.70m/15-5, with outdoor world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia third at 4.65m/15-3.

The men’s 100 meters stayed true to prognosticators’ views that it was anyone’s race. Emerging as the winner was Kim Collins of St. Kitts & Nevis, who ran 10.07 seconds to edge world junior record holder Darrel Brown of Trinidad in second (10.08) and Darren Campbell of Great Britain in third (10.08). Dwain Chambers of Great Britain was fourth, also in 10.08, followed by Americans Tim Montgomery (Cary, N.C.) in fifth (10.11) and Bernard Williams (Miramar, Fla.) in sixth 10.13.

In the men’s 100 semis, Williams had won semi 1 in 10.11, followed by Montgomery. Collins, who went on to win the final, was the final qualifier from semi 1 by placing fourth in 10.15. Three-time defending champion Maurice Greene slowed in the final stages of semi 2 after feeling “a pop” in his quadriceps approximately halfway through the race and finished eighth in 10.37.

In other finals, Jamie Nieto (Chula Vista, Calif.) placed seventh in the men’s high jump at 2.29m/7-6 and Matt Hemingway (Denver, Colo.) was 12th at 2.25m/7-4.5. Jacques Freitag of Russia won the competition with a season-best clearance of 2.35m/7-8.5

Gail Devers (Lawrenceville, Ga.), Jenny Adams (Champaign, Ill.) and Miesha McKelvy (San Diego, Calif.) all won their heats in Monday’s quarterfinals of the women’s 100m hurdles. Adams posted the fastest time of the three in winning the third heat in 12.74 seconds; Devers won heat 5 in 12.76; and McKelvy took heat 1 in 12.94. Defending champion Anjanette Kirkland, coming back from giving birth to a daughter on May 4, placed seventh in heat 2 in 13.80.

Kenta Bell (Chula Vista, Calif.) was sixth in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 17.08m/56-0.5 in a competition that was won easily by the heavily favored Christian Olsson of Sweden (17.72m/58-1.75). Suzy Powell (Modesto, Calif.) placed ninth in the women’s discus throw with a best of 59.86m/196-5. The event was won by Irina Yatchenko of Belarus with 67.32m/220-10.

In qualifying rounds on Monday, Sandra Glover (Sugar Land, Texas) advanced to Thursday’s final of the women’s 400 meters. The four-time U.S. champion ran a season’s best time of 53.90 seconds in the first semi to finish second behind Jana Pittman of Australia (53.77). World record holder Yuliya Pechonkina of Russia had the fastest time, winning the second semifinal in 53.57. Joanna Hayes was fifth in Glover’s race in 55.35 and did not advance, and 2003 U.S. champion Raasin McIntosh (Austin, Texas) hit the fifth hurdle in the second race and was carried off the track with an injured right quadriceps.

Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas) missed qualifying for the final of the women’s 400m meters, placing fifth in heat 1 in 51.32. Demetria Washington (Columbia, S.C.) and DeeDee Trotter (Knoxville, Tenn.) were fourth (51.31) and fifth (51.68), respectively, in heat 2 and also did not advance. Jason Lunn (Redwood City, Calif.) placed 10th in his semifinal heat of the men’s 1,500 meters in 3:41.71 and did not advance.

For results and quotes from the World Outdoor Championships, visit www.usatf.org