Athletics: Jackson marks McKoy's card again

THE fortunes of two great friends, Linford Christie and Colin Jackson, continue to take contrasting turns. At yesterday's Grand Prix meeting in Cologne, Jackson beat the Olympic gold medalist, Mark McKoy, for the second time since Barcelona, the Welshman improving his 110 metres hurdles European record in the process, while Christie suffered his first defeat as Olympic 100m champion.

Jackson's time of 13.04sec shaved two hundredths of a second off his previous best, set at the Crystal Palace meeting shortly before Barcelona when his Canadian rival, also a close friend, was absent. This time, as at Monaco last Tuesday, McKoy was forced to take second place, in 13.16, with Britain's Tony Jarrett third in 13.26.

Although Jackson is leaving no one in doubt that the formbook was upset in Spain, when he hit two hurdles heavily, his reaction yesterday confirmed that it will be a while before he is suitably placated: 'It's my personal best and I was quite smooth over the hurdles, but nothing except a win in Atlanta can make up for not winning the gold in Barcelona,' he said. Never mind the next Olympics, Jackson's next race is on Wednesday in Zurich, where Roger Kingdom set the world record of 12.92 in 1989.

Christie was toppled by Nigeria's Olapade Adeniken, sixth in the Olympic final, 10.13sec to 10.15. Bronze medallist Dennis Mitchell was third again, given the same time as Christie. It was the British captain's first real test since Barcelona, in view of the inferior quality of the field he beat in Sheffield on Friday, and he lacked his usual power over the last 50 metres. He dipped in desperation for the line but to no avail.

Christie said: 'He ran better today - what more can I say? I do not think my start was exactly the best. I had problems with my balance in my pickup.' His decision to cancel a meeting with Carl Lewis on Wednesday is looking good.

In a broader context, the meeting was most notable for a world- record run by Kenya's Moses Kiptanui, albeit not in an Olympic discipline. The world 3,000m steeplechase champion ran 7min 28.96sec for the 3,000m, knocking nearly half a second off the mark set by Said Aouita in the same stadium three years ago. Kiptanui destroyed the Olympic 5,000m champion, Germany's Dieter Baumann, with a last lap of 57.47sec, Baumann eventually finishing fourth behind two more Kenyans, Paul Bitok and Yobes Ondieki.

The women's 3,000m is an Olympic event, and Russia's Elena Romanova has the gold medal to prove it. Yesterday she added the best time in the world this year, 8:33.72, ahead of Ireland's Sonia Sullivan and South Africa's Elana Meyer.

There was further Kenyan success in the 800m where Nixon Kiprotich reversed the Olympic one- two by edging out William Tanui to win in 1:43.55. Britain's Tom McKean was third in 1:44.39. Kevin Young, the only individual world record breaker in Barcelona, continued his superb recent series clocking 47.42 to win the 400m hurdles, ahead of world champion Samuel Matete. Britain's Kriss Akabusi, now running for fun, or so he says, ambled home in 49.07.

The women's Olympic long jump was relived, with Germany's Heike Dreschler holding off Inessa Kravetz, this time by one centimetre instead of two, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee again finishing third. Gail Devers, the Olympic 100m champion who fell agonisingly short in the 100m hurdles, jumped clear yesterday in 12.60sec.

Jonathan Ridgeon won both the 110m and 400m hurdles to help Belgrave retain the British League Gold Cup at Sheffield on Saturday. With Kriss Akabusi retiring from championship athletics, Ridgeon, who won the world championship 110m hurdles silver medal in 1987, may be recalled, over the longer distance, when the British team for next month's World Cup in Havana, Cuba, is announced this week. Sally Gunnell's Essex Ladies were pipped to the women's Jubilee Cup by Birchfield Harriers.