Pedroso's world

IVAN PEDROSO, of Cuba, took advantage of a momentary lull in windy conditions at Sestriere in the Italian Alps yesterday to break Mike Powell's long jump world record. But doubt was later cast on the achievement as there had been people standing in front of the wind gauge as Pedroso ran up.

The Sestriere arena, which is more than 6,600 feet above sea level, was blanketed in cloud and buffeted by a cold, strong wind that had gusted as high as 5.1 metres per second when Gwen Torrence won the women's 100m. But as Pedroso began his sixth and final jump, the wind appeared to drop to within the legal limit of 2 metres per second.

He hit the take-off board so perfectly that, though his toes were beyond the limit, no mark was made and the judges allowed him to clear 8.96m, 1cm more than Powell managed in Tokyo in 1991. The meeting judge, Edi Pasquale, said afterwards that he believed the apparatus was not shielded from the wind and that he would be asking the IAAF to ratify the record.

Pedroso, 23, who was fourth in the 1992 Olympic Games but missed the last world championships because of injury, realised the jump was long but took several seconds to appreciate that it was the best in history. If ratified, it will earn him an pounds 85,000 Ferrari.

Few other athletes were able to benefit from the altitude at the ski resort. Britain's new world triple jump champion, Jonathan Edwards, won his event but struggled in the gusts of wind. Eventually he achieved a modest - for him - 17.58m.

Among the last-minute withdrawals from the world championships was the Olympic 110m hurdles champion Mark McKoy, of Austria. Sally Gunnell will tell the BAF tomorrow whether she intends take up their offer to run in the British 4 x 400m team. She is unable to run the 400m hurdles because of a heel injury.

The number of injuries such as hers to top athletes moves the national coach, Malcolm Arnold, to complain yesterday at the number of events held. "There are big championships year after year," he said, "and it inevitably takes its toll. Then there are all the grand prix meetings and other events. The IAAF is concerned with income, but the bodies of the athletes can't cope with the demands."