Anju finishes 9th in Long Jump at World Championship

Osaka, Aug 28 (UNI) Anju Bobby George, India's lone athlete to reach in the final round of the World Athletics Championship for the third time could not find a place among medal winners in women's long jump here today.

Anju could not take off far in her first jump which measured a modest 6.10m and she fouled her next jump before recovering in the third jump with a distance of 6.53m.

The Indian, who cleared 6.60m in the qualification, did not take the fourth and fifth attempts.

Russians made it to 1-2-3 at the podium with Olympic champion Tatyana Lebedeva taking gold with a jump of 7.03m while the silver and bronze went to Lyudmila Kolchanova (6.92m) and Tatyana Kotova (6.90m).

Anju had finished fifth in the World Championship in Helsinki in 2005 while she had won a bronze in Paris in the 2003 edition.

India had sent a 13-member squad in the Championship and its hopes now remain in the womens' 4X400 relay race.

UNI