Dobrynska sets new pentathlon mark

Ukra-ine's Nataliya Dobrynska set a pentathlon world record of 5,013 points to win the gold medal at the world indoor championships on Friday.

Her performance was a timely reminder of the Olympic heptathlon champion's class as the expected battle between Britain's Jessica Ennis and Russian Tatyana Chernova failed to materialise.

The previous world best of 4,991 had been set in 1992 by Russian Irina Belova.
Ennis, the 2010 champion, had to settle for the silver with a national record of 4,965 with Austra Skujyte third in a Lithuanian record of 4,802. Chernova, the world heptathlon champion, finished fifth.

Dobrynska won the shot put and long jump to head Skuyjte by 87 points with Ennis a further six behind going into the final discipline, the 800 metres.

The 29-year-old kept Ennis in her sights around the four laps of the track and, although the Briton won the race, Dobrynska's time of two minutes 11.15 seconds, a personal best indoors by over three seconds, ensured the overall victory.

Ennis got her defence off to a flying start in the 60 metres hurdles with a time of 7.91 seconds, the fastest for the pentathlon at a world indoor championships. That gave her 1,150 points, 86 more than Chernova.

Mayookha disappoints

Mayookha Johny failed to qualify for the finals of the triple jump at the World Indoor athletics championship on Friday. Mayookha, however, broke the National indoor record by leaping to a distance of 13.95 metres. Mayookha finished 12th in the qualifiers. 

The 23-year-old Mayookha started off with a jump of 13.74 metres before touching 13.95 in the second attempt. She,  however, fouled her jump in the third attempt.