Double Olympic champion Michael Johnson silenced his critics in spectacular style when he retained his world championship 400 metres title last evening. The 29year-old took the lead 75 meters from the line and powered his way to his third straight title.

But the Texan was unable to break the nine year-old record of Butch Reynolds when he finished in 44.12 seconds. "I though I could run a really good time but when I felt a cramp inside my left leg I had to slow up. I got real scared for a moment," he explained.

"But even though I could feel somebody closing at me on the final straight I knew I had enough to hold them off. I am just delighted to have pulled it off," he added.

A fan in the packed Olympic stadium threw Johnson a Superman T-shirt which he waved at the crowd as he celebrated. A world record and he would have worn it. Davis Kamoga of Uganda took the silver in 44.37, a national record, and Tyree Washington of the United States the bronze in 44.39, the fastest 400 metres of his life.

"I had a good day, but Michael had an ever better day," said the 20-year-old Washington. "He showed what a real champion he was. But he'd better watch out. The new kids on the block are moving in. It's going to be our time soon," he added.

Earlier in the week Washington had made it clear that he was unhappy that Johnson was here on a wild card invitation. He also said the double Olympic champion had lost the will to battle after pulling up injured in his 150 metres million dollar race-off with Canada's 100m world record holder Donovan Bailey in Toronto in May.

"His remarks just motivated me more," said Johnson. "I proved tonight I was the world champion. I can win from the front, I can win from the back, I can win from anywhere on the track. I am a real champion. I can win when things are not going so good." Ivan Pedroso of Cuba retained his long jump title with a leap of 8.42 metres only a year after undergoing knee surgery.

The 24-year-old Pedroso, who broke the world record in Sestriere in 1995 only to have it not ratified because an official was standing in front of the wind monitor, beat American champion Erick Walder of the United States, 8.38 metres, and Kiril Sosunov of Russia who took the bronze with 8.18 metres.

"I am so happy. This is the most satisfying victory of my life because I thought I was finished when I got the knee injury," he said. "I owe so much to the surgeon and the hospital because but for their expertise I would not have been able to come back," Pedroso added.

South African Marius Corbett won javelin gold after favourite Jan Zelezny was eliminated from the final. Corbett threw a best of 88.40 metres to emerge as the surprise winner.

Britain's Steve Backley took silver with 86.80 metres at his last attempt, while Kostas Gatzioudis handed Greece their first medal in the competition with a throw of 86.64 metres for bronze. World and Olympic champion Zelezny of the Czech Republic missed the cut for the final eight who take the last three throws.

Sally Barsosio ran alone over the last three laps to clinch the first global title for a Kenyan woman in the women's 10,000 metres final.

Barsosio, a bronze medallist at the 1993 championships in Stuttgart, broke away from Olympic and world champion Fernanda Ribeiro to win in 31 minutes 32.92 seconds. Ribeiro hung on to take second in 31:39.15 with Japan's Masako Chiba third in 31:41.93.

Olympic champion Allen Johnson cruised into the semi-finals of 110 hurdles, but conceded he faced a fierce battle to retain his title.