LIEVIN, France, CMC:JAMAICAN MICHELLE Freeman edged teammate Vonette Dixon and Canada's reigning World (outdoor) sprint hurdles champion Perdita Félicien in a thrilling three-way photo-finish to capture the women's 60-metre hurdles at the Lievin IAAF Permit Meeting on Saturday.
On an evening when Russian Yelena Isinbayeva registered her 12th pole vault world record, Freeman logged her third European win on the indoor circuit when she squeezed home ahead of Dixon and Felicien for her sprint hurdles win. All three athletes clocked 7.97 seconds.
In the preliminaries, Spain's Glory Alozie (8.00) won heat one ahead of Dixon (8.04), while Felicien (7.97) edged Freeman (7.97) in heat two.
The results of the final came long after the finish as the first three athletes came across the finish line together.
Judges finally found a thousandth of second advantage on Freeman over Dixon and Perdita Félicien, adding to wins the strong Jamaican had in Stuttgart and Athens in the past month.
Cuba's former world junior champion Anay Tejeda was fourth in 8.04 seconds.
Isinbayeva, the 22-year-old female World Athlete of 2004, cleared the bar at 4.89 metres to top her own previous mark of 4.88 metres in Birmingham a week earlier.
She tried at 5.05 metres and failed in the ambitious attempt but earned a bonus of 15,000 euro (US$19,791) for her record.
