Anju fifth at Golden Spike meet

India's World Championship bronze medallist Anju George finished a creditable fifth in the women's long jump at the Golden Spike athletics meeting in Ostrava, the Czech Republic, on Tuesday.

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The 27-year-old Asian Games champion, whose bronze medal-winning effort at the Paris World Championships was 6.70 metres, could only clear 6.59 metres and finished behind fourth-placed Fiona May of Italy, who also cleared the same distance but was placed ahead of her because of a +0.2 wind assistance compared to Anju's +1.5.

The event was won by World Championship silver medallist Tatyana Kotova of Russia, who cleared 7.00 metres.

Tatyana Lebedeva, also of Russia, was second with an effort of 6.91 metres while triple Olympic champions Marion Jones was third with a clearance of 6.65 metres.

George, who set a personal best of 6.74 metres in 2001, had finished fourth at the IAAF Grand Prix in Osaka, Japan last month, clearing 6.46 metres.

A week later the 27-year-old won the event at the Qatar Super Grand Prix with a wind-aided effort 6.82 metres on her final attempt.

Results: Women's long jump - Golden Spike meet:
1   Kotova Tatyana RUS 7.00   +0.5
2   Lebedeva Tatyana RUS 6.91   -0.1
3   Jones Marion USA 6.65   +0.6
4   May Fiona ITA 6.59   +0.2
5   Bobby George Anju IND 6.59   +1.5
6   Johnson Jade GBR 6.49   +0.3
7   Šcerbová Denisa CZE 6.24   +0.7
8   Vaszi Tünde HUN 6.20   +0.3
9   Komrsková Lucie CZE 6.17   +1.1
10   Drechsler Heike GER 6.13   -0.2