attempt to repeat his 1995 triple jump success at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Gold medallist two years ago in Barcelona with a leap of 17.72 metres, Wellman yesterday finished second from last among the 26 jumpers attempting to qualify for tomorrow's final. Only Portugal's Carlos Calada, who failed to register a valid jump, placed behind him.

There was, however, better news from the Bercy Sports Palace in Paris regarding the Island's top sprinter Troy Douglas.

He won his morning heat and then last night powered through to today's final by finishing second in the semi-finals.

Wellman couldn't be reached for comment last night, but it's understood he entered the championships nursing an injury and with precious little indoor competition under his belt this season.

His best legal jump last night was 15.61 metres, over two metres outside his best, leaving him at the bottom of a field which was notable for the absence of Olympic gold medallist Kenny Harrison of the US and England's world record holder Jonathan Edwards.

The leading qualifier from two groups was Cuba's Aliecer Urrutia who just last week smashed the world indoor record with a leap of 17.83 metres. He cruised into the final with a jump of 17.45 followed by Charles Friedek of Germany (17.02) and Yoel Garcia of Cuba (17.01).

Thirteen of the 26 triple jumpers qualified with 16.67 metres, easily within Wellman's reach, proving sufficient for a place in Sunday's final.

Meanwhile, veteran Douglas again showed he's an athlete for the big occasion.

Silver medallist in Barcelona two years ago and a semi-finalist at the Olympic Games in Atlanta last summer where he smashed both the national 200 and 400 metres records, Douglas stormed to the second fastest time among almost 40 runners in yesterday's morning heats, winning the fourth heat in 20.77 seconds on what athletes have complained is a slow track.

He returned to the boards last night to finish second in the first of three semi-final heats, clocking 20.89 to finish behind Nigeria's Francis Obikwelu (20.82).

But if Douglas is again to finish among the medals in today's final (2.45 p.m.

Bermuda time) he'll likely need to beat Obikwelu with Trinidad's Ato Bolden and Kevin Little of the US expected to vie for gold and silver.

Bolden, bronze medallist in Atlanta, had the fastest semi-final time yesterday of 20.41 with Little finishing right behind him in 20.46.

Meanwhile, Wilson Kipketer made athletics history yesterday when he became the first person to win a world record bonus at a world championships.

The Kenyan-born Dane shattered the world 800 metres record by nearly a second in the fifth and final first round heat.

He earned $50,000 for his day's work with the probability of a further $50,000 for winning the final tomorrow.

Olympic 100 metres champion Gail Devers was also $50,000 better off last night as the first athlete to win prize money at a championships.

Devers rode her luck yet again in a major event to win the 60 metres final in 7.06 seconds.

The American had trouble with the starter and the starting gun throughout all three rounds and was desperately lucky to qualify for the final after appearing to finish third behind Ekaterini Thanou of Greece in the semi-finals.

Both were given the same time of 7.15 but Devers got a place in the final ahead of the Greek after officials re-examined the photo-finish. A Greek protest was rejected.

Last year Devers won the Olympic title by five-thousandths of a second ahead of Merlene Ottey after taking almost as narrow a victory over the Jamaican at the 1993 world outdoor championships.

"I was having trouble all day adjusting my start,'' Devers said.

Russian Irina Privalova, the world record holder, pulled up in agony with a torn thigh muscle and did not finish the race.

Greek Haralambos Papadias was a surprise winner of the men's 60 metres final on a day when Athens won a place on the final short-list of five cities hoping to stage the 2004 Olympics.

"It's a very good day for Greece and me too,'' Papadias said. "I did what I had to do.'' Canadian Bruny Surin, hoping for a third consecutive title, finished fifth out of six finalists.

Devers was only one of a number of athletes to complain about the starters, the guns and the track.

But none of this worried Kipketer who became the first person since the 1972 Munich Olympics to break a world record in a qualifying round.

Kipketer, the current world outdoor champion, was not allowed to compete at last year's Atlanta Olympics but finished the year as world number one after winning all 13 of his races.

He finished more than four seconds ahead of second-placed James Nolan of Ireland, crossing the line in one minute 43.96 seconds.

Kenyan Paul Ereng, the 1988 Olympic champion, set the previous mark of 1:44.84 at the 1989 world indoor championships in Budapest.

RECORD RUN -- Denmark's Wilson Kipketer leads the field on the way to setting a new world record of 1:43.96 in the first round heats of yesterday's 800 metres at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Paris. -- Reuter