STUTTGART, GERMANY - A largely solo 3000 meter world record assault by Berhane Adere and a full-slate of early season world- leading performances --many of them short-lived-- were the highlights of the 19th Sparkassen Cup Meeting in this southwestern German city Saturday night.

In her first race since October's Giro Podistico di Pettinengo road race, Adere fell well short of the 8:29.15 she ran here in 2002 in her first-ever indoor race, clocking 8:37.91, more than four-and-a-half seconds ahead of Britain's Jo Pavey. Though pleased with the win, the 31-year-old Ethiopian wasn't particularly pleased with the outcome.

"One pacemaker was not enough, and the pace was too slow," Adere said, describing the effort as disappointing. "A world record was not possible."

Pace setter Veronica Mrackova, last year's Czech 800 meter champion, dropped out just 900 meters into the race, after Adere spent the opening laps either on her heels or on a few occasions, forced to run wide. Forging on alone for more than two-thirds of the race, Adere gradually watched the record leaving her grasp. Entering the final kilometer, she was more than two seconds off of her record pace; two laps later she fell more five seconds behind.

A second pacer was reportedly promised in the race, but was a last-hour scratch.

"I am in good shape, but one pace-maker," Adere reiterated, "was not enough for me."

Adere said there are no firm racing plans on her near horizon, though next weekend's Flanders Indoor in Gent, or perhaps the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham, England on February 18, remain possibilities. The Ethiopian trials for the World Cross Country Championships on February 27 is another option she hasn't discounted before she begins preparing for what she hopes will be a defense of her world title in the 10,000 meters in Helsinki in August. After Helsinki, Adere confirmed that she'll turn her attentions to a marathon debut sometime in 2006.

Behind her, Pavey, who last year broke a 15-year-old national record in the event, dramatically narrowed the gap in the closing laps to finish runner-up in 8:42.46 in her seasonal debut. Austrian Susanne Pumper (8:47.51) lowered her own national record while finishing third, easily holding off German Sabrina Mockenhaupt (8:48.57).

YEREMENKO, ROGOWSKA TOP VAULT FIELDS

While the women's 3000 was primarily a race for second, the men's pole vault featured four of the five vaulters who had cleared 5.70 (18-8.5) or better already this season, and an entertaining competition ensued. All four --Ukrainians Denys Yurchenko, Ruslan Yeremenko, German favorite Lars Borgeling, and American Brad Walker, the early season world leader after his 5.83 (19-1.5) win at the Pole Vault Summit a week earlier-- remained in contention through 5.70. Behind on misses, Yeremenko passed at 5.77 (18-11.25), a height that only Yurchenko, the reigning World Indoor Championships bronze medallists, could manage. After a third attempt clearance at 5.84 (19-2), his gamble paid off. Yeremenko,s effort, his third PB of the season and considerably better than his outdoor best of 5.70, was just a centimeter shy of Sergey Bubka,s meet record set 18 years ago.

In the women's vault, Olympic bronze medallist Anna Rogowska of Poland arrived in Stuttgart on the heals of two national records --4.70 (15-5) and 4.73 (15-6.25) both early season world leaders-- in the previous week. A third PB to end the week wasn't in the cards, but she nonetheless took her third victory of the year in as many outings, winning over compatriot Monika Pyrek on the countback with a 4.60 (15- 1). Notable was Pyrek's successful clearance, easily worth another 10 centimeters.

BORZAKOVSKIY, HESHKO CRUISE TO MIDDLE DISTANCE WINS

Yuriy Borzakovskiy apparently isn't making too many friends among his chief competitors. Promising a fast performance, the Olympic champion specifically requested a 50-second opening half pace in the 800. When pace-setter Davian Clarke took off at the gun, the Russian, instead of pursuing his own demand, nonchalantly settled into last place in the four-man field. With no one choosing to follow, Clarke, a Jamaican 400 meter specialist, slowed dramatically, with Youssef Saad Kamel (the former Kenyan Gregory Konchellah) reluctantly moving to the lead of the chase pack. With still no one making chase, Clarke slowed even more, reaching the half in a pedestrian 56.48. It wasn't until Clarke stepped aside that Borzakovskiy made a move for the lead, and when he took over, it was for good. He won handily in 1:47.18, more than a second ahead of South African Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, the Olympic silver medallist. In his first race since an ankle injury limited his Olympic appearance to the heats in the Athens, French double middle distance record holder Mehdi Baala was a distant third.

Clarke returned to pace the first of two 800 B races, which was won by Dutchman Arnoud Okken with a world-leading 1:46.27 no one had anticipated, 21/100s ahead of Borzakovskiy's training partner Dimitri Bogdanov.

In his first race of the season, Ivan Hesko was barely winded after he kicked comfortably to a 3:37.40 world-leading win in the 1500m. Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen picked up when the pacers' chores were completed, and built a substantial lead at the half way point, with Heshko a distant fourth. Running comfortably, the Ukrainian, fifth at the Olympics last year, moved into second with 300 meters remaining, and with half a lap to go, Hesko was on Komen's tail, waiting to strike. He did just that with about 30 meters to go for a convincing win. Czech Michal Sneberger finished strongly to take third in 3:38.88, knocking a tenth of a second from the national record he set here last year.

FREEMAN'S INDOOR RETURN

In her first indoor race since 2001, Jamaican Michelle Freeman cruised to a noteworthy 7.98 win in the 60 meter hurdles. Ahead from the first hurdle, the 35-year-old, whose 7.74 from 1988 ties her as the third fastest-ever in the event, held off the strong late race challenge of Lolo Jones, an NCAA standout while at Louisiana State. Last summer, Freeman bounced back from three difficult years to finish fourth at the Jamaican Olympic Trials. In 2001, she broke her leg in a race in Lausanne, then less than a year-and-a-half later, was hurt in an automobile accident that took the lives of her mother and a close friend. Jones, who found her rhythm 40 meters into the race, clocked 8.00 equalling her PB.

ELSEWHERE...

Ethiopian 1500 meter Olympian Mulgeta Wendimu and Bahraini Mushir Salim Jawher (the former Kenyan Leonard Mucheru) waged a fierce battle in the 3000m, with Jawher prevailing en route to a short-lived world leading 7:43.30. Running his first indoor race, Wendimu, who clocked a national record 3:31.13 in the 1500 last year, took the lead and began a sustained kick with 500 meters to go, but was unable to lose Jawher, who flew past him 150 meters from the finish. Kenyans Paul Bitok and Robert Sigei Kipngetich each also dipped under 7:50.

Taking the lead just before reaching the bell, Briton James McIlroy claimed an impressive win the 1000, clocking 2:19.49, another early- season world best. With yet another of the evening's world-pacing efforts, Russian Yuliya Chizhenko held off Belorussian steeplechase specialist Alesya Turova in the 1500, clocking 4:07.68 to Turova's 4:07.99. Namibian veteran Agnes Samaria powered past Russian Irina Vashentseva entering the back stretch of the final lap, rendering the women's 800 a battle for second. Russian record holder Natalya Tsyganova won that battle, passing her compatriot in the final five meters to finish runner-up, 39/100s behind Samaria's 2:00.15.

Despite some prominent names, the men,s long jump was a rather unremarkable affair, with none from the 13-man field able to produce an eight meter (26-3) jump. Jonathan Chimier of Mauritius threatened the barrier early on with his second round 7.97 (26-1.75), a distance that would hold up as the winner. Miguel Pate, the 2003 bronze medallist at the World Indoor Championships, equaled Chimier,s mark in the fifth round to capture runner-up honors. American Walter Davis and Savante Stringfellow, the reigning world indoor champion, struggled throughout. Davis couldn,t manage better than a last-round 7.83 (25-8.25), while Stringfellow, in his first competition since injury ended his 2004 season last May, reached 7.80 (25-7.25). Melvin Lister (7th, 7.75), triple jump winner at last year's Olympic Trials, had a last round foul in the 8.20 range.

In the women's contest, Latvian Olympian Ineta Radevica leapt from fourth to first with her fifth round 6.59 (21-7.5) indoor PB, besting Bianca Kappler by seven centimeters. Russian Tatyana Ivanova was third with a 6.48 effort, with 18-year-old Czech Denisa Scerbova, the national junior record holder, fourth (6.43).

Propelled by a nearly-perfect 0.109 reaction, Cuban Freddy Mayola scored a 6.56 win, an equal world leader until results from the Boston Indoor Games began being texted across the Atlantic. Italian Olympian Simone Collio, was second in 6.59, a lone 1/100 from his PB. Jeanette Kwakye won the women,s 60 in 7.22 for her third win in as many races this season. The 21-year-old Briton held off Austrian Karin Mayr-Krifka, who, laboring in the first half but finished strong, reached the line just 2/ 100s behind.

The most appreciated performances by the near-capacity crowd came in the long sprints. European junior champion Sebastian Ernst won the first of two sections of the 200 in 20.74 with Olympic finalist and 2004 World Indoor bronze medallist Tobias Unger following suit just seven minutes later in the second, clocking 20.66 in an overwhelming victory over Pole Marcin Jedruzinski. In the women,s 400, German Claudia Marx led for more than half of the second of two races en route to a comfortable 52.14 win, more than a second ahead of Zuzanna Radecka of Poland. Russian Natalya Antyukh, the reigning European Indoor champion, won the first race handily, albeit with a much slower 53.21.

The meet's standing as one of the premiere stops on the once-busy European indoor circuit took a big hit this year when some sponsorship commitments didn't see the light of day. Further hampering the event were several late hour no-shows, some for the unlikliest of reasons. Kenyan William Yiampoy, slated to contest the 1000, was forced to stay home when a tribal conflict errupted near his property in southern Kenya. Invading groups of Kipsigi plundered the property of Yiampoy, a Masai, setting fire to a large swath of land and killing several heads of cattle. 800 meter ace Joseph Mutua, a member of Kenya's armed forces, had to remain at home for an exam, while Ethiopian's Olympic 10,000 meter silver medalist Sileshi Sihine didn't make the trip to Stuttgart after his mother became ill.