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Torrential rain halts world champs
 Fans weather the storm as torrential rain halts the world event in Helsinki HELSINKI, Finland (Reuters) -- A violent thunderstorm in the Finnish capital Helsinki halted competition on the fourth day of the world athletics championships on Tuesday. The downpour hit track and field events early in the evening session at the Olympic stadium with the women's discus final put back to Thursday. Organisers said the men's triple jump qualifying and 200 meters quarterfinals would be staged on Wednesday. The storm struck after the first heat of the women's 100m hurdles and sent athletes and officials scurrying from the Olympic stadium. The decathlon high jump was interrupted and only four throws were possible in the women's discus. Torrential rain fell for about 90 minutes, flooding the track and the infield, but finals in the men's 3,000m steeplechase, women's 800m and the men's 400m hurdles later went ahead as planned. Earlier in the day, Justin Gatlin expended only the minimum energy required to qualify for the 200m second round in his bid for a rare global sprint double. Maurice Greene is the only man to win both titles in the 22 years of the world championships while Carl Lewis in 1984 was the last Olympic double champion. Gatlin, who finished third in his heat in Helsinki, Finland, said he was still tired after winning the 100m on Sunday by the widest ever margin at the event. "I was trying to conserve energy," he said. "That was my fifth round of running and I need to get some rest. My legs are still sore and tired." Olympic 400 champion Jeremy Wariner and his training partner Darold Williamson had to contend with strong winds during their first round heats following Monday night's torrential rain. Williamson, who won his heat in 45.97 seconds, said he had not expected to have to run so hard. "Coming off the curve it was very windy and all I could do was fight to the finish line," he said. The wind created problems for all the athletes on the fourth morning of the championships and proved a particular hazard in the men's pole vault qualifying.  Gatlin makes a low-key start in his bid for a world sprint double Competition was delayed after Finland's Matti Mononen crashed down on to the bar when attempting 4.45m. The two groups were forced to use one stand for about an hour while the equipment was repaired and the qualifying standard was reduced from 5.75 to 5.60m. Olympic silver medalist Toby Stevenson of the United States, who has been troubled by a hamstring injury, withdrew without attempting a height. The stadium was full for the morning session for the first time as Finns flocked to watch Tero Pitkamaki in the javelin qualifying. Pitkamaki did not disappoint his fans, throwing the javelin 82.21m into a gusting wind to qualify automatically for Wednesday's final. 
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