Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, South Africa's 800m star and Olympic silver medal winner in 2004, is still on track for a medal in Beijing.

Competing in the Herculis Super Grand Prix athletics meeting in Monaco he ran a credible 1 min 43.26 sec - his fastest time of the year - to finish in third behind Russia's Olympic winner in Athens, Yuriy Borsakofsky. The Russian showed he is also well-prepared by winning in 1 min 42.79 sec, the second fastest time of the year, and second was Yusuf Said Kamel of Bahrain who was credited with the same time.

Although not winning, the 27-year-old South African had reason to be satisfied with his performance, posting the fourth fastest time of his career and now the fifth best recorded in the world this year.

Mulaudzi was right behind the pacesetter who went through 400m in a very fast 49.52 sec. He then did all the donkey work about, but with about 20 metres from the finish Borzakofsky and Kamel shot past him with Canadian Gary Reed fourth in 1 min 43.68 sec, for a personal best time.

"I am satisfied with the performance," coach JP van der Merwe said after the race. "As always the Olympic final will be a tough race and anything will be possible."

Karin Mey Melis, now competing as a Turkish athlete, finished 7th in the long jump with 7.49m. Naide Gomes of Portugal won with a brilliant 7.12m, the global best of 2008.