National champion Huang Haiqiang did not let go his last chance here on Thursday, claiming the men's high jump title to raise the host China to the top of the World Junior Championships medal table with two golds.

Xue Fei was the first Chinese to finish on the highest podium of the junior worlds in Beijing after taking the women's 5000 meters on Tuesday.

The 18-year-old Huang, who was crowned last October at the Chinese National Games in Nanjing, cleared a height of 2.32 meters on his third jump of the eighth and last attempt, while the only other jumper having cleared 2.29m, Niki Palli of Israel, failed all his three jumps over the height.

Huang was almost shown the door out after failing on the height of 2.26m, but he returned to clear 2.29 meters on his only attempt of the height.

Ukraine's Bohdan Bondarenko finished the podium with clearing a height of 2.26m and failing at 2.29 attempt.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2006)