India’s Neeraj Chopra added a javelin world title to his Olympic gold on Sunday, recording a best throw of 88.17m in Budapest.
The 25-year-old took silver last year but he stamped his mark on the final early on with his winning throw coming in the second round.
Pakistan’s Commonwealth Games champion Arshad Nadeem took silver with a throw of 87.82m with the Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch taking the bronze in 86.67m.
The flamboyant Chopra – one of three Indians to reach the final – fell to the ground after his final throw and kissed the surface before charging towards the crowd.
Germany’s Julian Weber finished fourth and held his hands to his face in disappointment, as his country finished the championships without a medal.
At the first world championships in 1983, communist East Germany topped the medals table.
Femke Bol produced an astonishing anchor leg for the Netherlands in the women’s 4x400m relay to claim her second gold medal of the championships.
Bol began the championships in disastrous fashion by falling and dropping the baton as she closed in on the line in the 4x400m mixed relay. She went on to totally dominate the 400m hurdles event, easily taking gold. On Sunday, in the final event of these championships, Bol took the baton well down in third place for the fourth and final lap and gradually made up ground on Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams and Britain’s Nicole Yeargin.
Entering the home straight, the crowd rose to their feet as Bol accelerated past Yeargin and in a dramatic finish pipped Williams to the line. She literally staggered from there into the arms of her three relay teammates, collapsing to the track after her breath-taking effort. The Dutch took gold in 3min 20.72sec, with Jamaica claiming silver in 3:20.88 and Britain rounding out the podium in 3:21.04.
Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh earned her war-afflicted country its first gold medal when she
won the women’s high jump on Sunday. Mahuchikh, who fled the Russian bombardment of her native city of Dnipro last year, managed a best of 2.01m for gold. Defending champion Eleanor Patterson took silver with a best of 1.99m on countback from Australian teammate Nicola Olyslagers.
“I am so proud to win this gold for my country. I can’t wait to go back and show this medal to my coach,” said Mahuchikh.
The 21-year-old missed out on gold at last year’s world championships in Eugene, losing to Patterson on countback. Kenya’s Mary Moraa skipped over the line in joy as she won the women’s 800m world title in Budapest and ended Athing Mu’s dominance of the event.
The 23-year-old timed a personal best 1min 56.03sec with Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson having to settle for silver like last year, as she finished in 1:56.34.
Mu, the Olympic and defending world champion who has rarely raced this year, finished third in 1:56.61.
The tall Mu had led from the start with Moraa and Hodgkinson keeping tabs on her.
Moraa, though, was the one who was able to keep with the 21-year-old American phenomenon, while Hodgkinson decided to drop off the pace as they heard the bell.
Mu moved up a gear down the back straight but Moraa would not let go and as they rounded the bend she was on her shoulder.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen produced a perfectly-timed sprint for the line to retain his world 5,000m title on Sunday, pipping Spain’s Mohamed Katir to gold.
Ingebrigtsen, who had to settle for 1500m silver on Wednesday, this time got it right in the home straight to win in 13min 11.30sec while Katir took silver in 13.11.44. Kenya’s Jacob Krop claimed bronze in 13:12.28.
Ugandan Victor Kiplangat won the men’s marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Sunday after producing a devastating final third to leave his rivals trailing in his wake.
The Commonwealth champion clocked a winning time of 2hr 08min 53sec on the streets of the Hungarian capital after breaking free in the last 15 kilometres.
Israel’s Ethiopian-born Maru Teferi followed up on his European silver last year with second place in 2:09.12, while Ethiopian Leul Gebresilase took bronze (2:09.19).
“This has been my dream and it has come true at last,” said Kiplangat.
“Last year I was Commonwealth Games champion and that made me think this year I must become world champion. Now my prayers have been answered and hopefully next year in Paris I
will become Olympic champion too.”
Kiplangat added: “It was hard today because it was so hot but I felt comfortable because I prepared well for this weather. I knew it was possible because I had trained well.”