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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce demolished the 100 metres rivals, while Christina Ohuruogu also won a second world title in the closest-ever 400m final yesterday. |
In a reversal of traditional finishes, Fraser-Pryce was a championship record 21-hundredth of a second ahead of Murielle Ahoure in the dash. Ohuruogu, by contrast, was a mere four-thousandths clear of Amantle Montsho over the full stadium lap.
New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams became the first woman to win one individual discipline four times; David Oliver led an American one-two in the 110m hurdles; Germany got their first pole vault world title from Raphael Holzdeppe; and Poland’s Pawel Fajdek stunned the favourites for hammer throw gold.
Fraser-Pryce was the favourite all the way in the 100m, having previously won at the worlds in 2009 and the last two Olympic races in 2008 and 2012. But she simply obliterated the field in a fashion not known with the women since Florence Griffith-Joyner in the late 1980s and more familiar on the men’s side from her compatriot Bolt.
Fraser-Pryce led from start to finish, winning in a 2013 world leading 10.71 seconds from Ivory Coast’s Ahoure (10.93). Title holder Carmelita Jeter took bronze in 10.94 to salvage pride for an American quartet that had reached the final.
While Fraser-Pryce’s victory was never in doubt, Ohuruogu and Botswana’s Montsho anxiously awaited a photo-finish after Ohuruogu had capped a strong comeback on the home straight by throwing her torso across the line next to her rival.
The Briton was eventually declared winner with a national record 49.41 seconds. Montsho, who had beaten Ohuruogu for Olympic gold last year and was also the holder, was revealed to have finished four-thousandths behind Ohuruogu. Russian Antonina Krivoshapka earned bronze.
“It is like a dream. I cannot believe it. After the race I did not want to get too excited until I knew for sure I had won, until my name got out first,” the 2007 world and 2008 Olympic champion Ohuruogu said.
Oliver got his first major title in a 2013 world leading 13seconds ahead of Ryan Wilson (13.13). Sergey Shubenkov denied a US sweep when he took bronze in front of a Russian home crowd in 13.24.
Title holder Jason Richardson had to settle for fourth and the fourth American, Olympic champion and world record holder Aries Merritt, was sixth.
Adams showed her shot put master class again, dominating throughout the competition and winning with 20.88m from German Christina Schwanitz and China’s Lijiao Gong.
The New Zealander has dominated the event since the 2007 worlds, topped the last two Olympics, and not lost in 39 events.
Only Sergey Bubka (six in pole vault) and Lars Riedel (five in discus) on the men’s side have more titles in a row in one event.
Germany completed a full medal set on the day when Holzdeppe ambushed French favourite Renaud Lavillenie with an all-but-perfect pole vault competition and Bjoern Otto took bronze.
Ganna Melnichenko of Ukraine held the overnight heptathlon lead with 3,912 points after four disciplines, followed by Dutch Dafne Schippers (3,837) and American favourite Sharon Day (3,836).
World and Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada advanced into today’s 400m final along with American rival LaShawn Merritt, 2009 worlds and 2008 Olympic gold medallist, and strong Saudi Arabian Yousef Ahmed Masrahi.