Olympic champions the United States reclaimed their women’s 4x400m relay world title as Jamaica suffered more injury heartbreak in the final yesterday.
Twenty four hours after Usain Bolt sensationally pulled up in his relay event, Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby slowed down clutching her leg 20 metres into her second leg and went to ground, ending Jamaica’s reign as world champions.
Jamaica had been in the lead, but American Allyson Felix surged clear of the field to open up a 15-metre gap which teammates Shakima Wimbley and Phyllis Francis extended to win gold in a world leading time of 3 minutes 19.02 seconds.
Felix strengthened her record as the most decorated athlete in World Championships history by winning her 11th gold to equal Bolt’s haul. It was her 16th medal overall.
Britain finished second in 3:25.00 to clinch silver. Poland came third in 3:25.41 to take bronze.
Obiri denies Ayana world double
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri claimed consolation for her Olympic silver last year winning the women’s 5,000 metres world title.
The 27-year-old produced a devastating burst down the back straight to leave defending champion Almaz Ayana trailing and went on to win in a time of 14min 34.86sec.
Ayana, who had won the 10,000m gold in what was her first race of the season, took silver for Ethiopia in 14:40.35 with the Netherlands Sifan Hassan finishing third in 14:42.73.
Ayana had decided to inject some much-needed zip into the pace with nine laps to run and only Obiri was able to match her.
The field was suddenly splintered with Hassan, also fom Ethiopia but who came to the Netherlands as a refugee aged 15, leading a group of five contesting the minor medal.
Ayana was unable to burn off Obiri as she had done her rivals in the 10,000m — which she won by over 46sec — with the Kenyan content to let her 25-year-old rival do all the pace-setting.
Her strategy paid off perfectly as heading into the final lap she moved up onto Ayana’s shoulder and then delivered her coup de grace.
Semenya takes another 800m title in her stride
Caster Semenya claimed another global title when she won the world 800 metres gold, biding her time before surging clear to record one minute 55.16 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year.
South Africa’s Semenya, who won bronze in the unfamiliar 1,500m on Monday, looked much more at home in her preferred event as she sat on the shoulders of front-runnerers Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and in-form American Ajee Wilson before driving clear off the final bend.
Semenya, 26, is the 2016 Olympic and 2009 world champion and is poised to inherit two more golds after Russian doper Mariya Savinova-Farnosova was stripped of her 2012 Olympic and 2011 world titles.
Niyonsaba, who took silver behind her in Rio, was second again in 1:55.92 and Wilson claimed bronze in 1:56.65.
Manangoi brings 1,500m joy for Kenya as Kiprop flops
Asbel Kiprop failed in his bid for a fourth consecutive 1,500 metres gold medal at the World Athletics Championships but Kenya still celebrated a dazzling one-two with new champion Elijah Manangoi leading home Timothy Cheruiyot.
Manangoi, the fastest man in the world this year, sped past his young compatriot on the home straight of the last men’s individual track event to take the title in 3 minutes 33.61 seconds, just ahead of Cheruiyot (3:33.99).
Kiprop, who had briefly threatened to make it a Kenyan clean sweep, found the pace too hot on the last lap, fading into ninth place in 3:37.24, a fairly tame attempt to emulate the four straight metric mile world golds of Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj.
Norway’s European champion Filip Ingebrigtsen snatched the bronze on the line in 3:34.53.
Perkovic dominates discus to clinch second world title
Double Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic eased her way to a second world discus title after being the only athlete to throw over 70 metres yesterday.
The Croatian, who first won the world title in 2013, threw 70.31m on her second attempt which was enough to triumph in the same stadium in which she won Olympic gold in 2012.
The 27-year-old had the top three throws of 2017 going into the competition, and led from the first attempt in the final to secure her country’s first gold of the championships.
Dani Stevens of Australia took silver with a personal best 69.94m, while Melina Robert-Michon of France also achieved a lifetime best throw, with 66.21m getting her the bronze medal.
Elijah Motonei Manangoi of Kenya celebrates his win in the men’s 1,500m final in London yesterday. (Reuters)
