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BEIJING, August 28
Dutch sensation Dafne Schippers clocked the fourth fastest run of all time to pip Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson by three-hundredths of a second and take 200 metres gold at the World Championships on Friday.
The former heptathlete, who claimed silver in the 100 behind Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on Monday, surged through the line in 21.63 seconds, the quickest time for 17 years in the half-lap sprint.
Only Americans Florence Griffith-Joyner, the world record holder, and Marion Jones, who was later banned for doping, have run faster. “I can’t believe it,” Schippers said. “What a race! What a tournament for me! I think they’ll be going crazy in the Netherlands at the moment.”
Thompson, 23, was second in a personal best 21.66 while bronze went to her compatriot, twice Olympics champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, in 21.97.
Schippers, taking part in her first major global championships as a sprinter, made a good start but had plenty to do to catch Thompson when they came off the bend. The tall 23-year-old got into her powerful stride, however, and ate up the ground to overhaul her rival as she dipped for the line.
Schipper is the first European to win the title since Russia’s Anastasiya Kapachinskaya in Paris in 2003, breaking 12 years of American and Jamaican dominance in the event. “I stayed relaxed in the last 30, 40 metres and that’s why I won,” she added.
Fraser-Pryce, the 2013 champion, decided against doubling up in Beijing while the schedule prevented Olympic champion Allyson Felix running the 200 and 400 and she chose the longer race, winning gold on Thursday.
What was considered a weakened field produced one of the most thrilling and fastest races of recent World Championships. It featured two of the five fastest 200 metres of all time and six of the seven fastest of 2015 including the top four.
American Bartoletta rolls back years in long jump
American champion Tianna Bartoletta became world long jump champion once again, snatching the gold medal with a leap of 7.14 metres in the final round.
Bartoletta, 29, last won the world title 10 years ago in Helsinki, competing under her maiden name of Madison. She has spent much of the past decade concentrating on her sprinting, finishing fourth in the 100m final at the 2012 London Olympics.
Jamaican Williams wins surprise hurdles gold
Jamaica’s Danielle Williams won the 100 metres hurdles title as the favourites and global leaders crumbled under pressure around her.
Williams only took the lead after the last flight to win the title in a lifetime best 12.57.
Defending champion Brianna Rollins all but wrote off her chances of gold after knocking down the first hurdle in the final. The American rallied but could do no better than fourth (12.67). Earlier in the evening, two of the leading American hopes for gold, Dawn Harper-Nelson and Keni Harrison, were eliminated in the semifinals Harper-Nelson fell and Harrison was disqualified for a false start. — Reuters
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