Fraser-Pryce explodes to victory

Jamaican clocks 10.71s to win women's 200M race; American Oliver triumphs in 110M hurdles

A pocket dynamite answering to the name of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce applied an explosive finish to the women’s 100 metres final of the 14th World Championships in athletics on Monday.

A day after her compatriot Usain Bolt had won the men’s 100M gold, Fraser-Pryce made it a Jamaican double, winning the women’s crown with a power-packed run. After a slow-start, she was simply flying down the straight, timing 10.71, the fastest in the world this year.

Champion in 2009 and Olympic champion in 2008 and 2012, Fraser-Pryce has always been a big-event performer and on this night, there was no one coming anywhere close to the 26-year-old. Murielle Ahoure of Ivory Coast was second in 10.93, winning Africa’s first ever medal in this event, while defending champion Carmelita Jeter managed to take the bronze in 10.94.

“I just came out here and executed my race,” exclaimed Fraser-Pryce, who did a jig of delight with the national flag after her win. “I wasn’t focused on anyone else, it was all about execution and I did it right,” she added.

Fraser-Pryce’s time was the quickest winning effort since Marion Jones 10.70 at Seville in 1999 and her winning margin – 0.22 – the biggest in World Championships history.

A quick starter normally, the Jamaican wasn’t the fastest off the blocks today but she was like a bolt of lightning after the first few strides. Her fluorescent pink hair extensions flying behind her, Fraser-Pryce built up a big lead, leaving her rivals gasping. As the Jamaican raced past the finish line pumping her fists, Ahoure warded off a fast-finishing Jeter for the silver.

The third night of the championship had other stars as well, none brighter than Valerie Adams. The big New Zealander has been in red-hot form heading to Moscow, having gone undefeated in her last 38 competitions stretching to almost three years.

On Monday, she made it 39, outclassing the field here for her fourth straight gold medal. Adams, fiercely focused, came up with a series of 20M tosses to demoralise opposition. In fact, barring a foul in the fourth round, all her efforts were above 20M – 20.41, 20.46, 20.88, 20.76 and 20.32.

Other finalists struggled to come close, before Christina Schwanitz entered the ring for the final round. The German, who has so often faltered in the finals in the past, delivered a career best of 20.41 to nail the silver ahead of China’s Gong Lijao (19.77).

There was an upset of sorts in the women’s 400M and a genuine upset in the men’s pole vault. Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu edged defending champion Amantle Montsho by the skin of her teeth in the one-lap race while Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie was relegated to second spot by Germany’s Raphael Holzdeppe in pole vault.

Former Olympic champion Ohuruogu, who last won the world title in 2007, unleashed a superb finishing burst to stun Montsho. The Botswanian seemed to be in control of the race but Ohuruogu made rapid strides in the straight to close the gap and dipped at the finish, a factor that decided the winner, with Montsho unaware that the Briton was sneaking up on her.

Both were given the same time 49.41, with further splits showing Ohuruogu’s time as 49.404 to Montsho’s 49.408.

“I can’t believe I have done that, it feels like a dream,” said Ohuruogu, whose time was a British national record. “It was so tight on the line and I desperately wanted my name to come up. I have been working hard for this all season,” she added, unable to control her emotions.

Lavillenie, the Olympic champion, cleared the same height as Holzdeppe – 5.89 – but lost out on a countback – a bitter disappointment for the Frenchman in a season in which he is the only one to clear six metres.

Oliver tops

In a final featuring four Americans, David Oliver proved the strongest in the 110M hurdles. A world leading 13.00 seconds from him proved good enough for the gold even as his team-mate Ryan Wilson sealed silver in 13.13. Olympic champion Aries Merritt, having an injury-hit season, and defending champion Jason Richardson both faded away, with the latter crashing into the final hurdle to finish fourth.

James-Merritt in final

Kirani James and LaShawn Merritt set up a mouth-watering final clash in the 400M, coming up with contrasting victories in the semifinal.

Grenadian James, the defending champion as well as the Olympic champion, had to step it up nearing the finish after taking it a bit too easy midway through the race, coming through in 44.81 seconds. Merritt was the quickest to seal a final spot, winning his semifinal in 44.60.

Results:

Men:

110M hurdles:  David Oliver (United States) 13.00 seconds, 1; Ryan Wilson (United States) 13.13, 2; Ssergey Shubenkov (Russia) 13.24, 3.
Pole vault: Raphert Holzdeppe (Germany) 5.89 metres, 1; Renaud Lavillenie (France) 5.89, 2; Bjorn Otto (Germany) 5.82, 3.
Hammer throw: Pawel Fajdek (Poland) 81.97 metres, 1; Krisztian Pars (Hungary) 80.30, 2; Lukas Melich (Czech Republic) 79.36, 3.

Women:

100M: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) 10.71 seconds, 1; Murielle Ahoure (Ivory Coast) 10.93, 2; Carmelita Jeter (United States) 10.94, 3.
400M: Christine Ohuruogu (Britain) 49.41 seconds, 1; Amantle Montsho (Botswana) 49.41, 2; Antonina Krivoshapka (Russia) 49.78, 3.
Shot put: Valerie Adams (New Zealand) 20.88 metres, 1; Christina Schwanitz (Germany) 20.41, 2; Gong Lijao (China) 19.95, 3.