By Armstrong Vas I The Peninsula
Sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica yesterday won the women’s 100m title in emphatic fashion. It was her’s fourth 100m world title and eighth overall.
The ‘Pocket Rocket’ crossed the finish line in 10.71 secs – the fastest time in the world this year, sending the Jamaican supporters into a celebration mood.
European champion Dina Asher-Smith, who made history by becoming the first British woman to reach a world championship 100m final, clocked 10.83, with Marie Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast got the bronze in 10.90.
Earlier, United States quartet of Wilbert London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo and Michael Cherry won gold in the mixed 4x400m while setting a new record, following up their world record in the heats clocked 3:09.34 to emerge on top.
The gold medallists were followed by Jamaica and Bahrain in the third place. Cherry had a big gap to close on Justyna Swięty-Ersetic of Poland on the anchor, and he did that within the first 100 yards. He continued to power through with no seriously challenging him as he approached the finish line.
Swięty-Ersetic still held second with 120m to run, but Jamaica’s Javon Francis had a burst left, kicking down the straight to claim silver.
Abbas Abbas also moved clear of Swięty-Ersetic with 50m to go, holding the position to claim bronze for Bahrain. Poland finished fifth, Belgium sixth and India seventh.
For Felix of USA, it was her 12th World Championship title and the American now has one more than Usain Bolt A small slice of athletics history was made on Saturday with the mixed 4×400-metre relay makes its competitive debut at the Championships with two men and two women per nation combine competing in the track athletics’ first mixed-gender event.
Meanwhile, the Indian quartet of Muhammed Anas, V.K. Vismaya, Jisna Mathew and Noah Nirmal Tom, who clocked a season-best 3:16.14s to finish third in the semi-final, earned India a Tokyo Olympics berth given to the top eight finishers of the mixed relay.
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