Beijing: Usain Bolt’s fireworks in the 200 metres on Thursday overshadowed a strong evening for the United States after a ho-hum start to the athletics world championships.
Allyson Felix stormed to the women’s 400 metres gold and Christian Taylor won the men’s triple jump with the second longest leap ever.
Felix and Taylor’s superb performances brought the second and third gold medals for an American team that had failed to fire over the first five days of the championships. Kenya top the table so far with six gold medals, despite two of their athletes failing doping tests.
Felix, the most decorated female athlete in track and field history based on her 200 metres and relay success, justified her decision to step up to the 400 with a comprehensive win, clocking a time of 49.26 seconds, the best in the world this year.
“It’s so different,” said Felix, who went out at a blistering pace and looked unruffled throughout. “I wanted to challenge myself this year and I’m happy I could be successful. I had to take advantage of my speed and bring that to the 400 metres. I wanted to control the race.”
Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas claimed silver in a personal best of 49.67, with Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson taking bronze in 49.99.
Olympic champion Taylor nailed a cracking jump of 18.21 with his very last attempt to take gold. Only Britain’s world record-holder Jonathan Edwards has jumped further, leaping 18.29 in 1995.
“It was a great fight and I saved it until my last jump,” said Taylor. “We are that close to a record, this makes you even hungrier! I’m looking forward to Rio.”
Cuba’s Pedro Pablo Pichardo took silver, as he did in Moscow two years ago, with a best of 17.73 while Portuguese former Olympic champion Nelson Evora took bronze with his 17.52.
In Thursday’s other final, the women’s hammer went to form with world record holder Anita Wlodarczyk winning with a mighty heave of 80.85 metres.
