Schippers Holds Off Thompson To Win World 200m Gold
BEIJING, China, Sporting Alert – Dafne Schippers blasted to a championship and European record on her way to winning the women’s 200m world title over Jamaican Elaine Thompson in Beijing, on Friday.
Schippers, who finished second in the 100m final to Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on Monday, returned to win the 200m in a staggering 21.63 seconds, the third-fastest time ever in the event.
The Dutch star chased down Thompson in the home straight to make up for coming up short in the 100m.
“I was hoping to run under 22-seconds, but to do this is crazy. I am so happy,” Schippers told BBC Sports.
Jamaica’s Thompson took the silver in a new personal best time of 21.66 second, while championships veteran Veronica Campbell-Brown, also from Jamaica, shockingly held her form to take the bronze medal in a season’s best time of 21.97.
American Candyce McGrone ran a lifetime best effort of 22.01 for fourth, with Dina Asher-Smith setting a new British record of 22.07 for 5th.
Jamaica grabbed a gold medal in the women’s 100m hurdles through Danielle Williams, who posted a new personal best of 12.57 seconds to win the gold medal, as USA failed to win a medal in the event.
The silver went to Cindy Roeleder of Germany in a personal of 12.59 secs, with Alina Talay taking the bronze with a Belorussian record of 12.66.
Event favourite and defending champion Brianna Rollins of USA ran 12.67 and finished out of the medals.
Another American, Sharika Nelvis, who come to these championships with the fastest time of the season finished last, while 2008 Olympic champion Dawn Harper-Nelson, didn’t make the final after crashing out of the event in the semifinals.
In the men’s 110m hurdles Sergei Shubenkov took gold in a Russian record of 12.98 seconds, while Olympic bronze medallist Hansle Parchment of Jamaica took silver in a season’s best 13.03.
American Olympic champion and world-record holder Aries Merritt finished third in 13.04.
Meanwhile, in the women’s Long Jump competition, American Tianna Bartoletta produced a fantastic 7.14 metres to win her second world championships gold medal.
She won her first title 10-years-ago in Helsinki.
Shara Proctor of Great Britain, who led the event until Bartoletta’s winning effort, won the silver medal with a national record of 7.07, while Ivana Spanovic of Serbia was third at 7.01.
