Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
Britain's Christine Ohuruogu (477) crosses the finish line ahead of Jamaica's Novlene Williams (590) in the women's 400 metres final yesterday. - Reuters
OSAKA, Japan:
TWO BRITONS came up in the last two strides to deny Jamaica's Novlene Williams a deserved victory in the women's 400 metres final at the 11th IAAF World Championships here yesterday.
Like she did in the previous two rounds, Williams took control of the race from early. Just as it appeared she had gold in her grasp, however, it was snatched away by the British pair who wore her down to bag the top two medals.
Both British women registered personal best times. Christine Ohuruogu, the 2006 Commonwealth Games champion, captured gold in 49.61 seconds, Nicola Sanders bagged silver in 49.65 while Williams equalledthe season-best 49.66 she registered in the semi-finals for the bronze medal.
Sprint hurdler Delloreen Ennis-London clocked a personal best 12.50 in the final to give Jamaica a second bronze in the night's action. American defending champion, Michelle Perry, won in 12.46 with Canada's Perdita Felicien celebrating her 27th birthday in style with a silver and a season-best 12.49.
Yesterday's two medals brought Jamaica's tally at the championships to four - one gold and three bronze. The country has, however, dropped to ninth spot in the standings. The United States are on top with ten medals - five gold, two silver and three bronze.
Despite the near miss, Williams, who had recorded the fastest times of the two previous rounds, expressed no disappointment.
"I went out there and did my best so I am happy with the bronze medal," she said.
Looking back, Williams thought that the two sub-50 second races in less that three days may have contributed to her defeat.
"Running 49 seconds in two days, that takes a toll on your body but I am happy about the time and my performance," she said.
In the 100m hurdles final, Ennis-London in lane three, said she was distracted late in the race when her hand hit that of American Lolo Jones who was next to her in lane two.
Still very happy
"That threw me off a little bit but I managed to regroup and honestly, at the end, I thought I had it because I was diving for the line but I am still very happy to make it to the podium and to get a personal best."
The medal was Ennis-London's second in consecutive championships. In Helsinki two years ago she took silver behind Perry.
For the first time in the history of the championships, a trio of Jamaican men will contest the 200m final. National champion Usain Bolt leads the way after crossing the line easing up in 20.03 to win his semi-final ahead of American Wallace Spearmon, 20.05.
Another American, 100m champion Tyson Gay, put himself in line for the sprint double by taking semi-final two in 20.00,beating the Jamaican pair of Marvin Anderson, who clocked his second straight personal best time - 20.06 and Chris Williams, 20.24. Anderson did 20.13 in the second round.
For the first time since 1997, Jamaica will not have a representative in the men's 400m final. Michael Blackwood, Ricardo Chambers and national champion Sanjay Ayre were all eliminated yesterday. Blackwood, 45.60, was eighth in the first of three semi-finals. Chambers was fifth in semi-final two in 45.18 while Ayre pulled up half-way through the third with cramps.
Veronica Campbell stayed on course for the double by taking her second round 200m heat in 22.55. Aleen Bailey also finished on top in her heat in 22.60. American Sanya Richards had the fastest time, 22.31, in winning heat one while her compatriot and defending champion Allyson Felix was untroubled in capturing heat two in 22.61.
Delloreen Ennis-London celebrates winning the bronze medal in the women's 100m hurdles at the World Championships in Osaka yesterday. - photo by Anthony Foster
IN ACTION TODAY
WOMEN
| 6:25 a.m: | 400m hurdles final: |
Nickiesha Wilson. 8:00 a.m: | 200m semis: |
Veronica Campbell, Aleen Bailey. MEN 6:40 a.m: | Long jump final: | | James Beckford. |
7:30 a.m: | 110m hurdles semis: | Maurice Wignall. |
8:20 a.m: | 200m final: |
Usain Bolt, | Marvin Anderson, | | Chris Williams.
MEDALS TABLE
| G | S | B | T |
| United States | 5 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| Russia | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Kenya | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| Ethiopia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Belarus | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Britain | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Germany | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Bahamas | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| JAMAICA | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Ecuador | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Estonia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| G | S | B | T |
| New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Portugal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sweden | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Spain | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Brazil | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Czech Rep. | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Dom. Rep | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Bahrain | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Canada | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Morocco | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Qatar | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| G | S | B | T |
| Slovenia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Turkey | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ukraine | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cuba | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cyprus | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Poland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Slovakia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Tunisia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1
|
