Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce rallied to claim an unprecedented third World Championship 100 metres title in 10.76 seconds in Beijing, yesterday.
In another thrilling final at the Bird’s Nest stadium, Ezekiel Kemboi underlined his status as one of the great Kenyan athletes by capturing the 3,000 metres steeplechase crown for a record fourth time.
There was more joy for Kenya as Vivian Cheruiyot won a thrilling last-lap sprint to claim the women’s 10,000 metres title, capping her comeback season with her second world title in the longest track event.
With her long, dyed green braids flowing behind her, the diminutive Fraser-Pryce, 28, was not quickest out of the blocks but soon got into her stride and powered down the track to add to her triumphs in Berlin in 2009 and Moscow two years ago.
Former heptathlete Dafne Schippers almost caught her with a brilliant finish but was more than satisfied with her second Dutch national record of the night in 10.81 and first World Cham-pionship silver.
Like Schippers, American Tori Bowie has not long turned her focus to the sprints and she claimed bronze in 10.86 ahead of 2007 world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.91).
Fraser-Pryce’s time was the second fastest of the year after her own 10.74 in Paris last month but she was not satisfied.
“I get tired of 10.7s,” said the double Olympic champion.
“I just wanted to put a great race together. I want a 10.6 something.
“Hopefully in my next race I’ll get it together. I just work hard and focus on executing.”
The 33-year-old Kemboi seized the steeplechase gold thanks to a devastating sub 57-second last-lap burst.
Kenya secured their first clean sweep in the event for eight years but the anticipated challenge from Evan Jager faded on the final lap as the American was unable to match the speed of the Africans and trailed home sixth.
Kemboi, who clocked eight minutes 11.28 seconds, added the title yesterday to those he won in 2009, 2011 and 2013 and to the Olympic golds he landed in 2004 and 2012.
Silver went to Conseslus Kip-ruto, who did much of the pacesetting and hung on to finish in 8:12.38, while Brimin Kiprop came third in 8:12.54.
Cheruiyot’s sprint
Cheruiyot, 31, took 2014 off to have a child.
Yesterday she hit the front with 300 metres to go and powered her way to victory in 31 minutes, 41.31 seconds to reclaim the title she won as part of a 5,000-10,000 double at the 2011 World Champion-ships in Daegu.
Ethiopia’s Gelete Burka stayed with Cheruiyot when the Kenyan sprinted away on the back straight but could not handle the pace down the final straight and had to settle for silver in 31.41.77.
Colombia’s Caterine Ibarguen, unbeaten since the 2012 Olympic Games, retained her world triple jump title yesterday.
The salsa-dancing nurse, who had to settle for the silver medal in London three years ago, led from the second round and her fifth-round effort of 14.90m secured the gold medal.
Silver was won by Hanna Knyazyeva-Minenko who set an Israeli record with an effort of 14.78.
Olga Rypakova, the Olympic champion from Kazakhstan, snatched bronze in the last round as she stretched out to claim a season’s best 14.77.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Shawn Barber nailed his first four jumps to win pole vault gold, leaping 5.90 metres to win his first major global title.
Barber and Raphael Holzdeppe failed with three attempts at six metres but the German defending champion had cleared 5.90 on his third jump while the Canadian had gone over on his first attempt and claimed the gold.
France’s Olympic champion and world record holder Renaud Lavillenie was left with a fourth bronze medal in four World Championships after failing in all three of his jumps at 5.90.
Yesterday, he shared third place with Poles Piotr Lisek and Pawel Wojciechowski.