‘Silva’ turns to gold for Cuba
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Cuba’s Yarisley Silva won the women’s pole vault title at the World Championships yesterday.
Silva, the silver medallist at the London Olympics, vaulted a best of 4.90 metres.
Fabiana Murer of Brazil, 2011 world champion, took silver with a new South American record of 4.85m.
Greece’s Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou completed the podium with 4.80m.
Hejnova defends women’s 400m hurdles gold
BEIJING, China (AFP) – Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic retained her 400m hurdles title with a convincing victory in Beijing yesterday.
Hejnova clocked the fastest time in the world this year, 53.50 seconds, to take gold.
Americans Shamier Little and Cassandra Tate completed the podium, winning silver and bronze respectively in 53.94 and 54.02sec.
South African Van Niekerk blasts to world 400m title
BEIJING, China (AFP) — South African Wayde van Niekerk scorched to a remarkable victory in the men’s 400m at the World Championships in Beijing yesterday.
Van Niekerk became South Africa’s first world sprint champion as he stormed around the one-lap race in 43.48 seconds, becoming the fourth fastest athlete in the event and the quickest non-American.
A loaded field saw defending champion Lawshawn Merritt, who also won the world title in Berlin in 2009, timed a personal best of 43.65sec for silver, while Grenada’s Olympic champion Kirani James claimed bronze in a season’s best of 43.78sec.
Van Niekerk released from hospital
Wayde van Niekerk was discharged from the hospital where he was under observation for exhaustion after winning his first World Championships title in the 400 metres yesterday.
Despite a lightning quick start, van Niekerk still held off defending champion LaShawn Merritt and Olympic gold medallist Kirani James to win gold. After finishing in 43.48 seconds for the sixth-fastest time in history, he collapsed on the track and had to be taken to the hospital for observation.
Just over two hours after his win, he was discharged from hospital, the IAAF said.