DOHA, Qatar — Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson ran her lifetime best of 49.47 seconds for bronze in the women’s 400m yesterday, while Stephenie-Ann McPherson finished sixth in 50.89 in the fastest quarter-mile race in 34 years of the IAAF World Athletics Championships.

The super-talented Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain, who had already won bronze in the mixed 4x400m relay and was running her fifth race of the championships, stole a march on favourite Shaunae Miller-Uibo at the 300m mark, and held on comfortably for an impressive win. She clocked a personal best of 48.14 – the third-fastest time in history.

Only world record holder Marita Koch of East Germany with 47.60 set in 1985, and Jarmila Kratochvilova of the then Czech Republic with the 1983 mark of 47.99 have gone faster.

Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas had been unbeaten all season, and the ease with which she won her semi-final made some believe she had something special in store. Well she did, lowering her personal best from 48.97 to 48.37 – the sixth fastest in history. The fact her time was only good for second place brings into greater focus the magnitude of Naser’s fantastic run.

So outstanding was this 400m that third through to fifth all ran their lifetime best. Jamaica’s Jackson lowered her best from 49.92, and she was just outside the Jamaican record of 49.30 held by Lorraine Fenton since 2002.

American Wadekine Jonathas and Phyliss Francis ran 49.60 and 49.61, respectively.

Jackson, who also won bronze in 2015 and was fifth in 2017, was elated as she draped herself in the black, gold and green of the Jamaican flag.

“I am feeling pretty good. I got a bronze medal; I got a personal best, probably not as fast as I wanted, but I can’t complain and I am injury free. I think I did pretty good, so I am just grateful,” said a beaming Jackson.

“I just believe that I am one of those persons who can run at a Championships because I realised that I am not doing so good on the Diamond League circuit. And I had a little talk with coach and told him that I realise I perform better when I don’t run at so many Diamond League,” she revealed.

“I think he considered and I didn’t show up at the Diamond League final and tonight I did pretty good as I ran a personal best and I am grateful,” she reiterated.

Jackson, who ran a more controlled race than in the semi-final, said despite Naser streaking away, she held her composure and ran her own race.

“I probably never executed as best as coach told me but I think I ran pretty good. I got a personal best. 49.47 is a lot of running,” noted Jackson who revealed she wanted to break the national record.

“I have been working harder since the Jamaica Trials and I think I delivered tonight and I just can’t complain,” she added.

Jackson, included in Jamaica’s depleted women’s 4×100 relay team, was elated at that news.

“When I heard I smiled. I am really feeling good. I really wanted to run a 4×100 so I am thinking about it long and hard and looking forward in giving them a good leg, and I hope I deliver for them,” said Jackson, who has a personal best of 11.13 over the 100m.

McPherson said her intention was to go out harder than the two earlier rounds.

“When I reached 150 (metres) I couldn’t find anything; my legs were dead. The last three weeks I had good training sessions but in background it had been really hard,” said McPherson.

“It’s my fourth World Championships final and to be honest I am just happy to be here because I didn’t know I would come out here and run this fast because I wasn’t training as I should,” she noted.