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Athletics

Bowie dives to golden glory in 100m

Tori Bowie claimed the women’s 100m final with a last ditch dive that edged her to gold. Such was the ferocity of the 26-year-old American’s lunge that she crashed to the ground after the finishing line.

Tori Bowie hurled herself at the finishing tape in the women's 100m final.
Tori Bowie hurled herself at the finishing tape in the women's 100m final. Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach
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When she picked herself up, she was the world champion with a time of 10.85 seconds. Marie-Josée Ta Lou from Cote D’Ivoire was second in 10.86 seconds and Dafne Schippers from the Netherlands took the bronze.

"I never give up until I'm over the line," said Bowie. "I had no idea that I had won. The only thing I knew was that I was going to lay it all on the line.”

Bowie, who took silver at the Rio Games in 2016, was a surprise winner. Elaine Thompson who claimed the gold in Brazil, started well but faded after 50 metres and finished fifth.

Her slump - 24 hours after Usain Bolt failed to win gold - allowed the United States to harvest the men’s and women’s 100 metres at the world championships for the first time since 2005.

While Bowie has the bragging rights as the speed queen, Nafissatou Thiam confirmed her position as the world’s best overall female athlete with her first world championship heptathlon title.

A year after her gold at the Rio Olympics, the Belgian won the seven discipline event with 6,784 points. Carolin Schafer from Germany was second and Anouk Vetter was third with a Dutch record of 6,636 points.

“I think it was a good lesson for me to come here and compete in the conditions where everyone expects more of me,” said 22-year-old Thiam. “When I won in Rio there wasn’t any pressure on me. I know that it’s not always going to be a happy ending and more difficult times are going to come but I will enjoy this moment and realise when it’s not going like I want, I can still remember moments like this and be motivated.”

Like Thiam, Ekaterini Stefanidi struck gold in Rio. And the Greek added the world title in the pole vault to her collection with a leap of 4 metres 91 centimetres. Tomas Walsh of New Zealand took the the men's shot put and there were wins for Rose Chelimo and Geoffrey Kipror Kirui in the women’s and men’s marathons respectively.

 

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