Wayde van Niekerk’s dreams of emulating legend Michael Johnson’s 200-400m world double lay in tatters on Thursday as Turkey’s 9/1 outsider Ramil Guliyev edged the 200m final.
Guliyev’s win may not have been following the script the organisers wished for after Justin Gatlin’s upset of Usain Bolt.
The 27-year-old Azerbaijan-born sprinter, who became a Turkish citizen in 2011, draped himself in both the Turkish and Azeri flags as he performed his lap of honour.
“It’s not a shock. I wanted to win and this year I thought it was possible and I made it,” said Guliyev. “Yes I believed in myself.”
Normal order was restored, however, in the night’s other two finals with the United States going one-two in both.
Christian Taylor won his third world title in the triple jump with his great rival Will Claye taking silver just as he has done in two successive Olympic Games.
Carter bests Dalilah
However, Olympic 400m hurdles champion Dalilah Muhammad was unable to add the world gold as she was run out of first by compatriot Kori Carter, the 25-year-old previously regarded as a journeywoman.
Davinder Singh became the first Indian to qualify for the javelin final even as his more fancied compatriot Neeraj Chopra crashed out in the qualification round.
Competing in the qualification round Group B, Davinder, who was carrying a shoulder injury, cleared the automatic qualification mark of 83m in his third and final throw with an 84.22m hurl. He had touched 82.22m and 82.14m before that.
Earlier in Group A, Neeraj failed to hurl the the spear past 83m in his three attempts with his best effort of 82.26m coming in his opening throw. The world junior record holder fouled his second attempt before clearing only 80.54m in his final throw.
The results :
Men : 200m : 1. Ramil Guliyev (Tur) 20.09s; 2. Wayde van Niekerk (Rsa) 20.11; 3. Jereem Richards (Tto) 20.11; Triple jump : 1. Christian Taylor (USA) 17.68m; 2. Will Claye (USA) 17.63; 3. Nelson Evora (Por) 17.19.
Women : 400m hurdles: 1. Kori Carter (USA) 53.07s, 2. Dalilah Muahammad (USA) 53.50, 3. Ristananna Tracey (Jam) 53.74 .
