Jehue Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago stumbled across the finish line to hold off Michael Tinsley and win the men’s 400m hurdles gold at the IAAF World Championships here on Thursday.
Gordon came on strong down the stretch and finished in a world-leading time of 47.69 seconds to edge Tinsley.
Shortly after crossing the finish line, Gordon fell to the track. Three lanes over, Tinsley, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist from the USA, toppled over too. They each stared at the scoreboard, waiting for a winner to be announced. After a few moments, Gordon’s name finally flashed on the board.
Third world title for Kemboi
Kenya’s Ezekiel Kemboi won his third 3,000m steeplechase world title on Thursday. The 31-year-old two-time Olympic champion timed 8min 06.01 seconds to take the gold while compatriot Conseslus Kipruto won the silver in 8:06.37. France’s two-time Olympic silver medallist Mahiedine Mekhissi was third, clocking 8:07.86.
Czech Republic’s Zuzana Hejnova came back strongly in the second half of the race to win the women’s 400m hurdles gold. The Olympic bronze medallist is unbeaten this season and clocked the fastest time in the world this year — 52.83 — for the gold.
Dalilah Muhammad of USA was second in 54.09 and compatriot and the 2011 world champion Lashinda Demus of the USA took the third spot in 54.27. Russia’s Olympic champion Natalya Antyukh did not make the final.
The Belgian Borlee brothers made history on Thursday when all three competed in the 4x400m relay, a first for the World athletics championships. Twins Jonathan and Kevin, the 2011 world 400m bronze medallist, ran in their heat alongside younger brother Dylan, making his world debut, and Antoine Gillet.
Jonathan did well to get back into third spot after a poor first leg from Gillet. Brazil’s Wagner Cardoso then overtook debutant Dylan on his third leg to push the Belgian quartet back into fourth, but Kevin produced a strong anchor-leg to get back into third spot, with the top two of the three heats automatically qualifying along with the next two fastest.
The Belgians, who had finished fifth at the 2011 worlds in Daegu and one place lower at the 2012 London Olympics, finished in a season’s best of 3:00.81.
The Belgian brothers, whose older sister Olivia won the Olympic silver in 2008 and worlds bronze in 2007 in the 4x100m relay, lived to fight another day as they sealed one of the two fastest losers spots, along with Brazil. The final of the 4x400m relay will be held on Friday, with USA, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Great Britain among the favourites.
The results: Men: 400m hurdles: 1. Jehue Gordon (Tri) 47.69; 2. Michael Tinsley (USA) 47.70; 3. Emir Bekric (Srb) 48.05. 3,000m steeplechase: 1. Ezekiel Kemboi (Ken) 8:06.01; 2. Conseslus Kipruto (Ken) 8:06.37; 3. Mahiedine Mekhissi (Fra) 8:07.86. High Jump: 1.Bohdan Bondarenko (Ukr) 2.41; 2. Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qat) 2.38; 3. Derek Drouin (Can) 2.38.
Women: 400m hurdles: 1.Zuzana Hejnova (Cze) 52.83; 2. Dalilah Muhammad (USA) 54.09; 3. Lashinda Demus (USA) 54.27. Triple Jump: 1. Caterine Ibarguen (Col) 14.85; 2. Ekaterena Koneva (Rus) 14.81; 3. Otha Saladuha (Ukr) 14.65. 1,500m: 1. Abeba Aregawi (Swe) 4:02.67; 2. Jennifer Simpson (USA) 4:02.99; 3. Hellen Onsando Obiri (Ken) 4:03.86.
