Jumping for Joy: World Athletics latest winners

There were more upsets at the World Athletics Championships in London on a thrilling night of action on ThursdayRamil Guliyev, born i n Azerbaijan but representing Turkey, won the 200 metres gold, edging South African favourite Wayde van Niekerk into second place.His victory, 20.09 second, was a shock for the pundits but Guliyev never doubted his abilities.“I believed I could win some medals,” he said afterwards,“but I didn’t know it would be first”.Van Niekerk had been seeking a 400/200m double but had to settle for silver, with Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago in third.In another surprise in London, Kori Carter pulled off the rare feat of winning the 400 metres hurdles title from the outside lane.The favourite, her US team mate and Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad, had to settle for silver.“I feel amazing,” Carter said.“I’m just so excited right now. All the sacrifices from all of the years have really paid off so I’m just on top of the world right now.”All eyes had been on Carter’s U.S. team mate, Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad, who had been the strong favourite, but it was the former American champion in lane nine who maintained her form best to race to victory in 53.07 seconds.Muhammad, the fastest woman in the world this year, earned the silver in 53.50 to complete an American one-two while Jamaican Ristananna Tracey, an Olympic finalist last year, took the bronze in a lifetime best 53.74.Czech Zuzana Hejnova, who had been seeking to achieve an unprecedented third successive one-lap hurdles victory, had to settle for fourth, being overhauled by Tracey on the run-in despite clocking a season’s best 54.20.“I am on top of the world right now. What a blessing to be world champion. This is just an incredible feeling like I’ve never experienced,“ the 25-year-old Carter told the crowd.“When you work so hard and sacrifice so much for something, for it to pay off in the end is so satisfying. It’s a surreal experience right now.“It’s always great to run against great athletes because it brings the best out in you, going up against Team USA at trials really prepared me for this.”Few, though, could have expected the Los Angeles-based Carter, who had won the U.S. title three years ago, to prevail from the outside lane where the race becomes a test of blind faith.UNPRECEDENTED FEATWayde van Niekerk, famously, achieved his Olympic 400 metres win last year from that position, breaking the world record in the process, but that was a wholly unprecedented feat.Muhammad, who ran 52.64 seconds this year when she beat Carter into third place in a high-quality U.S. trials race, had led through seven hurdles in lane four.But Carter, who started her athletic career as a soccer player before falling in love with the hurdles, dug deep over the last 30 metres and pulled away from Muhammad.Hejnova was also quickly running out of steam and twice Jamaican champion Tracey took advantage.“I feel sorry for my performance tonight,“ Hejnova said. “I am disappointed. I kicked it too much at the start and I was missing the energy in the last metres. I think I just let myself be blown away by this amazing atmosphere at the stadium.”Muhammad talked of having suffered a “shaky“ season even though she had been imperious in Sacramento at the U.S. Championships.“I really wanted to win, of course, but I’ve had so many ups and downs this season. To come out with a silver, I’m proud of that,“ the 27-year-old said.“I’m just happy to even get on the podium - it’s been a shaky year. I am very proud of Team USA, we come out and show out.”In the Triple Jump, Double Olympic champion Christian Taylor won his third world title ahead of fellow American Will Claye.But Taylor failed to break the more than 20-year-old triple jump record of 18.29 metres.“Honestly, yeah, I have been chasing these number. You know this match go 18.29, I always want to put on a great show”Portuguese veteran Nelson Evora took bronze

Jumping for Joy: World Athletics latest winners

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