Henriques sets world record in women’s 50-km walk
The first women's 50-kilometer walk at the world championships produced a world record.
Ines Henriques of Portugal bettered her own mark yesterday by finishing in 4 hours, 5 minutes, 56 seconds on the two-kilometer loop in central London.
"The last 5 (kilometers) were really tough," said Henriques, whose previous world record was 4:08:26. "My goal was to go under 4 hours and 6 minutes."
Yin Hang was second in 4:08:58, followed by Chinese teammate Yang Shuqing in 4:20:49.
Only seven women started the race, which was being run at the worlds for the first time, and only four finished.
In the men's 50K, Yohann Diniz of France won in 3:33:12. At 39, Diniz is the oldest man to win a gold medal at the world championships.
The Frenchman's time was the second fastest in history. Diniz set the world record of 3:32:33 in 2014.
"A lot of training has gone into this - cycling, swimming - everything for this 50 (kilometer) walk," Diniz said. "Last night I kept away from watching the TV because I did not want to get too excited. I went to bed at 9 because I knew it was going to be my day today."
Hirooki Arai was second in 3:41:17, two seconds ahead of Japanese teammate Kai Kobayashi in third.
The 20-kilometer walks were also held Sunday. Yang Jiayu of China won the women's event in a personal best time of 1:26:18. She beat Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez of Mexico by only 1 second.
Antonella Palmisano of Italy was third in 1:26:36.
Lyu Xiuzhi had been in line for bronze, but the Chinese walker was disqualified with about 50 meters to go.
"In the last 100 (meters) I was in a hurry," Lyu said. "I forgot that I already had a medal."
The men's 20K was also close. Eider Arevalo beat 18-year-old Sergei Shirobokov of Russia by two seconds to win gold.
The Colombian finished in 1:18:53. Caio Bonfim of Brazil was third in 1:19:04.
Two-time Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic won the discus at the world championships with a throw of 70.31 meters, well ahead of silver medalist Dani Stevens of Australia.
Stevens set a continental record with a throw of 69.64 meters. Melina Robert-Michon of France took bronze with a toss of 66.21.
It was Perkovic's second world title. She also won gold at the 2013 worlds in Moscow.
Caster Semenya won her third world title in the 800 meters, using her finishing kick to sweep past the competition in the finishing straight and win with ease over Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi.
Ajee Wilson took bronze and gave the United States its 28th medal of the championships, matching its all-time record.
Semenya won with a seasonleading 1 minute, 55.16 seconds. The South African beat Niyonsaba by .76 seconds. Wilson finished in 1:56.65.
Semenya won Olympic gold on the same track five years ago.
Hellen Obiri of Kenya ran away from favorite Almaz Ayana with 250 meters to go to win the 5,000meter race at the world championships and deny the Ethiopian a long-distance double.
Obiri got her final kick going and left Ayana behind, winning in 14 minutes, 34.86 seconds.
After shattering the opposition to win the 10,000, Ayana could never shake her Kenyan opponent and finished 5.49 seconds behind.
Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands took bronze in 14:42.73.
Trinidad and Tobago swept past the United States in the 4x400-meter relay to earn the last big upset of the world championships in the final event.
Lalonde Gordon stayed in the slipstream of Fred Kerley for most of the last lap but then pushed past the American to win in 2 minutes, 58.12 seconds. The U.S. team was second in 2:58.61. Britain took bronze in 2:59.00.
The United States had not lost at the world championships since 2003, but the Americans did lose in the Olympic final at the 2012 London Games in the same stadium.
Allyson Felix and Phyllis Francis won their second gold medals at the world championships by helping the United States win the 4x400-meter relay.
The favoured Americans, with 400 champion Francis running the anchor, won in 3 minutes, 19.02 seconds. They finished about 50 meters ahead of silver medalist Britain. Poland took bronze.
Felix also won gold in the 4x100 relay on Saturday. The latest medal was the 16th of her career at the world championships, going back to 2005.
The relay gold also pushed the United States' overall total in London to 29 medals, another American record at the world championships.
Elijah Manangoi led a 1-2 Kenyan finish in the 1,500 meters at the world championships.
Manangoi beat teammate Timothy Cheruiyot for gold. Filip Ingebrigtsen of Norway took bronze.
Three Kenyans were leading with two laps to go but threetime world champion Asbel Kiprop could not sustain the pace and fell back.
Manangoi won in 3 minutes, 33.61 seconds, .38 seconds ahead of Cheruiyot. Ingebrigtsen took third in 3:34.53.
Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar won the world high jump title with a perfect series of jumps, clearing 2.35 meters without a miss.
Ilya Ivanyuk of Russia, competing as a neutral athlete because of his country's doping suspension, took silver with a jump of 2.32 meters.
Majd Eddin Ghazal of Syria got bronze jumping 2.29 and beating Edgar Rivera on a countback.