World championships: Fraser-Pryce grabs an unprecedented third gold

Jamaican sprint star pips Netherlands’ Schippers in 100m women’s event

BEIJING: Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce rallied to claim an unprecedented third world championship 100m title in 10.76sec at the Bird’s Nest stadium on Monday.

With her long, dyed green braids flowing behind her, the diminutive 28-year-old was not quickest out of the blocks but soon got into her stride and powered down the track to add to her triumphs in Berlin in 2009 and Moscow two years ago.

Former heptathlete Dafne Schippers almost caught her with a brilliant finish but was more than satisfied with her second Dutch national record of the night in 10.81 and first world championship silver.

Like Schippers, American Tori Bowie has not long turned her focus to the sprints and she claimed bronze in 10.86 ahead of 2007 world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.91).

Fraser-Pryce’s time was the second fastest of the year after her own 10.74 in Paris last month but she was not satisfied.

“I’m tired of 10.7s,” said the double Olympic champion. “I want a 10.6 something. Hopefully in my next race I’ll get it together.”

Usain Bolt back in action for 200m

Newly-crowned 100m champion Usain Bolt makes a swift return to the track on the fourth day of the world championships in Beijing on Tuesday when he goes off in round one of his favoured 200m.

Bolt pipped American rival Justin Gatlin by one-hundredth of a second to claim victory in an epic 100m battle at the Bird’s Nest on Sunday.

The Jamaican has struggled this season with pelvic joint pain but came roaring back to clock a season’s best of 9.79sec at just the right time.

His focus turned immediately to the 200m, in which he will be seeking a fourth consecutive title after having previously triumphed in Berlin, Daegu and Moscow.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th,  2015.

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