Jamaican athlete Danielle Williams upset a strong women’s 100m Hurdles field to claim her first World Championships title with a Personal Best (PB) of 12.57s, as two-time European champion, Sergey Shubenkov showed that he has come of age, defeating the likes of defending champion, David Oliver to claim GOLD in the 110 Hurdles on Day 7 of the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing.
The newly crowned 100m Hurdles champion put up a good show, leading her heat with 12.77s, and replicated the same feat in the semis where she lowered her time to a PB of 12.58s, before her feat in the final. Germany’s Cindy Roleder followed in 2nd with a PB of 12.59s, as Alina Talay clocked a National Record (NR) of 12.66s to claim Bronze. Danielle’s older sister, Shermaine placed 7th with 12.95s.
Team USA’s medal chances had already been dealt a big blow as a number of big scalps were claimed in the semis as former Olympic Champion and one of the pre-championship favourites, Dawn Harper-Nelson crashed out in the semis, while World No. 4, Kendra Harrison was also disqualified in the semis for beating the gun.
Eventual finalists, Brianna Rollins, who is the defending champion, and Sharika Nelvis (World No. 2), finished 4th and 8th respectively with 12.67s and 13.06s, making it the fifth time in the history of the championships that no American representative made it to the Top 3 of the event.
It was expected that Great Britain’s Tiffany Porter would take advantage of the absence of her rivals to snatch the GOLD medal. Unfortunately, the European champion stretched out too hard and tumbled over the finishing line, eventually finishing 5th with 12.68s.
Sergey Shubenkov came from behind to finish strongly and win GOLD in the men’s 110m Hurdles. Shubenkov, who won Bronze in Moscow two years ago, dipped in on the line in a time of 12.98s to clock the first sub-13s of his career; the mark is also an NR for the Russian. Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment ran a Season’s Best (SB) to win Silver in 13.03s.
However, the success story belongs to America’s Aries Merritt who defied his medical condition to win Bronze in 13.04s. With a trip to the surgeon confirmed after the World Championships, Merritt couldn’t have wished for a better preparation than the medal he won as he awaits to go under the knife for a kidney transplant.
Merritt is the current World Record (WR) holder with a mark of 12.80s, and is also the Olympic champion. That notwithstanding, he will definitely value this Bronze, as it came on the back of a life-threatening illness. Meanwhile, defending champion, David Oliver, who started out in Lane 9, finished 7th in 13.33s, losing his crown in the process.
Former World Junior champion and 2014 Diamond Race winner, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and his compatriot, Dimitri Pascou placed 4th and 5th respectively, with both hurdlers returning a time of 13.17s, as Jamaica’s Omar Mcleod finished in 6th with 13.18s. Darien Garfield placed 8th with a time of 13.34s.
