Van Niekerk retains crown after Makwala withdraws
August 8, 2017
Wayde van Niekerk retained his world 400-meters title in dominant fashion on Tuesday as he stormed to victory in 43.98 seconds but there was almost as much interest in the empty lane alongside him where Botswana's Isaac Makwala should have been.
South African Van Niekerk, the Olympic and defending champion and world-record holder, ran a controlled race and was even able to ease down over the final strides as he secured the first half of what he hopes will be a 400/200m double.
Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas was a clear second in 44.41 and 20-year-old Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar blasted through at the end to snatch bronze in 44.48
Makwala, third fastest this season, was scratched from the race earlier in the day having also been withdrawn from Monday's 200m heats after vomiting before the race.
He insisted he wanted to run but IAAF officials ruled him out and refused him entry to the stadium amid a swathe of nanovirus and gastroenteritis cases that have affected about 30 athletes from a selection of countries.
Frenchman shows who's Bosse
Pierre-Ambroise Bosse of France won the men's 800 meters world title in sensational style.
The 25-year-old, fourth in the Olympic final last year, surprised the field in 1:44.67 ahead of Adam Kszczot of Poland, who had to settle for silver as he had in the 2015 final. Kenya's Kipyegon Bett took the bronze.
"I live a dream, I'm in a dream right now, am I dreaming?" gasped Bosse, who produced a stunning burst with 150m to go, passing Bett and race favorite Nijel Amos of Botswana.
Kipruto adds to Olympic title
Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto mastered the threat of American favorite Evan Jager to win the world men's 3,000m steeplechase gold on Tuesday.
The Olympic champion kicked with 300 meters remaining and held on to see off the threat posed by Morocco's Soufiane Elbakkali, who also surged past Jager coming into the final straight.
Kipruto timed 8:14.12, with Elbakkali taking silver at 0.37sec and Jager bronze (8:15.53).
Spotakova back on top
Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic regained the javelin world title she first won 10 years ago at the World Championships.
The world-record holder threw 66.76 meters on her second attempt in the final, which proved enough to clinch a second world gold for the 36-year-old.
Spotakova, who claimed the second of her Olympic titles in the same London stadium five years ago, improved on her 2016 performance when she won bronze in the Rio Games.
mds/pfd (AFP, AP, Reuters)