Usain Bolt shines again

Usain Bolt went for a third consecutive 200-meter world championship title in Moscow on Saturday. The Jamaican was ahead of the field shortly after the start. He stretched ahead to win in a time of 19.66 seconds and was followed in by compatriot Warren Weir for the silver in 19.79 seconds, with US sprinter Curtis Mitchell taking bronze.

Bolt added the title to his 100-meter win at the championships last weekend. It was the Olympian's seventh world title overall. He is expected to run the last race of the championships tomorrow, the 4x100m relay.

Earlier in the day, Uganda's Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich won the men's marathon with a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes and 51 seconds. He was followed in by Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa 21 seconds later and his compatriot Tadese Tola a further 11 seconds back, on the warm sunny day in the Russian capital.

"I am so happy I won another gold medal for my country," Kiprotich said. "Now I am the Olympic and world champion."

In the women's 100-meter hurdles, 22-year-old Brianna Rollins of the US made a terrible start but took gold in 12.44 seconds, ahead of the Olympic and 2011 world champion Sally Pearson from Australia. Britain's Tiffany Porter was third.

Ethiopia's Meseret Defar won the women's 5000 meters, just ahead of Kenya's Mercy Cherono. Almaz Ayana, also of Ethiopia, took the bronze.

In the men's javelin final, the Czech Republic's Vitezslav Vesely took gold with his first-round throw of 87.17 meters. Silver went to the Finn Tero Pitkamaki, and bronze went to Russia's Dmitri Tarabin who threw 86.23 meters with his final attempt.

In the women's high jump, there was a surprise win for Russia's Svetlana Shkolina, instead of the favorite: her compatriot Anna Chicherova. Shkolina, the bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics and fifth in the 2011 World Championships, was the only athlete to clear 2.03 meters, a personal best for her.

Behind Shkolina, Brigetta Barrett of the US took silver after jumping exactly 2 meters. Chicherova, the gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2011 World Championships, shared the high jump bronze medal (they have one each) with Spain's Ruth Beitia, as both of them cleared 1.97 meters.

Russia surprisingly ended the US domination of the women's 4x400 meters relay to take the host nation's first track gold medal of the championships in the Luzhniki Stadium. The US team had won the last three world titles but a superb second leg by Tatyana Firova had the Russians in front and the home crowd roaring.

Kseniya Ryzhova drove home the advantage and individual bronze medalist Antonina Krivoshapka held off a determined run by Francena McCorory to take relay gold for Russia in 3 minutes, 20.19 seconds. The US took silver, and the individual champion Christine Ohuruogu brought Britain home the bronze.

With one day to go, hosts Russia lead the medals table with seven gold, three silver and five bronze medals. They are followed by the US, Jamaica, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Germany, who have three gold, two silver and one bronze medal.

jm/mkg (dpa, Reuters, AP)