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Gay claims sprint double in Osaka

Tyson Gay celebrates after yesterday's men's 200m final at the IAAF World Athletics Championships, in Osaka, Japan. Gay won the race ahead of Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Wallace Spearmon of the US. PHOTO: AFP

American Tyson Gay won the 200m in 19.76 seconds yesterday to complete a sprint double at the track and field world championships.

Gay had already won the 100m, beating archrival and world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica.

Gay was the overwhelming favorite in the 200m after clocking 19.62 at the US championships.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt led out of the bend and the pair was neck-and-neck until Gay surged ahead down the straight.

Bolt took silver in 19.91 and the US got bronze via Wallace Spearmon in 20.05.

Maurice Green (1999) and Justin Gatlin (2005) are the only previous male athletes to have won sprint doubles at the championships.

Gay is expected to go for a third gold medal as part of the US team in the 400m relay.

Gay and Spearmon's coach, Lance Brauman, was released from prison on Tuesday after serving a year for embezzlement and mail fraud.

Earlier Irving Saladino won the first world championship gold medal in Panama's history with a dramatic victory in the men's long jump.

Saladino won with his final leap of 8.57m to extend his winning streak to 16 competitions and his 23rd victory in his last 25.

Italy's European champion Andrew Howe had to settle for the silver after believing he had done enough to win with his final attempt of 8.47 just minutes earlier.

Olympic champion Dwight Phillips took bronze with a best effort of 8:30, the American falling short in his bid for a third successive world title.

Panama's only previous podium finishes at a major championships were Lloyd LaBeach's two bronze medals in the 100 and 200m at the 1948 Olympics in London.

Betty Heidler won a surprise gold in the women's hammer.

Heidler won her first major title with her second throw of 74.76m, just 2cm more than Cuban Yipsi Moreno's final throw.

"I was afraid to lose the gold medal," Heidler, who works for Germany's border police, told reporters. "I was really trembling. After Yipsi's last throw I thought for a tiny moment I was only second. I knew there would a lot of suspense but it feels strange to win."

Asian Games champion Zhang Wenxiu took bronze for China's first medal of the championships.

"I'm proud to bring China its first medal," said Zhang. "It's a real confidence booster for next year's Olympics in Beijing."

Meanwhile Jana Rawlinson proved that titles and records mean little -- and that motherhood can strengthen a runner, not break her.

Facing Russian defending champion and 400m hurdles world record holder Yuliya Pechonkina, the Australian took over the race midway through and held on over a tense finishing stretch to reclaim the title she first took in 2003.

Just over eight months after giving birth to Cornelis, the 24-year-old came back as strong as ever.

"The last 18 months have been truly incredible. Getting married, having a baby and then coming and winning a world title. I don't think you can beat that," Rawlinson said.

She won her world title and competed as Jana Pittman until she married her British coach, Chris Rawlinson, last year.

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Christine Ohuruogu wins 400m

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