Story highlights
Jamaican sprinter wins 200m final in 19.66 seconds
Compatriot Warren Weir takes silver in 19.79 seconds
U.S. sprinter Curtis Mitchell takes bronze
Russia top medals table with seven golds with one day of competition remaining
Usain Bolt has won a third consecutive world 200m title at the world championships in Moscow.
The Jamaican sprinter powered home in a time of 19.66 seconds at the Luzhniki stadium to take his tally of world championship gold medals to seven.
His compatriot Warren Weir took the silver in 19.79 seconds while U.S. sprinter Curtis Mitchell claimed the bronze in a time of 20.04 seconds.
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Bolt may not have been at his blistering best at these championships but has still put clear daylight between himself and his fellow sprinters when it matters most.
The 26-year-old was run close by South Africa’s Anaso Jobodwana in Friday’s 200m semifinal but effortlessly stepped up a gear in the final.
Running in lane four, Bolt powered around the bend leaving the field trailing in his wake. Weir chased gamely and was closing on Bolt as he crossed the line but the result, as always, was never in doubt.
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Bolt will look to add a eighth gold medal to his world championship collection on Sunday when he goes in the 4x100m relay.
Six other gold medals were up for grabs on Saturday with Russia having a good day both on the track and in the field.
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Svetlana Shkolina won the women’s high jump for Russia going clear at 2.03 meters to beat U.S. rival Brigetta Barrett (2.00m) who took silver. Shkolina’s teammate Anna Chicherova shared bronze with Spain’s Ruth Beitia.
Russia’s women also pipped the U.S. to gold in the 4x400m relay as Antonina Krivoshapka held off a challenge from Francina McCrory of the U.S. on the anchor leg. Great Britain and Ireland took the bronze.
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But there was better news for the U.S. in the 100m hurdles with Brianna Rollins recovering from a poor start to take gold in 12.44 seconds ahead of 2011 world champion Sally Pearson from Australia. Great Britain and Ireland’s Tiffany Porter took bronze.
In the men’s marathon, Stephen Kiprotich added world gold to the Olympic title he won in London last year.
The Ugandan clocked a winning time of two hours nine minutes 51 seconds with Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa taking silver with teammate Tadese Tola claiming the bronze.
Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar regained the women’s 5,000-meter title in a time of 14 minutes 50.19 seconds. Kenya’s Mercy Cherono took the silver with Defar’s compatriot Almaz Ayana taking bronze.
Russia are top of the medal table with one day of competition left. The hosts have seven golds with the U.S. one behind on six. Jamaica is third with four golds.
