DAEGU, South Korea (AP) — In a golden half-hour for the United States, three athletes won World Championships titles yesterday, none more surprising than Jennifer Barringer Simpson getting the first 1,500-metre victory since Mary Decker-Slaney in 1983.

Jesse Williams added the first high jump world title in two decades and Lashinda Demus ran the third fastest time in history to take the women’s 400 hurdles.

At the end of the night, the United States led the medal standings with seven gold medals and 12 overall. Russia were closest with four gold and 12 in total.

On a day of surprises, double-amputee runner Oscar Pistorius reached his first major final, leading off South Africa’s 4×400-metre relay team and helping them qualify with a national record. The South African team is to decide early today whether the Paralympic star would still be in the starting lineup for today’s final since it could also use yesterday’s 400 hurdles bronze medalist L J van Zyl.

For the surprising haul of the Americans, the face of Simpson told it all. She did not even figure in the top 10 of this season’s performers before outpacing all the favourites and winning the first title for the United States in the race in 28 years.

With her mouth open, Simpson sped past rivals on the finishing straight and then, with big eyes, looked at the giant screen facing her in Daegu Stadium to see if it really, truly, happened.

She closed her eyes and raised her fists in disbelief.

Williams, conversely, was as composed as can be in a nerve-racking event like the high jump. He was perfect through the winning height of 2.35 metres, needing one jump less than Aleksey Dmitrik of Russia.

Both failed three times at 2.37 to give the United States that first men’s high jump title since Charles Austin at the 1991 worlds in Tokyo.

If two gold medals in a dozen minutes was great, Demus made it three in 29 after a thrilling duel with Jamaican rival Melaine Walker.

After twice getting silver, Demus finally got the breakthrough victory when she swept ahead after clearing the last of 10 hurdles alongside Walker before putting in a better finishing kick.

Her time of 52.47 seconds beat the Jamaican by .26 seconds and the 16-year-old US record of Kim Batten by .14.

Today, the American national anthem will be played three times in an hour to celebrate one extraordinary night. But the crowd at Daegu Stadium is also getting used to the Kenyan anthem.

They added their customary gold in the men’s steeplechase, but a wild celebration added to the expected.

Even Britain got into the act yesterday, with David Greene taking the men’s 400-metre hurdles ahead of Javier Culson of Puerto Rico and Van Zyl, a welcome break from days of mishap and a boost ahead of next year’s London Olympics.