Bahamas’ Steven Gardiner won the men’s 400 metres at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, Friday (Oct 4) and smashed his country’s national record in the process.

Gardiner paced his race well and came into the home stretch with a slight lead. When it seemed as if Fred Kerley of the United States of America and Kirani James of Grenada would challenge him in the final 100 metres, he maintained his form and strode away from both.

He won in 43.48 seconds, the sixth-fastest time ever, with Anthony Jose Zambrano of Colombia finishing the final 20 metres fast to win the silver medal in 44.15, which bettered his own area record set in the semi-finals.Kerley ended third in 44.17 seconds as Jamaica’s Demish Gaye, who entered the final 100 metres at the back of the field, powering through to take fourth in a personal best of 44.46. James ended fifth in 44.54.

Kenya’s Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir was sixth in 44.94 with Trinidad and Tobago’s Machel Cedenio seventh in 45.30. Jamaica’s Akeem Bloomfield finished eighth in 45.36 seconds.