EUGENE, Oregon — Britany Anderson delivered a brilliant silver medal on Sunday's final day of the World Athletics Championships after running a wind-assisted 12.23 seconds (2.5m/s) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Anderson, who set a Jamaican record 12.31 (0.3m/s) in the semi-finals, was part of one of the most amazing final two rounds of women's sprint hurdling.
Nigeria's Tobi Amusan, who is coached by former Vere Technical and Jamaican hurdler Lacena Golding Clarke, won in an incredible 12.06.
That came fewer than two hours after she ran an astonishing world record 12.12 (0.9m/s) in the semi-finals, breaking the previous world record 12.20 seconds set by American Kendra Harrison.
Jamaica's previous record holder Danielle Williams, who got into her third World Championships final on time, was sixth in 12.44.
In addition to the world record, there were four national records and seven personal best times run in the semi-finals.
An elated Anderson told reporters she had come into the championships with a high level of belief after a solid season.
"My self-confidence was really really high. I trusted myself, trusted my coach, and I have worked so hard and I know that I deserve this," she said.
"I had no idea I was running so fast as I was only thinking about getting to the final," she said when asked about her record run in the semis.
Despite running a personal best 12.52 (-0.1m/s), Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper failed to advance to the final after finishing third in her semi-final.
Tapper's time is faster than the winning times at six World Championships — 1991, 1995, 2003, 2005, 2015 and 2017.
Natoya Goule was fifth in the women's 800m finals, running a season's best 1:57.30 minutes after trailing the field for more than half the race. She improved on her sixth-place finish at the 2019 championships in Doha, Qatar.
Goule, who was participating in her third major global final, said getting a medal would have been good but admitted the pace set by the top four had been difficult to match.
"I think I have a lot left. I was trying to get into fourth place but those girls were moving; but, I am pleased with my performance," a beaming Goule said.
American Athing Mu added the World Championships title to her Olympic crown, running a world-leading 1:56.30.
— Paul A Reid
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