Tori Bowie pulled off one of the biggest shocks at the World Championships, as she dipped to win the gold medal in the 100m final. While favourite Elaine Thompson languished in fifth.
Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou thought she had won, but Bowie dipped perfectly at the line to clinch the gold medal from Ta Lou and Dafne Schippers.
Bowie won with a seasons best time of 10.85, one-hundredth of a second ahead of Ta Lou, who finished with a personal best in 10.86.
It’s the 26-year-old’s first major championship individual gold, and afterwards she said: “I feel the hard work has finally paid off, I couldn’t be more happy. The night’s perfect.”
Netherland’s star Dafne Schippers won the bronze in 10.96.
Going into the final, double Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson was the strong favourite, but like Usain Bolt last night, a disappointing start off the block was her undoing. The Jamaican finished fifth in 10.98.
Britain’s three sprinters missed out on a place in the final, with Daryll Neita finishing fourth, Desiree Henry fifth and Asha Philip sixth, in their respective semi-finals.
In the men’s 400m hurdles semi-finals, Olympic champion and world record holder Wayde Van Niekerk eased to a semi-final win. The South African who is doubling with the 200m, ran the third fastest time in the three semi-finals in 44.22.
Finishing second to Van Niekerk, was Baboloki Thebe of Botswana in 44.33.
Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith and Ireland’s Brian Gregan missed out on qualification for the final.
Steven Gardiner of Bahamas and Botswana’s Isaac Makwala won the other two semi-finals, with Jamaica’s Nathon Allen and Demish Gaye, Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar and USA’s Fred Kerley also qualifying.
In the 800m semi-finals, Britain’s Kyle Langford ran impressively to secure a place in the final. The 21-year-old was fifth coming into the home straight, before storming down the final 100m to clinch the second automatic qualification place, crossing the line in 1:45.81. Canada’s Brandon McBride won in 1:45.53.
Langford said: “It was my goal to get into the final. From the start of the season it’s been a bit rocky, but I’m here now, let’s see what I can add on top of that.”
Fellow Briton’s Guy Learmonth and Elliot Giles missed out on a place in the final.
Poland’s Adam Kszczot won the first 800m semi-final in 1:46.24, running impressively to hold off Botswana’s Nigel Amos.
800m favourite Nigel Amos was the slowest in the semi-finals, but a stronger performance from the 23-year-old will be expected in the final.
In the 110m hurdles semi-finals, Britain’s Andy Pozzi failed to qualify for the finals. Jamicia’s Olympic champion, Omar McLeod won his semi-final, as did Bulgaria’s Balazs Baji and Shane Brathwaite of Barbados. Aries Merritt, Garfield Darien, Sergey Shubenkov, Orlando Ortega and Hansle Parchment also qualified.
In the shot put Tomas Walsh of New Zealand won gold, ahead of USA’s Joe Kovacs and Stipe Zunic of Croatia.
Meanwhile, British medal hopefuls Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the heptathlon, and Holly Bradshaw in the pole vault missed out on medals.
Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium and Olympic champion, won heptathlon gold, with Johnson-Thompson finishing in fifth.
In the pole vault, Greece’s Katerina Stefanidi’s won gold with 4.91m, while Bradshaw finished sixth.
Earlier in the day, Callum Hawkins finished an amazing fourth in the marathon, read more about it and all the early Saturday action here.