Mclaughlin delivers 'big win' in Oregon

EUGENE (Oregon) • Tokyo Games gold medallist Sydney McLaughlin wrote another astonishing chapter in her track and field career on Friday, obliterating her own world record as she powered to victory in the women's 400m hurdles and setting the World Athletics Championships alight in the process.

In a consummate display of front-foot running, the American left a loaded field for dead from the gun, haring through the tape in an astonishing 50.68sec.

It not only sliced more than half a second off her previous world mark of 51.41, which she set last month, but it was also the first time any woman had ducked under the 51sec barrier.

"We took the 400m hurdles and made it something you want to watch," said McLaughlin, adding that she was proud to have once again delivered at a "big-stage race".

"I knew the pressure was going to be there tonight. The time is absolutely amazing and the sport is getting faster and faster. Just figuring out what barriers can be broken. I only get faster from here.

"Honestly I just wanted to go for it. The last 100m really hurt, but I'm grateful to have this crowd... It all came together today and another medal for Team USA.

"It was absolutely unreal to have my family in the stands. I have never had them together on one place. So this was for me so big."

Femke Bol of the Netherlands took silver in 52.27sec while compatriot Dalilah Muhammad sealed the bronze in 53.13.

To put McLaughlin's staggering performance in perspective, her time after negotiating 10 hurdles over 400m would have seen her beat two runners in the women's 400m final, raced just minutes beforehand.

That race was won in 49.11sec by two-time Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, with Dominican Marileidy Paulino second in 49.60 while Barbados' Sada Williams finished third in 49.75.

Miller-Uibo was deprived of gold at the 2019 worlds in Doha by Salwa Eid Naser, but the Bahraini is serving a two-year ban after three missed doping tests, ruling her out of last year's Tokyo Games and the worlds.

The men's 400m final was claimed by American Michael Norman, whose 44.29sec victory made up for a disappointing fifth at the Tokyo Olympics.

Three-time Olympic medallist and 2011 world champion Kirani James of Grenada took silver with 44.68, while Briton Matthew Hudson-Smith came in third (44.66).

"Last year was not a good year for me, so I had to do a lot of hard work just to get back to where I was," Norman said.

"This moment is going to be remembered forever."

Kelsey-Lee Barber retained her javelin title, after the Tokyo bronze medallist threw a best of 66.91m, joining track great Cathy Freeman as the only Australians to retain their titles at the world championships.

Peru's Kimberly Garcia Leon won the inaugural 35km women's race walk in 2hr 39min 16sec, a week after claiming her first world gold over 20km.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS