Britain’s Richard Kilty stormed to victory in the men’s 60m dash at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Sopot, Poland, yesterday, leaving the highly fancied Marvin Bracey of the USA in second place and another favorite, Jamaica’s 2012 silver medalist Nesta Carter, in the seventh spot.
Bracy registered 6.51 for the silver and Qatar’s Femi Ogunode took the bronze in 6.52.
It was a sweet win and personal best time of 6.49secs. for the 24-year-old Kilty who was brought in to replace the injured James Dasaolu. He noted that victory in Poland meant he had “proved selectors wrong” for omitting him from the team for the London Olympics in 2012.
Kilty qualified easily for Saturday’s morning’s semi-final, where he finished second to Carter (6.50) to make the evening’s final with 6.52. This was an improvement on the 6.53secs he ran at the British Indoor Championships last month.
Elsewhere, America’s Ashton Eaton defended his heptathlon title, finishing 13 points short of his own world record. And in the women’s 1500m, Sweden’s Abeba Aregawi won gold comfortably by a 6.51-second margin.
In the women’s triple jump, one centimeter separated gold and silver in the women’s triple jump, where Russia’s Ekaterina Koneva pushed Ukraine’s Olga Saladukha into second place with a 14.46m leap.
Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams won the bronze with a leap of 14.39m. It was her first medal on the global stage, having finished fourth in Moscow last year.
Kaliese Spencer is another Jamaican taking home a global medal for the first time, after coming close with fourth-placed finishes at the 2009 and 2011 IAAF World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games. Spencer, a 400m hurdles specialist, copped the silver medal in the Women’s 400m final in a personal best time of 51.54. Francena McCorory of the US won the event in 51.12 with Bahamian Shaunae Miller taking the bronze in 52.06.
Brown Makes History
Miller’s compatriot, 35-year-old Chris Brown clocked a personal best of 45.58 for silver in the men’s 400m. It was his fifth straight medal at the Indoor Championships. Brown made history as the only athlete to own a medal of every color. On Saturday, he added the silver to the gold he won in 2010 in Doha, Qatar and the bronze he took in 2012 in Istanbul, 2008 in Valencia and 2006 in Moscow.
Pavel Maslak of the Czech Republic won the race in a new indoor record time of 45.24secs. and Kyle Clemons of the USA took the bronze in 45.74.
Costa Rica’s 2012 champion Nery Brenes faded in the home straight and jogging home in 47.32.
Defending women’s 60m hurdles champion Sally Pearson of Australia looked set to win the event. However, after bolting ahead out of the blocks, she clipped the last hurdle and had to settle for the silver behind the US indoor champion Nia Ali, who out-sprinted her to the line to win in a PB of 7.80. Pearson registered 7.85, ahead of Britain’s Tiffany Porter (7.86), for the bronze. Porter won silver in Istanbul two years ago.
The Championships end today and promises fierce battles in the women’s 60m and the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.