Lilian Odira shocked favourites Mary Moraa and Keely Hodgkinson to win the women's 800 metres at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships on Sunday. The Kenyan set a championship record of 1 minute 54.
Lilian Odira shocked favourites Mary Moraa and Keely Hodgkinson to win the women's 800 metres at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships on Sunday.
The Kenyan set a championship record of 1 minute 54.62 seconds to seize gold ahead of Georgia Hunter Bell.
British compatriot Hodgkinson, the Olympic champion who has battled fitness issues, had tried to take the initiative early in the race but tired just before the line to end up with bronze.
Mary Moraa, the defending champion, had to watch as fellow Kenyan Odira stormed through late on for her first major title just a year after returning from maternity leave. Moraa finished seventh. Her cousin Sarah Moraa, the African champion, was fourth.
In the men's 5,000m, US Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker won gold having been disqualified from the 1,500m earlier in the championships for jostling.
Hocker prevailed in 12:58.30 despite a season's best from Belgian Isaac Kimeli, with France's Jimmy Gressier third.
Defending double world champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway is only just back from injury and finished 10th.
Hocker and Odira's wins means the US have 13 golds atop the medal tables, with Kenya second on seven.
The final day of the worlds started with more drama.
Norway's Sander Skotheim, the clear favourite in the decathlon, was disqualified from the 110m hurdles.
The nine-day event concludes later with the track relays. Gold medal favourites the United States earlier secured their ticket to the men's 4x400m relay final in a re-run of Saturday's heats after they had been adjudged to be impeded in their initial exit.
Category: General Sports
