Omar McLeod redeems Jamaican honour with gold in 110-m hurdles

London, August 8 (IANS): Jamaica’s Omar McLeod won the final in the 110-metre hurdles on the fourth day of the World Athletics Championships, helping to ease the blow to the track-mad nation’s pride after losses in the men’s and women’s 100-metre race here.
McLeod on Monday took the gold medal with a time of 13:04 seconds, forcing defending champion Sergei Shubenkov of Russia to settle for silver, while Hungary’s Balasz Baji claimed the bronze, reports Efe.
The 23-year-old was carrying the hopes of Jamaica on his shoulders following the weekend defeats of living legend Usain Bolt and heavy favourite Elaine Thompson in their 100-metre sprints.
In the women’s triple jump, Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas dethroned the reigning champion Caterine Ibargüen of Colombia, with a distance of 14.91 metres.
Ibargüen, frustrated in her bid to become the first to win three consecutive world titles, will leave London with the silver medal.
Kazakhstan’s Olga Rypakova, who took gold at the 2012 Olympics here, collected the bronze medal.
The day’s marquee event was the women’s 1,500 metres, pitting 2016 Rio Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon of Kenya against Dutch runner Sifan Hassan, owner of the year’s fastest time, 3:56 min.
The two women were leading the pack as the race entered the final 200 metres, but Hassan hit the wall and ended up with a fifth-place finish.
Kipyegon completed the course in 4:02.59 min, followed by US champion Jenny Simpson at 4:02.76, and South Africa’s Caster Semenya, who posted a time of 4:02.90.
Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk triumphed in the hammer throw with a distance of 77.90 metres, snagging her third straight world title and extending her winning streak to 41.
Zheng Wang of China won the silver with a throw of 75.94m. Wlodarczyk’s countrywoman Malwina Kopron collected the bronze.