Dafne Schippers takes 200m gold medal with World Championship record time
Last Updated: 28/08/15 4:12pm
Dafne Schippers snatched a dramatic gold medal victory in the 200 metres at the World Championships.
The Dutch sprinter set a new championship record with a winning time of 21.63, edging out Jamaica's Elaine Thompson on the line, while Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith finished fifth in a national record time of 22.07.
Schippers, a former hepathlete, had won silver in the 100 metres behind Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and took full advantage of the Jamaican's decision not to run in the longer format.
Thompson produced a strong bend and was closely followed by compatriot Veronica Campbell-Brown as she headed down the straight, but Schippers timed her sprint perfectly and nudged ahead in the final yards.
Stretching at the line, she took gold ahead of Thompson, who produced a personal best time of 21.66, while bronze went to her compatriot, twice Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, finishing in 21.97.
Only Americans Florence Griffith-Joyner, the world record holder, and Marion Jones, who was later banned for doping, have run faster than Schippers.
Another strong performance from the impressive Asher-Smith had seen her register a personal best for the third time in three days, finishing behind fourth-placed American Candyce McGrone.
Schippers is the first European to win the title since Russia's Anastasiya Kapachinskaya in Paris in 2003, breaking 12 years of American and Jamaican dominance in the event.
Fraser-Pryce, the 2013 champion, opted against doubling up in Beijing while the schedule prevented Olympic champion Allyson Felix running the 200 and 400 and she chose the longer race, winning gold on Thursday.
