Berlin, Germany - Steffi Nerius, so often the bridesmaid in major competition, rose to the occasion of throwing in front of her home crowd, when she launched her javelin 67.30 metres in the opening round, on Day Four of the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

Maria Abakumova of Russia, who’d thrown 68.92 metres, the longest ever in qualifying the previous day, responded with 65.39 metres in the third round, bettered on the next throw by World and Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova, with 66.42. But apart from a belated 66.06 metres from Abakumova, nothing much changed. But neither Nerius nor the crowd minded. A German had finally won gold.

Richards gets her gold at last
 
Sanya Richards of the USA also finally got it right, and won her first major 400 metres title, with 49.00sec. The tactics that Richards had essayed in the semi-final paid off again, ie blast out of the blocks, go into cruise control down the back straight, and turn it on again off the final bend. It bought her home well clear, and after failing to qualify for Osaka slowed by Behçet disease, then blowing the Olympic final tactically, she could afford to run the last 10 metres or more with a huge smile on her face.
 
Shericka Williams of Jamaica ran a personal best 49.32sec for silver, to emulate her Olympic performance, and a fast first half from Antonina Krivoshapka of Russia ensured the bronze, in 49.71sec. Richards’ nemesis Christine Ohuruogu of Britain had her usual steady start, but when it was time to turn it on, as she had done to win in Osaka and Beijing, there was nothing there, and she finished fifth, albeit in a season’s best of 50.21sec.

Clement defends
 
Kerron Clement successfully defended his 400m Hurdles title with a decisive run, which took him to a world leading time of 47.91sec. He wasn’t put off by former double champion, Felix Sanchez (in the lane outside him) clattering the first hurdle, and he had caught another former champ, colleague Bershawn Jackson before halfway. Jackson had his usual late run, and there were similar assaults from Javier Culson of Puerto Rico and Jehue Gordon of Trinidad, both of whom ran national records. But Clement held on to win from Culson, on 48.09sec, Jackson on 48.23sec, and Gordon on 48.26sec.

Kemboi makes it; Tahri European record splits the Kenyan formation
 
The Kenyans put on another spectacular Steeplechase show, with former Olympic champion, and three time World silver medallist Ezekiel Kemboi finally taking the title in 8:00.43, a championships record. Kemboi said at the start of the season that he intended to win here, and he was as good as his word. He tracked colleague Paul Koech through the first two kilometres before striking out ahead of Koech, his second colleague Richard Mateelong, and Frenchman Bob Tahri, who was fulfilling all the promise of his European record this season.
 
That quartet contested a torrid last lap, with the fourth Kenyan, defending (and Olympic) champion, Brimin Kipruto dropping back. Kemboi always looked the likely winner, and the only question was, could Tahri split the East Africans? He could, snatching bronze with another European record, of 8:01.18. After two World bronzes himself, Mateelong won silver in a personal best 8:00.89.

Idowu goes one better than Beijing
 
Nelson Evora wasted no time in making his mark on the Triple Jump competition. Drawn to jump first, the Olympic champion cut the sand at 17.54 metres. But Phillips Idowu, silver in Beijing had evidently got tired of finished behind the Portuguese. He jumped 17.51 metres in the first round and 17.44 metres in the second, while Evora was fouling. Phillips then took the initiative with a world leading 17.73 metres on the third. That meant the Briton also had the right to jump last on the final three jumps.
 
He didn’t need any of them, which was just as well, since they were all fouls. Evora saved his best ‘til last, when he added a centimetre to his first attempt. But had Idowu finally got the gold that his illustrious predecessor as World champion, the world record holder, Jonathon Edwards has long predicted.

Bolt on his way in the 200m
 
Usain Bolt was content to leave the limelight to the evening’s champions. Bolt was actually the slowest of the four second round winners in the 200 metres, but the way he loped around a half lap in 20.41sec suggested he can run at least a second faster when the final rolls round on Thursday (20). Jamaican compatriot Steve Mullings was the fastest of the round, with his 20.23sec. Olympic champion from Athens Shawn Crawford of the USA looked impressive with his win in 20.37sec. As did Alonso Edward, Panama’s best sprinter since Lloyd la Beach won two bronzes in London 1948. Edward stayed ahead of Wallace Spearmon of the US, winning in 20.33sec

Pat Butcher for the IAAF