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100 m record smashed

August 16, 2009

The highlight of day two of the World Track and Field Championships in Berlin was without doubt the men's 100 meters. Three-time Beijing Olympic champion Usain Bolt smashed his own 100 meter record by 0.11 seconds.

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Jamaica's Usain Bolt, right, USA's Tyson Gay, second from right, and Jamaica's Asafa Powell, foreground left cross the finish line
Jamaica's Usain Bolt sets a new 100m world record of 9.58 secondsImage: AP

Three-time Olympic gold medallist, Jamaican Usain Bolt has set a new world record of 9.58 seconds in winning the final of the men's 100 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. He bettered his own world record of 9.69 seconds set in the Beijing Olympics final.

American rival, triple world champion Tyson Gay took silver with 9.71 seconds to become the second fastest man ever over the distance. Former world record holder Jamaican Asafa Powell took the bronze in 9.84 seconds.

Gold for Britain, silver for Germany in women's heptathlon

Jennifer Oeser about to land with her arms up in the air
Germany's Jennifer Oeser in action at the long jumpImage: AP

Britain's Jessica Ennis has won the first-ever world heptathlon title for her country after winning the 800m in the gruelling seven-discipline event. She led the gruelling two-day even from start to finish capturing gold with a personal best of 6731 points.

Germany's Jennifer Oeser took the silver medal with 6493 points. Oeser briefly fell on the first lap of the 88 meters run to come in third. Poland's Kamila Chudzik took third place in the heptathlon with 6471 points.

Gold for NZ, silver for Germany in women's shot put

Nadine Kleinert prepares to take action
Germany's Nadine Kleinert in the the Women's Shot PutImage: picture-alliance/ dpa

New Zealand's Valeri Vili retained her world title in the women's shot competition. The Olympic champion had a best mark of 20.44 meters. Germany's Nadine Kleinert took second place with a personal best of 20.20 meters while Lijiao Gong of China took bronze with 19.89 meters.

Russia first in women's 20 kilometer walk

Earlier on Sunday, Olympic champion Olga Kaniskina of Russia defended the women's 20 kilometers walk world title. She took the gold medal in a basically one-woman show by finishing in a time of 1:28:10. Ireland's Olive Loughnane came in second 49 seconds later, just ahead of China's Hong Liu who took bronze.

wl/Reuters/AFP/dpa

Editor: Rick Demarest