Dafne Schippers captures 200m and European record at Beijing World Championships

The Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers, centre, crosses the finish line in 21.63 seconds, a European record, to win the women’s 200-metre sprint yesterday at Beijing. Adrian Dennis / AFP

Netherlands sprinter Dafne Schippers clocked the fourth-fastest run in history to defeat Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson by three-hundredths of a second and win gold in the women’s 200-metre run at the Athletics World Championships in Beijing on Friday.

The former heptathlete, who claimed silver in the 100m behind Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on Monday, surged through the line in 21.63 seconds, the quickest time for 17 years in the half-lap sprint.

Only Americans Florence Griffith-Joyner, the world-record holder, and Marion Jones, who was later banned for doping, have run faster.

Thompson was second in a personal-best 21.66. Bronze went to twice Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, in 21.97.

Schippers, 23, taking part in her first major global championships as a sprinter, made a good start but had plenty to do to catch Thompson when they came off the bend.

She got into her long stride in the final 50 metres and ate up the ground to overhaul her rival as she dipped for the line.

Schippers, who raised a finger in the air after crossing the line, is the first European to win the title since Russia’s Anastasiya Kapachinskaya at Paris in 2003, breaking 12 years of American and Jamaican dominance in the event.

“Wow,” Schippers said. “It’s crazy. A European record. I’m the world’s best. Crazy.

“I’m very happy with my time, at my moment. I can’t believe it at this moment.”

In other events, American champion Tianna Bartoletta became world long jump champion again, securing the gold medal with a leap of 7.14 metres.

Britain’s Shara Proctor had led the competition after breaking her own national record with a 7.07m jump in the third round.

Bartoletta last won the world title 10 years ago at Helsinki while competing under her birth name of Madison.

She has spent much of the past decade concentrating on her sprinting, finishing fourth in the 100m final at the 2012 London Olympics.

“This was a totally different experience from 2005,” said Bartoletta, who celebrates her 30th birthday on Sunday. “I’m just really pleased I was able to execute in the same way and come out with the win.”

Jamaica’s Danielle Williams won the 100m hurdles title as the favourites and global leaders crumbled under pressure around her.

Williams took the lead after the last hurdle to win the title in a lifetime best 12.57 seconds, ahead of Germany’s Cindy Roleder with 12.59, who also ran a personal best.

Defending champion Brianna Rollins all but wrote off her chances of gold after knocking down the first hurdle. The American rallied but settled for fourth in 12.67.

On the men’s side, Sergey Shubenkov ran a Russian record to win 110m hurdles gold, storming down the track in 12.98 seconds. Hansle Parchment of Jamaica was second in 13.03 and Olympic champion and world record holder America Aries Merritt claimed bronze in 13.04 seconds.

Merritt will have a kidney transplant in Arizona next week.

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