22 Saturday, August 12, 2017 SPORTS SPORTS Saturday, August 12, 2017 23 Turkey hails historic Semenya leads gold from Guliyev surprise victory on Thursday night in Guliyev, 27, was born in Baku but urkish , Turkey’s first ever gold at the took up Turkish citizenship in 2011 leaders championships. and was cleared to compete for his Tand media “I congratulate Ramil Guliyev, who adopted country two years later. yesterday has made us all proud by winning the The authorities in Azerbaijan were hailed 200m gold medal,” President Recep unhappy at his switch -- even to a favourites Azerbaijan- Tayyip Erdogan wrote on Twitter. nation with such close political and born Ramil He also sent the athlete a cultural ties -- but Guliyev insisted Guliyev’s congratulatory telegram, the Turkey gave him an opportunity to historic gold medal in the world presidency added. train seriously. athletics championships 200-metres. The Hurriyet daily said that Guliyev After his victory was confirmed, Guliyev saw off more fancied had “won a gold that will go down in Guliyev wrapped himself in opposition, including 400m world history” while the pro-government Azerbaijan’s national flag before also champion Wayde van Niekerk of Yeni Safak said “Ramil has written waving a Turkish flag above his head. Turkey’s Ramil Guliyev Londonintocomfortable as she broke withfinal 20 Going through in second was South Africa, for a sensational and history”. (AFP) outh Africa’s double metres to run. ’s Angelika Cichocka, Olympic champion “Yes, of course,” said the who produced a stunning SCaster Semenya two-time world gold medallist sprint to finish ahead of US athlete Kori Carter (L) and US athlete Dalilah Muhammad progressed without Semenya when asked whether American Charlene Lipsey and R Country Total celebrate after winning first and second places problem to the final of she thought she could again Briton Lynsey Sharp. Francine 1 United States 8 8 7 23 the women’s 800m after medal in the two-lap race. Niyonsaba of Burundi, world I’m my own man, insists coasting to victory in the “The 1500m was more of indoor champion and Olympic 2 Kenya 3 1 4 8 Kori Carter wins semi-final at the IAAF me doing my training because silver medallist, won the third 3 Poland 2 2 2 6 South Africa’s Caster World Championships otherwise I’d just be staying at and final semi ahead of Kenya’s 4 South Africa 2 1 2 5 Semenya competes yesterday. home doing nothing. Margaret Wambui, bronze Semenya, a bronze “So I came here to entertain medallist at both the world 5 Pr Of China 1 2 1 4 Van Niekerk women’s 400m medallist in the 1500m these people,” said the South indoors and Olympics last year. 6 Ethiopia 1 2 0 3 the American achieved in the Olympic title last year -- or in London as she African, dogged by gender American Ajee Wilson 1995 championships, when he 100/200m world record holder hurdles attempted an audacious accusations since shooting to and Canada’s Melissa Bishop 7 Turkey 1 1 0 2 took silver in the 200 metres Bolt, who is competing in his double, clocked an fame when she won her world qualified from the opening semi, 7 Bahrain 1 1 0 2 on Thursday behind surprise final global championships. London 53.50sec. impressive 1min gold over the 800m in in with Lipsey and Benin’s Noelie winner Ramil Guliyev of “I will never try and fill nfancied Kori Carter “I just had to run my race, go out 9 1 0 2 3 58.90sec, looking incredibly 2009. Yarigo going through. (AFP) London Turkey. Usain’s shoes, or Michael’s,” outstripped US teammate and let them chase me,” said the ayde He had successfully said van Niekerk. UDalilah Muhammad for gold in the 25-year-old Carter. van defended his 400m world title “I’ve shown enough women’s 400m hurdles at the world “I’m on top of the world right NiekerkW says he earlier in the week. dominance, hard work and championships on Thursday. now, it’s been such a long year.” Third world Triple Jump title for Taylor is building his own Nevertheless, van Niekerk, performances to start building Carter ran 53.07 seconds from Jamaica’s Ristananna Tracey Davinder London and 2008 Olympic champion “image and brand” and who was unusually emotional my own image and brand. the outside lane to claim a timed a personal best of 53.74sec for merican great Christian Nelson Evora of Portugal the doesn’t want to be tagged after the race, raising his arms “I have the utmost respect shock victory, Olympic bronze, while two-time defending ATaylor won the men’s bronze with 17.19m. Taylor as the successor to track in celebration when he heard for Usain and he is the one I champion Muhammad champion Zuzana Hejnova of the triple jump world title for the won well enough but the and field legends Usain Bolt he had finished second, said have been watching over the taking silver with Czech Republic was fourth. (AFP) Singh Kang third time on Thursday with a threatened assault on Jonathan and Michael Johnson. he believed his effort had been last few years. I have got to best mark of 17.68 metres. Edwards’s 22-year-old world The 25-year-old South “successful”. know him quite well and I The 27-year-old’s record never materialized. African 400 metres world However, he dismissed thank him for what he has enters final compatriot and two-time He did show his champion’s record holder just missed comparisons with either done for the sport. Mayer leads world London Olympic runner-up Will mentality in twice coming back out on emulating Johnson’s Johnson -- whose 400m world “This week is the perfect nheralded javelin thrower Davinder Claye took silver with 17.63m to better Claye’s marks. (AFP) feat of the 200/400m world record the South African time for us to honour him.” USingh Kang pipped a more—fancied championship double, which shattered when he won the (AFP) Neeraj Chopra, becoming the first Indian decathlon to qualify for a final in this edition of the London Championship. rance’s Olympic silver medallist Kang’s participation in the World Kevin Mayer led the world decathlon Championships was earlier in doubt after Fafter the first three events in London he tested positive for marijuana in June yesterday. but he was named in the 25-member A season’s best shot put of 15.72 Indian team as the banned substance was metres in the third discipline saw the in the specified list of the WADA Code and Frenchman amass 2,703 points to does not attract automatic suspension. leapfrog Germany’s Rico Freimuth, No Indian has ever qualified in the men’s now in second on 2,678. javelin throw final round in any World American Trey Hardee, world Championships and Kang’s champion in 2009 and 2011, sits in performance brought some relief third (2,647), while Canada’s Olympic for the Indian camp, which bronze medallist Damian Warner is sixth has put up a shoddy show (2,590). at the global event. The decathletes, seeking to become the While Chopra, first man other than the now retired Ashton a junior World Eaton to win a global decathlon event since Champion was touted 2011, compete in the high jump and 400m as India’s biggest hope, later on Friday. it was Kang, who quietly Saturday sees them competing in slipped in from China’s Su Xinyue (L-R) Britain’s Chris O’hare, Poland’s the 110m hurdles, discus and pole nowhere attaining competes in the wom- Marcin Lewandowski, Kenya’s Timothy vault in the morning session the qualifying mark en’s discus throw athlet- Cheruiyot and Czech Republic’s Jakub before rounding of 83m with his third ics event at the 2017 IAAF Holuša finish the semi-final of the men’s off with the and final throw that World Championships at 1500m athletics event at the 2017 IAAF javelin and cleared a distance of the London Stadium in World Championships at the London 1500m. 84.22m. (PTI) London yesterday Stadium in London yesterday (AFP) (AFP)

Davinder Singh Kang France’s Kevin Mayer competes