On cruise control

London, August 10
Wayde van Niekerk retained his world 400 metres title in dominant fashion on Tuesday as he stormed to victory in 43.98 seconds but there was almost as much interest in the empty lane alongside him where Botswana’s Isaac Makwala should have been.
South African van Niekerk, the Olympics and defending champion and world record holder, ran a controlled race and was even able to ease down over the final strides.
Steven Gardiner, 21, of the Bahamas was a clear second in 44.41s and 20-year-old world junior champion Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar blasted through at the end to snatch bronze in 44.48s.
The US failed to win a medal in the event for only the second time since the championships began.
Makwala, third-fastest this season, was scratched from the race. He insisted he wanted to run but IAAF officials ruled him out for public health reasons and refused him entry to the stadium amid a swathe of nanovirus and gastroenteritis cases.
Bosse’s gamble works
Pierre-Ambroise Bosse was such a surprise winner of the 800 metres that the Frenchman could hardly credit it himself. The 25-year-old reckoned he had risked everything by making his move down the back straight.
“I’m a gambler, I love going to the casino and today I just gambled,” said Bosse, who finished fourth in last year’s Olympics. Bosse held off fast-finishing silver medallist, Adam Kszczot, for the first major gold of his career. Teenage Kenyan Kipyegon Bett, who had made the initial move to break the field, just about held on to bronze.
Lavillenie frustrated again
American Sam Kendricks capped his memorable, unbeaten season by winning the pole vault as the title once again eluded world record holder and former Olympics champion Renaud Lavillenie.
Kendricks, a first lieutenant in the US Army reserve, cleared 5.95 metres while Poland’s Piotr Lisek took the silver and Lavillenie had to be content with a fourth world bronze.
Kipruto wins steeplechase
Kenya’s Conseslus Kipruto continued his country’s dominance of the 3,000 metres steeplechase with a courageous and confident victory, just weeks after recovering from an ankle injury.
The Olympics champion kicked on to take the lead with less than 300 metres left and was celebrating well before crossing the finish line. Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco clinched the silver. Evan Jager took the bronze to become the first American to win a World Championships medal in the steeplechase.
Spotakova reclaims title
An emotional Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic said it felt “so easy” to regain the javelin world title she first won 10 years ago. The two-time Olympics champion and world record holder threw 66.76 metres on her second attempt, which proved enough to clinch a second world gold for the 36-year-old. Sara Kolak of Croatia, the reigning Olympics champion, finished fourth.
China’s Li Lingwei (66.25) and Lyu Huihui (65.26) claimed the silver and bronze, respectively.