Jamaican Williams wins surprise hurdles gold

ByReuters

Published 28/08/2015 at 14:09 GMT

Jamaica's Danielle Williams won the world championship 100 metres hurdles title on Friday as the favourites and global leaders crumbled under pressure around her.

Eurosport

Image credit: Eurosport

Williams only took the lead after the last flight to win the title in a lifetime best 12.57, ahead of Germany's Cindy Roleder with 12.59, also a personal best.

Bronze went to Alina Talay in a Belarus national record 12.66.

Williams, 23, was racing in the final with her 25-year-old sister Shermaine who finished seventh.

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Defending champion Brianna Rollins all but wrote off her chances of gold after knocking down the first hurdle in the final.

The American rallied but could do no better than fourth (12.67), coming past Britain's Tiffany Porter, who led to the eighth flight of hurdles before crumpling under pressure to finish fifth in 12.68.

Earlier in the evening, two of the leading American hopes for gold, Dawn Harper-Nelson and Keni Harrison, were eliminated in the semi-finals

Harper-Nelson fell and Harrison was disqualified for a false start.

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