• Taylor makes 2nd longest triple jump • Felix eases to 400 meters gold • Wlodarczyk goes 80 plus in hammer BEIJING — Usain Bolt put his sprinting supremacy beyond doubt. With one of his coasting-at-the-end performances in the 200 meters Thursday, Justin Gatlin still couldn't get close as the Jamaican won a record 10th gold medal at the World Championships. Looking left and failing to see any red from Gatlin's jersey, Bolt lifted both arms and punched his thumbs into his chest to show once again he is the greatest sprinter of all time. With a time of 19.55 seconds, he set the best time of the season. And despite slowing down, he still beat Gatlin by .19 — much more than the .01 second edge Bolt had in Sunday's 100 final. Anasco Jobodwana took bronze in 19.87 for South Africa ahead of Panama's Alonso Edward, who was awarded the same time but lost out on a medal by two 1,000ths of a second. Jobodwana's time was 19.861 and Edward 19.863. Bolt is now 2-0 in Beijing against Gatlin, who had been unbeaten in two seasons, with only the 4x100 relay to come Saturday. Once he sat down to savor his victory on a trackside chair, Gatlin came over to congratulate Bolt and the two rivals shook hands and chatted. Seven years ago, Bolt started his amazing run of gold at the Beijing Olympics and has not lost a major 200 race since. The Jamaican, however, had been struggling with injury since winning his third straight 200 title at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. The American, as in the 100m, suffered from a slower start than Bolt, who shot out of his blocks. Gatlin, a renowned fast starter who hasn't lost over 200m since 2013 and has set personal best of 19.57sec this season, looked threatening coming off the bend. But sandwiched between Britain's Zharnel Hughes and Jobodwana, Bolt, in full tilt after an electrifying bend, responded by moving into his famed “drive phase,” unleashing the full power from his long legs. Unlike the 100m, when it came down to one-hundredth of a second to separate Bolt from Gatlin, there were no such doubts this time. Olympic champion Christian Taylor produced the second longest triple jump in history as he won the title with a huge leap of 18.21m. The Dutch-based American left it late before nailing the big jump on his sixth and final attempt to add to the world championship gold he won in 2011. Only Jonathan Edwards has jumped further, 18.29 in 1995, and Taylor said his sights were firmly fixed on the Briton's world record. “It was a great fight and I saved it until my last jump,” said Taylor. “We are that close to a record, this makes you even hungrier! “I am looking forward to Rio (Olympics) with the other competitors.” Cuban rival Pedro Pablo Pichardo claimed silver with a best of 17.73m, and 2008 Olympic champion Nelson Evora took bronze when he went out to 17.52m with his last jump. Allyson Felix of the US won her ninth world championships gold medal and first at 400 meters with a dominating performance. Off the final bend she was four meters clear of her nearest rival, Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas, who could not close the gap down the final straight. Felix's 49.26 seconds winning time was the fastest in the world this year while Miller claimed silver in 49.67. The bronze medal was won by Shericka Jackson, who led home Jamaican teammates in fourth (Christine Day), fifth (Stephenie McPherson) and sixth (Novlene Williams-Mills). Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk summoned up the second longest hammer throw of all time to dominate the final in the same way she has her event all season and win the title for a second time. The 30-year-old is the only woman to throw the hammer beyond the 80-meter mark and she did it twice Thursday, winning gold with her fourth effort of 80.85 meters. The only throw better in the history of the event was the 81.08 Wlodarczyk, who also won the world title in 2009, notched to improve her own world record at the start of this month. China's Zhang Wenxiu delighted the local crowd by claiming silver with her best throw of the season (76.33), while 21-year-old Frenchwoman Alexandra Tavernier took bronze with her best effort of 74.02 — nearly seven metres behind the champion. Olympic champion Aries Merritt stormed into the world 110m hurdles final with a gutsy display in his penultimate race before undergoing a kidney transplant next week. The 30-year-old American clocked a season's best 13.08 seconds to win his semifinal in the quickest overall time for Friday's final in Beijing, but he faces a tougher battle on Sept. 1 when he undergoes surgery. Russia's two-time European champion Sergey Shubenkov was second fastest in 13.09 with defending champion David Oliver joint sixth in 13.17. In-form Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers eased into the final of the 200m, further bolstering her position as favorite to take a first world title in the event . The 23-year-old former heptathlete was well clear of her rivals after the bend and eased up to win her semifinal in 22.36. — Agencies
