Michelle Perry (USA) retained her World Athletics Final 100m Hurdles title but it was hardly the race we had been expecting.
After what on first sight seemed a faulty start when the field was called to the gun for the first time - Jamaica’s Delloreen Ennis-London had raised her hand to say she wasn’t settled - when the recall sounded again on the second start we found that the original verdict had on closer inspection been a false start. As a consequence two athletes Lolo Jones (USA) and Sally McLellan (AUS) were removed from the line-up. A third false start followed and that led to the disqualification of a third person, Sweden’s European champion Susanna Kallur which effectively robbed the race - when it did successfully get off on the fourth time of asking - of one of its two major protagonists.
Double World champion Perry, without the challenge of the Swede, who had beaten her in the final three Golden League meetings of the season, seemed a bit lacklustre today. It was only at the line that the American, in lane 6, secured a clear margin over Spain’s Josephine Oniya, in lane two, who had vied for the lead all the way after a great start.
The times were close, Perry's 12.68 seconds (-0.3m/s) taking first with a huge dip at the finish, Oniya also flinging herself at the ‘tape’ came home in 12.70, with Ennis-London who had started the sequence of false starts back in third (12.72), a finishing position she has become accustomed to this season in most of the major encounters.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
NOTE - a JURY OF APPEAL decision is awaited after protests were received concerning the second false start.
NOTE 2 - At 18:15 the appeal was rejected.