Zhanna Pintusevich of Ukraine took her second medal of these championships in the women’s 200m, winning in 22.32 and denying Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey her third straight world 200m title. Ottey, however, won her 14th World Championships medal, a record, by finishing third in 22.40. She was just beaten for second by Susanthika Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka who ran 22.39 to give her country its first athletics medal at any major championships since Duncan White won the 400 hurdles silver medal at the 1948 London Olympics. At that time, the nation was known by its colonial name, Ceylon.
The race: Ottey, in lane three, flew out of the blocks and was up on Jayasinghe, in lane four, by the crown of the bend. Pintusevich, in lane five, also ran a fast turn but was a metre or two down on Ottey as they hit the straight; Jayasinghe was further back still.
In the straight Pintusevich’s strength began to tell as Ottey started to tie up. The champion was struggling from the 150m mark and Pintusevich caught her with 10 metres to go. Jayasinghe, coming fast in the lane between them, took advantage of Ottey’s failing form and dipped for the silver medal at the line.
