Debbie Dunn of the USA wins her 400m semi final at the 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Doha (© Getty Images)
A little history was made, and a little broken as well after Debbie Dunn powered to the World indoor title in the 400m.
The veteran US international, leading since taking the all important break, was never headed en route to her 51.04 victory to become only the third American to claim the World indoor title. And the first since Jearl Miles Clark’s triumph in 1997.
She also put an end to the Russian stranglehold on the event at the World Indoor Championships which began in 2003.
“The main focus was to get out there, be aggressive, make the break and take it out,” said Dunn, the world leader this season at 50.86. “I have more speed than the others in the field so it was a matter of go and take it out.” Which was precisely what she did.
Starting in lane five with Russian co-favourite Tatyana Firova to her outside in six, the pair went literally toe-to-toe over much of the first lap with Dunn eventually winning the fight for the ever-pivotal advantage at the break. But it wasn’t just Firova who was angling for position, but the much smaller Novlene Williams-Mills of Jamaica as well. It was a battle that Williams-Mills, the 2007 World bronze medalist outdoors, would lose. Fatally.
As Firova was making a move to pass Williams-Mills just past the bell, some unintentional contact momentarily knocked the Jamaican off balance, and subsequently off the track and out of the race. The Russian too went off kilter briefly, enough to kill off any chances she had to pass Dunn on the back straight.
Firova continued her attack off the final turn but Dunn proved too strong and held on. The Russian clocked 51.13 for silver, and her first international individual medal.
“It was very hard to beat Dunn this year,” Firova said. “She was very strong.”
A little further back, reigning European outdoor champion Vania Stambolova of Bulgaria finished third in 51.50 to collect the bronze.
There was a big gap on the rest of the field. African champion Amantle Montsho, who twice lowered her own national indoor record for Botswana, couldn’t add a third, but did manage to hold on for fourth in 52.53.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Note:
In 2016, the IOC disqualified Firova after a positive re-test of her doping sample from the 2008 Olympic Games. Her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was rejected and in 2019, it was confirmed that all her results from August 2008 to December 2012 were annulled. The silver and bronze medals were accordingly re-allocated, to Stambolova and Montsho.
