On a track still drenched from the tremendous thunderstorm which had halted all competition in the Estadio de La Communidad for the previous 45 minutes, after one false start the Women's 400m Hurdles got underway.
Jana Pittman (AUS) running for Oceania in lane nine was away well but in essence the race was about only one athlete, Russia's Yuliya Pechonkina.
Running a strong first 300m the Russian was quickly up on European Champion Ionela Tirlea (ROM) in lane 4, the next lane outside her. Only USA's four time national champion Sandra Glover in lane six put up any real resistance to Pechonkina's bold move with a confident start of her own.
The Russian who missed the European championships with illness came off the final curve with an enormous lead which she held until the line, taking the win in 53.74. Glover was equally well clear in second (54.46), while Pittman after a bad stutter at the last hurdle, finished third in 55.15. Tilea finished a distant fourth for Europe in 56.17.
