US on top with 6 golds in World Athletics

BERLIN: Allyson Felix of the US won the women’s 200m race while the United States leading the event with six gold medals in the World Athletics Championship, being held here in Germany.

Weather became pleasant with rain on the sixth day of the World Athletics Championship.

Felix picked up a hat-trick of world 200m titles as she clocked 22.02sec to beat Jamaica''s Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown.

LaShawn Merritt, also from the US, added world gold to his Beijing Olympics victory as the Olympic champion dethroned two-time defending world champion Jeremy Wariner in the 400m.

He finished second at the Osaka 2007 worlds, clocked a world lead of 44.06sec over 400m, far off his Beijing Games time of 43.75sec, the fifth fastest time ever.

Yaroslav Rybakov of Russia won the men''s high jump title. The 28-year-old -three times a silver medalist - won with a best jump of 2.32m edging out Kyriakos Ioannou of Cyprus (2.32m) on countback.

Newly-crowned 1500m champion Yusuf Saad Kamel of Bahrain moved closer to repeating his father Billy Konchellah''s feat of winning the world 800m crown when he qualified for Sunday''s final.

The Kenyan-born runner, who won 1500m gold on Wednesday, produced his trademark last-gasp burst of speed to nip in ahead of Russia''s former Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovsky at the line in 1min 45.01sec.

Australia''s Dani Samuels won the women''s discus when the 21-year-old threw 65.44m ahead of Cuba''s Yarelis Barrios (65.31m) while Nicoleta Grasu of Romania took bronze (65.20m).