First gold ever for Moldova

Olga Cristea of Moldova, a World Youth silver medallist in Sherbrooke three years, took the women’s 800m title in a season’s best 2:04.52, the first World title of any kind in the history of her country.

The 19-year-old came out in the final stages of the race to deprive Kenya of an 800m double just minutes after David Lekuta Rudisha had taken the men’s title.

Winny Chebet, second last year at the World Youth Championships in Marrakesh, one of the youngest athletes in the championships being born on 20 December 1990, seemed like she could improve on her silver but she was out-dipped by Cristea 2:04.52 to 2:04.59.

It was a sweet revenge for Cristea who had lost the World Youth title in Canada in the same manner!

Ukraine’s Nataliya Lupu, last year’s European Junior champion, took the early lead but it was Russia’s Aleksandra Uvarova who led at the bell (1:02.15). Zambia’s Elizet Banda and Chebet were closely behind the Russian who dramatically faded with 250 metres to go.

She left the way clear for Chebet to speed away while Cristea started to make a move taking the outside. Coming into the home straight Cristea was trailing the Kenyan but it looked evident that she had a better finish and overshadowed the African thirty metres from the line.

The battle for bronze went to World leader Rebekah Noble of the USA, also the national junior and NCAA champion, who was trailing a distant last with 150 metres to go. The American evidently left it to late but still managed to get a medal as she sped away from Uvarova and the Ukrainian pair of Anzhelika Shevchenko and Lupu.