Great Britain claimed its first World Championship one-two as Christine Ohuruogu executed the perfect tactical race to take the world title in 49.61 by 0.04sec from compatriot Nicola Sanders.
After leading for most of the race, Novlene Williams of Jamaica finished just 0.01 further back in the closest battle for the medals in the history of the Championships.
It was a remarkable comeback for Ohuruogu, the Commonwealth champion, who had only returned to competition at the beginning of the month after a one-year doping suspension. She had been picked without racing in the British trials, and the Osaka final was her sixth race back.
In her comeback race at the Scottish Championships in Glasgow earlier this month, she clocked a modest 53.09 and it would have been laughable to suggest just 18 days later she be crowned World champion.
But the Briton confirmed her medal credentials by running 50.56 at warm up meeting in the Nagai Stadium here in Osaka just two days before the start of the championships.
Through the rounds the Londoner, although not posting the quickest times in the field, looked as if she had a lot more to give and so it proved.
On the greatest day of her life, the former England under-19 international netball player, who only started running seriously four years ago, shattered her personal best by 0.55.
Behind Ohuruogu, Sanders, the quicker of the two Britons in the semi-finals, came with an exhilarating late burst to take the silver medal in a personal best 49.65 from the rapidly fading Williams, who seemed to concede the gold medal by applying the brakes just before the finish line.
A shellshocked Ohuruogu said: “Never in my wildest dreams could I have thought of coming back from my ban as a world champion.
“On the finish line I said ‘Was it me?’ It is unbelievable. The title does not mean so much for me. I am just pleased that I ran so fast. It is a great time.
"I am not so much a sprinter, but I have strength. On the home stretch, when I saw Novlene in front of me, I told myself 'let me just try and see’... I am very proud of myself. It was hard for me to come to Osaka because everyone had ten races or so – and me? Only five for my comeback.”
Sanders, coached by Tony Lester, was also pleased with her tactical approach to the race and she explained: “Before the race, my coach just told me 'make sure you’ve got something left in the last hundred’. In the first 200m I let them go a bit. That was my race plan, but I had quite a bit to catch up and I had to work quite hard around the top bend.”
Behind the medallists, former champion Ana Guevara (MEX) ran a season's best for fourth place (50.16), 0.01sec ahead of US champion DeeDee Trotter.
Natalya Antyukh (RUS), having chased Williams at a frantic pace for 320m of the race and come into the finishing straight clearly in second place, tired more than anyone, finishing sixth in 50.33.
Osaka 2007 News Team/sl
