ATHLETICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Berlin Date: 15-23 August
Coverage: Watch the action live and highlights on BBC Two, BBC HD, Red Button, Radio 5 live and the BBC Sport website (video for UK users only)Full BBC coverage details](Sport on the BBC: The best of this week's action - BBC Sport)
**Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt took 400m gold at the World Championships as he again proved too strong for Jeremy Wariner on a wet night in Berlin.**The American finished in 44.06 seconds, ahead of compatriot and Olympic silver medallist Wariner (44.60sec) and Renny Quow of Trinidad & Tobago (45.02c).
Britain’s Michael Bingham finished outside the medals in 45.56.
Two-time defending champion Allyson Felix of the USA won the women’s 200m, clocking 22.02.
Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown, the two-time Olympic champion, and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of the Bahamas took silver and bronze.
“I knew I was strong and just powered away,” said Felix. “It’s really special to win a third world title. I wanted to do it in this stadium, represent my country and make Jesse Owens proud.”
“I feel kind of disappointed because I wanted to defend my title”
Jeremy Wariner
Merritt left two-time defending champion Wariner trailing in the home straight as he powered to the 400m title.
“It was all about putting it from my head to the track,” said Merritt. "I had already won the race in my heart.
“I ran this race a million times in my head. At 300m I felt good and at 350m I knew I had won the race, so I just needed to bring it home.”
Wariner admitted: "I felt good coming up for the first part of the race. I think I was in a good position coming up for the turn, exactly where I wanted to be.
“I had to kick for it but unfortunately it was a slow finish. I feel kind of disappointed because I wanted to defend my title.”
The finals were delayed by 40 minutes after a torrential downpour in the German capital.
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There was drama in **men’s 4x100m heats **as the USA set the fastest time of 37.97 but were then disqualified for running out of their lane.
Great Britain made it through after finishing second behind the USA, while the Jamaica team were without their biggest stars Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell as they reached the final in 38.60.
Yaroslav Rybakov of Russia won the men’s high jump, after three times taking silver at the World Championships.
His best jump of 2.32m edged out Kyriakos Ioannou of Cyprus on the countback system, with Raul Spank of Germany and Sylwester Bednarek of Poland sharing bronze.
There was another gold for Russia when Sergey Kirdyapkin used a late surge to win the 50km walk.
Dani Samuels of Australia won the women’s discus with a throw of 65.44m, ahead of Cuba’s Yarelis Barrios and Nicoleta Grasu of Romania.