The Review: The closest race of the IAAF World Athletic Championships

By Sam Tonks

Day Seven brought the closest race of the IAAF World Athletic Championships so far. One, one thousandths of a second between silver and bronze and an unlikely victor, the men’s 200m.

Turkey’s Ramil Guliyev stunned a class field to win the gold. Wade Van Niekerk couldn’t match the infamous Michael Johnson’s double over the 200m and 400m, he claimed silver by the closest of margins over Kareem Richards.

It was fourth, again, but an impressive fourth for Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, beating the man of the moment, Isaac Makwala from lane two.

British captain Elidh Doyle just couldn’t catch-up from lane one in the 400m hurdles final as USA continued their exceptional championships with a one-two, Kori Carter taking gold ahead of Dalilah Mohammed.

However, it proved to be another night of qualification successes for Team GB. Dina Asher-Smith was second behind 100m silver medallist Marie Josee Ta Lou to book a spot in tomorrow night’s final.

“I’m over the moon, I didn’t think I’d make it to the final,” said Asher-Smith.

“I couldn’t walk for three months, now I’m here, I’d like to be in the mix but we’ll wait and see.”

Earlier, Elish McColgan and Laura Muir progressed into the 5,000m final. McColgan is replicating the feats of mother Liz, who competed in her first world championships 30 years ago, alongside Muir there are home medal prospects.

In the 800m, it was a 100% record with Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, Lynsey Sharp and Adelle Tracey moving into their respective semi-finals.

Simon O’Hare and Jake Wightman also moved into semi-finals of their own in the 1500m.

Meanwhile, Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s high jump result let her down in the Heptathlon, but she is in the high jump final alongside British champion Morgan Lake.

Elsewhere, the Triple Jump gold was retained by Christian Taylor, team-mate Will Claye took silver and Portugal’s Nelson Evora the bronze.