By Mitch Phillips
TOKYO (Reuters) - Femke Bol put the seal on a fantastic season by retaining her world 400 metres hurdles title in emphatic style on Friday as the Dutchwoman stormed home in a world-leading 51.54 seconds.
Jasmine Jones of the U.S. finished like a train to take silver in a personal best of 52.08, while Emma Zapletalova got a surprise bronze in a Slovakian national record of 53.00.
Bol won eight races in a row through the season and started her Tokyo trip by anchoring the Netherlands
to silver in the mixed 4x400m relay.
In the absence of Olympic champion and world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who won the 400 flat on Thursday, Bol was red-hot favourite on Friday and duly delivered a textbook performance.
"We worked really hard on this and I got this pretty comfortably," Bol said. "This is my second gold medal in a row which makes me really proud. This means the world to me.
"This year we tried to change some things in training to get better at finishing the race and I really improved myself with that. That last 100m was the best I've had all season, that is what was special today.
"I was focused on myself and running for my life until I made it through the line."
Jones said she was relieved and described her silver as "not too shabby.
"I am really excited with that and my PR (personal record) too. I also ran a PB in the final in Paris, but the goal was a medal."
MUHAMMAD RETIRES WITH A SEVENTH-PLACE FINISH
American Dalilah Muhammad, the 35-year-old Rio Olympic, Doha world champion and former world record holder, said this would be her final outing before retirement.
"I can't believe it is Dalilah Muhammad's last race," said Jones. "Since I was in seventh grade, I wanted to be like her. She is going out as the queen of the 400m hurdles for me. She is a huge inspiration."
Muhammad finished seventh in 54.82.
"It's definitely not the race I wanted but the thing about getting older in this sport is you have to deal with injuries," she said.
"I have been dealing with so much backstage. I have been having a lot of mixed emotions. I did not even want to step on the line but my team wouldn't let me quit, for which I am so thankful."
At the other end of the spectrum, 25-year-old Zapletalova was over the moon to be on the podium.
"I have no words to describe it, not only this race, but the whole season," she said.
"It was my dream season from the beginning and my great comeback on the track after struggling with numerous injuries over two years.
"Close to the finish I saw that I was close to being in a medal position. I just put all my power down to make my finish as strong as possible.
"I was not sure it was enough so I was shocked when I saw the results on the screen. It's a miracle to complete my world championships debut with this amazing bronze."
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ken Ferris)
