USA show their mettle

Wins three gold from six on offer to top medal tally at the Worlds.

The United States flexed their muscles at the world athletics championships on Thursday,harvesting three of the six titles,while Britain finally won an elusive gold medal in Daegu.

Kenya extended their dominance of the mens steeplechase and celebrated with joyous theatrics on the track while double-amputee Oscar Pistorius produced another momentous achievement. With victories through Lashinda Demus in the 400 metres hurdles,Jenny Simpson in the 1500m and Jesse Williams in the high jump,United States rose to the top of the medals table. Although Simpsons winning time of four minutes 05.40 seconds was the slowest to win a world title,her triumph left her euphoric.

In the 400m hurdles Demus ran 52.47 seconds,beating defending champion Melaine Walker of Jamaica into silver with Russian Natalya Antyukh bronze. Williams completed a hat-trick of golds for the United States when he won the mens high jump with his first attempt at 2.35 metres,the first U.S. gold in the event in 20 years.

Pistorius leads team to finals

In the last race on Thursday,Welsh 400 metres hurdler Dai Greene broke the drought for a British track-and-field team who will be relieved to have finally got off the mark.

Pistorius is redefining athletic achievement at these championships and,in the scorching day session,led his 4215;400 metres South African team mates to the final and a national record. Pride,too,was written all over the face of Ezekiel Kemboi who streaked to gold in the 3,000 metres steeplechase before setting off on a lap of hip-wiggling,gyrating celebrations. Kenyans have now won nine of the 13 world steeplechase titles. On Friday,Usian Bolt will be competing in the 200m as he seeks his first gold here.

Luka in 800m semis,om Prakash out

Tintu Luka made the womens 800m semifinals but shot putter Om Prakash Karhana was eliminated in the qualifying round. Luka clocked 2:01.89 to finish sixth in heat no. four,which was enough for her to make it to Fridays semifinals. The time though was well below the national record and her personal best timing of 1:59.17 which she recorded last year.

She finished sixth in the heat. The heat was won by Mariya Savinova of Russia who finished ahead of defending champion Caster Semenya. Semenya avoided trouble on the opening lap before hitting the front coming into the final straight and allowing Russian Mariya Savinova to catch her on the line,both being awarded a time of two minutes 01.01 seconds. European champion Savinova has run the fastest time this year of 1:56.95 and is one of the favourites to wrest Semenyas crown from her in Sundays final.