Triple triumph for dominant Americans as Johnson-Thompson sets up bid for gold

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone led a triumphant night for US athletics by beating her own world record in the women's 400m hurdles as further golds fell at the Paris Games to Americans in the women's long jump and men's 110m hurdles.

- Daniel Boffey

The sheer power of McLaughlinLevrone, 25, made it appear as if she had run the race at a canter in the Stade de France. She never looked in danger of being caught, and improved on her best with a time of 50.37.

McLaughlin-Levrone became the first American to defend gold in an individual track event since Michael Johnson's back-to-back 400m golds in 1996 and 2000. Her Dutch rival, Femke Bol, was left behind in third while Anna Cockrell, also of the US, took silver in 51.87.

There were also golds for the US athletes Tara Davis-Woodhall in the long jump and Grant Holloway, the three-time world champion and silver medallist in Tokyo, who cruised to victory in the men's 110m hurdles.

The only bittersweet moment for the US team came as Letsile Tebogo of Botswana somehow found time on the fastest run of his life to beat his chest in triumph in the final metres as he deprived Noah Lyles of gold in the men's 200m final.

It emerged immediately after the race that Lyles, who had hoped to become the first man since Usain Bolt to secure both the 100m and 200m titles, had been diagnosed with Covid. The US sprinter left the track on a makeshift wheelchair.

That did nothing to detract from Tebogo's achievement, three months after the death of his mother, whose date of birth he had embroidered into his running spikes. The race was won with a personal and African record of 19.46 that leaves Tebogo as the fifth-fastest man over 200m, behind Michael Johnson.