| Hastings and McCorory started the fastest, with the former quickly closing the stagger on 2007 champion Ohuruogu. Daegu winner Montsho was in third place at the 100m mark. At halfway, McCorory led by a metre from the Botswanan who had the American in her sights. Montsho (35.7) took the lead at 300m, as McCorory began to waver, with Hastings (36.1) marginally ahead of Krivoshapka and Ohuruogu. By 350m, the Briton had moved up to second, and with every stride was gaining on Montsho. At the line, fatigue seemed to be making Montsho lean back slightly while Ohuruogu dipped sharply for the line. The Briton’s winning margin was 4/1000ths of a second – approximately 3cm. “I knew I’d cut it close,” she reflected. “I was running and thinking 'I’ve made a mess of this, haven’t I.’” Krivoshapka was warmly acclaimed by the home crowd for her medal, but she was later exposed as a drug cheat. First the IOC announced that a re-test of the Russian’s sample at the 2012 Olympics had found the prohibited substance turinabol. Her performances at those Games, including a relay silver medal, were all annulled. Second, the IAAF formally disqualified all of Krivoshapka’s results from August 11, 2012 to August 10, 2014. She therefore was stripped of her bronze from Moscow 2013, while the Russian 4x400m squad were also deleted as gold medallists. |
