Doha Worlds: Bahrain's Naser is 1st Asian to win 400m gold

Doha: Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain unleashed a performance which rocked the world of athletics on Day Seven of the ongoing World Athletics Championships by winning gold with the third-fastest 400m time in history.

On Friday night, Naser clocked 48.14 seconds — the fastest time in the world for 34 years to become the first woman athlete from Asia to win the 400m gold.

Rio Olympic champion Shaunae Mille-Uibo of The Bahamas bagged the silver medal while the bronze went to Shericka Jackson of Jamaica.

Naser, who had already won a bronze in the 4x400m mixed relay, had impressed with her smooth progress in the semi-finals, where she clocked 49.79.

"This is crazy," Naser was quoted as saying by IAAF.org. "I already did the mixed relays and I was just hoping for the best, but now I'm world champion.

"I'm really short of words to describe how I'm feeling, it's just crazy. I'm screaming I'm so happy.

"It's been so tough with all the training and injuries, and getting there has been hard. I didn't want to chase because I'm so used to chasing all the time, so I had to go out fast, and I just kept going. To cross the line and see that I am world champion in that amazing time, I just couldn't believe it."