OSAKA (Japan), Aug 30: Tyson Gay nailed the sprint double, Irving Saladino’s long jump gave Panama a first World Athletics Championships gold medal and Jana Rawlinson salvaged Australian pride by winning the 400-metre hurdles on Thursday.

Gay, who won the 100 metres on Sunday, became only the third man to win both the 100 and 200 at a World Championships when he outpaced the field to triumph in 19.76 seconds.

He joined compatriots Maurice Greene and Justin Gatlin in accomplishing the feat.

Gay, whose winning time was a championship record, had trailed Jamaica’s Usain Bolt after 100 metres.

Euphoric as he was, the 24-year-old kept his feet on the ground when asked if his win made him the best of all time.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he smiled. “To be the greatest of all time you’ve got to do it over and over and indoors.”

Bolt took silver with 19.91 and Gay’s training partner and compatriot Wallace Spearmon Jr. finished third in 20.05.

Saladino, watched by Olympic great Carl Lewis and world record holder Mike Powell, won gold with 8.57 metres on his final leap of the long jump, extending his winning streak to 16 competitions.

Italy’s European champion Andrew Howe had to settle for silver after celebrating when he believed he had done enough to win with his final attempt of 8.47 just minutes earlier.

Rawlinson became only the second Australian to win two world titles when she outpaced defending champion Yuliya Nosova over the last 200 metres to reclaim the crown she won under her maiden name Pittman in 2003 in a season’s best 54.31 seconds.

The 24-year-old, who gave birth to a son just last December, joined compatriot Cathy Freeman, the 1997 and 1999 400 metres gold medallist, as a twice world champion.

German Betty Heidler won a surprise gold in the women’s hammer.

Heidler won her first major title with her second throw of 74.76 metres, just two centimetres more than twice world champion Yipsi Moreno of Cuba.

China’s Asian Games champion Zhang Wenxiu took bronze with 74.39.

Results of finals on Thursday:

Men’s 200 metres: 1. Tyson Gay (US) 19.76 seconds; 2. Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 19.91; 3. Wallace Spearmon (US) 20.05; 4. Rodney Martin (US) 20.06; 5. Churandy Martina (Netherlands Antilles) 20.28; 6. Marvin Anderson (Jamaica) 20.28; 7. Chris Williams (Jamaica) 20.57; 8. Anastasios Gousis (Greece) 20.75.Women’s 400-metre hurdles: 1. Jana Rawlison (Australia) 53.31 seconds; 2. Yuliya Pechonkina (Russia) 53.50; 3. Anna Jesien (Poland) 53.92; 4. Nickiesha Wilson (Jamaica) 54.10; 5. Huang Xiaoxiao (China) 54.15; 6. Yevgeniya Isakova (Russia) 54.50; 7. Tiffaney Williams (US) 54.63; 8. Natasha Danvers-Smith (Britain) 54.94.

Men’s long jump: 1. Irving Saladino (Panama) 8.57 metres; 2. Andrew Howe (Italy) 8.47; 3. Dwight Phillips (US) 8.30; 4. Aleksey Lukashevich (Ukraine) 8.25; 5. Godfrey Mokoena (South Africa) 8.19; 6. James Beckford (Jamaica) 8.17; 7. Ndiss Kaba Badji (Senegal) 8.01; 8. Ahmad Fayaz Marzouk (Saudi Arabia) 7.98; 9. Christian Reif (Germany) 7.95; 10. Miguel Pate (US) 7.94; 11. Hussein Al Sabee (Saudi Arabia) 7.84.

Women’s hammer throw: 1. Betty Heidler (Germany) 74.76 metres; 2. Yipsi Moreno (Cuba) 74.74; 3. Zhang Wenxiu (China) 74.39; 4. Kamila Skolimowska (Poland) 73.75; 5. Yelena Konevtseva (Russia) 72.45; 6. Eileen O’Keeffe (Ireland) 70.93; 7. Clarissa Claretti (Italy) 70.74; 8. Manuela Montebrun (France) 70.36; 9. Arassay Thondike (Cuba) 70.20; 10. Gulfiya Khanafeyeva (Russia) 69.08; 11. Ivana Brkljacic (Croatia) 68.16; 12. Yunaika Crawford (Cuba) 67.56.—Reuters

Medals table