A spectacular fall, which also brought Murielle Ahoure tumbling to the ground, followed a perfectly timed dip, and it all meant that Bowie edged it by 0.01. 10.85 was a season’s best for the US champion, while Ta Lou’s 10.86 equalled the personal best that she set in finishing fourth in Rio.
The two athletes looked up at the stadium screen, neither knowing which had won, until the result was displayed and the two embraced, tears falling from Ta Lou’s eyes.
Bowie then gingerly embarked on a lap of honour, the pain from her grazed leg no doubt eased by the knowledge that she had earned a gold medal.
Amid the drama, Dafne Schippers almost sneaked through unnoticed, taking the bronze medal, despite having the slowest season’s best of all eight finalists ahead of the race and starting in the outside lane.
