In sheeting London rain, three Aussies delivered confident strong performances to make finals at the World Athletics Championships.

This was the loneliest race. In quarantine one day Botswana's Isaac Makwala was given the all clear by doctors to return to competition and was allowed to race the clock in a race on his own to qualify for the semi finals in the mens 200m on an unusual night on the track.

Kelsey-Lee Roberts threw well short of her personal best at the world championship final.

This was a spectacle that captivated as much for the brilliance of Wayde van Niekerk as for the rumblings of diplomatic rancour.

Kurtis Marschall came here to learn, and walks away having learned he is good enough.

Australia's champion race walker, and a perennial medallist, Jared Tallent has been forced to pull out of the world championships with a hamstring strain.

A bitterly disappointed Lauren Wells has been eliminated in the opening round of the women's 400m hurdles at the world athletics championships in London.

London fell silent to honour Betty Cuthbert, and then the athletes paid tribute by putting on the best race of the championships in the 1500 metres.

The legacy of Betty Cuthbert was still felt by every athlete who wears the green and gold.

Australia's rising young star Kurtis Marschall has made it through to the pole vault final at the world championships, the first Australian man to do so since Steve Hooker retired.

Halfway between a cheer and a jeer is an uncomfortable groan - the sort of awkward sound British people make when they would really rather just change the subject.

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Olympic champion Betty Cuthbert has died at the age of 79.

And so the "Golden Girl", the fastest female sprinter the world had ever seen, has gone to her God.

American Tori Bowie snatched the women's 100 metres from Marie-Josee Ta Lou on the line to win gold at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday.

Jess Trengove has delivered the best performance by an Australian woman marathon runner at a world championships, finishing ninth in London.

IAAF president Coe admits Gatlin's win at the World Athletics Championships was not ideal.

It should never have come to this. The perfect athlete has left his imperfect sport, in the most imperfect of ways to the least perfect athlete.

Justin Gatlin said it was sad that fans booed his victory in the world 100 metres final on Saturday, saying he had "done my time" for his doping offences - and Usain Bolt, the man he beat into third place, agreed with him.

Australia's world silver medallist Fabrice Lapierre could not find the rogue jump he needed in London.