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Summary
Eight titles were decided on the final day of the world athletics championships in Berlin, Germany. Bai Xue became China's first female marathon world champion after she raced into the lead three kilometres from the end to take gold under the Brandenburg Gate. Cheered on by tens of thousands of fans who lined the streets of central Berlin, 20-year-old Bai won with a time of two hours 25 minutes 15 seconds just ahead of Japan's Yoshimi Ozaki and Aselefech Mergia from Ethiopia who held on for bronze. In the stadium, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele became the first man to win the 5,000-10,000 metres double at the world championships when he clocked 13 minutes, 17.09 seconds to take gold at the shorter distance. Bahraini Maryam Yusuf Jamal retained her world title in the women's 1,500 metres after race winner Spaniard Natalia Rodriguez was disqualified for pushing an opponent. Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen won the men's javelin with an 89.59 throw. His second round effort was never seriously threatened, with second place going to Guillermo Martinez of Cuba with 86.41. Japan's Yukifumi Murakami took third with 82.97, while the challenge of Finland's Tero Pitkamaki failed to materialise as he finished back in fifth.
