Bidouane wins women's 400 hurdles world crown

Olympic bronze medallist Nezha Bidouane of Morocco ran the fastest time this year to claim her second world 400 metres hurdles title on Wednesday.

Bidouane, who won the event in Athens in 1997 but came second at the last world championships by 0.01 seconds, clocked 53.34 seconds.

She is the first woman to regain a world 400 metres hurdles title.

Russian Yuliya Nosova, who had the fastest time this year ahead of the championships, won the silver medal in 54.27 seconds.

Defending champion Daimi Pernia of Cuba tied up in the home straight after leading for 250 metres. She took bronze in 54.51 seconds.

"I wanted to prove I was the world champion because the title was stolen from me in Seville," Bidouane said after the race.

"It was a big motivation for me and I have spent two years training hard and just focusing on this world championships.

"I will not defend my title in Paris," she said, but added that she intended to race at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Olympic champion Irina Privalova has a knee injury and did not compete.

Bidouane, 31, ran a measured race and began gaining ground on leaders Pernia and Nosova with 120 metres to go.

She pushed on from the second-last hurdle, and ran away from the field to record a convincing win. She smiled as she crossed the line, throwing her arms in the air.

Pernia, 24, got away fast and ran strongly down the back straight. But Bidouane and Nosova reeled her in and she struggled to maintain momentum.

"I realised it was quick," she said after the race. "I felt a little tired at the halfway point. I think that cost me my chance for the gold medal.

"I am disappointed but in general I think everything is okay."

Nosova was competing at her first world championships.

"I was not convinced prior to the race that I could win a medal," the 23-year-old said. "Actually, not until I reached the eighth hurdle was I sure that I could be on the podium."

"It has not sunk in yet, maybe by tomorrow it will."

Bidouane recovered from surgery on her Achilles tendon in 1996 to win gold in Athens a year later. She improved from a distant fourth to first in the last 100 metres to take the gold in that race.