The Latest: Justin Gatlin's mom held her own against heckler

The Latest: Justin Gatlin's mom held her own against heckler

Published Aug. 25, 2015 6:44 a.m. ET

BEIJING (AP) The Latest from the world championships (all times local):

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9:15 p.m.

Turns out, Justin Gatlin's mother didn't need his help putting a heckler in his place.

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She did just fine on her own.

On Monday, the camera caught Gatlin standing on the podium after receiving his 100-meter silver medal and gesturing toward someone in the crowd who was bothering his mother.

Later that night, when the American sprinter talked to his mother, he found out she actually put the heckler in his place by herself.

''She explained everything to him, that you can't read what the headlines say, that you've got to know exactly what it is,'' Gatlin recounted Tuesday after his qualifying race in the 200 meters. ''She made him second-guess what he was talking about.''

It's all in the past now.

''She's fine. She feels good,'' said Gatlin, a polarizing figure in the sport since his return from a four-year doping ban in 2010. ''She said just worry about the 200. That's all you have to worry about.''

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9:10 p.m.

American sprinter Wallace Spearmon Jr. missed his start in the 200-meter preliminary heats because of a slight tear in his left calf.

His withdrawal was part of an overall disappointing evening for the Americans at the world championships.

Long jumper Jeff Henderson, the world leader this year, didn't make the finals. Discus throwers Whitney Ashley and Gia Lewis-Smallwood finished ninth and 11th. And Jenny Simpson finished 11th in the 1,500 meters.

Medal hopeful Natasha Hastings, the runner-up at nationals in the 400, finished fifth in her semifinal and did not advance. And Nick Symmonds, the 2013 silver medalist in the 800 meters, boycotted the worlds because of a dispute with USA Track and Field.

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9:05 p.m.

Olympic champion Greg Rutherford won his first world championship title in the long jump with his season-best leap of 8.41 meters on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old Rutherford set the winning mark on his fourth jump and passed on his last two attempts.

Former world indoor champion Fabrice Lapierre of Australia overtook two Chinese jumpers with his fifth attempt and took silver with a mark of 8.24. Wang Jianan took bronze at 8.18, with Chinese teammates Gao Xinglong and Li Jinzhe placing fourth and fifth.

America contender Jeff Henderson had the season-leading mark of 8.52 heading to China, but finished ninth with a best mark of 7.95.

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9 p.m.

World-record holder David Rudisha won his second world championship title in the 800 meters, finishing in 1 minute, 45.84 seconds on Tuesday.

The 2012 Olympic champion didn't defend his world title in Moscow in 2013 because of a knee injury that sidelined him for much of the season and was still working back into form ahead of the worlds.

European champion Adam Kszczot of Poland took silver in 1:46.08 and Amel Tuka earned Bosnia's first medal at the world championships, getting bronze at 1:46.30.

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8:45 p.m.

Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia pulled away halfway through the 1,500-meter final and never let anyone close again as she added the world title to her world record.

After a slow start, Dibaba kicked with two laps to go and finished in 4 minutes, 8.09 seconds, .87 seconds ahead Faith Kipyegon of Kenya. Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands earned bronze, 1.25 behind.

Dibaba has been the dominating force in women's track this season, setting a world record in Monaco during the run-up to the world championships. She will be seeking to complete a 1,500-5,000 double next weekend.

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8:35 p.m.

Nicholas Bett of Kenya ran the fastest time this year to win the 400-meter hurdles title in 47.79 seconds on Tuesday at the world championships.

Bett, who had never broken 49 seconds at sea level before heading to China, now has a national record after his run in the outside lane at the Bird's Nest.

Denis Kudryavtsev earned silver in a Russian record 48.05 and Jeffrey Gibson took bronze in a Bahamas record 48.17.

The Americans, who had five of the top six places on the 2015 list heading into the championships, narrowly missed out on a medal.

Two-time world champion Kerron Clement placed fourth in his season-best 48.18 and Michael Tinsley, the Olympic and world silver medalist, placed eighth in 50.02.

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8:10 p.m.

Denia Caballero of Cuba won the discus title at the world championships with her first throw, giving her a rare victory over defending Olympic and world champion Sandra Perkovic.

Caballero, the Pan-American Games champion, won with a mark of 69.28 meters. The Cuban had the season-leading throw of 70.65 meters heading into the championships and was the most consistent in Tuesday's final.

Perkovic, the Diamond League winner in 2012, `13 and `14, moved from fourth place into the silver medal position with a final throw of 67.39.

The 25-year-old Croatian had lost only five times in 46 competitions across the previous four years.

Nadine Muller of Germany, the 2011 world championship silver medalist, finished third at 65.53.

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7:53 p.m.

Justin Gatlin won his opening heat in the 200 meters in 20.19 seconds on Tuesday, two days after narrowly losing to Usain Bolt in the 100-meter final.

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7:45 p.m.

Usain Bolt cruised through the opening round of the 200 meters in 20.28 seconds on Tuesday, starting the second phase of his bid for another sprint double at the Bird's Nest two days after retaining his 100 world title.

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7:35 p.m.

Allyson Felix produced one of her trademark smooth runs to coast into the final of the 400 meters, where she can earn ninth gold medal of the world championships and match the total of Usain Bolt.

Ten years after she won her first gold, a 200-meter title in Helsinki, she proved she lost little of her speed, easing up at the line to cross in 49.89 seconds, her top time this season.

She was the only competitor to beat the 50-second mark, with Shericka Jackson coming in second at 50.03 seconds. Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas won the first semifinal heat in 50.12, ahead of Christine Day of Jamaica in 50.82.

Defending champion Christine Ohuruogu of Britain won the second semifinal heat in 50.16.

The final is Thursday.

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6:25 p.m.

If Ashton Eaton looks cool under pressure in the decathlon at the world championships, it's because he is.

The Olympic champion and world-record holder will wear a specially designed cooling hood over the two-day competition that begins Friday. Researchers for his sponsor, Nike, came up with a cap that contains inner layers that are designed to keep water cool without leaking. Eaton plans to don the white hat in between events.

''At the beginning, I thought, `No way this is going to be cool,''' said Eaton, whose wife, Brianne Theisen-Easton, won silver in the heptathlon. ''After one rendition, they turned it into something awesome. I used it in training and I liked it a lot.''

How much it will help from a physiology standpoint remains to be seen. But the psychological ramifications could be immense, especially on a hot day, Eaton said.

It's being playfully dubbed ''10,000 points.'' As in, maybe the product will lead to someone reaching that point total. Eaton's world record is currently at 9,039 points - a long way from the 10,000 plateau.

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