WITH two leaps left of the long jump competition remaining at these world championships, Shara Proctor stood alone atop the standings, within touching distance of pouncing on gold. Born in Anguilla, competing for the United Kingdom, the 26-year-old had extended her British record into fresh territory by soaring 7.07 metres. With the honour of closing the contest, only one opponent could deny her victory.

With an innate sense of drama, Tianna Bartoletta scythed through the Beijing night air and flew seven centimetres further. Proctor could not adequately respond with her final attempt as the American repeated her triumph of Helsinki in 2005. Yet in taking silver, Proctor was joyous after spending most of last summer on the sidelines injured, wondering if such opportunities would come again.

“This is my fifth World Championship and I just said, ‘Shara, you need to do something right now’,” Proctor, who also jumped 7.01m in the fourth round, revealed. “I knew I had to come and be a competitor. I was ready to do that and I did. I came away with a silver. I feel like a winner regardless. I had a rough year.

“This time last year I was on crutches, I had to learn to walk, I had to learn to run again, so I just feel like a winner right now. I don't care about the colour of the medal. I was told that I wouldn't be sure that I'm strong enough to be here and I proved everybody wrong.”

Lorraine Ugen was fifth with Katarina Johnson-Thompson unable to gain any consolation for her heptathlon calamities when under-performing in eleventh. “It’s probably the worst week of my life,” the Liverpudlian confirmed. “I think the positives are that I am never going to let this happen again.”

Proctor’s was one of two UK records to fall within the hour but Dina Asher-Smith’s speedy sprint in the 200 metres was only enough to take fifth place as the Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers bolted to gold. The Londoner, still only 19, eradicated Kathy Cook’s 31-year-old mark with a time of 22.07 seconds, the quickest-ever in the event by a teenager.

At seven of the past 10 editions of these championships, it would have been fast enough for victory. “I’m not disappointed,” she said. Times are great, but at a championships it doesn’t really matter because you come here for the placings. I’d have loved to have got a medal but being in that calibre of race, and seeing Dafne run 21.63, I’m really not disappointed.”

Schippers broke a European record that had belonged to Marita Koch, a product of the drug-tainted East Germany system, since 1979. Only Florence Griffith-Joyner and Marion Jones have ever recorded faster times. “I know I am clean,” declared the Dutchwoman, when her own probity was queried afterwards. “And I know I work very hard for it."

Elsewhere, Russia’s Sergey Shubenkov secured a surprise win in the 110m hurdles final but there was acclaim for Olympic champion Aries Merritt who took bronze, just days before he undergoes a kidney transplant that might yet end his athletics career.

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Britain’s Tiffany Porter saw probable gold turn into certain despair as a botched last hurdle saw her tumble over the line in fifth place, with Jamaica’s Danielle Williams victorious. “I just didn’t really execute my last couple of hurdles and that’s what happens in terms of athletics,” she said. “I’m just going to grow from this, you have to brush yourself off and do better next time.”

Chris O’Hare punched the track in anger as he crashed out of the 1500 metres at the semi-final stage. The double European medallist was well-positioned with one lap to go but he faded painfully on the home straight to seventh place in a time of 3:44.36, almost 10 seconds slower than the personal best he ran last month.

“It’s really frustrating,” the Scot confirmed. “We’ve put a lot of work into that last 50 metres. Unfortunately I was seventh best. It’s simple as that and I’m absolutely gutted. I really wanted to do something to show how fit I am. This season has been a rollercoaster. It’s just rubbish.”

His team-mate Charlie Grice did advance into tomorrow’s final by coming fourth in his semi but, ahead of the relays, initial British hopes of adding to their medal tally will arrive this afternoon when Mo Farah bids to land his fifth world title in the 5000m final.

While tomorrow Steph Twell will feed off the feel-good factor in returning to the scene of her Olympic debut in 2008 after a wealth of injuries when she runs in the women’s 5000m. “I had that mindset of living up to this and knowing this is where I want to be,” the Scotland internationalist said. “So coming back is fantastic because I know I’ve made it after the journey I’ve been on and I’m really proud.”