TOKYO : Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran the fastest women's 400 metres in 40 years to claim world championship gold in 47.78 seconds on Thursday and complete her transition from the one-lap hurdles in emphatic style.

The American stormed through the Tokyo rain and held off Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino in a sprint to the line to add a first global gold in the flat 400m to the two Olympic and one world titles she won over the hurdles.

Only Marita Koch has run faster in the event, the East German setting the world record time of 47.60 in 1985 under the shadow of the Cold War nation's systematic doping programme.

Paulino, who was defending the title she won two years ago, will take a silver medal back to the Dominican Republic after finishing second in 47.98 and becoming the third faste

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