Amber Anning made history by becoming Great Britain's first women's 400m champion at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China. Clocking 50.60 seconds, she narrowly defeated American Alexis Holmes after a dramatic race hampered by a mid-race shove and a prior disqualification at the European indoor championships. Anning's emotional victory marked her first international title and highlighted her perseverance and composure under pressure. Celebrating with a British flag, Anning reflects on the significance of her win at the beginning of her professional journey as an athlete.
"It feels amazing," Anning told BBC Sport. "It wasn't the cleanest race but the goal was to win and get my first individual title. I wasn't sure [I'd won]. I thought I just got there but I needed to make sure I didn't see a disqualification. It was just a sigh of relief."
Despite the mid-race shove from her competitor, Anning maintained her composure and executed her final sprint flawlessly, clinching victory by three one hundredths of a second.
Anning's achievement is remarkable, especially coming on the heels of her disqualification at the European indoors, showcasing her resilience and determination as she marks her place in athletics history.
This victory serves as a pivotal moment in Anning's career, signaling the start of her journey as a full-time professional athlete after graduation and indicating bright prospects ahead.
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