Allyson Felix finished brilliantly to claim her first Olympic 200 metres title, while Natalya Antyukh won the 400 metres hurdles final on Wednesday.

American Felix, 26, finished second in Beijing and has won three World Championship titles at this distance and she was brilliant in London, overhauling 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to win in a time of 21.88 seconds.

Another American, Carmelita Jeter, claimed bronze to add to her silver from the 100m.

Defending Beijing champion Veronica Campbell-Brown was run into fourth, with Sanya Richards-Ross fifth.

Antyukh of Russia held off a late challenge from the USA’s Lashinda Demus in a similarly thrilling women’s 400 metres hurdles final.

Antyukh powered into the final hurdles with a good lead over Demus but had to resist a spirited late charge from the American to dip home in 52.70 seconds, smashing her personal best by almost a quarter of a second.

Zuzana Hejnova of Czech Republic was third in 53.38s.

It was easily the 31-year-old Antyukh’s biggest career win, her previous triumphs including a 2010 European title in this event and several medals as part of the Russian 4x400m relay team.

Demus, meanwhile, failed to even qualify for the last Olympics in Beijing. The defending champion from 2008, Melanie Walker of Jamaica, was unable to get past the semi-finals this time out.

@Eurosport