Lashinda Demus of the United States and Melaine Walker of Jamaica clears the final hurdles in the 400m Hurdles (© Getty Images)
Never mind the cheers and celebrations as winners made their way off the track here at the Olympic Stadium tonight, welcome to the 400m hurdles Mutual Appreciation Society.
"I have to commend her," said Jamaica's gold medallist Melaine Walker as she beat American rival Lashinda Demus in a fabulous race. "To defeat her, you really feel like you did something. When I see her, I am going to tell her 'I still idolise you, I do not think anything less of you, you are a great athlete and continue to be who you are'."
As Demus responded: "Anybody who runs that fast and puts it together at the right time is a great champion."
Such was the popularity of Walker that it took her almost an hour to finish with the endless television interviews she had to do after a victory in one of the finest 400m hurdles races of all time.
A year after winning the Olympic title in Beijing, Walker added to the Jamaican medal haul by running the second fast time in history, a stunning 52.42 to beat Demus, who was second in 52.96, with Josanne Lucas, of Trinidad and Tobago, third in 53.20.
Now she is eyeing a hat-trick with the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year, and something else. "I might chase the world record one day," she said.
That day might not be too far away. The time of 52.34 is held by Russian Yulia Pechonkina from six years ago but there is now only one superstar of this distance.
As she was talking on television about her glory, she stopped as teammate Usain Bolt came soaring into the home straight to smash the 200m world record.
It was back in Kingston in 2002 that Bolt first made his name on the World scene when he won the 200m at the World Junior Championships. And it was there that Walker too made a big impression too - finishing second in the 400m hurdles.
That was a start of a major career that saw her find enough speed to hold off Demus in the home straight and execute the final hurdle with power and panache before storming away.
Demus was second at the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki in 2005, but missed the next edition in Osaka in 2007 after giving birth to twin boys earlier that year.
She missed out on last year's Olympic Games in Beijing too, but has been determined to become the best in the world. It is why Walker knew how difficult it could be to beat her - having lost to her only three weeks ago at the Herculis Meeting in Monaco.
That was Walker's final race before Berlin, and only now can she rest easily.
She said: "I could not eat or sleep. If I am able to beat her, I know am a tough girl.
"I am someone to beat every time I come to a Championship. But I have been having sleepless nights about this.
"I cannot tell you how I am feeling inside. I was not even thinking about the time, it was just that I know we have been competing for years and I know Lashinda is so difficult to defeat.
"If you had seen my preparation for this you would believe I would be capable of coming out and running this way.
"But after Monaco, I thought to myself 'You know what, I am going to prepare for this. I have had stomach aches, back aches, I trained so hard and I was not going to give it up'.
"I felt like I was in practice. I do it a thousand times then and I knew I had only one shot at it, so why not make it the best. I pushed all the way home."
It was some run by Walker, whose personal best was 52.64 but who had not sprinted quicker than 53.26 in 2009. Demus entered the final with a lifetime best of 52.63 from that win in Monaco, but Walker is made of stern stuff.
"I don't even know how this compares to last year," said the Olympic champion. "I am really, really, really happy."
She hardly needed to underline how 'really happy' she was. Her smile told the complete story.
"Coming out of the last hurdle, I thought 'I am close'," she added. "I have pressure by being Olympic champion, but by being able to defeat Demus who is my biggest competitor in life is a real key for me."
She acknowledged the impact Bolt has made. "I am stunned myself by Usain," she said. "Normally everyone else wants to do the same and that is the energy in the camp and I can see more victories coming out."
The Jamaican team will return home to heroic welcomes as happened last year after their magnificent glory in Beijing. But Walker has no worries that she cannot carry on with her life in the way she wants to lead it.
She said: "Things have changed a lot since last year, but I try to be normal and do things like going to the local store.
"People try to say 'sign this and that' but it feels good. Jamaica is a place where they respect you. They will acknowledge you when you do something - but they will not crowd you at all."
But if they do, there is no doubt that Melaine Walker will stand out from that crowd, just as she did in Berlin tonight.
Richard Lewis for the IAAF
"I have to commend her," said Jamaica's gold medallist Melaine Walker as she beat American rival Lashinda Demus in a fabulous race. "To defeat her, you really feel like you did something. When I see her, I am going to tell her 'I still idolise you, I do not think anything less of you, you are a great athlete and continue to be who you are'."
As Demus responded: "Anybody who runs that fast and puts it together at the right time is a great champion."
Such was the popularity of Walker that it took her almost an hour to finish with the endless television interviews she had to do after a victory in one of the finest 400m hurdles races of all time.
A year after winning the Olympic title in Beijing, Walker added to the Jamaican medal haul by running the second fast time in history, a stunning 52.42 to beat Demus, who was second in 52.96, with Josanne Lucas, of Trinidad and Tobago, third in 53.20.
Now she is eyeing a hat-trick with the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year, and something else. "I might chase the world record one day," she said.
That day might not be too far away. The time of 52.34 is held by Russian Yulia Pechonkina from six years ago but there is now only one superstar of this distance.
As she was talking on television about her glory, she stopped as teammate Usain Bolt came soaring into the home straight to smash the 200m world record.
It was back in Kingston in 2002 that Bolt first made his name on the World scene when he won the 200m at the World Junior Championships. And it was there that Walker too made a big impression too - finishing second in the 400m hurdles.
That was a start of a major career that saw her find enough speed to hold off Demus in the home straight and execute the final hurdle with power and panache before storming away.
Demus was second at the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki in 2005, but missed the next edition in Osaka in 2007 after giving birth to twin boys earlier that year.
She missed out on last year's Olympic Games in Beijing too, but has been determined to become the best in the world. It is why Walker knew how difficult it could be to beat her - having lost to her only three weeks ago at the Herculis Meeting in Monaco.
That was Walker's final race before Berlin, and only now can she rest easily.
She said: "I could not eat or sleep. If I am able to beat her, I know am a tough girl.
"I am someone to beat every time I come to a Championship. But I have been having sleepless nights about this.
"I cannot tell you how I am feeling inside. I was not even thinking about the time, it was just that I know we have been competing for years and I know Lashinda is so difficult to defeat.
"If you had seen my preparation for this you would believe I would be capable of coming out and running this way.
"But after Monaco, I thought to myself 'You know what, I am going to prepare for this. I have had stomach aches, back aches, I trained so hard and I was not going to give it up'.
"I felt like I was in practice. I do it a thousand times then and I knew I had only one shot at it, so why not make it the best. I pushed all the way home."
It was some run by Walker, whose personal best was 52.64 but who had not sprinted quicker than 53.26 in 2009. Demus entered the final with a lifetime best of 52.63 from that win in Monaco, but Walker is made of stern stuff.
"I don't even know how this compares to last year," said the Olympic champion. "I am really, really, really happy."
She hardly needed to underline how 'really happy' she was. Her smile told the complete story.
"Coming out of the last hurdle, I thought 'I am close'," she added. "I have pressure by being Olympic champion, but by being able to defeat Demus who is my biggest competitor in life is a real key for me."
She acknowledged the impact Bolt has made. "I am stunned myself by Usain," she said. "Normally everyone else wants to do the same and that is the energy in the camp and I can see more victories coming out."
The Jamaican team will return home to heroic welcomes as happened last year after their magnificent glory in Beijing. But Walker has no worries that she cannot carry on with her life in the way she wants to lead it.
She said: "Things have changed a lot since last year, but I try to be normal and do things like going to the local store.
"People try to say 'sign this and that' but it feels good. Jamaica is a place where they respect you. They will acknowledge you when you do something - but they will not crowd you at all."
But if they do, there is no doubt that Melaine Walker will stand out from that crowd, just as she did in Berlin tonight.
Richard Lewis for the IAAF
