American Chase Ealey successfully defended her women's shot put crown at the World Athletics Championships on Saturday, winning her second successive gold medal, while China's Gong Lijiao won a record eighth straight individual medal.

Ealey, who was competing with a new technique, produced her season-best throw in her fifth attempt to win the gold with a 20.43 metres effort while Canada's Sarah Mitton took the silver with 20.08.

Gong, the 2017 and 2019 world champion who is competing at her ninth consecutive global championships, was chasing her eighth successive medal and she clinched bronze after producing a throw of 19.69, pipping Portugal's Auriol Dongmo on countback.

"It's even more satisfying than last year because this year I've struggled to get my technique sorted and get everything right. So for it to come together at the right time is perfect," Ealey said.

"I've been training really well and I was really confident. I was early in the series so I wanted to set a good mark and set the pace. I think I did that," Ealey added.

As for Gong, the bronze was her fourth at the World Championships to go with two gold and two silver medals, making her the only athlete to win eight consecutive individual medals.

She was previously tied with Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi, who won seven medals — four gold and three silver — in the 3,000 metres steeplechase between 2003 and 2015.

US dominance

The United States won the women's 4x100m relay gold as Sha'Carrie Richardson and Gabby Thomas came into the team to see them home ahead of regular rivals Jamaica in a Championship record time of 41.03 seconds on Saturday.

The first three did their job so that Richardson, the individual 100m champion, was always in control.

Jamaica's Shericka Jackson, the 200m champion, had too much to do as they took silver in 41.21 while Britain claimed bronze with 41.97.

The US also claimed the men's 4x100m gold. Noah Lyles completed a glorious World Championships when he anchored the US to victory to claim a third Budapest gold medal on Saturday.

Olympic champions Italy, with Tokyo individual gold medallist Lamont Marcell Jacobs on the second leg, took silver with 37.62.

Jamaica finished strongly to edge out Britain for bronze in 37.76.

Reuters