Mutola edges Graf for gold

Maria Mutola added the world title to Olympic gold

Mozambique's Maria Mutola won the women's 800m in thrilling style in Edmonton on Sunday, but Britain's Kelly Holmes finished out of the medals in sixth.

Olympic champion Mutola lunged past Austria's Stephanie Graf on the line to win in a time of 1.57.17.

Graf was just three hundredths of a second behind with Surinam's Letitiia Vriesde taking bronze.

Mutola came from behind in the final 50m, catching Graf on the line to regain the world title she first won in 1993.

"It's a dream come true," said Mutola. "I found myself in a very difficult position at the final turn.

"It could have been bad. I knew if I kept pushing, I thought I could get second."

Holmes, the Olympic bronze medalist, was Britain's best hope of a medal on the final day of the championships.

But it was not to be this time for the former army sergeant who, though fourth on the final lap, was never in a position to challenge and eventually faded to finish in 1:59.76.