Olympic champion Melaine Walker of Jamaica won the women's 400 meters hurdles title at the World Athletics Championships Thursday.

Walker finished the race in a World Championships record of 52.42 seconds. American Lashinda Demus took the silver in 52.96 and Trinidad & Tobago's Josanne Lucas won the bronze in 53.20.

"This is a fantastic time and a new championships record - everything went perfectly today," Walker said. "I have been looking forward to this race because this is the only time you can do it. I have never thought about the records, I always run the race the best as I can. I was watching Usain Bolt running the amazing world record at 200m here and I am so proud to be Jamaican."

Demus, silver winner four years ago at Helsinki worlds, said, "I wanted to run a better time than I did this year and I thought I could. But I ran a bad technical race. This is totally my fault.

"I'm so disappointed and at the same time I can't be too upset. I have to prove I can be a champion, who knows to win and who also knows to lose."

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2009)