The strength of Russian race walking was again put on display at the World Athletics Championships on Tuesday as Olympic champion and world record holder Elena Lashmanova claimed gold in the 20km walk.
It stretched a winning Russian streak at the worlds that dates back to the Edmonton, Canada, championships in 2001.
Lashmanova's teammate Anisya Kirdyapkina claimed silver, with China's Liu Hong snatching bronze after a third Russian, Vera Sokolova, was dramatically red carded by the judges as she entered the stadium.
"I'm happy to win a gold medal in the capital of my home country," beamed Lashmanova.
"And I'm even more happy that we made it the Russian 1-2. It's a pity that Vera was disqualified near the stadium at the end of the race. It could have been three of us on the podium.
"The victory is not of less importance than the Olympic one for me."
Italian Elisa Rigaudo and Czech Republic's Anezka Drahotova set the early pace for a large pack, but that soon dropped down to a quartet also including Kirdaypkina and Lashmanova.
In very humid conditions, the latter pair built up a 30-metre, or 10sec, lead on Rigaudo and Drahtova, with Chinese pair Sun Huanhuan and Liu joining the battle for bronze.
The leading Russian duo upped the pace, which had been very conservative in the opening 10km.
At the 1:15 mark, a third Russian, 2010 European bronze medallist Sokolova, surged from nowhere to the front of the chasing pack, picking up a judge's warning as she tried to catch her teammates.
Sokolova picked up a second warning as she tried desperately to reel in the leaders, Lashmanova suddenly producing a spurt that saw her build up a crucial 4sec lead over 2011 world bronze medallist Kirdyapkina.
Liu moved into clear fourth position, teeth gritted as she went for bronze to add to her 2011 silver and 2009 bronze.
There was almost drama at the end as Lashmanova eased up as she crossed the line in the Luzhniki Stadium, only to be waved on by officials that there was a lap more to complete.
"The judges didn't really explain to us that we had to do one more lap before the home straight and finish and that's why I stopped for a second at the stadium," Lashmanova said.
Sokolova was then disqualified for a third warning, allowing Liu, twice a fourth-placed finisher at the Olympics, in for bronze.
Lashmanova's gold, in the absence of home favourite Olga Kaniskina, a three-time successive world champion surprisingly beaten to gold by Lashmanova at the London Games, followed that of Aleksandr Ivanov in the men's 20km walk.
