(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-08-28 10:23

OSAKA, Japan - Jamaica's Veronica Campbell won the women's 100 metres title after a blanket finish to the final and chaotic scenes at the world championships on Monday.

Campbell and American defending champion Lauryn Williams were both given the same time of 11.01 seconds and the judges took several minutes to decide the Jamaican had won the race.

An official finish line photo shows athletes crossing the finish line during the women's 100 metres final event at the 11th IAAF World Athletics Championship in Osaka August 27, 2007. Jamaica's Veronica Campbell (3rd from bottom) won the 100 metres title following a blanket finish to the final and chaotic scenes at the world championships on Monday.  [Reuters]

With the first six finishers separated by just seven hundredths of a second, 2003 world champion Torri Edwards was initially flashed up on the stadium's big screen as the winner.

Gasps of astonishment from the crowd and perplexed looks on the faces of the athletes told a different story, however, and that was confirmed when Campbell was awarded the gold medal.

"It was one of my longest moments, it was a very close race," Campbell told reporters. "I wasn't sure with all the names going back and forth but I was happy to win.

"I was confident, positive, my start wasn't the greatest but I knew I had finished well."

Williams thought she might have edged the race, the first in the women's 100m at the world championships where the medallists were covered by just one hundredth of a second.

"I did a lot of praying, I was really hoping God would shine down on me and I would be a gold medallist again," the 23-year-old said.

"When they started switching around, I thought there's hope for me yet."

In the end, Williams had to settle for the silver ahead of compatriot Carmelita Jeter, who found out she had won bronze in a time of 11.02 after already having left the arena.

"Tears of joy," said the 27-year-old Jeter. "I can't describe how I feel. This evening and this day is mine and very special."

The winning time was the slowest in championship history, but Campbell finally claimed a global title in the blue riband sprint after taking bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics and silver at the worlds the following year.

"This medal means a lot to me and is very important to my career," the Olympic 200m champion said.

Campbell's victory was more cause for celebration for her coach Lance Brauman, who on Tuesday will be released from a Texas prison where he has spent more than nine months after being found guilty of embezzlement, theft and mail fraud charges.

Brauman also coaches the men's 100m champion Tyson Gay.

"He should be very proud, he has two gold medallists," she said.

Edwards was eventually placed fourth in 11.05 seconds and France's Christine Arron finished sixth (11.08) in her fifth world championship final.