BERLIN - Former Duke cross country runner Shannon Rowbury has claimed third place in the 1500m event at the IAAF World Championships held in Berlin, Germany.
A standout athlete with the Blue Devils, Rowbury ran a strong race and was in contention for gold heading into the final lap. After two of her fellow competitors collided on the back stretch, the Duke alum was able to sidestep a potential fall during the final 200 meters to finish in fourth in 4:04.18. However, race winner Natalia Rodriguez of Spain was disqualified, moving all runners up a spot in the standings. Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain took home the gold medal, while Lisa Dobriskey of Great Britain and Rowbury won sliver and bronze respectively. Rowbury's bronze medal is the first medal earned by an American woman at the World Championships in the event since 1999 when Regina Jacobs won silver.
With the third-place finish, Rowbury adds to an impressive resume that includes an ACC cross country championship and an NCAA indoor one-mile championship while at Duke and a seventh-place finish at the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing.
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