Amber Anning makes history as she claims gold in women’s 400m at the World Indoor Athletics Championships

Heartbroken in Holland, now the champion in China. What a difference a fortnight makes for Amber Anning and what a talent Great Britain has on its hands.

The 24-year-old was left in tears two weeks ago when she was disqualified from her heat at the European Indoor Championships for stepping out of her lane. But on Saturday in Nanjing, Anning’s smile lit up the arena as she made history by becoming Britain’s first winner of the women’s 400m at a World Indoor Championships.

This was Anning’s maiden major individual medal and comes in her first full season as a professional, having graduated from the University of Arkansas last year. The pre-race favourite, however, had to win this one the hard way.

Going into the last lap, Anning was pushed out of the inside lane and into second place by Alexis Holmes as the rivals jostled for position on the bend. But the Brighton-based star was able to recover to pip the American on the line in a time of 50.60sec, a winning margin of just 0.03sec.

‘After what happened in the Europeans, to come here and win is just an amazing feeling,’ admitted Anning, who celebrated with a Union Flag which her mum had written her name on. ‘It wasn’t the cleanest race. It felt quite messy. But I just stayed faithful and I fought to the end.

‘I wasn’t sure if I had won. I thought I had just got there, but I just needed to make sure I didn’t see a disqualification. When I saw my name up there, it was just a sigh of relief.

Anning beat the American Alexis Holmes on the line in a time of 50.60sec in China

It comes just two weeks after the 24-year-old Brit was disqualified from her heat in Holland

‘I wasn’t as fast as I should have been, but the goal was just to get my first individual title. I am grateful that I was able to get the job done.’

Anning’s first title has always seemed a matter of when and not if given her outstanding talent and rapid progression. On her Olympic debut last summer, she clocked 49.29sec in the 400m final to smash former champion Christine Ohuruogo’s 11-year-old British record.

While Anning finished fifth in that race, missing out on a podium place by just 0.31sec, she still left Paris with two bronzes from the women’s and mixed relays. And after her breakthrough victory indoors yesterday, she is now eyeing more medals outdoors – not least at the World Championships in Tokyo in September.

‘I am really excited for outdoors,’ added Anning. ‘I am looking forward to pushing more times. The goal is Tokyo.’

Another British athlete predicting big things this summer is Amy Hunt, who finished fifth in the 60m final in 7.11sec, with Swiss sprinter Mujinga Kambundji winning in 7.04sec.

‘I can’t believe that I’m fifth in the world in an event that everybody said I couldn’t do,’ said the tearful 22-year-old, whose preferred event is 200m. ‘If I can come fifth in the world in my least favourite event, then anything is possible. I hope everybody has their popcorn ready because outdoors is when the real show begins.’

There was, though, no such joy for Molly Caudery after her fourth-place finish in the pole vault.

The 25-year-old was looking to defend her title from last year and avenge her disaster at the Olympics, when she went in as favourite but failed to even make the final. However, Caudery suffered more misery at a major event as she missed out on a medal on countback.

In a competition marred by technical issues, Caudery’s second-time vault of 4.70m meant she finished behind silver and bronze medallists Tina Sutej and Angelica Moser, who both cleared that height first time. France’s Marie-Julie Bonnin won gold with a jump of 4.75m – still 10cm short of Caudery’s season’s best from last month.

‘I feel a bit flat,’ said the British record holder. ‘I wanted to come out here after last year and do something and I know that I’m in shape to do something. I am disappointed to say the least.’