Jana Pittman struck a knockout blow to Yuliya Pechonkina's world title hopes on Thursday after psyching herself up watching movie hero Sylvester Stallone.

The 20-year-old Australian caused the biggest shock of the world championships so far by storming to gold in the women's 400 metres hurdles.

Pittman said she found inspiration before the final by watching the 1985 boxing film Rocky IV, in which Rocky Balboa (Stallone) upsets all the odds to defeat his gigantic Russian rival Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren.

"I watched Rocky, I love watching Rocky, and the funniest thing is today's Rocky was the Russian against Rocky so it was appropriate -- he beat the Russian and so did I," she told a news conference.

Another top Australian sportsman, tennis player Lleyton Hewitt, also motivates himself by watching Rocky movies, although he is known to favour the original Hollywood blockbuster, rather than one of the sequels.

"I'm planning to save one (Rocky film) for every year," added Pittman. "Watching them gives me confidence."

The Australian had also geared up for Paris by going on training runs up a steep hill outside Melbourne that her coach Phil King referred to as "Pechonkina Hill".

MEDICAL PROBLEMS

Despite her preparations, the Commonwealth champion was not expected to beat Pechonkina, the gold medal favourite and world record holder.

The Russian set her world record of 52.34 on August 8 despite suffering medical problems that forced her absence from the European outdoor season.

She set off in Thursday's final as if she intended to lower the mark again but, despite being clear entering the final straight, Pechonkina tired badly as Pittman and silver medallist American Sandra Glover mowed her down after the final hurdle.

"I am lucky that I can rise to the occasion and pull a performance out when it matters most," said Pittman, who has won three of the five Golden League meetings this year.

"Since the beginning of the year I've worked on closing the gap between myself and Yuliya."

Pittman believes she can improve again on her lifetime best, the mark of 53.22 seconds set at the Stade de France.

"I think we will have some very good races with Pechonkina in the coming months," she said.

"I also believe that the world record is within my reach. I am by no means a Sally Gunnell class hurdler yet. I still have to work on my technique," she added, referring to Britain's Olympic champion in 1992 at Barcelona.

"But my plan is to take off about 1-1.5 seconds in the next six to eight months."

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