BRITAIN'S Kelly Sotherton claimed world heptathlon bronze yesterday - and then took a swipe at the girl who'd beaten her to silver.

Sotherton has a reputation for speaking her mind, once calling London's 2012 Olympic bid a 'waste of money'.

And she didn't hold back when asked about silver medallist Lyudmila Blonska's return from a two-year drugs ban.

"I don't support cheats, she's cheated once and who says she's not cheating again?" said Sotherton, who overcame a shaky javelin to record a season's best 6510 points.

"Hopefully she is clean now but you want to beat people who are dirty to prove a point.

"She blatantly cheated and knew she did. I don't talk to her, I can't speak Russian and apparently she doesn't understand English.

"You can see how the other athletes treat her. I shook her hand but I was just being sportsmanlike, I'm not interested in her.

"I'll always support clean athletes. I'd much rather Carolina Kluft won than her."

Sotherton arrived in Osaka overshadowed by young team-mate Jessica Ennis, who had stolen her British number one crown.

Since her bronze in Athens three years ago, the Birchfield Harrier has struggled with her form at major events.

Aside from a Commonwealth Games gold against a lightweight field, she's not been on a major outdoor championship podium since.

But with Beijing just under a year away, the 30-year old is making a timely and encouraging resurgence.

Her javelin, the curse of previous disappointing performances, showed only modest improvement but a massive personal best in the long jump and front-running show in the 800m was just enough.

Carolina Kluft took gold while Ennis underlined her potential by shattering her personal best in fourth place.

"I'm just relieved that my javelin didn't let me down," added Sotherton.

"This might be my last heptathlon at a World Championships and I've proved a few people, who thought I'd never win a medal again, wrong.

"I knew I had the ability but I'm a bit emotional because I worked very hard for this.

"The Olympics still means more and if could swap this bronze for a medal in Beijing, I certainly would.

"I just wish I'd put £200 quid on me to win a medal when I was 80/1!"

Meanwhile, Marlon Devonish is already eyeing next year's Olympics - after his breakthrough 100m final appearance yesterday.

Devonish became the first British sprinter to reach a global major championship final since 2003 but could only finish sixth in a disappointing time of 10.14 seconds that was eight tenths slower than his personal best.

Tyson Gay stormed to gold but his prediction of a world record never materialised.

The American, who will start his sprint double campaign tomorrow, crossed the line in 9.85 secs.

"I'm having the season of my life and I shouldn't be disappointed but I am a little," admitted Devonish.

"My target was to get into the final and then run the race of my life. Unfortunately, it didn't quite happen this time.

"I'd love to have run sub-ten seconds but it wasn't to be. It's not a medal but sixth in the world isn't bad."