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Everyone else was running for third place.
It was Francis, rather than Felix, who burst through to win in a personal best of 49.92sec.
Felix crashed through into bronze in Wednesday's 400m after Bahamas rival and race leader Shaunae Miller-Uibo faltered 20 metres from the finish line.
Bolt, Ottey and American Allyson Felix jointly hold the record for most career medals at the world championships with 14. After the race the 23-year-old Miller-Uibo was swiftly helped to the medical room, without stopping to explain what had happened.
Coming into the race, even Francis knew that she was supposed to be a supporting actor.
"It is fantastic", she said.
Francis was fourth coming off the curve. "I'm really proud of what I've done over the past 14 years, and as long as I'm enjoying myself then that is enough for me", she said. "It is 26 years since China won a shot put medal", she said, "so it's a very special moment for me".
Naser focused on her lane and didn't realize she was closing in on the great Felix, whom she follows on Instagram and calls her a "role model".
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Lorraine Ugen showed she could adapt as well as any of the leading medal candidates, qualifying third best with her opening effort of 6.63m. "It's not about beating Allyson Felix", Naser said.
The race was run in a steady rain, with temperatures in the high 50s.
"It didn't exactly go how I hoped", she said. With less than half a straightaway in front of her, Felix was in serious danger of not medalling at all.
"You just have to roll with it", Felix said. The conditions were the same for everyone, I am not sure if that was the factor tonight. Being world champion sounds pretty cool.
Jamaican Bolt, in his swansong season, can move to 15 with a medal in the 4x100m relay this weekend, but Felix is slated to run both the 4×100 and 4x400m relays for the USA team, which could take her to 16. Felix's nine Olympic medals trail only Carl Lewis and Finland's Paavo Nurmi.
Felix has always preferred the 200 to the 400, and despite that world title in Beijing, Felix still feels she has unfinished business in the longer event.
Yet most of her gold medals have come in relays.
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