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≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
Monday night at the World Athletics Championships was hot as usual, with temperatures in the low 80s and lots of humidity, but nowhere near as hot as the competition, with stunning results all night.
Oh yes, and Swedish star Mondo Duplantis came through on his called shot of a world record!
● Men/Steeple: Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, going for a fifth straight global title, went immediately to the back, as he usually does. He was joined by Ethiopian world-record holder Lamecha Girma.
Kenya’s Edmund Serem and Frederik Ruppert (GER) were in front with three laps to go, and Girma moved up and El Bakkali followed. With two laps to go, American Dan Michalski took the lead and pushed the pace. Michalski had a 3 m lead into the penultimate water jump and he took the bell.
Girma got the lead into the backstraight and was pulling away, but El Bakkali came even at the water jump. Into the straight, El Bakkali had too much speed and had the lead and looked like the winner.
But New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish, who fell in the heats, ran down El Bakkali off the final barrier, as El Bakkali did not fully sprint to the line, 8:33.38 to 8:33.95 in a huge upset.
Serem, 17, was third in 8:34.56, running past Samuel Firewu (ETH: 8:34.68) on the run-in. Girma ended up sixth (8:35.60) and Michalski faded and finished ninth in 8:37.12. Slow races can produce crazy results.
● Men/Vault: Ten were in at 5.85 m (18-10 1/4), and at 5.90 m (19-4 1/4), Greek star Emmanouil Karalis was way over on his first try, while Olympic champ Duplantis passed.
Five cleared 5.90 m and three more passed to 5.95 m (19-6 1/4). Duplantis cleared easily on his first attempt, but everyone else missed. Two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S. missed once at 5.90 m, then missed 5.95 m, but snaked over his second try, touching the bar with his chest … but it stayed on!
Australia’s Kurtis Marschall also made 5.95 on his second try and Karalis made it on his third. They were the only ones to clear this height, as three others passing to 6.00 m (19-8 1/4).
At 6.00, Karalos cleared and took the lead, then Duplantis cleared and went in front. Kendricks and Marschall missed twice, then Kendricks missed his third and finished fourth. Marschall missed his third and took bronze.
Now the bar went to 6.10 m (20-0), and Karalis missed, but Duplantis cleared easily. Karalis passed to 6.15 m (20-2) and missed, but Duplantis cleared for his sixth straight clearance. Karalis missed his third and won silver.
That’s five straight global titles in a row – same as Ryan Crouser of the U.S. in the shot – on to a possible 14th world record. The bar went to 6.30 m (20-8), a height he had never tried. He missed his first try, and just touched off the bar on his second try. One more: this time he hit the bar, but it stayed on!
He was mobbed by the other vaulters and he delivered his fourth world record of the year, closing the night to the roar of the near-capacity crowd that all stayed to see him.
● Women/100 m hurdles: The semis opened with a false start by Finland’s Lotta Harala. On the re-start, Paris fifth-placer Grace Stark of the U.S. was off well and held a small lead over Swiss Dita Kambundji and got to the line in 12.37 to 12.44 (wind: -0.5 m/s). Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent was a distant third in 12.63 and did not advance to the final.
World-record holder Tobi Amusan (NGR) started well and had the lead throughout, winning in 12.36 (-0.2), in control over Nadine Visser (NED: 12.45) with Pia Skrzyszowska (POL: 12.53) third. American Alaysha Johnson was fourth in 12.66 and did not advance.
Olympic champ Masai Russell of the U.S. was out well in semi three, but behind super-starter Devynne Chalrton (BAH). But Russell came on, with two-time World Champion Danielle Williams (JAM) and they were 1-2 in 12.42 (-0.2) to 12.44. Charlton was third in 12.51 and advanced on time.
The final was an hour later, Williams was in four, Stark in five, Amusan in six, Russell in seven and Visser in eight. The race was a complete stunner, as Kambundji, who had a best of 12.40 this year – no. 13 on the world list – was out with Stark and held her form well and got to the line first in a stunning 12.24 (-0.1)!
Amusan came on well over the last two hurdles in 12.29, with Stark at 12.34 for second and third, with Russell hitting a hurdle mid-race and finishing fourth (12.44). Absolutely stunning, with a national record for Kambundji. Wow.
● Women/Hammer: Olympic champ Cam Rogers (CAN) opened at 78.09 m (256-2) to take the lead and then got even better at 80.51 m (264-1) in round two, a sensational throw that was not just a lifetime best, but moves her to no. 2 all-time!
American DeAnna Price, the 2019 World Champion, opened at 74.45 m (244-3) for fifth in the first round. China’s Jie Zhao (76.54 m/251-1) and Jiale Zhang (76.22 m/250-1) were 2-3 after the first round.
The event settled down after that. Rogers did not improve through five rounds; Zhao improved to 76.65 m (251-5) in round four; Finland’s Silja Kosonen moved into fourth at 75.28 m (247-0) in round four. Price improved to 75.10 m (246-5) in round five, but stayed in fifth.
In round six, Zhang improved to 77.10 m (252-11) to move into second, but Zhao moved back to silver at 77.60 m (254-7)! But no one was close to Rogers, now the global champion three years in a row.
American Janee Kassanavoid was 10th at 70.35 m (230-9).
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Monday’s qualifying was wild as well, especially in the men’s 1,500 m:
● Men/1,500 m: Defending champ Josh Kerr (GBR) was in the lead in semi one, with 2019 champ Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) with two laps to go. Dutch star Niels Laros came up to challenge at the bell, with 2022 champ Jake Wightman (GBR).
Kerr was leading Laros with 200 to go and a pack rushed to the line, with Laros winning (3:35.50) with Kerr falling at the finish, but second in 3:35.53. Wightman was third (3:35.56), then Cheruiyot (3:35.61). American Ethan Strand was eighth in 3:36.15, unable to move up in lane two on the final straight.
Semifinal two had Olympic champ Cole Hocker of the U.S. in front by the 200 m mark. There was a fall at 600 m that impacted American Jonah Koech a little, but he was back into the pack safely. Stefan Nillessen (NED) took the lead at the bell with Hocker third, with the sprinting starting with 300 to go.
Into the straight, the runners were four abreast but Hocker behind a wall. He pushed between Nillessen and German Robert Farken on the inside and ran hard to emerge as second behind Reynold Cheruiyot (KEN), 3:36.64 to 3:36.67. Spain’s Adrian Ben got third (3:36.78); Koech came up for a qualifying fifth in 3:36.89.
But Hocker was disqualified by the jury for pushing his way through on the final straight, which definitely impeded Farken, who was advanced to the final.
● Men/110 m hurdles: American Dylan Beard, having a career year, was slow out of the blocks in heat one, but came on in mid-race, passing Brazil’s Thiago Ornelas dos Santos while China’s Yuanjiang Chen came up on the inside. Beard won convincingly, 13.28 to 13.39 for Chen and 13.43 for 2023 Worlds sixth-placer Sasha Zhoya (FRA) and 13.52 for Ornelas dos Santos (wind -0.6 m/s).
U.S. champ JaKobe Tharp started well in heat two, but France’s Wilhem Belocian had the lead on the inside, with Tharp moving better in the second half. On the outside, Swiss star Jason Joseph came on in the final hurdles and won in 13.27 with Belocian at the same time and Tharp in third at 13.28 (-0.2).
Jamaica’s Orlando Bennett, in lane eight, moved well over the final four hurdles to get the win in heat three in 13.20 (-0.6) just ahead of Just Kwaou-Mathey (FRA: 13.25) and Lorenzo Simonelli (ITA: 13.25).
World leader Cordell Tinch of the U.S. was in lane five in heat four, and appeared to be in the lead with Enrique Llopis (ESP) close on the inside. But China’s Zhuoyi Xu moved up after the 10th hurdle and with Llopis winning in 13.22 (0.0), Xu leaned hard in 13.28 with Tinch third in 13.31, barely ahead of Demario Prince (also 13.31).
Defending champ Grant Holloway of the U.S. was in lane six in heat five, and he was out well, but he was chased down over the 10th hurdle and the run-in. Jamaica’s Tyler Mason got the win from lane one in 13.17 (-0.3) and Japan’s Rachid Muratake moved up for second in 13.22. Junxi Liu (CHN) passed Holloway in the final meters, 13.23 to 13.27, for third, not the start Holloway was hoping for.
● Men/400 m hurdles: Qatar’s Abderrahmane Samba, the 2019 Worlds bronze winner, got to the lead early and won in 48.03, but there was chaos behind him. Britain’s Tyri Donovan and Chris Robinson of the U.S. were stride-for-stride and Donovan lunged at the line to get second a lifetime best of 48.26, with Robinson at 48.27. But Jamaica’s James King (48.27) and Kenya’s Wiseman Mukhobe also crossed in 48.27: four within 0.01!
Alison dos Santos (BRA), the 2022 World Champion, ran strongly and had the lead in heat two and jogged in, passed just at the line by Bassem Hemeida (QAT) in lane nine, 48.43 to 48.48. The surprise was Kyron McMaster (IVB), the 2023 Worlds silver winner, who faded in the straight and was fifth in 49.89 and was eliminated.
World-record holder Karsten Warholm (NOR) was in lane nine for heat three, and he took the lead quickly, but then backed off a little. Qatar’s Ismail Abakar had the lead into the straight and then he was passed on the inside by Brazil’s Matheus Lima on the run-in, 48.15 to 48.34. Warholm was a surprise third in 48.56, a shocker since he usually blasts through all of his rounds on the way to the final. What’s up? He said afterwards he was just being conservative.
Olympic champ Rai Benjamin of the U.S. also drew lane nine for his heat, and was behind 2023 Worlds fourth-placer Roshawn Clarke (JAM) around the final bend. But Benjamin turned it on as German Emil Agyekum moved up in the straight, with Benjamin winning easily in 48.15. Agyekum was a strong second in 48.33 but Clarke faded to fifth in 48.83.
NCAA champion Ezekiel Nathaniel of Nigeria was rolling in lane seven in the fifth heat, winning in 48.37, with American Caleb Dean moving up for second on the straight in 48.67, and Francisco dos Reis Viana (BRA) getting a lifetime best of 48.69 in third.
It took 48.92 to get out of the first round in this event, amazing. Spain’s Jesus Delgado ran 48.98 and didn’t advance.
● Men/Long Jump: Olympic and World Champion Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) got the automatic qualifier right away at 8.17 m (26-9 3/4), and was joined by Spain’s Lester Lescay (8.21 m/26-11 1/4) in the second round.
In round three, the 2019 World Champion, Tajay Gayle (JAM) powered up and reached 8.28 m (27-2) for the best mark of the day. Teammate Nikaoli Williams also joined in at 8.15 m (26-9) in round three for the fourth auto-qualifier.
They were the only automatic qualifiers, but other favorites got in, including World Indoor champ Mattia Furlani (ITA: 8.07 m/26-5 3/4) and Diamond League winner Simon Ehammer (SUI: 7.99 m/26-2 3/4). American Isaac Grimes qualified for the final at 8.04 m (26-4 1/2), in 10th.
Jeremiah Davis of the U.S. finished 23rd at 7.81 m (25-7 1/2) and Will Williams was 29th at 7.63 m (25-0 1/2).
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The Tuesday evening schedule – no more morning events until Saturday – in Tokyo has the men’s 110 m hurdles, high jump, hammer and the women’s 1,500 m. Qualifying will be held in the men’s 400 m and 800 m and women’s 400 m hurdles and triple jump.
Prize money for the Worlds is $70,000-35,000-22,000-16,000-11,000-7,000-6,000-5,000 for individual events and $80,000-40,000-20,000-16,000-12,000-8,000-6,000-4,000 for relays.
The meet is being shown by NBC in the U.S., primarily on Peacock, but also on CNBC and USA Network.
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