It seems like last season that Florida’s Grant Holloway won the 110 m hurdles over Kentucky’s Daniel Roberts at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas in a collegiate record of 12.98.
That Holloway had been missing in the nearly four months since then, barely making the U.S. team at 13.36 in Des Moines in late July and finishing sixth in the Paris Diamond League meet a month later.
But he went back to Gainesville and working with his coach, Mike Holloway (no relation), prepared for the World Championships. And was he prepared.
He looked easy winning his heat in 13.22 and on Wednesday, he looked like it was June again with an impressive 13.10 win in his semi.
In the final, Roberts was absent due to being disqualified in his heat, but defending champion Omar MacLeod (JAM) was in lane four, Olympic silver medalist Orlando Ortega (ESP) was in five and Holloway was in six. The 2015 World Champion, Russian Sergey Shubenkov was in lane nine and American Devon Allen was in three.
Just as in the semi, Holloway exploded from the blocks and put enormous pressure on the field. He led over the first hurdle and no one was gaining. Same into the middle of the race and finally McLeod began to edge closer over the seventh hurdle.
But Holloway was running like a rocket and McLeod, straining to gain ground, clobbered the ninth hurdle and actually interfered with Ortega to his right, and was disqualified. Holloway won by daylight in 13.10, with Shubenkov second in 13.15 and France’s Pascal Martinot-Lagarde coming up for third in 13.18. Ortega was impeded and ended up fifth at 13.30. Allen ran 13.70 for seventh.
Holloway jumped for joy, sprinted to the back stretch, fell to the ground and was overcome with emotion, realizing what he had achieved. How special was this? It was Holloway’s 25th hurdle race of the season – indoors and out – that started back on 19 January.
The new World Champion acknowledged to NBCSN’s Lewis Johnson the widespread doubts about his fitness after his poor summer races. But, “Coach Holloway never gave up on me … and I never gave up on myself.” He said he wanted to come out and win every round and that’s exactly what he did. His secret? “I came out here stress-free,” he said.
The women’s 200 m was all about Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith. Clearly the best of the finalists, she got out hard and even caught super-starter Dezerea Bryant of the U.S. on the turn. Into the straight, she was clear and ran away with a win in a lifetime best and national record of 21.88, the first-ever British sprint winner at the World Championships.
Behind her was American Brittany Brown, who ran beautifully in the rounds and then was the second-strongest down the straight, finishing in a lifetime best of 22.22. Angie Annelus, who won the NCAA title way back in June, finished fourth in 22.59, just 8/100ths behind bronze winner Mujinga Kambundji (SUI). Bryant was fifth at 22.63.
The men’s hammer looked to be a coronation for Poland’s Pawel Fajdek, going for his third world title. He took the lead at 79.34 m (260-4) in the first round and that would have been enough to win. He improved to 80.16 m (263-0) in the second round and 80.50 m (264-1) in the fourth round and that was the winner. France’s Quentin Bigot came through with a 78.19 m (256-5) throw in the fourth round and that was good for silver by a centimeter over Hungary’s Bence Halasz.
In the multi-events, France’s world-record holder Kevin Mayer started the decathlon with a lifetime best of 10.50 in the 100 meters, a season best of 7.56 m (24-9 3/4) in the long jump and another lifetime best of 16.82 m (55-2 1/4) in the shot. Add in a seasonal best of 1.96 m (6-5) in the high jump and he was looking good. But he grabbed his right knee after missing three times at 2.02 m (6-7 1/2) and looked timid in the 400 m, although he had a season’s best of 48.99.
Canada’s Damian Warner leads after the first day at 4,513, followed by countryman Pierre LePage (4,486) and then Mayer (4,483). Solomon Simmons in the top American, in eight place, with 4,256.
The heptathlon has formed into a match between Belgium’s defending champ Nafi Thiam and Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Thiam started well, with a 13.36 seasonal best in the 100 m hurdles, then a Worlds Champs record of 1.95 m (6-4 3/4) in the high jump and finished with good performances in the shot and 200 m for a one-day total of 4,042.
Johnson-Thompson was even better early on, running a lifetime best of 13.09 in the hurdles, equaling Thiam’s 1.95 m (6-4 3/4) in the high jump and had a lifetime best in the shot put of 13.86 m (45-5 3/4). Her impressive season’s best in the 200 m of 23.08 gave her the lead after the first day at 4,138 – a lifetime best by 104 points – so the battle is on.
The U.S. trio of Kendell Williams (3,855), Erica Bougard (3,853) and Annie Kunz (3.840) stood 3-4-5 after the first day.
The shock of the preliminary races was in the men’s 400 m. U.S. champ Fred Kerley won the first semi as expected in 44.25, looking relaxed. Steven Gardiner (BAH) and comebacking Kirani James (GRN) were both impressive in the second semi, finishing in 44.13-44.23.
But in the third semi, world leader Michael Norman got off well, but then just jogged around the track as Trinidad & Tobago’s Maicel Cedenio won in 44.41. Norman eased back on the backstraight and then loped around the track to finish in 45.94 in seventh. He told NBCSN’s Lewis Johnson afterwards that he felt something wrong in his left leg after the first 100 m and that he preferred not to make a bad situation worse by trying to try to go full speed.
He added that he had been dealing with this situation since just before the U.S. Championships in late July and had been trying to manage the stress. But he noted, “I have to go back to the drawing board … to learn to manage my health.”
Kerley ended up being the only American in the final, in an event where the U.S. had dominated all season long. Even Cedenio may be in trouble, as he was carted off in a wheelchair after winning semi three.
In the other qualifying rounds:
● Women/1,500 m: Dutch star Sifan Hassan (4:03.88) won the first heat, ahead of defending champ Faith Kipyegon (KEN: 4:03.93) and American Nikki Hiltz (4:04.00). Five runners, led by Rababe Arafi (MAR: 4:08.32) jogged across the line in the second semi, including Shelby Houlihan of the U.S. (4:08.51). American Jenny Simpson won the third heat in 4:07.27, with British star Laura Muir third in 4:07.37.
● Women/5,000 m: Kenya’s Hellen Obiri came back from her disappointing finish in the 10,000 m to lead the heat one qualifiers at 14:52.13, just ahead of American Karisa Schweizer, who scored a lifetime best of 14:52.41! Elinor Purrier of the U.S. also qualified on time in ninth (15:08.82). The second semi had Tsehay Gemechu (ETH), German Konstanze Klosterhalfen and Margaret Kipkemboi (KEN) come across the line together in 15:01.57-58.
● Women/400 m hurdles: World-record holder Dalilah Muhammad won semi one in 53.91 after a big early push and then cruising home over the final hurdle and the run-in. American Ashley Spencer went out hard in the second semi, but fell back on the run-in, as Rushell Clayton (JAM: 54.17) and two-time World Champion Zuzana Hejnova (CZE) 54.41 went 1-2 and Spencer finished third in 54.42, but made it into the final on time.
American Sydney McLaughlin ran hard for seven hurdles and jogged in in 53.82, the fastest of the day. Wow!
● Women/Shot Put: The big names all made it through to the final, with Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd leading the way at 19.32 m (63-4 3/4). Maggie Ewen of the U.S. was the only other thrower over 19 m at 19.21 m (63-0 1/4). Americans Chase Ealey and Michelle Carter and China’s defending champ Lijiao Gong all moved through.
● Women/Discus: No surprises, as favorite Jaime Perez (CUB) led the qualifying at 67.78 m (222-4), with teammate Denia Caballero second (65.86 m/216-1) second and defending champ Sandra Perkovic (CRO: 213-11) third. American Laulauga Tausaga qualified fifth with a lifetime best of 63.94 m (209-9), and Valarie Allman also made the final at 62.25 m (204-2).
Thursday’s finals include the women’s shot, women’s 400 m and the decathlon and heptathlon. Summaries so far:
IAAF World Championships
Doha (QAT) ~ 27 September-6 October 2019
(Full results here)
Men
100 m (wind +0.6 m/s): 1. Christian Coleman (USA), 9.76; 2. Justin Gatlin (USA), 9.89; 3. Andre De Grasse (CAN), 9.90; 4. Akani Simbine (RSA), 9.93; 5. Yohan Blake (JAM), 9.97; 6. Zharnel Hughes (GBR), 10.03; 7. Flilppo Tortu (ITA), 10.07; 8. Aaron Brown (CAN), 10.08.
200 m (+0.3): 1. Noah Lyles (USA), 19.83; 2. Andre De Grasse (CAN), 19.95; 3. Alex Quinonez (ECU), 19.98; 4. Adam Gemili (GBR), 20.03; 5. Ramil Guliyev (TUR), 20.07; 6. Aaron Brown (CAN), 20.10; 7. Zhenye Xie (CHN), 20.14; 8. Kyle Greaux (TTO), 20.39.
800 m: 1. Donavan Brazier (USA), 1:42.34 (American Record; old, 1:42.60, Johnny Gray, 1985); 2. Amel Tuka (BIH), 1:43.47; 3. Ferguson Rotich (KEN), 1:43.83; 4. Bryce Hoppel (USA), 1:44.25; 5. Wesley Vazquez (PUR), 1:44.48; 6. Adrian Ben (ESP), 1:45.58; 7. Marco Arop (CAN), 1:45.78; 8. Clayton Murphy (USA), 1:47.84.
5,000 m: 1. Muktar Edris (ETH), 12:58.85; 2. Selemon Barega (ETH), 12:59.70; 3. Mo Ahmed (CAN), 13:01.11; 4. Telahun Haile Bekele (ETH), 13:02.29; 5. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR), 13:02.93; 6. Jacob Krop (KEN), 13:03.08; 7. Paul Chelimo (USA), 13:04.60; 8. Nicholas Kimeli (KEN), 13:05.27. Also: 11. Hassan Mead (USA), 13:27.05.
110 m hurdles (+0.6): 1. Grant Holloway (USA), 13.10; 2. Sergey Shubenkov (RUS), 13.15; 3. Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (FRA), 13.18; 4. Wenjun Xie (CHN), 13.29; 5. Orlando Ortega (ESP), 13.30; 6. Shane Brathwaite (BAR), 13.61; 7. Devon Allen (USA), 13.70; 8. Milan Trajkovic (CYP), 13.87; disqualified – Omar McLeod (JAM).
400 m hurdles: 1. Karsten Warholm (NOR), 47.42; 2. Rai Benjamin (USA), 47.66; 3. Abderrahmane Samba (QAT), 48.03; 4. Kyron McMaster (IVB), 48.10; 5. T.J. Holmes (USA), 48.20; 6. Yasmani Copello (TUR), 48.25; 7. Alison Dos Santos (BRA), 48.28; 8. Abdelmalik Lahoulou (ALG), 49.46.
50 km Walk: 1. Yusuke Suzuki (JPN), 4:04:20; 2. Joao Vieira (POR), 4:04:59; 3. Evan Dunfee (CAN), 4:05:02; 4. Wenbin Niu (CHN), 4:05:36; 5. Yadong Luo (CHN), 4:06:49; 6. Brendan Boyce (IRL), 4:07:06; 7. Carl Dohmann (GER), 4:10:22; 8. Jesus Angel Garcia (ESP), 4:11:28.
Pole Vault: 1. Sam Kendricks (USA), 5.97 m (19-7); 2. Mondo Duplantis (SWE), 5.97 m (19-7); 3. Piotr Lisek (POL), 5.87 m (19-3); 4. Bo Lita Baehre (GER), 5.70 m (18-8 1/4); 5. Thiago Braz (BRA), 5.70 m (18-8 1/4); 6. tie, Raphael Holzdeppe (GER) and Valentin Lavillenie (FRA), 5.70 m (18-8 1/4); 8. Claudio Stecchi (ITA), 5.70 m (18-8 1/4). Also: 10. Cole Walsh (USA), 5.55 m (18-2 1/2).
Long Jump: 1. Tajay Gayle (JAM), 8.69 m (28-6 1/4); 2. Jeff Henderson (USA), 8.39 m (27-6 1/2); 3. Juan Miguel Echevarria (CUB), 8.34 m (27-4 1/2); 4. Luvo Manyonga (RSA), 8.28 m (27-2); 5. Ruswahl Samaai (RSA), 8.23 m (27-0); 6. Jianan Wang (CHN), 8.20 m (26-11); 7. Eusebio Caceres (ESP), 8.01 m (26-3 1/2); 8. Yuki Hashioka (JPN), 7.97 m (26-1 3/4).
Triple Jump: 1. Christian Taylor (USA), 17.92 m (58-9 1/2); 2. Will Claye (USA), 17.74 m (58-2 1/2); 3. Hugues Zango (BUR), 17.66 m (57-11 1/4); 4. Pedro Pablo Pichardo (POR), 17.62 m (57-9 3/4); 5. Cristian Napoles (CUB),17.38 m (57-0 1/4); 6. Donald Scott (USA), 17.17 m (56-4); 7. Alexis Copello (AZE), 17.10 m (57-1 1/4); 8. Jordan Diaz Fortun (CUB), 17.06 m (55-11 3/4).
Discus: 1. Daniel Stahl (SWE), 67.59 m (221-9); 2. Fedrick Dacres (JAM), 66.94 m (219-7); 3. Lukas Weisshaidinger (AUT), 66.82 m (219-3); 4. Alin Firfirica (ROU), 66.46 m (218-0); 5. Apostolos Parellis (CYP), 66.32 m (217-7); 6. Matthew Denny (AUS), 65.43 m (214-8); 7. Ehsan Hadadi (IRI), 65.16 m (213-9); 8. Martin Wierig (GER), 64.98 m (213-2). Also: 11. Sam Mattis (USA), 63.42 m (208-1).
Hammer: 1. Pawel Fajdek (POL), 80.50 (264-1); 2. Quentin Bigot (FRA), 78.19 m (256-6); 3. Bence Halasz (HUN), 78.18 m (256-6); 4. Wojciech Nowicki (POL), 77.69 m (254-10); 5. Mykhaylo Kokhan (UKR), 77.39 m (253-11); 6. Eivind Henriksen (NOR), 77.38 m (253-10); 7. Javier Cienfuegos (ESP), 76.57 m (251-2); 8. Hleb Dudarau (BLR), 76.00 m (249-4). Also: 11. Rudy Winkler (USA), 75.20 m (246-9).
Women
100 m (+0.1): 1. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM), 10.71; 2. Dina Asher-Smith (GBR), 10.83; 3. Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV), 10.90; 4. Elaine Thompson (JAM), 10.93; 5. Murielle Ahoure (CIV), 11.02; 6. Jonielle Smith (JAM), 11.06; 7. Teahna Daniels (USA), 11.19; did not start – Dafne Schippers (NED).
200 m (+0.9): 1. Dina Asher-Smith (GBR), 21.88; 2. Brittany Brown (USA), 22.22; 3. Mujinga Kambundji (SUI), 22.51; 4. Angie Annelus (USA), 22/59; 5. Dezerea Bryant (USA), 22.63; 6. Gina Bass (GAM), 22.71; 7. Ivet Lalova-Collio (BUL), 22.77; 8. Tynia Gaither (BAH), 22.90.
3,000 m Steeple: 1. Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN), 8:57.84; 2. Emma Coburn (USA), 9:02.35; 3. Gesa Krause (GER), 9:03.30; 4. Winfred Yavi (BRN), 9:05.68; 5. Peruth Chemutai (UGA), 9:11.08; 6. Courtney Frerichs (USA), 9:11.27; 7. Anna Moller (DEN), 9:13.46; 8. Hyvin Kiyeng (KEN), 9:13.53.
10,000 m: 1. Sifan Hassan (NED), 30.17.62; 2. Letesenbet Gidey (ETH), 30:21.23; 3. Agnes Tirop (KEN), 30:25.20; 4. Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN), 30:35.75; 5. Hellen Obiri (KEN), 30:35.82; 6. Senbere Teferi (ETH), 30:44.23; 7. Susan Krumins (NED), 31:05.40; 8. Marielle Hall (USA), 31:05.71. Also: 9. Molly Huddle (USA), 31:07.24; 10. Emily Sisson (USA), 31:12.56.
Marathon: 1. Ruth Chepngetich (KEN), 2:32:43; 2. Rose Chelimo (BRN), 2:33:46; 3. Helelia Johannes (NAM), 2:34:15; 4. Edna Kiplagat (KEN), 2:35:36; 5. Volha Mazuronak (BLR), 2:36:21; 6. Roberta Groner (USA), 2:38:44; 7. Mizuki Tanimoto (JPN), 2:39:09; 8. Ji Hyang Kim (PRK), 2:41:24. Also: 13. Carrie Dimoff (USA), 2:44:35.
50 km Walk: 1. Rui Liang (CHN), 4:23:26; 2. Maocuo Li (CHN), 4:26:40; 3. Elenorora Giorgi (ITA), 4:29:13; 4. Olena Sobchuk (UKR), 4:33:38; 5. Faying Ma (CHN), 4:34:56; 6. Khrystyna Yudkina (UKR), 4:36:00; 7. Magaly Bonilla (ECU), 4:37:03; 8. Julia Takacs (ESP), 4:38:20. Also: 17. Katie Burnett (USA), 5:23:05.
High Jump: 1. Mariya Lasitskene (RUS), 2.04 m (6-8 1/4); 2. Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR), 2.04 m (6-8 1/4); 3. Vashti Cunningham (USA), 2.00 m (6-6 3/4); 4. Yuliya Levchenko (UKR), 2./00 m (6-6 3/4); 5. Kamila Licwinko (POL), 1.98 m (6-6); 6. Karyna Demidik (BLR), 1.96 m (6-5); 7. Ana Simic (CRO), 1.93 m (6-4); 8. Ty Butts (USA), 1.93 m (6-4).
Pole Vault: 1. Anzhelika Sidorova (RUS), 4.95 m (16-2 3/4); 2. Sandi Morris (USA), 4.90 m (16-0 3/4); 3. Katerina Stefanidi (GRE), 4.85 m (15-11); 4. Holly Bradshaw (GBR), 4.80 m (15-9); 5. Alysha Newman (CAN), 4.80 m (15-9); 6. Angelica Bengtsson (SWE), 4.80 m (15-9); 7. tie, Iryna Zhuk (BLR), Jenn Suhr (USA) and Katie Nagetotte (USA), 4.70 m (15-5).
Hammer: 1. DeAnna Price (USA), 77.54 m (251-1); 2. Joanna Fiodorow (POL), 76.35 m (250-6); 3. Zheng Wang (CHN), 74.76 m (245-3); 4. Zalina Petrivskaya (MDA), 74.33 m (243-10); 5. Iryna Klymets (UKR), 73.56 m (241-4); 6. Alexandra Tavernier (FRA), 73.33 m (240-7); 7. Hanna Skydan (AZE), 72.83 m (238-11); 8. Na Luo (CHN), 72.04 m (236-4).
Javelin: 1. Kelsey-Lee Barber (AUS), 66.56 m (218-4); 2. Shiyeng Liu (CHN), 65.88 m (216-2); 3. Huihui Lyu (CHN), 65.49 m (214-10); 4. Christin Hussong (GER), 65.21 m (213-11); 5. Kara Winger (USA), 63.23 m (207-5); 6. Tatsiana Khaladovich (BLR), 62.54 m (205-2); 7. Sara Kolak (CRO), 62.28 m (204-4); 8. Annu Rani (IND), 61.12 m (200-6).
Mixed
4×400 m: 1. United States (Wil London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo, Michael Cherry), 3:09.34 (World Record; old, 3:12.42, U.S. in semis); 2. Jamaica, (Allen, McGregor, James, Francis), 3:11.78; 3. Bahrain (Isah, Jamal, Naser, Abbas), 3:11.82; 4. Great Britain, 3:12.27; 5. Poland, 3:12.33; 6. Belgium, 3:14.22; 7. India, 3:15.77; 8. Brazil, 3:16.22.
