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ATHLETICS: Kovacs wins greatest shot put ever at 75-2; Hassan 3:51.96 in 1,500, U.S. men win in 37.10!

By
Rich Perelman
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World Champion again: American Joe Kovacs wins a historic shot put competition at 22.91 m (75-2)! (Photo: IAAF)

What a day!

Even before the season started, the top men’s shot putters were talking about distances which had not been approached since Randy Barnes’s world-record year of 1990. They backed it up at the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha (QAT) with the greatest shot put competition ever.

It started on the very first throw, by Rio Olympic champ Ryan Crouser of the U.S. The world leader coming in, he spun out to a sterling 22.36 m (73-4 1/2). That would win most competitions with ease, but not on this day.

Crouser’s lead didn’t even last through the first round. New Zealand’s defending champion, Tom Walsh, exploded with a monster throw of 22.90 m (75-1 3/4), moving him to no. 3 all-time with the fourth-longest throw in history. That wouldn’t be enough either.

Crouser responded with a huge foul to start the second round, then Brazil’s Darlan Romani shoved the ball well beyond the 22 m line, and moved past Crouser into second at 22.53 m (77-2 1/2).

There were no improvements in the third round, although Crouser threw 22.36 m (73-4 1/2) again. But he was fired up in the fourth round, spinning even more tightly to get the shot to a sensational 22.71 m (74-6 1/4) that moved him up to second. Walsh fouled again for the third straight throw. Joe Kovacs of the U.S., the 2015 World Champion, improved to 21.95 m (72-0 1/4) and was a solid fourth, but still out of the medals.

The fifth round also saw no improvements and the tension was building into the final round. Kovacs came up for his final toss and spun hard before releasing the shot cleanly and with full power, and it landed well beyond the 22 m line, sparking a huge celebration from a big man.

He had reason to be happy: 22.91 m (75-2), moving him to equal-third all-time, with the equal-fourth-best throw in history. No one had thrown that far since Barnes in 1990. But there were still three throwers left.

Crouser was next and his concentration was evident as he slowly wound up and also got full extension behind his throw, landing way beyond the 22 m line. Everyone got quiet waiting for the distance and it came up as 22.90 (75-1 3/4), equal to Walsh’s mark, but moving Crouser into second based on his second-best throw of 22.71 m (74-6 1/4) in the fourth round.

Romani fouled on his last attempt and Walsh sent a screamer out toward the 22 m line, but also fouled and left Kovacs with his second world title in five years. No one had ever lost a competition throwing 22.41 m (73-6 1/4) or better; Romani reached 22.53 m (73-11) and got a handshake for fourth. Easily the greatest shot competition in history.

But there was a lot more.

After years and years of frustration, American fans had a cathartic experience in the men’s 4×100 m relay. The U.S. finally put together a quality set of passes and with 100 m winner Christian Coleman, 100 m silver medalist Justin Gatlin, Mike Rodgers and 200 m champion Noah Lyles, the result was an American Record of 37.10, the no. 3 performance of all time.

Coleman screaming out of the blocks from lane eight and made up the stagger on China outside him within 30 m. The pass to Gatlin wasn’t perfect, but the speed was good and Gatlin flew down the backstraight with the lead. Gatlin’s pass to Rodgers was good and he handed to Lyles with a clear advantage that was not dented by the chasing British.

The 37.10 time erases the American Record of 37.38 from the 2012 Olympic heats and 2015 World Relays, but is actually not the fastest ever by a U.S. team. The second-place U.S. team behind Jamaica’s world record at the 2012 Olympic final ran 37.04, but third-leg runner Tyson Gay was disqualified later for doping. But this was the first U.S. win in the World Championships since 2007. Ahhh…

The women’s 4×100 m was a showcase for Jamaica as expected. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce broke the race open on the second leg and Jonielle Smith ran a brilliant turn to give Shericka Jackson a huge lead on the anchor at 41.44, the eighth-fastest performance ever. Daryll Nieta brought the British home second (41.85) and the U.S. – with Dezerea Bryant, Teahna Daniels, Morolake Akinosun and Kiara Parker – finished with the bronze medal in 42.10.

The women’s 1,500 m can be summed up in two words: Sifan Hassan. After running 3:59.1 in her final 1,500 m of the 10,000 m, she was the clear favorite to double. But what she did was stunning, leading almost wire to wire:

● 400 m: 63.53
● 800 m: 62.42 (2:05.95)
● 1,200 m: 61.46 (3:07.41)
● Last 400 m in 59.34

Add it all up and she finished in 3:51.95, making her the sixth-fastest performer (and performance) in history. She ran away from a world-class field, leading eight others under four minutes! Defending champion Faith Kipyegon (KEN) held on for second at 3:54.22 (no. 12 all-time) and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay had a lifetime best 3:54.38 for third.

American Shelby Houlihan was well positioned to strike for a medal, but the pace was so fast that her kick was blunted and she finished a clear fourth in an American Record of 3:54.99, ahead of Britain’s Laura Muir (3:55.76). Jenny Simpson ran a seasonal best of 3:58.42 but faded from contention with 300 m left, finishing eighth. Astonishing.

The women’s 5,000 m was another exercise in individual brilliance, by defending champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya. Disappointed after her fifth-place performance in the 10,000 m, she was determined not to leave this race to the kickers and set a strong pace.

With three laps to go, she had shaken off everyone except German Konstanze Klosterhalfen, Kenyans Margaret Kipkemboi and Lilian Rengeruk and Ethiopians Tsehay Gemechu and Fantu Worku. The order remained the same through the bell and then the race went into overdrive with 300 m to go.

Obiri was in a full sprint and put distance between her and the rest, with Klosterhalfen and Kipkemboi chasing, but unable to make a dent in Obiri’s lead. Kipkemboi moved into second on the finishing straight and they finished that way: Obiri in a meet record of 14:26.72, Kipkemboi with a PR 14:27.49 and Klosterhalfen in 14:28.43.

Americans Karissa Schweizer and Elinor Purrier finished ninth and 11th in lifetime bests of 14:45.18 (no. 5 all-time U.S. performer) and 14:58.17 (no. 7).

The women’s triple jump was all about defending champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela. She took the lead immediately at 14.87 m (48-9 1/2) and then ended any suspense at 15.37 m (50-5 1/4) in the second round, and it was over. Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts won the silver at 14.92 m (48-11 1/2).

Rojas’ mark was the no. 4 jump in history and just behind her monster 15.41 m (50-6 3/4) in early September.

In the qualifying:

● Men/4×400 m: The U.S. almost dropped the stick on the second pass, from Vernon Norwood to Wil London III. London took off a little too quickly for the tiring Norwood and had to stop to get the baton, leaving him in fourth instead of first. But a 44.8 leg put the U.S. well in front and Nathan Strother (44.76) had no trouble winning in 2:59.89, with Colombia second in 3:01.06.

Jamaica won the second heat with Javon Francis finishing in 3:00.76, just ahead of a frantic anchor by Kevin Borlee to bring Belgium in at 3:00.87.

● Men/Javelin: The best throw in qualifying came from Germany’s Johannes Vetter at 89.35 m (293-1), followed by Estonia’s world-leading Magnus Kirt (88.36 m/289-11). The surprise was seeing Rio Olympic champ Thomas Rohler (GER) miss the final at 79.23 m (259-11).

● Women/100 m hurdles: The shock was the disqualification of 2016 Rio champion Brianna McNeal of the U.S. for a false start in heat two. American Nia Ali won the first heat in 12.59, favorite Danielle Williams (JAM) won heat three in 12.51 and Keni Harrison of the U.S. won the fourth heat in 12.55. The fastest run of the day was Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan in heat five, winning in 12.48. The semis and finals will be tomorrow.

● Women/4×400 m: The U.S. was impressive, especially Allyson Felix’s 49.8 second leg that gave the Americans a big lead and Kendall Ellis and Courtney Okolo (49.85) brought it home in a world-leading 3:22.96. That was more than two seconds ahead of Great Britain (3:24.99).

Jamaica had the world lead with its 3:23.64 in the first heat, with Stephenie Ann McPherson on anchor, ahead of Poland (3:25.78).

● Women/Long Jump: No problem for world leader Malaika Mihambo of Germany, the qualifying leader at 6.98 m (22-10 3/4), but behind her was chaos. Four-time World Champion Brittney Reese had trouble all day, ended up 13th at 6.52 m (21-4 3/4) and missed qualifying by one centimeter!

But Tori Bowie, who scratched out of the 100 meter semis – where she was defending champion – was third in the qualifying at 6.77 m (22-2 1/2) and moves on to tomorrow’s final.

The crowd was not as large as on Friday, but better than the early days. 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.

400 m: 1. Steven Gardiner (BAH), 43.48; 2. Anthony Zambrano (COL), 44.15; 3. Fred Kerley (USA), 44.17; 4. Denish Gaye (JAM), 44.46; 5. Kirani James (GRN), 44.54; 6. Emanuel Korir (KEN), 44.94; 7. Machel Cedenio (TTO), 45.30; 8. Akeem Bloomfield (JAM), 45.36.

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.

3,000 m Steeple: 1. Conseslus Kipruto (KEN), 8:01.35; 2. Lamecha Girma (ETH), 8:01.36; 3. Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR), 8:03.76; 4. Getnet Wale (ETH), 8:05.21; 5. Djilati Bedrani (FRA), 8:05.23; 6. Ben Kigen (KEN), 8:06.95; 7. Abraham Kibiwot (KEN), 8:08.52; 8. Hillary Bor (USA), 8:09.33. Also: 10. Stanley Kibenei (USA), 8:11.15; … 12. Andy Bayer (USA), 8:12.47.

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.

20 km Walk: 1. Toshikazu Yamanishi (JPN), 1:26:34; 2. Vasiliy Mizinov (RUS), 1:26:49; 3. Perseus Karlstrom (SWE), 1:27:00; 4. Christopher Linke (GER), 1:27:19; 5. Salih Korkmaz (TUR), 1:27:35; 6. Koki Ineda (JPN), 1:29:02; 7. Tom Bosworth (GBR), 1:29:34; 8. Kaihua Wang (CHN), 1:29:52.

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.

4×100 m: 1. United States (Christian Coleman, Justin Gatlin, Mike Rodgers, Noah Lyles), 37.10 (American Record; old, 37.38, National Team, 2012 and 2015); 2. Great Britain (Gemili, Hughes, Kilty, Mitchell-Blake), 37.36; 3. Japan (Tada, Shiraishi, Kiryu, Sani Brown), 37.43; 4. Brazil, 37.72; 5. South Africa, 37.73; 6. China, 38.07; Netherlands was disqualified; France, did not finish.

High Jump: 1. Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT), 2.37 m (7-9 1/4); 2. Mikhail Akimenko (RUS), 2.35 m (7-8 1/2); 3. Ilya Ivanyuk (RUS), 2.35 m (7-8 1/2); 4. Maksim Nedasekau (BLR), 2.33 m (7-7 3/4); 5. Luis Zayas (CUB), 2.30 m (7-6 1/2); 6. Brandon Starc (AUS), 2.30 m (7-6 1/2); 7. Michael Mason (CAN), 2.30 m (7-6 1/2); 8. Hup Wei Lee (MAS), 2.27 m (7-5 1/4). Also: 11. Jeron Robinson (USA), 2.24 m (7-4 1/4).

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).

Shot Put: 1. Joe Kovacs (USA), 22.91 m (75-2); 2. Ryan Crouser (USA), 22.90 m (75-1 3/4); 3. Tom Walsh (NZL), 22.90 m (75-1 3/4); 4. Darlan Romani (BRA), 22.53 m (7311); 5. Darrell Hill (USA), 21.65 m (71-0 1/2); 6. Konrad Bukowiecki (POL), 21.46 m (); 7. Jacko Gill (NZL), 21.45 m (70-4 1/2); 8. Chukwuebeka Enekwechi (NGR), 21.18 m (66-2 1/2).

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).

Decathlon: 1. Niklas Kaul (GER), 8,691; 2. Maicel Uibo (EST), 8,604; 3. Damian Warner (CAN), 8,529; 4. Ilya Shkurenyov (RUS), 8,494; 5. Pierce LaPage (CAN), 8,445; 6. Janek Oiglane (EST), 8,297; 7. Pieter Braun (NED), 8,222; 8. Solomon Simmons (USA), 8,151. Also: 14. Harrison Williams (USA), 7,892.

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.

400 m: 1. Salwa Eid Naser (BAH), 48.14; 2. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH), 48.37; 3. Shericka Jackson (JAM), 49.47; 4. Wadeline Jonathas (USA), 49.60; 5. Phyllis Francis (USA), 49.61; 6. Stephanie Ann McPherson (JAM), 50.89; 7. Justyna Swiety-Ersetic (POL), 50.95; 8. Iga Baumgart-Witen (POL), 51.29.

800 m: 1. Halimah Nakaayi (UGA), 1:58.04; 2. Raevyn Rogers (USA), 1:58.18; 3. Ajee Wilson (USA), 1:58.84; 4. Winnie Nanyondo (UGA), 1:59.18; 5. Eunice Sum (KEN), 1:59.71; 6. Natoya Goule (JAM), 2:00.11; 7. Rababe Arafi (MAR), 2:00.48; 8. Ce’Aira Brown (USA), 2:02.97.

1,500 m: 1. Sifan Hassan (NED), 3:51.95; 2. Faith Kipyegon (KEN), 3:54.22; 3. Gudaf Tsegay (ETH), 3:54.38; 4. Shelby Houlihan (USA), 3:54.99 (American Record; old, 3:56.29, Shannon Rowbury, 2015); 5. Laura Muir (GBR), 3:55.76; 6. Gabriela Dubues-Stafford (CAN), 3:56.12; 7. Winny Chebet (KEN), 3:58.20; 8. Jenny Simpson (USA), 3:58.42.

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.

5,000 m: 1. Hellen Obiri (KEN), 14:26.72; 2. Margaret Kipkemboi (KEN), 14:27.49; 3. Konstanze Klosterhalfen (GER), 14:28.43; 4. Tsehay Gemechu (ETH), 14:29.60; 5. Lilian Rengeruk (KEN), 14:36.05; 6. Fantu Worku (ETH), 14:30.47; 7. Laura Weightman (GBR), 14:44.57; 8. Hawi Feysa (ETH), 14:44.92. Also: 9. Karissa Schweizer (USA), 14:45.18; … 11. Elinor Purrier (USA), 14:58.17.

10,000 m: 1. 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. 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.

400 m hurdles: 1. Dalilah Muhammad (USA), 52.16 (World Record; old, 52.20, Muhammad, 2019); 2. Sydney McLaughlin (USA), 52.23; 3. Rushell Clayton (JAM), 53.74; 4. Lea Sprunger (SUI), 54.06; 5. Zuzana Hejnova (CZE), 54.23; 6. Ashley Spencer (USA), 54.45; 7. Anna Ryzhykova (UKR), 54.45; 8. Sage Watson (CAN), 54.82.

4×100 m: 1. Jamaica (Whyte, Fraser-Pryce, Smith, Jackson), 41.44; 2. Great Britain (Philip, Asher-Smith, Nelson, Neita), 41.85; 3. United States (Dezerea Bryant, Teahna Daniels, Morolake Akinosun, Kiara Parker), 42.10; 4. Switzerland, 42.18; 5. Germany, 42.48; 6. Trinidad & Tobago, 42.71; 7. Italy, 42.98; China was disqualified.

20 km Walk: 1. Hong Liu (CHN), 1:32:53; 2. Shenjie Qieyang (CHN), 1:33:10; 3. Liujing Yang (CHN), 1:33:17; 4. Erica Rocha de Sena (BRA), 1:33:36; 5. Sandra Arenas (COL), 1:34:16; 6. Kumiko Okada (JPN), 1:34:36; 7. Nanako Fujii (JPN), 1:34:50; 8. Maria Perez (ESP), 1:35:43. Also: 35. Maria Michta-Coffey (USA), 1:46:02.

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).

Triple Jump: 1. Yulimar Rojas (VEN), 15.37 m (50-5 1/4); 2. Shanieka Ricketts (JAM), 14.92 m (48-11 1/2); 3. Caterine Ibarguen (COL), 14.73 m (48-4); 4. Kimberly Williams (JAM), 14.64 m (48-0 1/2); 5. Olha Saladukha (UKR), 14.52 m (47-7 3/4); 6. Ana Peleteiro (ESP), 14.47 m (47-5 3/4); 7. Keturah Orji (USA), 14.46 m (47-5 1/4); 8. Patricia Mamona (POR), 14.40 m (47-3). Also: 9. Tori Franklin (USA), 14.08 , (46 2 1/2).

Shot: 1. Lijiao Gong (CHN), 19.55 m (64-1 3/4); 2. Danniel Thomas-Dodd (JAM), 19.47 m (63-10 1/2); 3. Christina Schwanitz (GER), 19.17 m (62-10 3/4); 4. Maggie Ewen (USA), 18.93 m (62-1 1/4); 5. Anita Marton (HUN), 18.86 m (61-10 1/2); 6. Aliona Dubitskaya (BLR), 18.86 m (61-10 1/2); 7. Chase Ealey (USA), 18.82 m (61-9); 8. Brittany Crew (CAN), 18.55 m (60-10 1/2). Also: 9. Michelle Carter (USA), 18.41 m (60-4 3/4).

Discus: 1. Jaime Perez (CUB), 69.17 m (226-11); 2. Denia Caballero (CUB), 68.44 m (224-6); 3. Sandra Perkovic (CRO), 66.72 m (218-11 ); 5. Yang Chen (CHN), 63.38 m (207-11); 6. Bin Feng (CHN), 62.48 m (205-0); 7. Fernanda Martins (BRA), 62.44 m (204-10); 8. Valarie Allman (USA), 61.82 m (202-10).

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).

Heptathlon: 1. Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR), 6,981; 2. Nafi Thiam (BEL), 6,677; 3. Verena Preiner (AUT), 6,560; 4. Erica Bougard (USA), 6,470; 5. Kendell Williams (USA), 6.415; 6. Nadine Broersen (NED), 6,392; 7. Emma Oosterwegel (NED), 6,250; 8. Odite Ahouanwanou (BEN), 6,210. Also: 12. Chari Hawkins (USA), 6,073; 13. Annie Kunz (USA), 6,067.

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.

ATHLETICS: Storybook win for Barshim as Muhammad takes 400 m hurdles in world record time

By
Rich Perelman
-
Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim memorably defended his World Championships title in the high jump (Photo: IAAF)

The Khalifa International Stadium was suddenly much fuller on Friday as national hero Mutaz Essa Barshim competed in the men’s high jump final.

The crowd was completely mesmerized by this event and Barshim was the centerpiece. He had first-time clearances through 2.30 m (7-6 1/2) and there were seven jumpers left when the bar was raised to 2.33 m (7-7 3/4).

Three were eliminated and while Russia’s Mikhail Akimenko and Maksim Nedasekau (BLR) cleared on their first tries, Barshim and Ilya Ivanyuk (RUS) missed their first two attempts.

That brought Barshim up for a third try and with the crowd screaming in support, he arched over the bar cleanly to be able to move on. So did Ivanyuk and four men continued to 2.35 m (7-8 1/2).

Nedasekau missed. Barshim, jumping quickly, sent the crowd into a frenzy with a gorgeous clearance that gave him the lead. Akimenko made it and so did Ivanyuk, and Nedasekau passed to the next height.

That was 2.37 m (7-9 1/4) and Nedasekau missed, counting as his second try, after one miss and a pass at 2.35. The came Barshim, who had been coming back from injury since the middle of July in 2018. But his speed had returned and he sailed easily over the bar to regain the lead and put enormous pressure on the two Russians. Neither could clear and Nedasekau missed again and Barshim defended his world title to the delight of a good, but not capacity crowd that saluted their hero as he jogged the track in a victory lap on a night that will be long remembered in Qatar.

Akimenko and Ivanyuk won silver and bronze, competing as Authorized Neutral Athletes as the Russian federation continues on suspension. Their clearances at 2.35 m (7-8 1/2) was a lifetime best for both.

The women’s 400 m hurdles final came down to a question of Dalilah Muhammad or Sydney McLaughlin? It took a world record from Muhammad to win at the USATF Nationals in Des Moines in late July, but McLaughlin had a 2-1 seasonal lead over her.

Off the start, Muhammad was out like a shot as usual and she and McLaughlin had left the field behind by the fourth hurdle. Coming around the turn, Muhammad continued to lead, but McLaughlin was still close and within striking distance. Muhammad maintained her lead over the last two hurdles, but McLaughlin was closing fast on the run-in, but not enough to deny Muhammad a close win … and another world record!

Muhammad shaved .04 off of her win in July with 52.16 and McLaughlin – still just 20 – was close at 52.23; only Muhammad has ever run faster. It’s the second world record in 69 days for Muhammad and good for a $100,000 world-record bonus.

Sitting together on the track after finishing, both McLaughlin and Muhammad shook their heads at the times. Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton had a lifetime best of 53.74 – no. 5 in the world for 2019 – and won the bronze. Wow!

The men’s 3,000 m Steeple followed, with a hard act to follow, but it lived up to the billing. The pace was honest and defending champ Conseslus Kipruto – injured most of the season – took the lead with two laps to go, but immediately gave it back to Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale.

Wale, Kipruto and world leader Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) were the top three at the bell, but El Bakkali took the lead on the backstraight. He was soon passed by Ethiopian Lamecha Girma, who had the lead over the final water jump with Kipruto chasing and El Bakkali third. Girma led into the straight and over the final barrier, but Kipruto closed with every stride on the run-in and they crossed the line together.

Kipruto’s lean was the decider and he defended his title in a world-leading 8:01.35. Girma was 1/100th back in second with a national record and El Bakkali (8:03.76) won bronze.

The women’s discus was lost in the pandemonium of the high jump and Muhammad’s world record. Cuba’s Jaime Perez and Denia Caballero have been the best in the world in 2019 and they were 1-2 by the second round. Perez threw 68.10 m (223-5) in the second round for the lead, but Caballero took over in the fourth round at 68.44 m (224-6), but Perez was not to be denied. She got back into the ring in the fifth round and sailed the platter out to 69.17 m (226-11) to regain the lead and no one else was close. Two-time champ Sandra Perkovic (CRO) finished third with 66.72 m (218-11).

The final race of the night was the men’s 400 m and after a year in which the U.S. dominated the event, the only American was Fred Kerley in lane five. He got out to a steady start, but Grenada’s 2012 Olympic champ Kirani James looked best at halfway. Around the turn, Steven Gardiner of The Bahamas made a major move and zipped past Kerley into the lead and held it steady for a sensational 43.48 win that moves Gardiner to no. 6 on the all-time list.

Kerley looked good for silver, but he relaxed in the final 10 m and Colombia’s Anthony Zambrano ran through the line for second in 44.15-44.17. It’s Kerley’s first individual World Championships medal.

In the preliminary rounds:

● Men/1,500 m: Favorite Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) controlled and won the first semi in 3:36.53, with a blanket finish behind him, including American Craig Engels in fourth (3:36.69), who had to get out of a box on the final turn. The second semi was another mass finish, with Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski flying down the straightaway to win in 3:36.50. Rio 2016 champ Matthew Centrowitz let too many others pass him on the final turn and then had to run wide to get back into contention. He finished fifth in 3:36.77, but made it in on time to the final.

● Men/4×100 m: The U.S. got a good start from 100 m World Champion Christian Coleman, but there was a poor pass to Justin Gatlin, who stormed through the second leg to keep the U.S. contention. Mike Rodgers ran well around the turn, but Cravon Gillespie was too fast for him and had to stop to get the baton in time, and then finished third in 38.03, behind Great Britain (37.56, the world lead) and Brazil (37.90).

Canada protested the U.S. pass, saying it was out of the zone, and it was close. No change was made in the results by the end of the session.

In heat two, a very close race at the final exchange was won by South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who ran away in the final 50 m to win in 37.65, the fastest-ever time by an African team. Japan (37.78) and China (37.79) followed closely.

● Women/4×100 m: No trouble for the U.S. quartet of Dezerea Bryant, Teahna Daniels, Morolake Akinosun and Kiara Parker, who won heat one in 42.46. Jamaica, with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on second leg, won heat two in 42.11, with Great Britain close at 42.25. Look for mass substitutions for the final.

The men’s 20 km walk is being contested now. 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.

400 m: 1. Steven Gardiner (BAH), 43.48; 2. Anthony Zambrano (COL), 44.15; 3. Fred Kerley (USA), 44.17; 4. Denish Gaye (JAM), 44.46; 5. Kirani James (GRN), 44.54; 6. Emanuel Korir (KEN), 44.94; 7. Machel Cedenio (TTO), 45.30; 8. Akeem Bloomfield (JAM), 45.36.

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.

3,000 m Steeple: 1. Conseslus Kipruto (KEN), 8:01.35; 2. Lamecha Girma (ETH), 8:01.36; 3. Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR), 8:03.76; 4. Getnet Wale (ETH), 8:05.21; 5. Djilati Bedrani (FRA), 8:05.23; 6. Ben Kigen (KEN), 8:06.95; 7. Abraham Kibiwot (KEN), 8:08.52; 8. Hillary Bor (USA), 8:09.33. Also: 10. Stanley Kibenei (USA), 8:11.15; … 12. Andy Bayer (USA), 8:12.47.

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.

High Jump: 1. Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT), 2.37 m (7-9 1/4); 2. Mikhail Akimenko (RUS), 2.35 m (7-8 1/2); 3. Ilya Ivanyuk (RUS), 2.35 m (7-8 1/2); 4. Maksim Nedasekau (BLR), 2.33 m (7-7 3/4); 5. Luis Zayas (CUB), 2.30 m (7-6 1/2); 6. Brandon Starc (AUS), 2.30 m (7-6 1/2); 7. Michael Mason (CAN), 2.30 m (7-6 1/2); 8. Hup Wei Lee (MAS), 2.27 m (7-5 1/4). Also: 11. Jeron Robinson (USA), 2.24 m (7-4 1/4).

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).

Decathlon: 1. Niklas Kaul (GER), 8,691; 2. Maicel Uibo (EST), 8,604; 3. Damian Warner (CAN), 8,529; 4. Ilya Shkurenyov (RUS), 8,494; 5. Pierce LaPage (CAN), 8,445; 6. Janek Oiglane (EST), 8,297; 7. Pieter Braun (NED), 8,222; 8. Solomon Simmons (USA), 8,151. Also: 14. Harrison Williams (USA), 7,892.

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.

400 m: 1. Salwa Eid Naser (BAH), 48.14; 2. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH), 48.37; 3. Shericka Jackson (JAM), 49.47; 4. Wadeline Jonathas (USA), 49.60; 5. Phyllis Francis (USA), 49.61; 6. Stephanie Ann McPherson (JAM), 50.89; 7. Justyna Swiety-Ersetic (POL), 50.95; 8. Iga Baumgart-Witen (POL), 51.29.

800 m: 1. Halimah Nakaayi (UGA), 1:58.04; 2. Raevyn Rogers (USA), 1:58.18; 3. Ajee Wilson (USA), 1:58.84; 4. Winnie Nanyondo (UGA), 1:59.18; 5. Eunice Sum (KEN), 1:59.71; 6. Natoya Goule (JAM), 2:00.11; 7. Rababe Arafi (MAR), 2:00.48; 8. Ce’Aira Brown (USA), 2:02.97.

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.

400 m hurdles: 1. Dalilah Muhammad (USA), 52.16 (World Record; old, 52.20, Muhammad, 2019); 2. Sydney McLaughlin (USA), 52.23; 3. Rushell Clayton (JAM), 53.74; 4. Lea Sprunger (SUI), 54.06; 5. Zuzana Hejnova (CZE), 54.23; 6. Ashley Spencer (USA), 54.45; 7. Anna Ryzhykova (UKR), 54.45; 8. Sage Watson (CAN), 54.82.

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).

Shot: 1. Lijiao Gong (CHN), 19.55 m (64-1 3/4); 2. Danniel Thomas-Dodd (JAM), 19.47 m (63-10 1/2); 3. Christina Schwanitz (GER), 19.17 m (62-10 3/4); 4. Maggie Ewen (USA), 18.93 m (62-1 1/4); 5. Anita Marton (HUN), 18.86 m (61-10 1/2); 6. Aliona Dubitskaya (BLR), 18.86 m (61-10 1/2); 7. Chase Ealey (USA), 18.82 m (61-9); 8. Brittany Crew (CAN), 18.55 m (60-10 1/2). Also: 9. Michelle Carter (USA), 18.41 m (60-4 3/4).

Discus: 1. Jaime Perez (CUB), 69.17 m (226-11); 2. Denia Caballero (CUB), 68.44 m (224-6); 3. Sandra Perkovic (CRO), 66.72 m (218-11 ); 5. Yang Chen (CHN), 63.38 m (207-11); 6. Bin Feng (CHN), 62.48 m (205-0); 7. Fernanda Martins (BRA), 62.44 m (204-10); 8. Valarie Allman (USA), 61.82 m (202-10).

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).

Heptathlon: 1. Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR), 6,981; 2. Nafi Thiam (BEL), 6,677; 3. Verena Preiner (AUT), 6,560; 4. Erica Bougard (USA), 6,470; 5. Kendell Williams (USA), 6.415; 6. Nadine Broersen (NED), 6.392; 7. Emma Oosterwegel (NED), 6,250; 8. Odite Ahouanwanou (BEN), 6,210. Also: 12. Chari Hawkins (USA), 6,073; 13. Annie Kunz (USA), 6,067.

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.

TSX REPORT: IOC chief Bach worried about Salazar case + upsets galore at track & field World Champs in Doha

By
Rich Perelman
-
IOC President Thomas Bach (GER)

= TSX REPORT ~ 4 October 2019 =

| 1. |  LANE ONE:  IOC’s Bach says Salazar case “raises serious concerns”; no vote on 2032 Games in 2020

The International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board finished two days of meetings in Lausanne, Switzerland with a news conference with President Thomas Bach and some interesting indications of where the IOC is headed.

It is doubling down on its anti-doping activities, asking the International Testing Agency to create a sample-storage program – for 10 years – for its out-of-competition testing. This will complement the IOC’s existing retention program for samples taken during competition at Games, in order to be able to re-test years later with newer equipment and detection technologies.

Bach also noted that the Executive Board had been informed of the confirmation of a four-year suspension of Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar for aiding doping. Although the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was the agency suspending Salazar, the IOC is preparing a letter to the World Anti-Doping Agency asking if Salazar’s activities impact the validity of any Olympic results by athletes who were part of his training program. Salazar’s star pupil was British star Mo Farah, who won the 5,000 m and 10,000 m in both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

That’s a lot of attention to the suspension of a single U.S. coach, but Bach was clear that this specific case “is very worrying and raises serious concerns.”

Bach also explained that the new structure for selecting Olympic host cities or areas is being implemented with the formation of “Future Hosts Commission” for both summer and winter games. These groups will engage in “a permanent dialogue with interested hosts, or with potential hosts in which we may be interested.”

Speaking in more detail in response to a question, Bach told a delegation from Queensland, Australia that no decision on the 2032 Games will be made in 2020, but only later. It’s also worth noticing that Bach spoke explicitly about the IOC opening a dialogue with host cities or countries that it might like to hold a Games in. In less than a decade, the entire bid process for the Olympic Games has essentially ended; Bach – in his usual, low-key way – has signaled that the IOC will look after its own interests in the future. You can apply, but don’t expect to be chosen … unless the IOC already wants you. More here.

| 2. | ATHLETICS: Surprise after surprise in Thursday’s World Champs in Doha

All the experts were sure that Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas, Belgium’s defending champion Nafi Thiam and French world-record holder Kevin Mayer would win the women’s 400 m, heptathlon and decathlon at the 2019 IAAF World Championships taking place in Doha, Qatar.

0-for-3.

Miller-Uibo was upset by a sensational run from Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, who authored the third-fastest performance in history with a 48.14 win, relegating Miller-Uibo to second with a national record 48.37. It ended a two-year winning streak in the event for Miller-Uibo and extended Naser’s year-long winning skein to 13.

In the women’s heptathlon, Thiam was never quite right and her chief rival took advantage. Great Britain’s Katharina Johnson-Thompson opened the second day with an outstanding long jump and then posted the fastest time among all competitors in the final event, the 800 m. Her point total of 6,981 makes “KJT” the no. 8 performer in history; Thiam settled for silver with 6,677.

France’s Mayer appeared to injure his right leg during the high jump competition on the first day of the decathlon, but after the 100 m hurdles and discus, he was in the lead. But the leg pain was so great that he could not pole vault and had to abandon the event.

That’s created an opportunity, not for vice-favorite Damian Warner of Canada, but for 21-year-old Niklas Kaul of Germany, who responded with a lifetime best-score of 8,691 to win the event. Estonia’s Marcel Uibo – Shaunae’s husband – finished second at 8,604 and Warner collected the bronze medal with 8,529.

The Ubios won their silver medals about 35 minutes apart!

The one event that did go to form was the women’s shot, where Lijiao Gong of China defended her 2017 title with throw of 19.55 m (64-1 3/4), with Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd second with 19.47 m (63-10 1/2). Much more here.

| 3. | ATHLETICS: Spain’s Ortega gets duplicate bronze in 110 m hurdles

The IAAF has amended the results of the men’s 110 m hurdles, giving a second bronze medal to Spain’s Orlando Ortega, who finished fifth in 13.30.

During the late stages of the race, Jamaica’s defending champion, Omar McLeod, smashed into the final hurdle and also interfered with Ortega’s hurdle in the adjoining lane, causing Ortega to slow down.

The Spaniard was running second at the time to eventual winner Grant Holloway of the U.S., but faded after McLeod interfered with his lane. McLeod was disqualified and the after a review of the race, awarded Ortega a second bronze, with France’s Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (13.18).

| 4. | FOOTBALL: U.S. women win fourth straight Victory Tour match, 2-0, over Korea.

A crowd of 30,071 showed up in Charlotte, North Carolina to see the penultimate game of the U.S. women’s National Team “Victory Tour” against South Korea.

As with the prior three matches, the U.S. won, 2-0, but not without some difficulty. Despite multiple chances in the first half, the U.S. found itself scoreless at the two-minute stoppage-time period ran out. But playing into a third minute, a Megan Rapinoe cross from the right side of the Korean end found it way right onto the foot of an unmarked Allie Long, and she popped it into the net for a controversial 1-0 lead. Long also appeared to be offside on the play.

The second half saw many more U.S. opportunities, but no more goals until the 76th minute. Rapinoe was again in the middle of the action, sending a corner kick right into the middle of the six-yard box, where striker Mallory Pugh was standing alone. Her header quickly found the back of the net and created the final 2-0 score.

The U.S. has danced through the four Victory Tour matches with wins of 3-0 vs. Ireland, 4-0 and 3-0 over Portugal and now 2-0 against Korea, with a final match coming against the Koreans in Chicago on Sunday.

That game will also be the final appearance for coach Jill Ellis was the head of the U.S. team; she is retiring after two World Cup titles. The win on Thursday night was her 106th as the women’s head coach, breaking a tie she had with the late Tony DiCicco (1995-99) for the most coaching wins with the national team. More here.

| 5. | SWIMMING: USA Swimming being investigated by Dept. of Justice on abuse and finances

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Justice has been presenting evidence to a grand jury in New York concerning USA Swimming, specifically looking at its financial and insurance practices and its response (or non-response) to sexual abuse claims that go back to at least 2010.

Most of the conduct being investigated took place during the period when the late Chuck Wielgus served as the Executive Director of the federation; he died at 67 on 23 April 2017 after serving for 20 years. Current USA Swimming Chief Executive Tim Hinchey was named to the position in June of 2017.

LANE ONE: IOC’s Bach says Salazar case “raises serious concerns”; no vote on 2032 Games in 2020

By
Rich Perelman
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IOC President Thomas Bach of Germany

“We have also discussed the Salazar case, which is very worrying and raises serious concerns, but we are confident that [the World Anti-Doping Agency] will look into this case very carefully, and will follow up on the questions which remain open. After this report … the IOC will write a letter to WADA in this respect.”

Following the end of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland on Thursday, IOC President Thomas Bach reviewed the two days of discussions at a news conference, with significant, continuing attention to doping.

He singled out this week’s ruling in arbitration that confirmed a four-year sanction by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar and Dr. Jeffrey Brown, a physician associated with the program, during his opening remarks noted above.

In response to a question, however, he went into greater depth on what the IOC will ask WADA in its letter and it’s quite serious:

“First of all, to see how many athletes have been investigated, have all the athletes been investigated who were training in this center, does the report address the whole period of the existence of this project, or only part of it, could there [be] any results – Olympic results – be affected, directly or indirectly with regard to also the principle of strict liability, because we learned from this report that the athletes would not have known what happened to them.

“This is an important factor when it comes to suspensions or sanctions, but for disqualification from an event is mandatory under the principle of strict liability, whether the athlete knew or not. It’s just about the presence of the substance in the body or the application of the prohibited methods.

“But we are very confident that WADA is looking into this anyway, so we are waiting for the advice of WADA in this respect.”

It’s not WADA, but the USADA which has actually investigated the matter and imposed the sanction, but the level of interest in the suspension of a U.S. coach is pretty remarkable.

Bach also explained that the IOC wants to go even further regarding preserving doping samples taken during non-competition periods, so that they can be re-tested as improved testing technologies are developed:

“[T]he IOC Executive Board has made it clear that we would like to see a long-term storage program being established, also for the pre-Games testing. You know that for the Games, the IOC is storing the samples for 10 years and we would like to see such a long-term storage also being applied for the pre-Games testing program, in order to increase and strengthen the deterrent effect this long-term storage has.”

Bach noted specifically that the investment in research has led to “new methods coming up” for detection, and quickly. He stated that the total investment against doping in the current four-year cycle – Rio to Tokyo – will be “in an amount close to $300 million U.S.”

There was also considerable discussion around the new format for the selection of host venues for future Games, approved by the IOC at its annual meeting earlier this year. Said Bach:

“There will be a permanent dialogue with interested hosts, or with potential hosts in which we may be interested. To this purpose, the Session has established two so-called ‘Future Hosts Commissions’: one for summer and one for winter. These commissions will then make recommendations to the Executive Board with regard to both the respective Youth Olympic Games and the Olympic Games. And then, in turn, the Executive Board will make a recommendation to the Session, then, for final elections. …

“In consultation with the Executive Board, I have also appointed the members of the two Commissions, which are – by the way – both gender balanced. So the chair of the Future Host Winter Commission be Mr. Octavian Morariu, who had chaired the Evaluation Commission for 2026, and the Commission will then consist therefore of four men and four women all together.

“The Future Host Summer Commission by Kristin Kloster Aazen, the IOC member in Norway and will consist of five women and five men. Both include, of course, representatives from the IFs, the NOCs, the athletes and [International Paralympic Committee].”

In response to a question about the 2032 Games, Bach went to some trouble to add more details:

“We have a kind of two-speeds procedure for winter and summer. So the Winter Future Host Commission will start immediately because there it is already about the Winter Youth Olympic Games ‘24 and then the Winter Games ‘30.

“So this has priority at this moment, and then with regard to summer, we have a little more time and there the Commission can enter into dialogue with the different interested cities and countries. We have already, and this is quite a few [spoken about 2032], and there I can only clarify what we also told the delegation of Queensland when they were here a couple of weeks ago that we will not take a decision in 2020.”

This is actually a fascinating development, especially Bach’s comment about the role of both Commissions to talk “with potential hosts in which we may be interested.” Translation: once these groups are up and running, a significant aspect of their work will be, in fact, to go and find suitable hosts for all Games and not wait to see which cities of regions actually raise their hands as willing bidders. The IOC is – quickly – reversing the entire bid process.

There were some other details of interest. Bach reiterated his confidence in the Tokyo organizers for 2020. He previously stated that he had never seen a city so well prepared a year prior to the Games; he’s still impressed:

“This impression has been confirmed today by the presentation of Tokyo 2020. It was and it is, exactly the Japanese way: to be very well prepared, to be very diligent, but never to be complacent.”

That said, he and the Tokyo 2020 team are suitably concerned about the issue of high temperatures next summer:

“Tokyo 2020 informed us that they have reached out to each international federation with a special heat-countermeasures questionnaire, so that they can benefit from the best experience there, of all these international federations, on top of the pretty sophisticated measures they have already presented here today in their report. But they will continue to work on this, after having evaluated this questionnaire, which is supposed to come in now in the month of October.”

That Tokyo 2020 is so worried about the heat is the first step to trying to solve the issue.

This detail aside, the IOC – under Bach – continues to take strides to put more pressure on doping, and to remove the stress from potential future Games bidders. Imagine having the IOC call you up and ask, “Would you be interested in hosting an Olympic Games? We have $2 billion in cash and services for you if you’re interested.”

That’s an amazing turn of events, all in just this decade.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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ATHLETICS: Upsets, upsets, upsets in Doha as Naser, Kaul and Johnson-Thompson win golds

By
Rich Perelman
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Salwa Eid Naser (BRN), surprise winner of the women's 400 m (Photo: IAAF)

There’s a good reason why gold medals aren’t won on paper, they have to be won on the field.

Upsets were the order of the day on Thursday at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, as three heavy favorites all went down.

Let’s start with the women’s 400 m, in which Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, hadn’t lost since the 2017 Worlds final, a streak of 12 wins in a row. She was the world leader at 49.05 and frankly looked invincible.

But the 21-year-old, Nigerian-born Bahrani Salwa Eid Nasser ran 49.08 in 2018 and was undefeated in eight meets – including the Diamond League final – this year. She took off like a rocket off the start, running in lane five, with Miller-Uibo ahead of her in lane seven.

She caught and passed Miller-Uibo just after 200 m, but it was just to wait for the straight away for the positions to be reversed, right?

Didn’t happen and Naser held on to finish in a stunning 48.14, the no. 3 time in history, and the fastest run since East German Marita Koch’s world record of 47.60 back in 1985! Naser has now won 13 finals in a row, dating back to 2018.

Miller-Uibo was hardly goofing off, finishing in a lifetime best 48.37, a huge lifetime best and national record and moving her to five all-time with the ninth-fastest race ever run.

Further back, Americans Wadeline Jonathas and defending champ Phyllis Francis couldn’t catch Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson for third (49.47 lifetime best), but were rewarded with their own PRs at 49.60 and 49.61, respectively, moving to no. 9 and no. 10 all-time U.S.

This was a stunner and followed up on what had been a wild day already.

In the decathlon, France’s Kevin Mayer was injured during the high jump on Wednesday, but managed to get through the 110 m hurdles and discus in good-enough shape to take the overall lead after seven events. But the pain in his left leg was too much when it came to the pole vault and he had to abandon the competition. Mayer had been extra careful in 2019 to conserve his actual competitions to keep away from injuries, but it didn’t help.

The vault also ended any medal hopes for American Devon Williams, who was seventh after seven events, but failed to clear a height. Earlier, Germany’s Kai Kazmirek, another medal contender, went around a hurdle instead of over it and scored 0 in the event; he finished 17th.

That left the door open for Canada’s Damian Warner, of course, the world leader at 8,711. Nope.

Instead, it was Maicel Uibo of Estonia – the husband of Shaunae Miller-Uibo – who had the lead after nine events, 7,869-7,854-7,850 over Warner and Germany’s 21-year-old Niklas Kaul. And Kaul was by far the best 1,500 m runner, finishing in 4:15.70 to 4:31.51 for Uibo and 4:40.77 for Warner.

That left the final score at 8,691 for Kaul – a lifetime best — followed by Uibo with his own PR of 8,604 and Warner third, his third Worlds medal after a silver in Beijing in 2015 and a bronze in 2013 in Moscow. Kaul’s prior best was 8,572.

Just before the 1,500 m in the decathlon was the heptathlon 800 m, where Katarina Johnson-Thompson had been outstanding all day and held a 5,976-5,839 lead over defending champ – and favorite – Nafi Thiam of Belgium. Johnson-Thompson’s huge long jump of 6.77 m (22-2 1/2) was the difference-maker, and she wrapped up her first world title by winning the 800 m in 2:07.26, while Thiam finished in 2:18.93.

Johnson-Thompson’s lifetime best total of 6,981 moves her to no. 8 all-time; Thiam won the silver and Austria’s Verena Prener took bronze (6,560). The U.S. showed well with places 4-5, as Erica Bougard scored 6,470 and Kendell Williams was fifth with 6,415.

The one final that – more or less – went to form was the women’s shot. China’s Lijiao Gong led throughout, reaching 19.07 m (62-6 3/4) in the first round, 19.21 m (63-0 1/4) in round three and 19.55 m (64-1 3/4) in round four to defend her 2017 title. She’s now won a medal in six straight World Championships!

Jamaican Danniel Thomas-Dodd was second after the first round and stayed there, finally settling for 19.47 m (63-10 1/2) on her final throw. Germany’s 2015 World Champion, Christina Schwanitz, won the bronze at 19.17 m (62-10 3/4). American Maggie Ewen was fourth at 18.93 m (62-1 1/4), but medal favorite Chase Ealey could not get untracked and was seventh at 18.82 m (61-9).

In the preliminary rounds, all of the medal favorites qualified in the women’s triple jump and the men’s shot. Poland’s Michal Haratyk, a possible medalist, did not make it in the shot.

In the men’s 1,500 m heats, the main contenders all went through, including Americans Craig Engels, Matthew Centrowitz and Ben Blankenship. In the women’s 1,500 m semifinals, Sifan Hassan (NED) and Shelby Houlihan went 1-2 in the first heat and Jenny Simpson of the U.S. won heat two in a very fast 4:00.99. British star Laura Muir qualified in third and American Nikki Hiltz ran a lifetime best of 4:01.52 to get through on time to the final.

Summaries from Thursday:

Men

Decathlon: 1. Niklaus Kaul (GER), 8,691; 2. Maicel Uibo (EST), 8,604; 3. Damian Warner (CAN), 8,529; 4. Ilya Shkurenyov (RUS), 8,494; 5. Pierce LaPage (CAN), 8,445; 6. Janek Oiglane (EST), 8,297; 7. Pieter Braun (NED), 8,222; 8. Solomon Simmons (USA), 8,151. Also: 14. Harrison Williams (USA), 7,892.

Women

400 m: 1. Salwa Eid Naser (BAH), 48.14; 2. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH), 48.37; 3. Shericka Jackson (JAM), 49.47; 4. Wadeline Jonathas (USA), 49.60; 5. Phyllis Francis (USA), 49.61; 6. Stephanie Ann McPherson (JAM), 50.89; 7. Justyna Swiety-Ersetic (POL), 50.95; 8. Iga Baumgart-Witen (POL), 51.29.

Shot: 1. Lijiao Gong (CHN), 19.55 m (64-1 3/4); 2. Danniel Thomas-Dodd (JAM), 19.47 m (63-10 1/2); 3. Christina Schwanitz (GER), 19.17 m (62-10 3/4); 4. Maggie Ewen (USA), 18.93 m (62-1 1/4); 5. Anita Marton (HUN), 18.86 m (61-10 1/2); 6. Aliona Dubitskaya (BLR), 18.86 m (61-10 1/2); 7. Chase Ealey (USA), 18.82 m (61-9); 8. Brittany Crew (CAN), 18.55 m (60-10 1/2). Also: 9. Michelle Carter (USA), 18.41 m (60-4 3/4).

Heptathlon: 1. Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR), 6,981; 2. Nafi Thiam (BEL), 6,677; 3. Verena Preiner (AUT), 6,560; 4. Erica Bougard (USA), 6,470; 5. Kendell Williams (USA), 6,415; 6. Nadine Broersen (NED), 6.392; 7. Emma Oosterwegel (NED), 6,250; 8. Odite Ahouanwanou (BEN), 6,210. Also: 12. Chari Hawkins (USA), 6,073; 13. Annie Kunz (USA), 6,067.

FOOTBALL: Allie Long and Mallory Pugh score as U.S. women ease past Korea, 2-0, for Victory Tour win no. 4

By
Rich Perelman
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American striker Mallory Pugh

After a month off, the U.S. women’s Victory Tour continued in muggy Charlotte, North Carolina with the first of two games vs. South Korea. The American side was in better health than for the first three games, as Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle joined the action as starters.

The U.S. had the best chances in the first half, but failed to convert after hitting the ball over the goal, pounding the crossbar and missing on crosses into the box, plus a save from keeper Minjung Kim.

Two minutes of stoppage time were added to the end of the half, but in the third minute, Rapinoe was allowed to take a free kick from the right side of the field. She sent an arching ball between the player wall and the goal and Allie Long simply tipped it with her left foot and the ball sailed into the net for a 1-0 lead.

The Koreans wanted to know why there was extra-extra time added and, for good measure, replay appeared to show Long offsides. The half ended on the ensuring kickoff. The U.S. had 51% possession and out-shot Korea, 8-2.

The second half was more of the same. Carli Lloyd hit the crossbar in 49th minute and sub Christen Press got three consecutive shots in the 70th minute, running past the keeper but then shooting toward an open goal and hitting the post, shot the rebound in and that was kicked away by a Korean defender and then had a third shot blocked.

Finally, Mallory Pugh stood unmarked in the six-year box in the 76th minute, right in front of the goal. On a corner kick, Rapinoe didn’t miss her and Pugh headed the ball in for a 2-0 advantage.

The crowd of 30,071 at Bank of America Stadium was loud and appreciative, even though the U.S. was hardly sharp. But it was the fourth straight win for the U.S. women on the Victory Tour, all shut-outs, by 3-0 vs. Ireland, 4-0 and 3-0 over Portugal and 2-0 on Thursday (aggregate: 12-0).

The U.S. ended with 52% possession in the game and a 19-5 edge in shots. Ashlyn Harris got credit for the clean sheet in goal; the U.S. now has a streak of 521 minutes dating back to the 19th minute of the World Cup semifinal vs. England.

Coach Jill Ellis earned her 106th victory for the U.S., a new record and breaking the tie she had with the late Tony DiCicco (1995-99).

There’s one more game on the Victory Tour, again vs. Korea in Chicago on Sunday (6th).

ATHLETICS: Holloway explodes to 110 m hurdles gold, Britain’s Asher-Smith wins 200 in Doha

By
Rich Perelman
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He did it! American Grant Holloway wins the 110 m hurdles world title! (Photo: IAAF)

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.

TSX REPORT: The IAAF chose Doha during the Lamine Diack regime; his last laugh? Plus, Kendricks, Brazier and Lyles win spectacular golds for U.S. at IAAF Worlds

By
Rich Perelman
-
Former IAAF President and IOC member Lamine Diack of Senegal (Photo: Wikipedia)

= TSX REPORT~ 2 October 2019 =

[Due to a scheduling conflict, there will be
no e-mail for this Thursday, 3 October]

| 1. |  LANE ONE: Are the IAAF World Championships in Doha the last laugh for Lamine Diack?

The ongoing IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar have already seen many thrilling events, but are also the scene of too many empty seats at the Khalifa International Stadium.

At normal capacity, the facility seats about 48,000, but banners and infrastructure requirements have covered more than half of that; the BBC reported seating for the World Championships of just 21,000, the smallest ever.

There were only 13,288 on hand for the first session on Friday, 27 September and the numbers went down for the next two days on Saturday (~11,200) and Sunday (~8,000). Athletes and news media have noticed … and complained.

The senior management of the IAAF, President Sebastian Coe and Chief Executive Jon Ridgeon – both British – have expressed disappointment and Ridgeon has correctly pointed out that the blockade of Qatar by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain has shut out potential spectators from throughout the Gulf region. The original Doha marketing plan counted on drawing fans from the surrounding region.

Nowhere has the name Lamine Diack (pictured above) been attached to the issues in Doha.

But the former Senegalese long jumper, who became IAAF President in 1999 and later a member of the International Olympic Committee, was in charge when Doha was selected over Barcelona, Spain and Eugene, Oregon in the U.S. in 2014. He’s now under house arrest in France, awaiting a trial sometime later this year on extortion, fraud and money-laundering charges relating to his activities in the IAAF and the IOC.

The selection of Doha is one of the actions which has been scrutinized by the French prosecutors; perhaps we will learn more at his trial. But as Diack watches the action on the track – and the empty stands – on television, is he chuckling at all the chaos?

Underlying the disappointment of the empty stands in Doha, however, is a new tug-of-war between two concepts which up to now did not seem at odds: the voice of the athlete and the idea that major events such as the IAAF Worlds should be held in new venues to make the sports more “universal.”

Gymnastics survived modest attendance at its 2018 World Artistic Championships in Doha; FIFA has found itself in the middle of a mess in Qatar with charges of mistreatment of workers building stadiums for the 2022 World Cup, and FINA will hold its 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, and is perhaps wondering what it has gotten itself into.

Multiple athletes have made their negative views of Doha known, especially in the British press, but the event marches on and will finish on Sunday. It’s worth wondering how federations and the International Olympic Committee will deal with the issue of “universality” against the desires of the top stars to perform before a full house that can give them the energy they need to create once-in-a-lifetime achievements on the field of play. More here.

| 2. | ATHLETICS: Last-jump loss, last-throw win and a new American 800 m record in Doha

Day five of the IAAF World Championships saw three gold medals in four events for the U.S., starting with a gripping pole vault battle and finishing with history in the men’s 800 m and 200 m.

The vault figured to be a showdown between defending champion Sam Kendricks (pictured) of the U.S. and Louisiana-born Mondo Duplantis, who competes for Sweden in honor of his mother, with an outside shot given to Poland’s Piotr Lisek.

That’s exactly who was left when the bar was raised to 5.87 m (19-3 1/4) and that’s when the drama started. Lisek and Duplantis cleared, but Kendricks had to make a third try to stay in. At 5.92 m (19-5 1/4), Duplantis had to make a third try to prevent elimination. No one could clear 5.97 m (19-7) over two tries and Lisek was done; Duplantis made it on his third try and then Kendricks had to clear – and did – to keep going. The bar was raised to 6.02 m (19-9) and when Duplantis missed his third try, Kendricks had a second Worlds gold on fewer misses.

Whew!

The men’s 800 m showed the maturity of 22-year-old American Donavan Brazier. Formerly a determined front-runner, he has learned how to run off of any pace and when Puerto Rico’s Wesley Vazquez ran the first lap just under 49 seconds, Brazier was just behind, running comfortably.

But with 300 m to go, Brazier took the lead and just ran away. As Vazquez began to fade in the home straightaway, Brazier continued on smoothly and finished untouched in 1:42.34, a new World Championships record and a new American Record, finally surpassing the 1985 mark of 1:42.60 by Johnny Gray. There is much more ahead for Brazier.

American sprint star Noah Lyles was the overwhelming favorite in the men’s 200 m, but in his first Worlds, was the stage too big? He answered with a good start and a speedy turn, coming into the straightaway just behind super-starter Adam Gemili (GBR). Once Lyles’ top-end speed kicked in, he moved away smartly and finished with a convincing win in 19.83, ahead of Canada’s Andre De Grasse (19.95) and Ecuador’s Alex Quinonez (19.98).

It was the first U.S. title in the men’s 200 m since before the Usain Bolt era, back in 2007.

Almost lost in all this commotion was a final-round drama in the women’s javelin. Australia’s Kelsey-Lee Barber – a definite medal threat – was sitting in fourth place in the sixth round, but unloaded a high-arcing throw that landed at 66.56 m (218-4) and won the event, over China’s Shiying Liu, who had thrown a season-best 65.88 m (216-2).  Wow! Much more here.

| 3. | ATHLETICS: Another controversy, this time over “Block Cam”

The IAAF and Seiko had trumpeted the debut of “Block Cam” for the World Championships, in which cameras were installed in the starting blocks so as to capture the concentration on the faces of the runners as they prepared to start in the sprint events.

But the cameras were apparently too intrusive for German sprinters Gina Luckenkemper and Tatjana Pinto, who complained that the pictures also included them standing over their blocks.

“I find it very unpleasant stepping over these cameras as I get into the blocks wearing these scanty clothes,” Lückenkemper said in a BBC report. She and Pinto complained to the German federation, which then complained to the IAAF.

The resolution was an agreement that “the big-screen close-ups will only show the athletes crouching in their blocks, moments before sprinting off.

“The video data from the cameras will also be erased daily, under the agreement.”

The Block Cam is an interesting idea, but as with most advances in technology, can have unintended consequences.

| 4. | ATHLETICS: Salazar slams suspension, decision and promises appeal

After a four-year suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for aiding and abetting doping was upheld by a three-arbitrator panel on Monday, Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar released a statement posted on the group’s Web site. It reads, in part:

“I am shocked by the outcome today. Throughout this six-year investigation my athletes and I have endured unjust, unethical and highly damaging treatment from USADA. This is demonstrated by the misleading statement released by [USADA CEO] Travis Tygart stating that we put winning ahead of athlete safety. This is completely false and contrary to the findings of the arbitrators, who even wrote about the care I took in complying with the World Anti-Doping code … 

“I have always ensured the WADA code is strictly followed.  The Oregon Project has never and will never permit doping.  I will appeal and look forward to this unfair and protracted process reaching the conclusion I know to be true.”

The appeal will be made to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

| 5. | ATHLETICS: €70,000 for Bekele for winning in Berlin Marathon in 2:01:41

The sensational 2:01:41 Berlin Marathon win for Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele (pictured) also had some side benefits, to the tune of € 70,000 (about $76,559 U.S.). He won €40,000 for the victory and then a time bonus for running under 2:03:30. Runner-up Berhanu Legesse (ETH) finished in 2:02:48 and won €20,000 for finishing second and another €15,000 – €35,000 total (~$38,266) for running under 2:04:30.

The race had an amazing 46,983 runners and 52,293 participants including the inline skaters, hand-bikers and wheelchair racers.

Women’s winner Ashete Bekere (ETH) clocked 2:20:14, worth the €40,000 for winning, but she didn’t collect any time bonuses.

The elite prize money for the top 10 places includes €40,000-20,000-15,000-12,000-10,000-7,500-5,000-4,000-3,000-2,000 for both men and women.

| 6. | WINTER WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES 2023: Lakes Placid using the event for redevelopment

The question of whether to bid for or host a Games of any kind is very much about the goals of the bidders/organizers and whether the local community and/or government will support them.

For Lake Placid, New York, site of the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, obtaining the 2023 Winter World University Games is part of a defined redevelopment strategy:

“The regional economic group for the whole area was looking at appropriate ways to revitalize economic development in the area and right away, they zeroed in on the 1980 Olympic
facilities that needed an upgrade,” said Adirondack North Country Sports Council chair James McKenna.

“To entice more private investment, the plan was to look at multi-sport international sporting events and refurbish the Olympic facilities at the same time. The one we were looking at, as the anchor, was the World University Games.”

“One of our objectives is to provide community housing,” said Sports Council Project Director Ashley Walden. “Right now, the town of Lake Placid is really a tourist travel town, so it can be difficult for communities and local families to afford housing. What we are going to accomplish with the Athletes Village and Media Village is that we are going to be able to, in the end, offer housing to local families so they stay on in the area.”

This is what legacy planning looks like, well before a bid is even submitted. Whether the Winter WUG can deliver this is another matter, but the thinking is worth noting.

| 7. | INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: Executive Board meets on Wednesday and Thursday

The IOC Executive Board will meet in Lausanne over the following two days in Lausanne. The program includes the usual reports, with an update on the AIBA situation on the agenda. Thursday’s agenda includes an update on the Future Games Elections project.

News conferences will be given daily; check here for details.

LANE ONE: Are the IAAF World Championships the last laugh for Lamine Diack?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Lamine Diack (SEN), former IAAF president and IOC member, whose trial on corruption charges in France has begun

For those who care about track & field – as I do – the current edition of the IAAF World Championships are at the same time exhilarating and depressing.

Exhilarating because of the sensational performances by athletes who will become headline performers – ahead of baseball, football and basketball stars – for a couple of weeks next summer and hopefully beyond to the first World Championships to be held in the United States, in 2021.

The drama and emotion of Tuesday’s pole vault competition that came down to defending champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S. and Louisiana-born Mondo Duplantis, who competes for Sweden to honor his mother, was the kind of heart-pounding battle that makes the sport so thrilling. The sight of all three medalists – Kendricks, Duplantis and Poland’s Piotr Lisek – doing a simultaneous somersault in the pit after the final jump was not just memorable, but a feel-good ending of a titanic struggle.

The same for the brilliant finish of Dutch star Sifan Hassan in the women’s 10,000 m, who came from Ethiopia as a refugee, took up running and now owns a Worlds gold and will try for a second in the 5,000 m.

And much more, with the action continuing through Sunday. But it is also deeply depressing to see the swaths of empty seats in the Khalifa International Stadium.

The best reporting on this has been by the BBC, which has revealed:

● The actual seating availability was reduced to 21,000, by covering entire sections with banners; the listed capacity is 48,000.

● Actual attendance on the first day (Friday: 27th) was 13,288, but then went down to 11,300 plus accredited guests on Saturday. No further figures have been seen.

Add this in to the 100-degree-plus temperatures (F) which made the women’s marathons and the 50 km walks exercises in medical triage as much as races, and the late date of the event, more than a month later than ever before, and there has been plenty of criticism to go around.

The current IAAF administration, led by new Chief Executive Jon Ridgeon – a 13.29 high hurdler who won the Worlds silver in the event in 1987 – has explained that the Qatar diplomatic crisis that began in 2017 and currently includes a blockade by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt has been a problem. Acknowledging the lack of attendance, he noted:

“There would be an awful lot more people here if the blockade was not in place. The blockade is one of the factors.

“I’m not blaming it, but it’s one of the factors, but you have to understand the political challenges this country faces right now, which was never envisaged when this meeting was awarded.”

Ah, yes, when the meet was awarded. That was back in 2014, when the IAAF was being directed by President Lamine Diack of Senegal. He’s awaiting trial sometime later this year in France on charges of extortion, fraud and money laundering, among other charges.

During his tenure as IAAF chief beginning in 1999, the World Championships had been placed in major world capitals such as Helsinki, Berlin, Moscow and Beijing. There had been an odd Worlds placed in Daegu, the third-largest city in South Korea , in 2011, that was also poorly attended, but not like Doha.

When the selection of Doha was made in 2014, its bid defeated Eugene Oregon and Barcelona (ESP), 12-9-6 in the first round and then Eugene, 15-12, in the final round. Diack was in the midst of this selection and there were rumors of corruption at the time and afterwards. Perhaps we will know more from the French trial.

But the IAAF’s selection of Doha, and the subsequent awarding of the event to Eugene for 2021 without a bid process, were on Diack’s watch and there is little doubt that he was involved.

From somewhere in France, still under house arrest, he is no doubt watching the event with keen interest. You have to wonder whether the 86-year-old is quietly chuckling at the chaos.

To the credit of the IAAF’s senior team, including President Sebastian Coe, and Ridgeon, Diack’s name has not been mentioned in the media. As Ridgeon stated, the political situation in the Middle East is much different today than five years ago.

But there is a real lesson to be learned from the IAAF’s experience in placing its Worlds in Doha, with its heat and humidity and so late – historically late – on the calendar. What has been debated these days is the question of whether it is right to take a major event like this and place it so as to help grow the sport vs. having a energetic and celebratory atmosphere in front of sold-out crowds as was the case in London in 2017.

The concept of “universality” and taking the Olympic Games and other events to places like the Arabian Gulf, Africa and South America have been part of the Olympic Movement for decades. The International Olympic Committee did so by placing the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with mixed results … including lots of empty seats at the track & field events. It has assigned the 2022 Youth Olympic Games to Dakar (SEN) for 2022, to show that an “Olympic” event can be held in Africa.

But the Doha experience is raising the question of athlete prerogatives, especially the desire for a mostly-full stadium to raise their energy, vs. an idea that a “world championships” should be held in different locations around the world.

It’s not an easy question to answer, and the IAAF is not the first one to find this out, and won’t be the last. The Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) held its World Artistic Championships in Doha in 2018 … in front of mostly-empty stands. FIFA will hold the 2022 World Cup there – in November and December – and has already been embroiled in multiple controversies over the conditions for construction workers building new stadiums for the event.

And FINA will hold the World Aquatics Championships in Doha in 2023; while dates for that event have not been set, the event is usually held in July. The average daily high temperature in Doha during that month is 107 degrees (F) and 106 in August. Would you like to be an open-water swimmer at that Championships?

The emphasis on “athlete rights” and “hearing the athlete’s voice” are have usually been about safety and commercial earning power. Now, that element is face-to-face with the desire – up to now, also widely accepted – that major events need to be staged everywhere around the world to make them truly global. There is no satisfying way to choose between these alternatives when stark choices must be made; if athlete groups have specific desires about this, they need to make them much better known than they are now.

In the meantime, Diack is awaiting trial. If it’s not on the list of charges already, how about “crimes against Athletics?”

Rich Perelman
Editor

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ATHLETICS: Kendricks defends in emotional vault, Brazier set U.S. record in 800, Lyles wins 200 at IAAF Worlds!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks (USA) (Photo: IAAF)

On a day when the temperatures in Doha, Qatar reached 103 degrees (F) with humidity about 70%, some of the hottest competition of the entire IAAF World Championships took place on the track and in the infield.

Perhaps the most emotional was the pole vault, which narrowed from the initial 12 men to the medalists in just three heights as Piotr Lisek (POL), Mondo Duplantis (SWE) and defending champ Sam Kendricks (USA) after 5.80 m (19-0 1/4).

None had missed, but the vaulting really started at 5.87 m (19-3). Duplantis and Lisek made it on their second tries, but Kendricks missed twice and – after moving the standards further back – had to snake over the bar on his third try to keep jumping.

Now the bar was at 5.92 m (19-5) and Kendricks put enormous pressure on the other two with a first-time clearance. Lisek missed once, and knowing that he couldn’t win at that height, passed to the next height. Duplantis kept jumping and made it on his third try to stay in it.

At 5.97 m (19-7), Lisek missed his remaining two jumps and was eliminated. Duplantis missed twice, Kendricks missed twice, but then Duplantis snaked over the bar for a clearance and stood in the pit, soaking in the cheers of the crowd that had gathered at that end of the stadium.

Now it was up to Kendricks, who could stay in the lead or settle for silver. He managed excellent speed on the runway and perfect form at the top to clear the height, and on we went.

The next height was 6.02 m (19-9) and Duplantis took his 11th, 12th and 13th jumps of the session and missed; he was embraced by Kendricks on the pit after Duplantis failed on his final attempt. Kendricks missed twice and then skipped his final attempt with his victory secured.

The camaraderie of the three medal winners was symbolized when Duplantis and Kendricks were joined by Lisek for a synchronized somersault! Kendricks said afterwards of his successful title defense in high heat and humidity: “It got messy.”

In the 200 m, it was all about Noah Lyles, who had a favorable lane draw in five, one lane behind the super-starter Adam Gemili (GBR).

Both got a good start, with Gemili leading Lyles off the turn, but as soon as Lyles hit the straightaway, his unmatched top-end speed took over and he took the lead with 70 m to go and won by daylight in 19.83.

Canada’s Andre De Grasse came up for second in 19.95 and Ecuador’s Alex Quinonez made it an Americas sweep in 19.98, as Gemili got fourth in 20.03.

Lyles finishes his season with six finals in the 200 m, all under 20 seconds, and five wins. His average finals time this season was an astonishing 19.70!

American Donovan Brazier was expected to win the men’s 800 meters, but under what circumstances? From the front as he did early in his career, or from the back like in the Diamond League Final?

Puerto Rico’s Wesley Vazquez took the lead as he always does and led Brazier through the 400 m in a seemingly-suicidal 48.96. Could Vasquez hold on? Brazier, looking absolutely full of run, breezed by him with 300 m to go and set sail.

With 200 m to go, Vasquez was still second, but Amel Tuka (BIH) came on over the home straight for second, but couldn’t touch Brazier, who finished in an American Record time of 1:42.34. It’s the first-ever World Championships gold for the U.S. men at 800 m and only the third-ever medal!

Behind Brazier and Tuka (1:43.47), Vasquez was fading badly and was passed by Ferguson Rotich (KEN) for the bronze in 1:43.82 and then by Bryce Hoppel of the U.S. in a lifetime best of 1:44.25. Vasquez ended up fifth in a very credible time of 1:44.48. Clayton Murphy of the U.S. was eighth in 1:47.84.

Brazier’s 1:42.34 moves him to equal-ninth on the all-time list, erasing Johnny Gray’s 1:42.60 American standard from way back in 1985.

Quite a day for the U.S., but hardly the end of the drama. In the women’s javelin, China’s Shiying Liu (65.88 m/216-2) and Huihui Lyu (65.49 m/214-10) were standing 1-2 when Australia’s Kelsey-Lee Barber – in fourth place – came up for her final throw. She uploaded a perfectly-arced throw that landed at 66.56 m (218-4) and made her the stunning winner!

American Kara Winger also did well, finishing fifth at 63.23 m (207-5).

There was a lot more action on Tuesday in the qualifying:

● Men/400 m: Grenada’s Kirani James, the 2012 Olympic champ, has been badly hampered by injuries, but had the fastest first-round time at 44.94, in winning heat two. Americans Michael Norman and Fred Kerley advanced without issue in 45.00 and 45.19; Vernon Norwood and Nathan Strother struggled to move on with 45.59 and 45.71.

One notable performance was from Kenyan Emmanuel Korir, who won heat six in 45.08; he’s better known at the 800 m, but he could be a contender here.

● Men/Steeple: The third heat showed that Kenya’s Conseslus Kipruto is back from injury. He was talking to the other runners, waved to the crowd, told fellow Kenyan Ben Kigen to slow down on the home straight … and then won in 8:19.20. Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale won the first heat in 8:12.96 and Lamecha Girma (ETH) won heat two in 8:16.64. Americans Andy Bayer (8:18.66) and Stanley Kebenei (8:19.02) made it as time qualifiers and Hillary Bor automatically qualified with a third in heat three (8:20.67).

● Men/High Jump: The main group of qualifiers cleared 2.29 m (7-6), including Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim, who received plenty of cheers from the home crowd. American Jeron Robinson made that height, as did Ivan Ivanyuk (RUS), Brandon Starc (AUS), Michael Mason (CAN); world leader Maksim Nedasekau (BLR) qualified, but made only 2.26 m (7-5).

● Men/Hammer: Polish power was in evidence as Pawel Fajdek led the qualifying at 79.24 m (260-0), followed by Wojciech Nowicki (77.89 m/255-6). American Rudy Winkler made it to the final, fourth overall with 77.06 m (252-10).

● Women/200 m: With withdrawals by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM), Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) and defending champ Dafne Schippers (NED) in the heats, then a disqualification of Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare in the heats, the semis were further decimated when Rio Olympic champ Elaine Thompson (JAM) did not start.

That left Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith as the clear favorite and she underlined it with a brilliant 22.16 win in the third semi. But all the carnage has also opened the door for the U.S. as Angie Annelus won the first semi in 22.49 and Brittany Brown won semi two (22.46). Hot starter Dezerea Bryant was second in the third semi (behind Asher-Smith) in 22.56.

● Women/400 m: Shaunae Miller-Uibo was clearly the best, winning semi two in 49.66, fastest of the day. Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser won semi one in 49.79, the only other sub-50 mark. The U.S. qualified Wadeline Jonathas (lifetime best 50.07) and defending champ Phyllis Francis (50.22), but Kendell Ellis (51.58) didn’t make it and Shakima Wimbley pulled up with 100 m to go and walked to the finish after feeling pain in her legs.

● Women/400 m hurdles: No problems for Sydney McLaughlin (54.45) or Dalilah Muhammad (54.87) of the U.S. as they won their heats. Ashley Spencer of the U.S. barely qualified, finishing fourth in her heat (55.28), but defending champ Kori Carter pulled up on the back straight, finishing off an injury-plagued year. The best non-U.S. mark was a Norwegian national record of 54.72 for Amalie Iuel, who ran at USC.

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.

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).

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).

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.

TSX DAILY: U.S. wins five medals at IAAF Worlds on Monday; famed coach Salazar suspended four years for aiding doping + California bill allowing athlete pay signed into law

By
Rich Perelman
-

≡ TSX DAILY ~ 1 October 2019 ≡

[Due to a scheduling conflict, there will be
no e-mail for this Thursday, 3 October]

| 1. |  LEADING OFF: Warholm beats Benjamin in 400 m hurdles on five-medal day for U.S. at IAAF Worlds

After just four of the 10 days of the IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Doha (QAT), the U.S. team has already piled up 13 medals, more than double that of second-place China (6) and continues to send more stars forward to finals. On Monday alone, the U.S. won five medals, with three silvers and two bronzes.

In the race of the day, Norway’s Karsten Warholm defended his 2017 title in the men’s 400 m hurdles, extending a small lead over Rai Benjamin of the U.S. on the run-in, 47.42-47.66. While Benjamin was disappointed, he only let it be known after that race that he was suffering from a bad left heel bruise suffered during training just a week before he traveled to Doha. He had considered pulling out, but decided to try to run; a 47.66 under the circumstances is close to miraculous.

The U.S. got another satisfying silver in the women’s 3,000 m Steeple, where Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech  (pictured) ran away with the race as expected in 8:57.84, but defending champ Emma Coburn set a lifetime best with the no. 2 performance in U.S. history at 9:02.35 for the silver medal, ahead of Germany’s Gesa Krause (9:03.30). Coburn ran smartly and made a decisive move with 600 m to go and was never headed for second.

Ajee Wilson was the big favorite in the 800 m and led for 700 m, but couldn’t match the sprint of Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi, who won in 1:58.04, a national record. Disheartened, Wilson looked to finish second, but teammate and training partner Raevyn Rogers flew down the home straight, passed Rogers and was closing on Nakaayi, finishing second in 1:58.18 with Wilson taking the bronze – just as in 2017 – in 1:58.84.

The women’s high jump was a great show, with defending champ Mariya Lasitskene (RUS) and American Vashti Cunningham matching clearances on six straight heights, all the way up to 2.00 m (6-6 3/4). Lasitskene then cleared 2.02 m (6-7 1/2) and only Yaroslava Mahuchickh (UKR) could match her; Cunningham had to settle for the bronze. Lasitskene went on to clear 2.04, as did Mahuchikh on her third try, with the Russian winning on fewer misses for her third world title.

In the other finals, Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris had run only 13:25.00 this season in the 5,000 m, but as defending champion, he had a direct entry in the Worlds and prepared for just this one race. When the time to run came, he had more speed than anyone else and powered away with a 12:58.85 win, ahead of countryman Selemon Barega (12:59.70). American Paul Chelimo faded in the final 200 m and was seventh in 13:04.60.

Sweden’s Daniel Stahl won the discus as expected, taking the lead in the second round and then extending his margin in the third with the winning toss of 67.59 m (221-9). Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres was second, also as expected, at 66.94 m (219-7).

Tuesday’s finals include the men’s pole vault, featuring defending champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S., the men’s 800 m with Donavan Brazier of the U.S. as one of the favorites, the men’s 200 m, with American Noah Lyles a huge favorite and the women’s javelin, likely a showcase for world leader Huihui Lyu of China. More on Monday’s action here.

| 2. | ATHLETICS: Famed coach Alberto Salazar suspended for four years for doping actions

The long-running drama between Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar – one of the most successful in the sport – and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency turned into a four-year suspension on Monday as a three-member arbitration panel handed down a 140-page decision on the case.

Salazar was charged back in June 2017 with doping violations by the USADA and this began a lengthy proceeding which included two in-person hearings in 2018 and a literal ton of evidence. The decision noted that:

“[T]he Panel has reviewed and examined approximately 1,562 exhibits, heard seven full days of testimony, which are documented in 2,543 pages of hearing transcript, reviewed and carefully considered the parties’ prehearing and post-hearing briefs, which consist of 1,154 pages, reviewed and ruled on various motions and issues that arose between the parties, which are articulated in the 14 Procedural Orders issued by the Panel, and the Panel was required to spend thousands of hours on this matter.”

In the end:

“[T]he Panel found the following violations of the Code:

“(a) Administration of a Prohibited Method (with respect to an infusion in excess of the applicable limit),

“(b) Tampering and/or attempted tampering with NOP athletes’ doping control process, and

“(c) Trafficking and/or Attempted Trafficking of testosterone.

“Accordingly, the Panel finds that the period of Ineligibility shall be four years from the date of this decision.”

However, don’t paint Salazar (pictured below) with a black brush just yet. The decision also included this remarkable comment:

“The Panel notes that the Respondent does not appear to have been motivated by any bad intention to commit the violations the Panel found. In fact, the Panel was struck by the amount of care generally taken by Respondent to ensure that whatever new technique or method or substance he was going to try was lawful under the World Anti-Doping Code, with USADA’s witness characterizing him as the coach they heard from the most with
respect to trying to ensure that he was complying with his obligations. The Panel has taken pains to note that Respondent made unintentional mistakes that violated the rules, apparently motivated by his desire to provide the very best results and training for athletes under his care. Unfortunately, that desire clouded his judgment in some instances, when his usual focus on the rules appears to have lapsed.”

The sanction is four years ineligibility to coach, as of 30 September 2019. There will likely be an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, extending the life of one of the longer – but hardly the longest – procedures of the anti-doping process.

Salazar, himself a 1984 Olympian in the marathon, has had tremendous success in coaching, including recent Olympic and World Championships medal winners Mo Farah (GBR) and Galen Rupp of the U.S., among others.

The USADA won a similar case against Dr. Jeffrey Brown, the medical director of the Nike Olympic Project. A different panel found Brown has committed doping violations by tampering with patient records, administration of a banned infusion and complicity in Salazar’s “trafficking of testosterone.”

There were no references in the Salazar decision to any further action against any other athletes; these would be charged in separate cases if filed.

| 3. | U.S. OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE: California college OK-to-pay law signed by Gov. Newsom

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 6 into law on Monday, allowing students at any of California’s 58 four-year colleges and universities to earn money from the use of their image or likeness in conjunction with a school’s intercollegiate athletics teams. (More details on the bill from our 27 September story here.)

The bill is controversial because it gives students at these schools an opportunity to earn money not available anywhere else in the country, and against current NCAA rules.

The NCAA has its own process moving and expects to receive a report this month from its own task force on the issue. It posted a statement noting in part, “We will consider next steps in California while our members move forward with ongoing efforts to make adjustments to NCAA name, image and likeness rules that are both realistic in modern society and tied to higher education.

“As more states consider their own specific legislation related to this topic, it is clear that a patchwork of different laws from different states will make unattainable the goal of providing a fair and level playing field for 1,100 campuses and nearly half a million student-athletes nationwide.”

The Pac-12 Conference issued an on-the-mark statement that included:

“The Pac-12 is disappointed in the passage of SB 206 and believes it will have very significant negative consequences for our student-athletes and broader universities in California. This legislation will lead to the professionalization of college sports and many unintended consequences related to this professionalism, imposes a state law that conflicts with national rules, will blur the lines for how California universities recruit student-athletes and compete nationally, and will likely reduce resources and opportunities for student-athletes in Olympic sports and have a negative disparate impact on female student-athletes.”

University of Arkansas sports management professor and Assistant Dean Steve Dittmore had a different take on Twitter:

“If NCAA really bans California schools, how quickly will universities consider forming a rival association to NCAA? Could see Kansas, Arizona, Louisville, etc. being interested in partnering with Cal, Stanford, USC, UCLA.”

Nothing will happen immediately, as the California law does not take effect until 1 January 2023. But the NCAA is now on the clock.

| 4. | BASKETBALL: U.S. women storm through AmeriCup undefeated, beat Canada in final

No problem for the U.S. women’s national team in the 2019 AmeriCup tournament in Puerto Rico, winning the gold medal with a 67-46 rout of Canada in the final.

The American squad, coached by Dawn Staley, won its four group games by an average score of 97-50, then defeated host Puerto Rico in the semis by 78-54 and then Canada in the final. Brazil defeated Puerto Rico, 95-66, for the bronze medal.

Center Sylvia Fowles led the U.S. in scoring during the tournament with 13.2 points per game, followed by forward Diamond De Shields (10.7) and Arike Ogunbowale (10.2). Center Tina Charles was the leading rebounder at 7.3 a game and guard Jordin Canada averaged 5.3 assists a game.

The U.S. was already qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Games as reigning World Cup champions; the results of this tournament qualified eight teams for two pre-Games qualifying tournaments to be held in 2020.

| 5. | CYCLING: BMX SuperCross World Cup ends with Dutch sweep for Kimmann and Smulders

The UCI BMX SuperCross season ended on Sunday in Santiago del Estero in Argentina with a double victory for Dutch stars Niek Kimmann and Laura Smulders.

Kimmann won the second of the two men’s races on the weekend and defended his 2018 World Cup seasonal title with a 1,180-890 win over Ecuador’s Alfredo Campo.

Smulders won both races on the weekend and finished the season with 1,270 points to win her fourth consecutive seasonal title. The U.S. went 2-3 with Felicia Stancil (925) and Alise Willoughby (910).

| 6. | SWIMMING: Rasovszky and Bruni win Marathon World Series titles

The ninth and final leg of the 2019 FINA Marathon (10 km) World Series concluded in Chun’An (CHN), with wins for 2016 Rio champion Ferry Weertman (NED) and Italy’s Arianna Bridi.

The seasonal titles were won by Hungary’s Kristof Rasovszky – his first career title – and Italy’s Rachele Bruni, her third win after back-to-back victories in 2015 and 2016.

| 7. | GAMES OF THE XXXII OLYMPIAD: TOKYO 2020; Amazing 535,717 apply for 2020 Torch Relay

The Olympic-mania that has swept Japan for tickets to the Tokyo Games as well as volunteer positions showed up in a sensational 535,717 applications for the 2020 Torch Relay.

In the western prefecture of Hyogo, the ratio of applications to relay legs was 224 to one!

All candidates will be screened and then notified in December.

STAT PACK: Results for the week of 23-29 September 2019

By
Rich Perelman
-

The Stat Pack: a summary of results of international Grand Prix, World Cup and World Championships events, plus U.S. domestic events and Pan American championships events of note.

In this week’s issue are reports on nine events in eight sports:

● Athletics: World Marathon Major: Berlin
● Badminton: World Tour 500: Korea Open in Incheon
● Canoe-Kayak: ICF Slalom World Championships in La Seu d’Urgell
● Cycling: UCI World Road Race Championships in Yorkshire
● Cycling: BMX Supercross World Cup in Santiago del Estero
● Sport Climbing: IFSC World Cup (Lead) in Kranj
● Swimming: FINA Marathon World Series 9 in Chun’An
● Volleyball: FIVB Women’s World Cup in Japan
● Weightlifting: IWF World Championships in Pattaya

plus our calendar of upcoming events through 27 October. Click below for the PDF:

[wpdm_package id=17032 template=”link-template-button-popup.php”]

For the stories behind the stats, be sure to visit TheSportsExaminer.com often!

ATHLETICS: Warholm defends title in men’s 400 hurdles; Benjamin, Coburn and Rogers wins silvers

By
Rich Perelman
-
Norway's Karsten Warholm can hardly believe he's won a second world title in the 400 m hurdles (Photo: IAAF)

The U.S. had another big day at the 2019 IAAF World Championships, winning five medals, but none of the events. But it was a thrilling day nonetheless, starting with the final event of the program.

The build-up for the men’s 400 m hurdles final started in 2018 when Rai Benjamin ran 47.02 at the NCAA Championships and Qatar’s Abderrahmane Samba ran 46.98 during the summer.

In 2019, defending World Champion Karsten Warholm and Benjamin ran the fastest race in history at 46.92-46.98 at Zurich and the anticipation was on for the Worlds final and a possible world record after 27

Warholm went out as usual, but had only a small lead over Benjamin coming off the fifth hurdle. But Warholm was better on the turn and had a small lead after the eighth hurdle and was maintaining his speed beautifully. Benjamin lost his form a little over the 10th hurdle and with Warholm keeping it together, the Norwegian extended the lead a little on the run-in and won in 47.42.

Benjamin won silver in his first Worlds in 47.66, and home favorite Abderrahmane Samba of Qatar sprinted hard on the run-in to grab third in 48.03 ahead of Kyron McMaster (IVB: 48.10) and T.J. Holmes (USA: 48.20, a lifetime best).

Benjamin told NBC’s Lewis Johnson afterwards that he almost didn’t compete in Doha after suffering a fall in practice about a week prior to leaving. He said he was actually on crutches for a few days and decided to come and try it. “I took it round by round,” he said, adding that “my [left] heel is still pretty bruised.” It explains his inability to push hard on the run-in; as he said, “I wanted gold, but the circumstances weren’t in my favor.” Under the circumstances, his silver was quite impressive.

The women’s 3,000 m Steeple was a question for silver and bronze, as Kenya’s world-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech was a prohibitive favorite. And Chepkoech ran away from the start, creating a 50-meter lead within the first kilometer and the race was on for second. American Emma Coburn waited patiently, then began kicking with 600 m left and moved to second with a lap to go, ahead of Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi and Kenyan Hyvin Kiyeng.

There was no let-up from Coburn, who nursed a small lead over the final water jump and then extended it as Kiyeng faded and German Gesa Krause came on in the final 100 m to pass Yavi for the bronze medal.

Chepkoech finished in 8:57.84, the no. 6 performance in history and Coburn set a lifetime best at 9:02.35, the no. 2 performance in U.S. history. American Courtney Frerichs was sixth in 9:11.27.

The women’s 800 m came next and was expected to be a showcase for American Ajee Wilson, but it didn’t turn out that way. Wilson led for most of the race and maintained it right through the 700 m mark, but was challenged by Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi, who passed her with 50 m left and won in 1:58.04.

Wilson lost heart after Nakaayi passed her; meanwhile, training partner Raevyn Rogers was sprinting down the home straight, passed Wilson and was closing on Nakaayi at the line, finishing in 1:58.18 for silver, with Wilson at 1:58.84 for bronze. American Ce’Aira Brown was eighth in 2:02.97.

In the men’s 5,000 m, the Ethiopians ran at the front early, but a group of six were in contention for medals with a lap to go, including the Ethiopians, Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, Paul Chelimo of the U.S. and Mo Ahmed (CAN). Ingebrigtsen charged to the front with 300 m to go, but that didn’t last long, as Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega and defending champ Muktar Edris charged past him on the final turn. Ingebrigtsen ran out of gas on the final and faded to fifth; Ahmed moved into third and Edris sprinted down the straight, finishing a 55-second last lap to win over Barega, 12:58.86 to 12:59.70. Ahmed was third in 13:01.11 and Chelimo faded to seventh in 13:04.60.

It was an amazing race for Edris, who hadn’t run faster than 13:25.00 this season. But as defending champ, he had a confirmed entry into the Worlds and he was ready when it counted.

On the infield, Russian Mariya Lasitskene and American Vashti Cunningham both cleared six straight heights, right through 2.00 m (6-6 3/4). But two Ukrainians were also there: Yuliya Levchenko and Yaroslava Manuchikh. At 2.02 m (6-7 1/2), Levchenko and Cunningham went out and on fewer misses, Cunningham won the bronze. Lasitskene and Mahuchikh both cleared, and the bar went to 2.04 m.

Lasitskene made her ninth straight clearance, but Mahuchikh got over on her third try for the silver and retired; still just 18, she also claimed the world junior record. Lasitskene won her third world title, but missed at 2.08 m (6-9 3/4).

Sweden’s Daniel Stahl was the favorite in the discus and made sure to get out in front early and make everyone chase him

He was second after the first round, then took the lead at 67.18 m (220-5) in the second and got out to 67.59 m (221-9) in the third round and that was enough. Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres reached 66.94 m (219-7) in the second round, but could do no more. Austria’s Lukas Weisshaidiger finished third (66.82 m/219-3)

In the qualifying:

● Men/200 meters: No problem for Noah Lyles of the U.S., who won the second semifinal in 19.86, just ahead of Ecuador’s Alex Quinonez. Britain’s Adam Gemili (20.03) and Andre De Grasse (CAN: 20.08) won the other semis.

● Men/110 m hurdles: Jamaica’s Omar MacLeod won heat one (13.17), Sergey Shubenkov (RUS) won heat two (13.27) and Orlando Ortega (ESP) won heat five, with the fastest time of the day. Americans Devon Allen qualified in fourth in heat one (13.46) and Grant Holloway looked good in winning heat four (13.22). U.S. champ Daniel Roberts was second in heat three, but smashed through two hurdles, one of which touched an adjacent lane and was disqualified.

● Women/400 m: This hasn’t been a vintage year for the U.S., but you wouldn’t know it from the heats as Phyllis Francis (50.77), Wadeline Jonathas (50.57) and Shakima Wimbley (51.17) won the first three heats! Kendall Ellis was only fifth in the fourth heat (51.82), but qualified on time. Favorite Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) won the fifth heat in 51.30 and Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) won the sixth heat in 50.74.

● Women/Javelin: World leader Huihui Lyu (CHN) led everyone at 67.27 m (220-8), ahead of German Christin Hussong (65.29 m/214-2). American Kara Winger qualified in seventh at 62.13 m (203-10).

The attendance was once again sparse, but the stadium remained loud, which is a very important aspect for the competitors, to make the place seem fuller than it is. 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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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).

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.

TSX DAILY: Why WADA in charge of the Russian data case, not the IOC + hot times at IAAF Worlds and 2:01:41 marathon for Bekele in Berlin!

By
Rich Perelman
-

≡ TSX DAILY ~ 30 September 2019 ≡

[Due to a scheduling conflict, there will be
no e-mail for this Thursday, 3 October]

| 1. |  LANE ONE: Why Russia’s situation for Tokyo rests with the World Anti-Doping Agency and not the IOC

The possible manipulation of data in the Moscow Laboratory files retrieved by the World Anti-Doping Agency in January, designed to advance a further cover-up of Russian doping positives from 2011-15 has the Olympic sports world in a tizzy.

WADA’s Compliance Review Committee is fast-tracking a complaint against the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), with answers due from the Russians in the middle of October and a possible new suspension in the works, even exclusion from the 2020 Tokyo Games.

International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach of Germany said at a news conference last Friday that “[T]here has to be a fresh look at this. In the meantime what has also changed are the rules and the regulations since April 2018, such a kind of situation is in the hands of WADA …”

What? The IOC has no say as to whether to suspend Russia from the Games?

Bach, a lawyer, is quite right about this and it’s one of the new wrinkles in international sport under his leadership.

The details are contained in a 69-page document entitled International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories. In it, the responsibility of WADA and the Compliance Review Committee are outlined.

In simplest terms, the Compliance Review Committee – working with the WADA staff – is responsible to figure out what has gone on and make a recommendation to the WADA Executive Committee, which has the actual power to impose sanctions.

The Executive Committee can adopt the recommendation, ask for a second look from the Compliance Review Committee, or, eventually, come up with its own. There are four pages worth of sanctions that can be applied and these include everything from not being able to attend WADA meetings all the way up to “exclusion … from participation in or attendance at the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games” of individuals or even entire National Olympic Committees or National Paralympic Committees.

Plus, there is a special emphasis on harsher punishment for “aggravating” factors … like a cover-up via manipulated data:

“Above all else, the Signatory Consequences imposed should be sufficient to maintain the confidence of all Athletes and other stakeholders, and of the public at large, in the commitment of WADA and its partners from the public authorities and from the sport movement to do what is necessary to defend the integrity of sport against the scourge of doping. This is the most important and fundamental objective, and overrides all others.”

WADA has a lot of work ahead of it, and the IOC will be watching. Stay tuned; more details here.

| 2. | ATHLETICS: IAAF Worlds start in Doha with U.S. making history in the hammer and mixed relay

At long last, the 2019 IAAF World Championships finally got start in Doha, Qatar, with high temperatures outside the Khalifa International Stadium and conditions of about 80 degrees F inside, thanks to a massive air-conditioning system.

The other two expected outcomes at the meet were fully in evidence from the start: the attendance was modest and the competition was hot. In just the first three days:

● American DeAnna Price dominated the women’s hammer and won easily, reaching 77.54 m (251-1); it’s the first-ever World Championships medal for an American woman in this event.

● Two U.S. teams set world records in the new Mixed 4×400 m relay. In the semifinals, a team of Tyrell Richard, Jessica Beard, Jasmine Blocker and Obi Igbokwe set a new mark of 3:12.42, but that was smashed in the final. Wil London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo and Michael Cherry (pictured) ran away, with a new record of 3:09.34, as the first five teams beat the U.S.’s semifinal time. For Felix, it was her 17th World Championships medal and 12th gold. That’s the most ever by anyone, and broke a tie that Felix had with Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.

● Christian Coleman and Justin Gatlin ran 1-2 for the U.S. in the men’s 100 m, with Coleman posting the fastest time in the world this year at 9.76 (Gatlin: 9.89). Coleman is now the sixth-fastest man in history, and no. 3 all-time U.S.

● Christian Taylor and Will Claye went 1-2 for the U.S. in the triple jump for the second World Championships in a row. Taylor barely made it into the finals after two initial fouls, but unloaded a 17.92 m (58-9 1/2) jump in the fifth round; with Claye out to 17.74 m (58-2 1/2), he had to settle for silver. It’s Taylor’s fourth World Championships gold.

● Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also won her fourth World Championships 100 m, exploding out of the blocks to win decisively in 10.71 – fastest in the world this year – ahead of British star Dina Asher-Smith (10.83).

● Dutch star Sifan Hassan won the women’s 10,000 m with a brilliant last four laps, finishing in a world-leading 30:17.62.

● Russian Anzhelika Sidorova, competing as an Authorized Neutral Athlete, won the pole vault at 4.95 m (16-2 3/4), clearing that height on her final try to finish ahead of American Sandi Morris (4.90 m/16-0 3/4).

● Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle stunned the field with a lifetime best 8.69 m (28-6 1/4) and he and Jeff Henderson (USA: 8.39 m/27-6 1/2) finished ahead of favored Cuban Juan Miguel Echevarria (8.34 m/27-4 1/2).

The out-of-stadium events were held in very hot conditions, even though they started at 11:30 p.m. or midnight. Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich ran a brilliant tactical race in the women’s marathon and won in 2:32:43.  Of the 68 starters, 40 finished.

The crowds have been light, but the technology has been impressive, including a highly-produced light show to introduce the men’s and women’s 100 m finals and a highly impressive awards presentation program. More details on the action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

| 3. | ATHLETICS: Bekele runs within two seconds of Kipchoge’s marathon world record in Berlin

The 2018 Berlin Marathon produced a magnificent world record run of 2:01:39 by Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge. But just a year later, that record almost fell.

Ethiopia’s triple Olympic track gold medalist from 2004-08, Kenenisa Bekele, won the race with a brilliant final 10 km in 2:01:41, just two seconds behind Kipchoge’s mark, thought to be unapproachable.

The last two to stay with him were fellow Ethiopians Birhanu Legese (2:02:48), now the no. 3 performer in history and Sisay Lemma (2:03:36), now no. 12.

The women’s race was another Ethiopian triumph, with Ashete Bekere running a lifetime best of 2:20:14 to finish ahead of Mare Dibaba (ETH: 2:20:41). More here.

| 4. | CANOE-KAYAK: Three surprise winners in four events at World Slalom Championships

With one exception, the big names in the Canoe Slalom world did not win more titles at the 2019 Slalom World Championships, held at the famed course in La Seu d’Urgell, Spain.

True, Czech Jiri Prskavec won his second career gold in the men’s K-1, but no one could have foreseen wins by France’s Cedric Joly in the C-1, Slovenia’s Eva Tercelj in the women’s K-1 or Germany’s Andrea Herzog (C-1).

Australian superstar Jessica Fox won silvers in both women’s events and American teen Evy Leibfarth had an impressive clean run in the women’s C-1, finishing fourth. More here.

| 5. | CYCLING: World Road Race titles to van Vleuten and surprising Dane Pedersen

The week-long UCI World Road Race Championships concluded in England on Sunday with a massive rainstorm that shortened the men’s road course, but not the smile on surprise winner Mads Pedersen of Denmark.

Expected to support his teammates rather than try for the win himself, he caught up with a breakaway group with 45 km remaining and fought to the finish, finally passing Italy’s Matteo Trentin just before the finish. At 23, he’s the youngest World Champion in 20 years.

The conditions were so bad that only 46 riders finished in a field of 197 starters.

The women’s race was a coronation of Dutch star Annemiek van Vleuten (pictured), who attacked with 100 km to go and no one went with her. Teammate Anna van der Breggen slowly worked her way into contention for the silver medal and passed Australia’s Amanda Spratt for second in the final kilometers. More here.

| 6. | VOLLEYBALL: China goes undefeated to win record fifth FIVB World Cup; U.S. second

The FIVB Women’s World Cup does not have Olympic-qualifying implications this year, but showcased the U.S. and China as the best teams in the world.

The round-robin tournament was decided when the two teams met in their seventh match, with both 6-0. Playing in Sapporo (JPN), the Chinese were a little better in each set and swept the U.S., 3-0.

Neither team lost another match and China finished at 11-0 and the U.S. at 10-1. It’s a record fifth title for China; the U.S. has now won medals in the last five World Cups. More here.

| 7. | BOBSLED: Canada releases Kaillie Humphries, now free to join U.S. team

The ruckus over whether two-time Olympic gold medalist Kaillie Humphries can compete for the U.S. was settled on Saturday evening when Bobsled Canada Skeleton (BCS) released her from her commitment to the federation.

She had filed a complaint over abuse and harassment in 2018, but an independent investigator hired by BCS found no wrongdoing. Humphries sued for release and time was running out for her to be eligible to drive for another country.

She is now free to compete for USA Bobsled & Skeleton; Humphries recently married an American bobsledder and now lives in California. USABS posted a statement which included “With this release, Kaillie is now eligible to become a member of USABS and compete on equal standing with our athletes for a position on the USA National Team. USABS is honored by her desire to continue her sliding career with the USA.”

| 8. | GAMES OF THE XXXII OLYMPIAD: TOKYO 2020: 6,900 tickets bought with fake identifications

The Tokyo Organizing Committee announced Friday that some 6,900 tickets for the 2020 Games were purchased with fake identifications, and voided the transactions.

The tickets are worth about $1.6 million (U.S) and can be resold; the details have been discussed with the Metropolitan Police for further action.

This is good news for Olympic ticket-crazy Japan, which has millions more interested buyers than available supply. And the $1.6 million helps the organizing committee’s budget!

| 9. | PAN AMERICAN GAMES: Positive tests in 0.7% of PanAm Games athletes in Lima

PanAm Sports posted a follow-up report on the 2,095 doping tests carried out during the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, reporting 15 positive doping reports.

Of these, seven disqualifications have been announced, including Brazilian judoka Rafaela Silva, winner of the 57 kg division; she is appealing this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Hearings for five additional cases will be heard this week and additional testing is being done on the samples for two of the tests.¶

LANE ONE: Why Russia’s situation for Tokyo rests with the World Anti-Doping Agency and not the IOC

By
Rich Perelman
-

At Friday’s joint news conference between the International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach of Germany and IAAF President Sebastian Coe of Great Britain, the question of whether Russia will be allowed to participate in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo came up immediately.

Given that the issue was newly-uncovered evidence of data manipulation in the Moscow Laboratory files turned over to the World Anti-Doping Agency, Bach said:

“So there has to be a fresh look at this. In the meantime what has also changed are the rules and the regulations since April 2018, such a kind of situation is in the hands of WADA and then [the Court of Arbitration for Sport], and WADA there is applying a due process, there is now given RUSADA the right to be heard and then they will come up with a decision within WADA and the IOC of course fully respects these new rules and these new procedures.”

Let’s be clear about what Bach is saying: the decision on what to do with Russia for Tokyo 2020 will come from WADA and not the IOC. That’s quite a switch from the procedure used for Rio 2016 and the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games. But it is all included in a 69-page document entitled International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories.

So what does it say?

It outlines, in painstaking detail and legal language, the exact procedures to be used in case of an alleged violation of the World Anti-Doping Code. In this case, the complaint is against a National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO), in specific, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA). Right now, the “fast track” procedure is being used:

(1) The WADA staff has provided RUSADA with copies of its reports identifying the issues with the Moscow Lab data and asked for a response within three weeks of the notice of 17 September 2019.

(2) Once the reply is received, the WADA staff will report to the WADA Compliance Review Committee, which is then tasked to come up with recommendations on what sanction – if any – to impose. The WADA announcement noted that “No fixed timeline can be set for this, as due process must be respected, but the ExCo was assured that WADA is pursuing the matter robustly and as quickly as practicable.”

(3) The Compliance Review Committee’s recommendations to the Executive Committee can be accepted or rejected, in whole, or in part, and must then be turned back to the Compliance Review Committee. Another set of recommendations is then due and if the Executive Committee doesn’t like that second version, it can craft its own set of sanctions.

(4) Once the WADA Executive Committee decides to approve sanctions or impose its own, RUSADA will be able to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport and have the matter heard. That decision can be appealed – on limited grounds – to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

All of this takes time, which is why WADA is pushing the process forward with “only” about 10 months remaining before the Tokyo Games open on 24 July 2020.

That’s the process; what sanctions can be imposed?

The list is in section 11, with four pages of potential consequences and three more pages of conditions and definitions! In short form, CRC’s recommendation options include (grouped for easier reference):

● Individuals and/or organizations may be ineligible to be on any WADA committee;
● Organizations may not be allowed to host a WADA event or meeting;
● Individuals affiliated with a sanctioned entity may not be allowed to participate in WADA activities or oversight group;
● Affiliated individuals may not stand for election to WADA offices;

● Special monitoring may be imposed on the organization’s anti-doping efforts;
● The organization’s anti-doping activities may be “taken over” by an appointed group (another anti-doping organization);
● If a “takeover” is not possible, “it may be necessary as an alternative measure to exclude Athletes who would have been covered by the Signatory’s Anti-Doping Activities from participating in the Olympic Games/Paralympic Games/other Events, in accordance with Article 11.1.1.10, in order to protect the rights of clean Athletes and to preserve public confidence in the integrity of competition at those events.”

● The country could be ineligible to host an Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, or other international event.

● Imposition of a fine, loss of funding from the IOC or other bodies for a specified time, or a recommendation to a public authority to de-fund the anti-doping agency of that country.

● Suspension of the National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee;

● “[E]xclusion of the following Persons from participation in or attendance at the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games and/or other specified Events for a specified period: (a) the National Olympic Committee and/or National Paralympic Committee of the Signatory’s country; (b) the Representatives of that country and/or of the National Olympic Committee and/or National Paralympic Committee of that country and (c) and/or the Athletes and Athlete Support Personnel affiliated to that country and/or to the National Olympic Committee and/or National Paralympic Committee and/or National Federation of that country.”

And there is more. In section 11.2, what to do in case of “Aggravating Factors” – like a cover-up of positive test data – is explained:

“In such a case, if there are Aggravating Factors, that case shall attract significantly greater Signatory Consequences than a case where there are no Aggravating Factors. …

“The Signatory Consequences imposed in a particular case shall go as far as is necessary to achieve the objectives underlying the Code. In particular, they shall be sufficient to motivate full Code Compliance by the Signatory in question, to punish the Signatory’s non-compliance, to deter further non-compliance by the Signatory in question and/or by other Signatories, and to incentivize all Signatories to ensure they achieve and maintain full and timely Code compliance at all times. …

“Above all else, the Signatory Consequences imposed should be sufficient to maintain the confidence of all Athletes and other stakeholders, and of the public at large, in the commitment of WADA and its partners from the public authorities and from the sport movement to do what is necessary to defend the integrity of sport against the scourge of doping. This is the most important and fundamental objective, and overrides all others.” (emphasis added)

Under these provisions, the IOC has ceded its authority to ban an individual, National Olympic Committee, International Federation, National Anti-Doping Agency or similar group to WADA and it will be up to WADA to determine what sanctions are appropriate.

The results could be catastrophic for Russian athletes currently competing, and the guidelines do not include an athlete-by-athlete waiver such as the IOC created for the PyeongChang Winter Games.

This will be interesting, and whatever happens will be controversial. But this is the path to be followed; stay tuned.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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VOLLEYBALL: China sets record with fifth Women’s World Cup win; U.S. second at 10-1

By
Rich Perelman
-
MVP Ting Zhu (CHN) accepts the FIVB World Cup after an undefeated tournament. (Photo: FIVB)

Over the course of two weeks of play and 66 matches, it ended up that the one that counted most came last Monday (23rd) in Sapporo, Japan.

In a battle of undefeated teams, China dominated the U.S.., winning in straight sets by 25-16, 25-17 and 25-22. And that decided the tournament.

Said China coach Lang Ping: “Each time we play the United States we know it is going to be tough. We tried to keep up with their quick attacks, but my players kept their focus today.”

These were the two best teams in the event, as China won nine of its 11 matches by 3-0 scores; the U.S. had five sweeps and three more matches won by three sets to one. The tournament awards:

● Most Valuable Player: Ting Zhu (CHN)
● Best Setter: Xia Ding (CHN)
● Best Outside Hitters: Ting Zhu (CHN) and Kelsey Robinson (USA)
● Best Middle Blockers: Irina Koroleva (RUS) and Ni Yan (CHN)
● Best Opposite Hitter: Annie Drews (USA)
● Best Libero: Mengjie Wang (CHN)

Serbia’s Ana Bjelica led all scorers at 209 points, followed by Natalya Goncharova (RUS: 208) and Brayelin Martinez (DOM: 197).

China is now the leading winner in this tournament, originated in 1973, with five titles; this year’s win broke a tie with Cuba at four. The U.S. women won a medal for the fifth straight time, finishing 3-3-2-3-2 from 2003 on. Summaries:

FIVB Women’s World Cup
Japan ~ 14-29 September 2019
(Full results here)

Final Standings: 1. China, 32 points (11-0); 2. United States, 28 (10-1); 3. Russia, 23 (8-3); 4. Brazil, 21 (7-4); 5. Japan, 19 (6-5); 6. Korea, 18 (6-5); 7. Dominican Republic, 17 (6-5); 8. Netherlands, 17 (5-6); 9. Serbia, 13 (4-7); 10. Argentina, 5 (2-9); 11. Kenya, 2 (1-10); 12. Cameron, 0 (0-11).

SPORT CLIMBING: Ondra and Seo triumph in Lead World Cup in Slovenia

By
Rich Perelman
-
Czech World Lead Champion Adam Ondra

Three-time World Champion Adam Ondra claimed his second Lead World Cup win of the season and Korea’s Chae-Hyun Seo claimed her third in Kranj (SLO).

This was the fourth Lead event of the season, with two more to come. Ondra had only competed in one of the first three events, but he was clearly on in Kranj and won by clearing all the way to the top, ahead of Japan’s Kai Harada, who earned 32 points.

Seo was already the World Cup leader entering the event, having won in Chamonix and Briancon, after finishing second in the season opener. She was just a little better than Austria’s Jessica Pilz at 34.5+ vs. 34.5. With 380 points in the season, Seo could potentially clinch the season title in the fifth stop on the tour next month.

World Champion Janja Garnbret fell in the semis and did not advance to the final, disappointing the home crowd. But there will be more chances; the next stop will be in Xiamen (CHN). Summaries:

IFSC World Cup
Kranj (SLO) ~ 28-29 September 2019
(Full results here)

Lead/Men: 1. Adam Ondra (CZE), Top; 2. Kai Harada (JPN), 32; 3. Alberto Gines Lopez (ESP), 31.5+; 4. Sean McColl (CAN), 30+; 5. Kokoro Fujii (JPN), 27+

Lead/Women: 1. Chae-Hyun Seo (KOR), 34.5+; 2. Jessica Pilz (AUT), 34.5; 3. Lucka Rakovec (SLO), 34+; 4. Anak Verhoeven (BEL), 34+; 5. Ai Mori (JPN), 20+.

CANOE-KAYAK: Three first-time champions in four events in World Slalom Championships

By
Rich Perelman
-
2015 World K-1 Slalom Champion Jiri Prskavec (CZE). (Photo: Martin Dvoracek via Wikimedia Commons)

Three new World Champions were crowned in the third time that the ICF Slalom Worlds were held at the famed course in La Seu d’Urgell in Spain.

The men’s C-1 title went to France’s Cedric Joly, not just a first-time World Champion, but a first-time Worlds medalist; his previous best in a Worlds had been fifth last year.

It was about the same story in the women’s C-1, with German Andrea Herzog – who had never been better than seventh at a Worlds – who took the title over Australian star Jessica Fox thanks to Fox’s two penalties along the route.

Fox won two silvers to push her record women’s World Championships career medal total to 15.

The women’s K-1 winner, however, was Slovenia’s Eva Tercelj, again a first-time World Champion and her first individual Worlds medal. She had won two World Cup medals during the season, so her win wasn’t a complete shock.

American teen Evy Leibfarth had an excellent Worlds debut, completing her run cleanly (0 penalties) and finishing fourth overall; she was only the seventh-fastest on the course, but nearly won a medal by avoiding any penalties.

The one familiar face on the top of the podium was Czech Jiri Prskavec, who won his second world title – previously in 2015 – and ninth Wolds medal. Summaries:

ICF World Slalom Championships
La Seu d’Urgell (ESP) ~ 25-29 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men

C-1: 1. Cedric Joly (FRA), 90.84 seconds (0 penalties); 2. Ander Elosegi (ESP), 91.35 (0); 3. Luka Bozic (SLO), 91.92 (2); 4. Alexander Slafkovsky (SVK), 92.65 (0); 5. Denis Gargaud Chanut (FRA), 94.28 (2); 6. David Florence (GBR), 95.86 (0); 7. Thomas Koechlin (SUI), 96.83 (9); 8. Martin Thomas (FRA), 97.41 (2).

K-1: 1. Jiri Prskavec (CZE), 84.26 (0); 2. David Llorente (ESP), 85.96 (2); 3. Joan Crespo (ESP), 87.22 (0); 4. Bradley Forbes-Cryans (GBR), 87.91 (2); 5. Joseph Clarke (GBR), 88.70 (4); 6. Vit Prindis (CZE), 88.91 (4); 7. Antoine Launay (POR), 89.31 (2); 8. Lucien Delfour (AUS), 91.35 (0).

Women

C-1: 1. Andrea Herzog (GER), 100.52 (0); 2. Jessica Fox (AUS), 101.46 (2); 3. Nadine Weratschnig (AUT), 106.45 (4); 4. Evy Leibfarth (USA), 108.10 (0); 5. Klara Olazabal (ESP), 109.23 (2); 6. Tereza Fiserova (CZE), 109.90 (2); 7. Nuria Vilarrubla (ESP), 110.70 (2); 8. Monica Doria Villarrubla (AND), 113.20 (10).

K-1: 1. Eva Tecelj (SLO), 94.27 (9); 2. Fox (AUS), 94.69 (0); 3. Luuka Jones (NZL), 94.77 (0); 4. Katerina Kudejova (CZE), 95.76 (0); 5. Ricarda Funk (GER), 97.21 (2); 6. Kimberley Woods (GBR), 99.04 (2); 7. Stefanie Horn (ITA), 100.63 (2); 8. Elena Apel (GER), 104.63 (2).

CYCLING: Pedersen stuns with World Road win while van Vleuten claims women’s title

By
Rich Perelman
-
Mads Pedersen (DEN) is the new World Road Race Champion!

The UCI World Road Race Championships concluded with a soggy men’s race that produced an electrifying finish that placed unheralded Mads Pedersen of Denmark across the line first on Sunday.

Severe storms required the course to be shortened and two of the climbs removed and even so, of the initial field of 197 starters, just 46 finished.

Swiss Stefan Kung and American Lawson Craddock attacked with 65 km to go, but then Craddock abandoned the race and Kung was joined by Mike Teunissen (NED) and Pedersen and Gianni Moscon (ITA) with about 45 km left. Dutch star Mattieu van der Poel and Matteo Trentin (ITA) bridged up to the front with 35 km left.

Kung, Tentin, Pedersen and Moscon had the lead at 12 km to go and they stayed clear of the peloton until the end and Trentin attacked with 200 m to go. But Pedersen was able to sail around him to get to the line first, with Kung third and Moscon fourth. At 23, Pedersen was the youngest World Champion in 20 years and the first Danish man to win the title.

The women’s race was yet another confirmation of Annemiek van Vleuten as the finest rider in the world. She took off 100 km from the finish and was never headed, winning by more than two minutes over teammate Anna van der Breggen.

Van der Breggen had her own race to deal with over the final 12 km, when she finally passed American Chloe Dygert-Owen for third and then eclipsed Australia’s Amanda Spratt for the silver medal; Dygert-Owen finished fourth. Summaries:

UCI World Road Championships
Yorkshire (GBR) ~ 22-29 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men

Time Trial/U-23 (30.3 km): 1. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN), 40:20; 2. Ian Garrison (USA), 40:47; 3. Brandon McNulty (USA), 40:48; 4. Mathias Norsgaard Jorgensen (DEN), 40:58; 5. Brent van Moer (BEL), 41:04.

Time Trial/Junior (27.6 km): 1. Antonio Tiberi (ITA), 38:28; 2. Enzo Leijnse (NED), 38:36; 3. Marco Brenner (GER), 38:41; 4. Quinn Simmons (USA), 38:48; 5. Michel Hessmann (GER), 38:56.

Time Trial (54.0 km): 1. Rohan Dennis (AUS), 1:05:05; 2. Remco Evenepoel (BEL), 1:06:14; 3. Filippo Ganna (ITA), 1:07:00; 4. Patrick Bevin (AUS), 1:07:03; 5. Alex Dowsett (GBR), 1:07:07; 6. Lawson Craddock (USA), 1:07:13; 7. Tanel Kangert (EST), 1:07:13; 8. Nelson Oliveira (POR), 1:07:15; 9. Tony Martin (GER), 1:07:32; 10. Stefan Kung (SUI), 1:07:52.

Road Race/U-23 (171.6 km): 1. Samuele Battistella (ITA), 3:53:52; 2. Stefan Bissegger (SUI), 3:53:52; 3. Thomas Pidcock (GBR), 3:53:52; 4. Sergio Higuita (COL), 3:53:52; 5. Andreas Kron (SUI), 3:53:52.

Road Race/Junior (148.1 km): 1. Simmons (USA), 3:38:04; 2. Alessio Martinelli (ITA), 3:39:00; 3. Magnus Sheffield (USA), 3:39:37; 4. Leijnse (NED), 3:39:37; 5. Gianmarco Garofoli (ITA), 3:39:37. Also in the top 25: 12. Michael Garrison (USA), 3:39:49 … 17. Matthew Riccitello (USA), 3:39:52.

Road Race (260.7 km): 1. Mads Pedersen (DEN), 6:27:28; 2. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 6:27:28; 3. Kung (SUI), 6:27:30; 4. Gianni Moscon (ITA), 6:27:45; 5. Peter Sagan (SVK), 6:28:11; 6. Michael Valgren (DEN), 6:28:13; 7. Alexander Kristoff (NOR), 6:28:38; 8. Greg van Avermaet (BEL), 6:28:38; 9. Gorka Izagirre (ESP), 6:28:38; 10. Rui Costa (POR), 6:28:38.

Women

Time Trial (30.3 km): 1. Chloe Dygert-Owen (USA), 42:11; 2. Anna van der Breggen (NED), 43:44; 3. Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), 44:05; 4. Amber Neben (USA), 44:50; 5. Lisa Klein (GER), 44:53; 6. Marlen Reusser (SUI), 45:14; 7. Leah Thomas (USA), 45:25; 8. Lucinda Brand (NED), 45:27.

Time Trial/Junior (13.7 km): 1. Aigul Gareeva (RUS), 22:16; 2. Shirin van Androoij (NED), 22:20; 3. Elynor Backstedt (GBR), 22:27; 4. Camilla Alessio (ITA), 22:31; 5. Wilma Olausson (SWE), 22:33. Also in the top 10: 7. Zoe Ta-Perez (USA), 22:42; … 9. Megan Jastrab (USA), 23:01.

Road Race/Junior (86.0 km): 1. Jastrab (USA), 2:08:00; 2. Julie De Wilde (BEL), 2:08:00; 3. Lieke Nooijen (NED), 2:08:00; 4. Aigul Gareeva (RUS), 2:08:00; 5. Elynor Backstedt (GBR), 2:08:00.

Road Race (149.4 km): 1. Van Vleuten (NED), 4:06:05; 2. Van der Breggen (NED), 4:08:20; 3. Amanda Spratt (AUS), 4:08:33; 4. Dygert-Owen (USA), 4:09:29; 5. Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA), 4:10:50; 6. Marianne Vos (NED), 4:11:25; 7. Marta Bastianelli (ITA), 4:11:25; 8. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA), 4:11:25. Also in the top 25: 10. Coryn Rivera (USA), 4:11:25.

Mixed

Mixed Team Time Trial: 1. Netherlands (Brand, Markus, Pieters, Bouwman, Mollema, van Emden), 38:27.60; 2. Germany, 38:50.35; 3. Great Britain, 39:18.87; 4. Italy, 39:23.49; 5. France, 39:50.64; 6. Switzerland, 39:54.54; 7. Slovenia, 40:25.00; 8. Denmark, 40:31.98.

BADMINTON: Amazing eighth tournament title for Kento Momota in Korea

By
Rich Perelman
-
The joy of victory for Japan's Kento Momota

“Actually, I didn’t count my number of titles. I just want to keep winning more. I wanted to keep the rallies going. I was trying not to give him any openings. It was kind of a hard two weeks, but I have more competitions coming up, so I want to get over this win and prepare for the upcoming ones.”

That’s no.1-ranked Kento Momota of Japan, who won his eighth Singles title of the season with a 21-19, 21-17 win over Taipei’s Tien Chen Chou at the Korea Open in Incheon. Momota won all five of his matches in straight sets and won in back-to-back weeks.

China’s Bing Jiao He made a return to the winner’s circle in the women’s Singles final, winning her first World Tour event in three years with a comeback win against Thai Ratchanok Intanon. He survived four match points in the second set, but came back to win, 18,21, 24-22, 21-17.

Summaries:

BWF World Tour/Korea Open
Incheon (KOR) ~ 24-29 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Singles: 1. Kento Momota (JPN); 2. Tien Chen Chou (TPE); 3. Tzu Wei Wang (TPE) and Kashyap Parupalli (IND). Final: Momota d. Chou, 21-19, 21-17.

Men/Doubles: 1. Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Ardianto (INA); 2. Takeshi Kamura/Keigo Sonoda (JPN): 3. SolGyu Choi/Seung Jae Seo (KOR) and Junhui Li/Yuchen Liu (CHN). Final: Alfian/Ardianto d. Kamura/Sonoda, 21-16, 21-17.

Women/Singles: 1. Bing Jiao He (CHN); 2. Ratchanok Intanon (THA); 3. Michelle Li (CAN) and Tzu Ying Tai (TPE). Final: He d. Intanon, 18-21, 24-22, 21-17.

Women/Doubles: 1. So Yeong Kim/Hee Yong Kong (KOR); 2. So Hee Lee/Seung Chan Shin (KOR); 3. Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida (JPN) and Ayako Sakuramoto/Yukiko Takahata (JPN). Final: Kim/Kong d. Lee/Shin, 13-21, 21-19, 21-17.

Mixed Doubles: 1. Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (THA); 2. Siwei Zheng/Yaqiong Huang (CHN); 3. Rinov Rivaldy/Pitha Mentari (INA) and Seung Jae Seo/Yujung Chae (KOR). Final: Puavaranukroh/Taerattanachai d. Zheng/Huang, 21-14, 21-13.

ATHLETICS: U.S. smashes mixed 4×4 world record again as Felix wins 12th Worlds gold

By
Rich Perelman
-
A big smile for Michael Cherry, anchoring a world-record Mixed 4x400 m relay for the U.S. (Photo: IAAF)

There was very little doubt that the United States was going to win the inaugural Mixed 4×400 m relay at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar. What was not known was who was going to run and by how much a new world record would be set.

In the first serious running of the event, the U.S. set a world record of 3:12.42 in the semis, then trotted out a new foursome of Wil London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo and Michael Cherry in the final. It was no contest.

London passed the stick first in about 44.6, with Felix passed by Poland’s Rafal Omelko as the Poles decided to run their men first and then hold on. Felix (50.4) held off Roneisha McGregor of Jamaica to give Okolo a sizable lead over everyone except Poland, which handed to 2018 European champ Jusytna Swiety-Ersetic.

Okolo’s leg was clocked at 49.9 and she passed to Cherry, who rocketed around the turn to take the lead and then cruised home, wearing a huge smile down the home straight as he finished in 44.2 and annihilated the world record at 3:09.34!

The first five teams finished under the world record from the semis; Jamaica won the silver at 3:11.78 with Javon Francis on anchor.

For the amazing Felix, it was her 17th World Championships medal – in her ninth World Championships – and her 12th gold. That’s the most ever by anyone, and broke a tie that Felix had with Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.

On the infield, the women’s vault started with 17 jumpers, but was whittled down to six at 4.80 m (15-9) and just three at 4.85 m (15-11). And it was the usual suspects: Olympic and World Champion Katerina Stefanidi (GRE), American Sandi Morris and Russia’s Anzhelika Sidorova (competing as an Authorized Neutral Athlete).

At 4.90 m (16-0 3/4), Morris and Sidorova made it on their first attempts and Stefanidi passed to 4.95 m (16-2 3/4), then missed twice. Morris and Sidorova missed twice and after Morris missed on a third try, Sidorova snaked over to win the world title.

The men’s triple jump went just as expected: a duel between American stars Will Claye – the world leader – and three-time champ Christian Taylor. Claye got out to the lead immediately at 17.61 m (57-9 1/2) and 17.72 m (58-1 3/4) in the first two rounds, but Taylor fouled twice. On the brink of elimination, Taylor took off way behind the board but managed 17.42 m (57-2) in the third round to make the finals. Then the jumping really started.

Taylor took the lead in round four at 17.82 m (58-5 1/2) and them boomed out to 17.92 m (58-9 1/2) in round five. Claye improved slightly at 17.74 m (58-2 1/2), but that was a far as he got. Taylor won his fourth world title and will now go for a third Olympic title in 2020.

Four titles was the goal of Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the women’s 100 m and she had no trouble. Wearing a multi-colored hair style instead of the glowing yellow for the heats, she won her semi in 10.81 and then exploded in the final to win in a world-leading 10.71, ahead of Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith (10.83) and Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV: 10.90).

Although well behind Felix, Fraser-Pryce now has 10 career Worlds medals, including eight golds and two silvers.

The U.S.’s Teahna Daniels was seventh in the final in 11.19; Tori Bowie withdrew before the semis and Morolake Akinosun and English Gardner did not make the final. Gardner suffered what appeared to be another hamstring injury during her semi.

In the prelims:

● Men/200 m: Christian Coleman withdrew, Rodney Rowe was sixth in his heat and Kenny Bednarek pulled up in his heat, just as he did in the USATF finals. Noah Lyles cruised in his heat and was passed at the tape by Trinidad’s Jareem Richards, 20.23-20.24. Britain’s Adam Gemili had the fastest time at 20.06 in heat one and Ecuadorian Alex Quinonez won heat three in 20.08.

● Men/800 m: Three Americans made it into the final, as Donovan Brazier ran a controlled race and won impressively in 1:44.87, running down Marco Arop of Canada in the final straight. Bryce Hoppel waited until the final 120 m to make his move, but moved out to lane three to charge down the straight for second in the third heat in 1:45.95, just behind Amel Tuka (BIH: 1:45.63). Puerto Rico’s Wesley Vazquez went out insanely fast in the first heat, but it worked for him as he won in a staggering 1:43.96 (!). Kenyan Ferguson Rotich ran 1:44.20 for second and American Clayton Murphy got third (1:44.48) and advanced on time.

While the light show for the women’s 100 m was again impressive, much more so was the elegant staging of the awards ceremonies, with a giant three-screen backdrop that showed all three athletes during the playing of the winner’s anthem. That was great and will be much appreciated during the week.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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).

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.

ATHLETICS: Bekele scares marathon world record with 2:01:41 win in Berlin Marathon

By
Rich Perelman
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No. 2 all-time: Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele wins in Berlin

Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s world marathon record of 2:01:39 in Berlin in 2018 was seen as an unapproachable standard that will last for years.

Someone forgot to tell Ethiopian star Kenenisa Bekele.

The triple Olympic gold medalist of 2004-08 had failed to finish in two of his prior four marathons, including Berlin last year, but surged over the final 12 km of the race to finish in a stunning 2:01:41, just two seconds behind Kipchoge’s world mark.

“I felt something in my hamstring early on and of course I am coming back from injury. I was still in rehab two or three months ago. My preparation wasn’t 100 percent. I feel sorry to have missed the world record, it is painful.

“I’m not lucky, but I know my potential and I know I can do this.”

The race was hot from the start, with a group of five through the half in 1:01:05, about the same as Kipchoge’s split during his world-record 2:01:39 race last year. Soon after, Kenya’s Jonathan Korir fell back and then Leul Gebrselassie (ETH).

At 28 km, Bekele fell back and countrymen Birhanu Legese and Sisay Lemma moved ahead, and then Legese broke away and had a 13-second lead at 35 km.

But then Bekele felt better, upped the pace and broke the race open, catching and running away from Legese. By the 40 km mark, he had a 30-second lead and the only question was whether he could challenge Kipchoge’s mark. He was just a second back of Kipchoge’s pace at the 40 km mark and moved swiftly to the finish, ending up with the no. 2 performance ever. He shattered his lifetime best of 2:03:03 and now has two of the top eight times in history.

Legese ended at 2:02:48, making him the no. 3 performer ever with the fourth-fastest marathon ever, with Lemma third at 2:03:36, making him no. 12 on the all-time list.

The women’s race narrowed to a group of four by the 20 km mark, with Ethiopians Helen Tola, Mare Dibaba (the 2015 World Champion), Ashete Bekere and Kenya’s Sally Chepyego running together. They were still together through 35 km, but Bekere and Dibaba pushed ahead by 40 km and then Bekere took over, winning in 2:20:14 – a lifetime best – with Dibaba at 2:20:41.

American Sara Hall was fifth in a lifetime best 2:22:16, now no. 6 on the all-time U.S. list. Former Kenyan (and Texas Tech star) but now American Sally Kipyego finished seventh in 2:25:10; she’s now no. 9 on the all-time U.S. list and a definite contender for the Olympic Team in 2020. Summaries:

World Marathon Majors/Berlin Marathon
Berlin (GER) ~ 29 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 2:01:41; 2. Birhanu Legese (ETH), 2:02:48; 3. Sisay Lemma (ETH), 2:03:36; 4. Jonathan Korir (KEN), 2:06:45; 5. Felix Kandie (KEN), 2:08:07; 6. Yohanes Gebregergish (ERI), 2:08:26; 7. Guojian Dong (CHN), 2:08:28; 8. Bethwel Yegon (KEN), 2:08:35; 9. Kenta Murayama (JPN), 2:08:56; 10. Abel Kipchumba (KEN), 2:09:39.

Women: 1. Ashete Bekere (ETH), 2:20:14; 2. Mare Dibaba (ETH), 2:20:41; 3. Sally Chepyego (KEN), 2:21:06; 4. Helen Tola (ETH), 2:21:36; 5. Sara Hall (USA), 2:22:16; 6. Melat Kejeta (GER), 2:23:57; 7. Sally Kipyego (USA), 2:25:10; 8. Haftamnesh Tesfay (ETH), 2:26:50; 9. Martina Strahl (SUI), 2:31:24; 10. Nina Lauwaert (BEL), 2:31:25.

ATHLETICS: Coleman wins 100, Price wins hammer, U.S. sets WR in Mixed 4×400 in Doha Worlds

By
Rich Perelman
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American hammer gold medalists DeAnna Price celebrates with Poland's silver winner, Joanna Fiodorow at the IAAF World Championships (Photo: IAAF)

U.S. track & field history was made on Saturday at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, with the first-ever medal in the women’s hammer throw, a world record in the first-ever Mixed 4×400 m relay in the IAAF World Championships and a second straight 1-2 finish in the men’s 100 m.

The 100 final was expected to be a confirmation of Christian Coleman’s dominance over the rest of the world, but everyone had to wait while an over-produced introduction turned the track into a giant computer monitor. Very, very impressive technically, but perhaps a little overdone, especially since the runners themselves looked so tiny compared to the images shown on the stadium floor!

Once the runners actually got into the blocks, it was no contest. Coleman, who ran 9.98 and 9.88 in his heat and semi, was third-fastest out of the blocks in lane four, but accelerated brilliantly and had a clear lead by 25 m.

There was no let-up and he relentlessly ran away from everyone except 2017 World Champion Justin Gatlin to his left, in lane three. The two ran steadily to the tape, with Coleman setting a lifetime best in 9.76, moving him to no. 6 on the all-time list, and no. 3 all-time U.S. (and the no. 6 performance in U.S. history).

Gatlin, in second at 9.89, was just about as amazing. He looked pedestrian in his heat, running 10.06 and then only made the final as a time qualifier at 10.09. But in the final, he drew a favorable lane – next to Coleman – and ran his second-fastest time of the season at 9.89 to earn a silver medal. Canada’s Andre De Grasse continued his comeback with a bronze medal in 9.90 for a North American sweep.

It’s the second straight 1-2 finish for the U.S. in the men’s 100 m, as Gatlin and Coleman were 1-2 in London in 2017. It’s also happened one other time, way back in the first Worlds in 1983, as Carl Lewis and Calvin Smith won gold and silver.

But that was one of two gold medals won on the day by the Americans.

The women’s hammer was all about U.S. champion and world leader DeAnna Price. Already the favorite coming in, she immediately put the field on notice as the second thrower in the first round, sailing out to 76.87 m (252-2), which – as it turned out – would have been the winning throw.

Price improved to 77.54 m (254-5) in the third round and had a third throw that would have won a medal in the sixth round, but she didn’t need it. “It’s just a dream,” she said afterwards. It’s the first-ever U.S. Worlds medal in the hammer, and it was gold.

Behind her, American Gwen Berry – no. 3 on the year list – continued to have trouble, fouling all three of her throws by hitting the cage. Poland’s Joanna Fiodorow launched a lifetime best of 76.35 m (250-6) in the first round and that held up for the silver.

Price’s winning mark is the no. 5 performance in U.S. history – of which she owns four – and her second-best throw of the year, at just the right time.

The men’s long jump was supposed to be a showcase for Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echevarria, but Jamaica’s speedy Tajay Gayle opened with a lifetime best of 8.46 m (27-9 1/4) to take the lead. Echevarria opened at 8.25 m (27-0 3/4), but then American Jeff Henderson jumped 8.28 m (27-2) to finish the first round in second place.

Echevarria improved to 8.34 m (27-4 1/2) in round three to move into second, but then round four changed the story. Henderson boomed a seasonal best of 8.39 m (27-6 1/2) to move into second and then Gayle sailed to a national record of 8.69 m (28-6 1/4) to not only secure the lead, but move to no. 10 on the all-time list.

In round six, defending world champ Luvo Manyonga (RSA) got his best mark at 8.28 m (27-2) but had to settle for fourth. Echevarria fouled and Henderson produced only 8.17 m (26-9 3/4), so Gayle had moved from challenger to champion, and the 2019 world leader. Henderson’s inconsistent season is all but forgotten in the glow of a silver medal.

The women’s 10,000 m was going to be a showdown between Kenya, Ethiopia and Dutch star Sifan Hassan – born in Ethiopia – who elected to run this race and the 5,000 m. After a slow start, the Kenyans and Ethiopians – led by reigning 5,000 m champ Hellen Obiri, increased the pace and broke away from the field by 4,400 m. Hassan was well back and slowly worked her way back into contact by 4,800 m.

Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey then sprinted to the front with three laps to go, with Obiri running after her down the back straight and Hassan following. With two laps to go, Gidey had a 10 m lead, with Hassan and Agnes Tirop of Kenya chasing and Obiri fourth and out of contact. Hassan kept closing and reached Gidey’s shoulder around the turn at 500 m left and had the lead at the bell.

She was completely in charge on the final lap, looking behind her repeatedly to check on Gidey, but then steaming down the straight to win in 30:17.62 with a final lap of 61.50. Gidey took the silver in a lifetime best 30:21.23 and Tirop won bronze (lifetime best 30:25.20). Americans Marielle Hall, Molly Huddle and Emily Sisson finished 8-9-10, with Hall getting a personal record of 31:05.71 to move to no. 6 all-time U.S.

In the heats of the Mixed 4×400 m relay, the U.S. was in the first race, with a M-F-F-M pattern starting with Tyrell Richard, who rolled to a big lead with an impressive 44.51 leg. He handed off to veteran Jessica Beard, who extended the lead with a 51.20 leg, as did Jasmine Blocker (51.27). Anchor Obi Igbokwe had no trouble on his way home in 45.44 for a new world record of 3:12.42, easing up in the final straight to finish 0.31 ahead of Jamaica. The old mark was also set by a U.S. team at 3:13.20 in 2016.

World Mixed 4×400 m record for the U.S. (l-r): Obi Igbokwe, Jasmine Blocker, Jessica Beard and Tyrell Richard! (Photo: IAAF)

There was a lot of other hot action in the other qualifying:

● Men/800 m: Donovan Brazier ran a controlled race in the first heat to win at the tape from Canada’s Marco Arop, 1:46.04-1:46.12. The fastest time of the day was 1:45.16 by Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir, with Clayton Murphy and Bryce Hoppel also advancing.

● Men/400 m hurdles: The semifinals went to form, with Norway’s Karsten Warholm winning race two at 48.28 and American Rai Benjamin winning semi three in 48.52, saying he felt “easy.” Qatar’s Abderrahmane Samba also qualified out of semi three in 48.72 and T.J. Holmes of the U.S. was a time qualifier at 48.67.

● Men/Pole Vault: Sam Kendricks of the U.S. led the qualifying at 5.75 m (18-10 1/2), with Piotr Lisek (POL), Thiago Braz (BRA), Mondo Duplantis (SWE) and Cole Walsh of the U.S. also getting through to the final.

● Men/Discus: Sweden’s Daniel Stahl led the qualifying as expected, at 67.88 m (222-8), ahead of Jamaica’s Fredrick Dacres (65.44 m/214-8). American Sam Mattis made it into the final, throwing 63.96 m (209-10).

● Women/100 m: Jamaica’s Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce – in shocking all-yellow hair – won the first heat of the day in a steamy 10.80 into a slight headwind of 0.2 m/s, beating Murielle Ahoure (CIV) by 0.25. Wow!

The second heat saw Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) win in an equally-startling 10.85, tying her lifetime best. It slowed a little from there, with Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) winning heat four in 10.96. Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson won heat three in 11.14.

U.S. champ Teahna Daniels ran 11.20 for second in heat six to advance to the semis, as did English Gardner (11/20 in heat 4), Morolake Akinosun (11.23 in heat three) and defending champ Tori Bowie (11.30 in heat five).

● Women/800 m: Excellent running from Raevyn Rogers and Ajee Wilson of the U.S., who won the first two semifinals in convincing fashion, in 1:59.57 and 2:00.31. The third heat had some pushing and shoving, but Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi managed to win in 1:59.35 – fastest of the day – with Eunice Sum (KEN) second and American Ce’Aira Brown a time qualifier at 2:0012.

The men’s and women’s 50 km walk events are also being held today, beginning at 11:30 p.m. Doha time. 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.

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).

Women

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.

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).

ATHLETICS: Kenya’s Chepngetich breaks away at 35 km, wins women’s Worlds marathon in 88-degree heat

By
Rich Perelman
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Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich after her world-leading 2:17:08 win in Dubai in January

The much-feared hot conditions for the women’s marathon at the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha (QAT) were very much in evidence, with the race starting at midnight with temperatures right at 90 degrees (F) and not moving much during the race.

A field of 68 started the event and the drop-out began about 10 km into the event, even with a very clever loop course arranged that allow constant monitoring of all of the runners and close-by aid stations.

The field ran together for about 10 km, but then pre-race favorite Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) broke up the race and created a small lead pack of five runners that included two-time champ Edna Kipklagat (KEN, now 37), Visiline Jepkesho (KEN), defending champ Rose Chelimo (BRN) and Namibia’s Helalia Johannes.

Jepkesho was dropped by 25 km and the race continued with the top four together through 35 km. The heat and humidity continued unabated and after two hours of running – about 32 km for the leaders – the temperature was 89 F with 76% humidity.

But then Chepngetich put down the hammer past the 35 km point and just ran away, with Chelimo able to stay in loose contact, but Kiplagat and Johannes left to fight for the bronze medal.

By 40 km, Chepngetich had a 30-second lead over Chelimo, with Johannes 22 seconds up on Kiplagat for the bronze. She finished in 2:32:43, the slowest-ever Worlds winning time, but an impressive performance in difficult conditions, with the thermometer reading 88 degrees F.

The 1:03 margin of victory was the most since 2005, when Paula Radcliffe (GBR) won by 1:04 over Kenya’s Catherine Ndereba.

Chepngetich, 25, is only in her third year of marathoning, improving from 2:22:36 in her debut in 2017 to 2:18:35 last year and 2:17:08 – moving her to no. 3 all-time – in winning in Dubai in January of 2019. In her five career marathons, she’s won four and finished second once.

Of note was 41-year-old sixth-place finisher Roberta Groner of the U.S. – a registered nurse! – in 2:38:44. Carrie Dimoff of the U.S. was 13th in 2:44:35; both were impressive performances in oppressive conditions.

The race was just as brutal as advertised, as at least 27 runners failed to finish (of 68). Summaries:

IAAF World Championships
Doha (QAT) ~ 27 September-6 October 2019
(Full results here)

Women

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.

WEIGHTLIFTING: China dominates in Pattaya as word records set in nine classes

By
Rich Perelman
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Another Worlds gold and more world records for Georgia's Lasha Talakhadze (Photo: IWF)

The 2019 World Weightlifting Championships was a historic one, no doubt, with a dominant performance by China and world records for the combined lift totals in nine of the 20 weight classes.

The Chinese have regularly led the medal table at the IWF Worlds, but have not had this kind of success – nobody has – since 1997, when the Chinese won 10 golds (in 19 classes). In Pattaya, and counting only the medals for the combined lifts, China won 18 medals in all, including 10 golds (in 20 classes), five silvers and three bronzes.

The record books were re-written with nine new marks for the combined lifts:

● Men/55 kg: 294 kg (~648 lbs.) by Yun-Chol Om (PRK) ~ fifth Worlds gold
● Men/61 kg: 318 kg (~701 lbs.) by Fabin Li (CHN)
● Men/73 kg: 361 kg (~796 lbs.) by Zhiyong Shi (CHN) ~ third Worlds gold
● Men/81 kg: 378 kg (~833 lbs.) by Xiaojun Lu (CHN) ~ fifth Worlds gold
● Men/+109 kg: 484 kg (~1,067 lbs.) by Lasha Talakhadze (GEO) ~ fourth Worlds gold

● Women/49 kg: 212 kg (~467 lbs.) ~ Huihua Jiang (CHN) ~ second Worlds gold
● Women/58 kg: 246 kg (~542 lbs.) ~ Hsing Chun Kuo (TPE) ~ fourth Worlds gold
● Women/64 kg: 261 kg (~575 lbs.) ~ Wei Deng (CHN) ~ fifth Worlds gold
● Women/+87 kg: 332 kg (~732 lbs.) ~ Wenwen Li (CHN)

Both Talakhadze and Deng set new records in all three categories in Pattaya: for the Snatch, Clean & Jerk and combined.

As noted above, there were a lot of familiar faces on the podium, as eight of the 20 winners were repeaters from 2018:

Men (6):
● Men/55 kg: Yun Chol Om (PRK)
● Men/67 kg: Lijun Chen (CHN)
● Men/73 kg: Zhiyong Shi (CHN)
● Men/81 kg: Xiaojun Lyu (CHN)
● Men 109 kg: Simon Martirosyan (ARM
● Men/+109 kg: Lasha Aakahadze (GEO)

Women (2):
● Women/58 kg: Hsing Chun Kuo (TPE)
● Women/64 kg: Wei Deng (CHN)

China’s 10 golds were the most in 22 years, but their overall total of 18 was down one from the 2018 Worlds. North Korea was second with nine total medals (2-4-3), followed by Armenia (4: 2-2-1). The U.S. won three medals, with two in the women’s 71 kg class and one at 81 kg.

Summaries:

IWF World Championships
Pattaya (THA) ~ 18-27 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men

55 kg: 1. Yun Chol Om (PRK), 294 kg (World Record; new weight class: 2. Igor Son (KAZ), 266 kg; 3. Mansour Al Saleem (KSA), 265 kg; 4. Tran Nguyen (VIE), 263 kg; 5. Arli Chotney (KAZ), 263 kg; 6. John Ceniza (PHI), 262 kg; 7. Hafez Ghashghaei (IRI), 260 kg; 8. Surahmat Wijoyo (INA), 250 kg.

61 kg: 1. Fabin Li (CHN), 318 kg (World Record; old, 317 kg, Eko Yuki Irawan (INA), 2017); 2. Eko Yuli Irawan (INA), 306 kg; 3. Francisco Mosquera (COL), 302 kg; 4. Kim Tuan Thach (VIE), 296 kg; 5. Jhon Serna (COL), 295 kg; 6. Yoichi Itokazu (JPN), 293 kg; 7. Shota Mishvelidze (GEO), 287 kg; 8. Aznil Muhamad (MS), 285 kg.

67 kg: 1. Lijun Chen (CHN), 337 kg: 2. Lyudong Feng (CHN), 333 kg; 3. Jong Ju Pak (PRK), 330 kg; 4. Adkhamjon Ergashev (UZB), 328 kg; 5. Luis Mosquera (COL), 320 kg; 6. Mitsunori Konnai (JPN), 317 kg; 7. Daniyar Ismayilov (TUIR), 316 kg; 8. Henadz Laptseu (BLR), 313 kg. Also: 23. Alex Lee (USA), 295 kg; … 27. Jordan Wissinger (USA), 283 kg.

73 kg: 1. Zhiyong Shi (CHN), 363 kg (World Record; old, 362 kg, Shi, 2019); 2. Kang Chol O (PRK), 347 kg; 3. Bozhidar Andreev (BUL), 346 kg; 4. Vadzim Likharad (BLR), 338 kg; 5. Briken Calja (ALB), 337 kg; 6. Julio Mayora (VEN), 337 kg; 7. Joohyo Bak (KOR), 337 kg; 8. Jeongsik Won (KOR), 336 kg. Also: 9. Clarence Cummings Jr. (USA), 333 kg.

81 kg: 1. Xiaojun Lyu (CHN), 378 kg (World Record; old, 375 kg, Dayin Li (CHN), 2019): 2. Dayin Li (CHN), 377 kg; 3. Brayan Rodallegas (COL), 363 kg; 4. Rejepbay Rejepov (TKM), 363 kg; 5. Yunder Beytula (BUL), 358 kg; 6. Antonino Pizzolato (ITA), 358 kg; 7. Andres Mata (ESP), 356 kg; 8. Zacarias Bonnat (DOM), 355 kg. Also: 9. Harrison Maurus (USA), 350 kg; … 23. Christian Rodriguez (USA), 327 kg.

89 kg: 1. Hakob Mkrtchyan (ARM), 375 kg; 2. Ali Miri (IRI), 374 kg; 3. Revaz Davitadze (GEO), 371 kg: 4. Aliaksandr Bersanau (BLR), 370 kg; 5. Toshiki Yamamoto (JPN), 368 kg; 6. Dongju Yu (KOR), 367 kg; 7. Olfides Saez (CUB), 364 kg; 8. Keydomar Vallenilla (VEN), 364 kg. Also: 17. Jordan Cantrell (USA), 350 kg.

96 kg: 1. Tao Tian (CHN), 410 kg; 2. Fares Ibrahim Elbakh (QAT), 402 kg; 3. Anton Pliesnoi (GEO), 394 kg; 4. Jhonatan Rivas (COL), 391 kg; 5. Seyedayoob Mousavijarahi (IRI), 382 kg; 6. Boady Santavy (CAN), 380 kg; 7. Khetag Khugaev (RUS), 376 kg; 8. Jayson Arias (VEN), 369 kg. Also: 20. Nathan Damron (USA), 352 kg; … 25. Jason Bonnick (USA), 347 kg.

102 kg: 1. Yauheni Tsikhantsou (BLR), 398 kg; 2. Yunseong Jin (KOR), 397 kg; 3. Reza Dehdar (IRI), 394 kg; 4. Dmytro Chumak (UKR), 393 kg; 5. Samvel Gasparyan (ARM), 390 kg; 6. Junghoon Han (KOR), 378 kg; 7. Reza Beiralvand (IRI), 376 kg; 8. Aleksandr Kibanov (RUS), 376 kg.

109 kg: 1. Simon Martirosyan (ARM), 429 kg; 2. Andrei Aramnau (BLR), 426 kg; 3. Zhe Yang (CHN), 420 kg; 4. Akbar Djuraev (UZB), 417 kg; 5. Rodion Bochkov (RUS), 414 kg; 6. Timur Naniev (RUS), 409 kg; 7. Ali Hashemi (IRI), 395 kg; 8. Arkadiusz Michalski ((POL), 394 kg. Also: 14. Wes Kitts (USA), 388 kg.

+109 kg: 1. Lasha Talakhadze (GEO), 484 kg (World Record; old, 478 kg, Talakhadze, 2019); 2. Gor Minasyan (ARM), 460 kg; 3. Ruben Aleksanyan (ARM), 437 kg; 4. Eduard Ziaziulin (BLR), 432 kg; 5. Walid Bidani (ALG), 431 kg; 6. Man Asaad (SYR), 430 kg; 7. Shih-Chieh Chen (TPE), 425 kg; 8. Fernando Saraiva Reis (BRA), 424 kg. Also: 16. Caine Wilkes (USA), 403 kg.

Women

45 kg: 1. Saziye Erdogan (TUR), 169 kg; 2. Ludia Montero (CUB), 167 kg; 3. Lisa Setiawati (INA), 165 kg; 4. Thi Vuong (VIE), 164 kg; 5. My Phuong Khong (VIE), 161 kg; 6. Rosielis Quintana (VEN), 157 kg; 7. Mary Flor Diaz (PHI), 156 kg; 8. Rosina Randafiarison (MAD), 155 kg.

48 kg: 1. Huihua Jiang (CHN), 212 kg (World Record; old, 210 kg, Zuihui Hou (CHN), 2019); 2. Zhihui Hou (CHN), 211 kg; 3. Song Gum Ri (PRK), 204 kg; 4. Chanu Mirabai (IND), 201 kg; 5. Ana Segura (COL), 188 kg; 6. Kristina Sobol (RUS), 187 kg; 7. Beatriz Piron (DOM), 187 kg; 8. Morghan King (USA), 183 kg. Also: 13. Alyssa Ritchey (USA), 178 kg.

55 kg: 1. Qiuyun Liao (CHN), 227 kg; 2. Wanqiong Zhang (CHN), 222 kg; 3. Hidilyn Diaz (PHI), 214 kg; 4. Zulfiya Chinshanlo (KAZ), 213 kg; 5. Yenny Sinisterra (COL), 210 kg; 6. Muattar Nabieva (UZB), 209 kg; 7. Ana Lopez (MEX), 202 kg; 8. Rachel Leblanc (CAN), 201 kg. Also: 9. Jourdan Delacruz (USA), 200 kg.

59 kg: 1. Hsing-Chun Kuo (TPE), 246 kg (World Record; old, 243 kg, Kuo, 2019); 2. Hyo Sim Choe (PRK), 245 kg; 3. Guiming Chen (CHN), 233 kg; 4. Rosive Silgado (COL), 222 kg; 5. Mikiko Andoh (JPN), 222 kg; 6. Zoe Smith (GBR), 216 kg; 7. Yusleidy Figueroa (VEN), 215 kg; 8. Rebeka Koha (LAT), 215 kg. Also: 16. Hunter Elam (USA), 200 kg; … 20. Jessica Lucero (USA), 191 kg.

64 kg: 1. Wei Deng (CHN), 261 kg (World Record; old, 257 kg, Deng, 2019); 2. Un Sim Rim (PRK), 251 kg; 3. Loredana-Elena Toma (ROU), 240 kg; 4. Mercedes Perez (COL), 238 kg; 5. Irina-Lacramoiara Lepsa (ROU), 235 kg; 6. Maude Charron (CAN), 230 kg; 7. Nathalia Llamosa (COL), 222 kg; 8. Sarah Davies (GBR), 222 kg.

71 kg: 1. Katie Nye (USA), 248 kg; 2. Mattie Rogers (USA), 240 kg; 3. Hyo Sim Kim (KOR), 230 kg; 4. Emily Godley (GBR), 226 kg; 5. Anastasiia Anzorova (RUS), 219 kg; 6. Maya Laylor (CAN), 218 kg; 7. Yekaterina Bykova (KAZ), 211 kg; 8. Kristel Macrohon (PHI), 210 kg.

76 kg: 1. Jong Sim Rim (PRK), 276 kg; 2. Wangli Zhang (CHN), 271 kg; 3. Neisi Dajomes (ECU), 245 kg; 4. Aremi Fuentes (MEX), 245 kg; 5. Iryna Dekha (UKR), 242 kg; 6. Yeounhee Kang (KOR), 235 kg; 7. Patricia Strenius (SWE), 231 kg; 8. Mariia Vostrikova (RUS), 230 kg.

81 kg: 1. Leidy Solis (COL), 247 kg; 2. Lidia Valentin (ESP), 246 kg; 3. Jenny Arthur (USA), 245 kg; 4. Darya Naumava (BLR), 244 kg; 5. Dayana Chirinos (VEN), 242 kg; 6. Jieun Lee (KOR), 238 kg; 7. Valeria Rivas (COL), 238 kg; 8. Ankhsetseg Munkhjantsan (MGL), 237 kg.

87 kg: 1. Zhouyu Wang (CHN), 278 kg; 2. Un-Ju Kim (PRK), 269 kg; 3. Tamara Salazar (ECU), 252 kg; 4. Maria Valdes (CHI), 251 kg; 5. Naryury Perez (VEN), 250 kg; 6. Jaqueline Antonia Ferreira (BRA), 235 kg; 7. Hyeonju Jang (KOR), 230 kg; 8. Elena Cilcic (MDA), 225 kg.

+87 kg: 1. Wenwen Li (CHN), 332 kg (World Record; old, 331 kg, Tatiana Kashirina (RUS), 2019); 2. Tatiana Kashirina (RUS), 318 kg; 3. Suping Meng (CHN), 311 kg; 4. Kuk Hyang Kim (PRK), 303 kg; 5. Anastasiia Lysenko (UKR), 286 kg; 6. Laurel Hubbard (NZL), 285 kg; 7. Sarah Robles (USA), 285 kg; 8. Younghee Son (KOR), 276 kg.

ATHLETICS: Coleman’s 9.98 highlights first day of IAAF World Champs in Doha

By
Rich Perelman
-
Christian Coleman (USA) on his way to the fastest time in the 100 m heats (9.98) at the IAAF Worlds (Photo: IAAF)

After the long wait, the 2019 IAAF World Championships finally opened in Doha, Qatar with the speculation over and the competition beginning.

The single session ran from 4:30 in the afternoon to 9 p.m. at night, but some of the pre-event reporting proved to be quite accurate:

● The “air-conditioning” system worked well in the lower bowl, but less well the higher up you went in the Khalifa International Stadium.

● Significant parts of the stadium seating were covered with banners, leaving many less than the 40,000 capacity available. Of those, there were perhaps 10-12,000 people in the stands for the first day, which did not include any finals.

The events themselves – all preliminaries – were still fairly entertaining:

● Men/100 m: Christian Coleman of the U.S. ran for the first time since late July, but was the sharpest in the heats, winning heat six in 9.98, the only man to finish in under 10 seconds.

Akani Simbine (RSA: 10.01), Justin Gatlin (USA: 10.06), Zharnel Hughes (GBR: 10.08), Yohan Blake (JAM: 10.07) and Paulo Camilo (BRA: 10.11) won the first five heats. Chris Belcher of the U.S. ran 10.23 in the first heat and was eliminated; Mike Rodgers advanced after finishing second in the fifth heat in 10.14.

● Men/5,000 m: The first heat was slow, with Selemon Barega (ETH) out-running Kenyan teenager Jacob Krop on the home straight to win in 13:24.69. Ben True of the U.S. finished eighth in 13:27.39 and was eliminated. The big news was that Norwegian star Jacob Ingebrigtsen, who qualified in the top five was disqualified for taking three steps inside the curb on the backstraight with about 220 m to go, but was reinstated on appeal.

Heat two was quicker and Paul Chelimo of the U.S. decided to stay out of any trouble – as Ingebrigtsen had – and won in 13:20.18, ahead of Ethiopia’s Telahun Haile Bekele (13:20.45). The other two Ingebrigtsen brothers qualified, as Filip was third (13:20.52) and Henrik was seventh in 13:21.22. American Hassan Mead was a time qualifier for the final with a seasonal best of 13:22.11.

● Men/400 m hurdles: No problem for the big stars, as Karsten Warholm (NOR) won the first heat in 49.27, Kyron McMaster (IVB) won heat two in 49.60, Abderrahmane Samba of Qatar showed good form in winning heat three in 49.08 after coming back from foot injuries.

American Rai Benjamin won heat four in 49.62 despite chopping badly on the last hurdle and Estonia’s Rasmus Magi was impressive in winning heat five in 49.34. Americans T.J. Holmes (49.50) and Amere Lattin (49.72) also made it through to the semis.

● Men/Long Jump: Cuba’s Juan Echevarria confirmed his favorite’s status by jumping 8.40 m (27-6 3/4) and then retiring. Americans Jeff Henderson and Steffin McCarter were 2-4 at 8.12 m (26-7 3/4) and 8.04 m (26-4 1/2), respectively. Other favorites, such as South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga and Japan’s Shoutarou Shiroyama, made it through without incident.

● Men/Triple Jump: The jumping was off for some reason and only Pedro Pablo Pichardo (POR) and Hugues Zango (BUR) made the auto-qualifying distance, at 17.38 m (57-0 1/4) and 17.17 m (56-4), respectively. Americans Christian Taylor, Donald Scott and Will Claye made it through at 16.99 m (55-9) for Taylor and Scott and 16.97 m (55-8 1/4) for Claye, Omar Craddock managed only 16.87 m (55-4 1/4) and was 13th., missing the final due to a better second jump for Necati Er of Turkey.

● Women/800 m: Ajee Wilson of the U.S. was nicely in control of the first heat and won in 2:02.10. Raevyn Rogers did the same in heat two and looked very composed down the straightaway to win in 2:02.01. Jamaica’s Natoya Goule had to struggle to win the third heat, but did so in 2:01.01, followed by a charging Ce’Aira Brown of the U.S. in 2:01.14.

The surprises came in the last two heats, as two potential medalists were eliminated. American Hanna Green, great all year, couldn’t find a faster gear in the final 100 m and finished last in 2:04.37. The shocker came in heat six, as Britain’s Lynsey Sharp was outrun in the final 50 m and finished a non-qualifying fourth in 2:03.57. Ouch.

● Women/3,000 m Steeple: Three Kenyans and two American went through easily, as Emma Coburn and Celliphine Chespol were 2-3 in heat one (9:23.40-9:24.22), world-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech and Courtney Frerichs were 1-2 in heat two (9:10.01-9:18.42) and Hyvin Kiyeng won heat three in 9:29.15. Colleen Quigley of the U.S. had a hip injury and scratched out of the third heat, joining the NBC team in the commentary position during what would have been her race, and Allie Ostrander finished a very good seventh in the second heat, setting a lifetime best at 9:30.85 and missing a qualifying spot by just 1.68 seconds.

● Women/High Jump: All the favorites cleared 1.94 m (6-4 1/4), including Mariya Lasitskene (RUS), Yuliya Levchenko (UKR) and Vashti Cunningham of the U.S. American Tynita Butts also made it through at 1.92 m (6-3 1/2), but Inika McPherson did not, clearing 1.85 m (6-0 3/4).

● Women/Pole Vault: A large field of 17 women cleared the automatic qualifying standard of 4.60 m (15-1), including Greece’s Katerina Stefanidi, Russia’s Anzhelika Sidorova and all three Americans: Jenn Suhr, Sandi Morris and Katie Nageotte.

● Women/Hammer: World leader DeAnna Price of the U.S. had the best throw at 73.77 m (242-) and qualified automatically. Teammate Gwen Berry also made it through at 71.72 m (235-4), but Brooke Andersen, no. 2 on the world list, was way off form and did not qualify in 20th at 68.46 m (224-7). Also missing the final was potential medalist Malwina Kopron, the first non-qualifier at 70.46 m (231-2).

Despite the small crowd, the stadium was quite loud, which will help the competitors to feel more energy. Let’s see what turns up on Saturday when the finals will start.

The women’s (midnight) marathon will start at 5 p.m. Eastern time and will be carried on the NBC Olympic Channel. Look for results here.

TSX DAILY: California bill to allow college athletes to be paid may kill Olympic-sport programs + strong Jamaican women’s T&F squad at Worlds & judoka loses a phone during a match!

By
Rich Perelman
-

≡ TSX DAILY ~ 26 September 2019 ≡

| 1. |  LANE ONE: The U.S.’s unequaled collegiate Olympic-sport programs may be heading to implosion, starting in California

The current furor of California Senate Bill 206, the one which allows collegiate athletes at California schools to be paid for their name, image and likeness is mostly about a small number of high-profile basketball and football players.

But it could also have a major impact – over time – on the non-revenue-producing sports at many universities; you know, those “Olympic-sport programs.”

In brief, the California bill, now on the desk of California Governor Gavin Newsom, would allow students at all of the state’s four-year colleges and universities to receive payment, and hire agents and attorneys, for the use of their image. It would not allow students to sign contracts which would breach the school’s agreements for apparel, equipment and footwear, but this would only apply to “official activities” and not to other times.

You can already picture an ad that says, “Johnny Jones has to wear Nike on the court, but he kicks back in Under Armour.”

The NCAA has sent a letter to Newsom indicating its opposition to the bill as “pay for play” and Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith told USA Today that “If the California law goes into effect in ’23 and let’s say the NCAA legislation, however it emerges, doesn’t quite meet what California wants it to be and they continue to hold that law, who’s going to play (California schools)? We’re certainly not. They won’t be members of the NCAA. I think that’s going to be the problem.”

While Newsom decides what to do and look-alike bills are being discussed in New York, South Carolina and elsewhere, the long-term impact of such a system will be to re-arrange the distribution of commercial sponsorships from schools to individual students. As that takes place, universities will have to make hard decisions on how much more money that want to plow into intercollegiate athletics … or whether to start cutting back.

The first programs to be cut will be in Olympic-sport programs that cost money, but bring in little or no revenue. Soccer, track & field, swimming and diving and wrestling are obvious targets, along with their facilities. This will, in turn, begin eliminating scholarships for both American and foreign athletes who train and compete in the U.S. collegiate system.

It’s a real issue and one that needs to be on the radar of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, in addition to all of its other myriad priorities. It won’t impact U.S. Olympic teams in 2024 in Paris, but could certainly change the American outlook for 2028 in Los Angeles.

Has the California Legislature just torpedoed U.S. medal hopes in the upcoming Olympic Games to be held in the state’s largest city? More here.

| 2. | ATHLETICS Worlds Preview III: Expect to hear the Jamaican anthem in Doha

Our previews of the 2019 IAAF World Championships continued with the women’s running events, with good prospects for Jamaica’s sprinters:

● Sprints: Jamaica’s double Olympic Champion from Rio, Elaine Thompson  (pictured), is a co-favorite in the 100 m and the favorite in the 200 m in Doha and will be challenged by teammate and two-time Olympic 100 m champ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and double 2017 silver medalist Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) are also going to be in the picture, but the Jamaicans are the favorites.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) is an overwhelming favorite in the women’s 400 m, but who comes after is pretty open after a lackluster year in the event so far.

● Middle Distances: American Ajee Wilson is the clear favorite in the 800 m, with Britain’s Lynsey Sharp and Americans Hanna Green and Raevyn Rogers also in the hunt for the medals. The 1,500 m could be a wild finish, but no one knows exactly who will be racing. Dutch star Sifan Hassan will be the favorite if she runs, but she might opt for the 5,000 m. Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba will be hard to beat no matter who runs, but Britain’s Laura Muir, German Konstanze Klosterhalfen and Americans Jenny Simpson and Shelby Houlihan will be in the mix.

● Distances: Americans Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs pulled off an all-time shocker with a 1-2 in the 2017 Worlds Steeplechase. Both are back, but Kenya’s world-record holder, Beatrice Chepkoech, looks just about unbeatable. Kenyan Hellen Obiri is the favorite in the 5,000, but what is Hassan runs there? Hassan and Obiri will both run the 10,000 m, but what about Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana, who won the 10,000 in 2017 without running any races the entire year prior? She’s on the same program for 2019.

Thanks in part of the late date, some of the star marathoners are competing in Berlin on Sunday and will not be in Doha. That leaves opportunities for Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga or maybe Lorna Salpeter from Israel for the race beginning at 11:59 p.m. Friday.

● Hurdles: Should be two of the best races of the meet. Jamaican Danielle Williams has owned the short hurdlers over the last month, but will be chased by world-record holder Keni Harrison. The world record in the 400 m hurdles was set by American Dalilah Muhammad at the USATF Nationals, but teammate Sydney McLaughlin has beaten her two of three times in 2019. Another world mark is a possibility.

● Relays: Jamaica is the heavy favorite in the 4×100 m relay, but the U.S. depth might get the Americans home first in the 4×400 m. Their secret weapon might be Allyson Felix, (pictured) who ran very well at the USA vs. Europe match and might end up joining this relay if she shows speed in the Mixed 4×400 m.

● Walks: The conditions will be hot, even in the middle of the night. With multiple contenders from China in both the 20 km and 50 km, the opportunity to work together could propel them to multiple medals. But which ones? More here.

Part IV of our preview covers the women’s field events, where most of the 2017 gold medalists are in position to win again:

● Vertical Jumps: Russia’s Mariya Lasitskene is the undisputed leader in this event and it would be a shock if she did not repeat; American Vashti Cunningham is a contender for silver or bronze. Greece’s Olympic and 2017 World Champion Katerina Stefanidi doesn’t have the highest vault in the world this year, but always seems to find a way to win; her biggest challenge could be from Russian Anzhelika Sodorova.

● Horizontal Jumps: German Malaika Mihambo has been the world leader in the long jump for  most of the season and is a clear favorite. American Brittney Reese is pretty close, however and is looking for a fifth (!) world title. In the triple jump, defending champ Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela is the undisputed favorite.

● Throws: China’s Lijiao Gong is favored in the shot put, but American Chase Ealey is looking good for a medal. Cuban discus stars Jaime Perez and Denia Caballero figure to go 1-2, but defending champ Sandra Perkovic (CRO) is more than capable of pulling an upset and winning a third Worlds gold. The javelin should belong to China’s world leader, Huihui Lyu.

● Heptathlon: Belgium’s defending champ Nafi Thiam is lined up for another 7,000-point performance and will be chased by British star Katharina Johnson-Thompson. American Erica Bougard has a good chance at the bronze medal. More here.

| 3. | ATHLETICS Panorama: Oregon governor pledges $20 million more for 2021 Worlds

Oregon Governor Kate Brown (D) is in Doha for the IAAF World Championships and The Oregonian reports that “She has reassured officials of the sport’s international governing body that she will find an additional $20 million in state support for the Eugene World Championships. The state has already pledged $20 million, raised by an increase in hotel room taxes and grants from the state’s tourism agency.”

She told the IAAF that she would gather more state tourism funds, ask for legislation for more money and request private donations for the event to be held at the new Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.

She and four staff members are in Doha to familiarize themselves with the World Championships, plus several members of the state’s tourism bureau.

At the IAAF Congress in Doha, the name change to “World Athletics” was approved and will go into effect after the Doha Worlds.

| 4. | WEIGHTLIFTING: China’s Zhou jumps two weight classes to win second Worlds gold

China’s Zhouyu Wang won the gold medal in the 76 kg class at the 2018 World Championships at 270 kg (~595 lbs.), but just a year later, she jumped two weight classes to compete in Pattaya (THA) in the 87 kg class.

No problem.

Wang won the Snatch, Clean & Jerk and total lifts to earn her second World title, this time at 278 kg (~613 lbs.), ahead of repeat silver medalist Un-Ju Kim (PRK: 269 kg/~593 lbs.). Pretty impressive!

The men’s title at 109 kg was won by Armenia’s Simon Martirosyan for the second year in a row; he set a world record of 199 kg (~439 lbs.) in the Snatch, then won the Clean & Jerk at 230 kg (~507 lbs.). His winning total of 429 kg (~946 lbs.) was enough to edge Andrei Aramnau (BLR), who lifted a combined 426 kg (~939 lbs.).

With one day left in the 2019 Worlds – including the men’s +109 kg and women’s +87 kg classes – China is way out in front on the medal table with 16 total medals and nine golds in the one-per-class table.

| 5. | JUDO: Another phone falls out of a gi, another disqualification

It’s a little hard to believe, but another disqualification was handed out for having a mobile phone fall out of a judoka’s uniform at a major event.

In this case, it was the IJF World Cadet (age 15-17) Championships being held in Almaty (KAZ). As the IJF report describes it:

“The young local Ayana Satkynaliyeva faces Tajikistan Akhliya Muminova [at 52 kg]. With both working on the ground, the referee, incredulous, picks up a phone that has appeared on the mat.

“He wants to know who the owner is, but neither responds because going out to fight with a phone is prohibited and is synonymous with elimination. After a few moments,  Satkynaliyeva acknowledges that the mobile is her, picks it up, is eliminated and, leaves the tatami.”

No idea on what brand of phone it was. A similar incident took place earlier this year in an IJF Grand Prix tournament, with the same embarrassing result: disqualification.

Muminova lost her next match to Spain’s Ariane Toro Soler and was eliminated. You can see video of the phone incident here.

| 6. | GAMES OF THE XXXII OLYMPIAD: TOKYO 2020: Transgender regulations reported tabled by IOC

The British news site TheGuardian.com reported that the International Olympic Committee’s plan to introduce new regulations for transgender athletes has been held up “ because its panel of scientists is struggling to reach agreement on such a thorny issue.”

The existing guidelines from 2015 specify required testosterone levels of less than 10 nanomoles per liter, but the IAAF’s recent regulations for hyperandrogenism limit testosterone levels for women competing in events from 400 m to the mile to 5 nmol/L.

The IOC’s 10 nmol/L standard has been contested; the story noted that “women’s testosterone levels tend to range between 0.12 and 1.79 nmol/l, while men’s are typically between 7.7 to 29.4 nmol/l.”

If a standard can’t be agreed on, the International Federations will no doubt be left to their own judgment on what to do.

ATHLETICS Worlds Preview IV: Repeat titles ahead for Lasitskene, Stefanidi, Rojas, Gong and Thiam?

By
Rich Perelman
-
History for DeAnna Price in the women's hammer throw in Eugene: two American Records!

With just a couple of exceptions, the results from the 2019 IAAF Track & Field Championships in Doha (QAT) will probably look a lot like those from 2017 in London. All but one of the 2017 champions are back for more and five of the nine – including for our purposes the heptathlon – are favored:

● Women/High Jump: 27 & 30 September

Leading entries:
2.06 m Mariya Lasitskene (RUS: 6-9) ~ Defending champion
2.02 m Yuliya Levchenko (UKR: 6-7 1/2)
2.00 m Karyna Demidik (BLR: 6-6 3/4)
2.00 m Yaroslava Manuchikh (UKR: 6-6 3/4)
2.00 m Vashti Cunningham (USA: 6-6 3/4)

Lasitskene is the dominant force in this event and will be trying for a third straight world title … and should get it. The fight for silver and bronze will be tight; a first-time clearance at 2.00 m should earn a medal. Cunningham was the 2016 World Indoor Champion.

● Women/Pole Vault: 27 & 29 September

Leading entries:
4.91 m Jenn Suhr (USA: 16-1 1/4)
4.91 mi Anzhelika Sidorova (RUS: 16-1 1/4i)
4.86 mi Katie Nageotte (USA: 15-11 1/4)
4.85 m Sandi Morris (USA: 15-11) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
4.83 m Katerina Stefanidi (GRE: 15-10) ~ Defending champion

Stefanidi won the Olympic gold in 2016 and Worlds in 2017 and always seems to find a way to get to the top of the medal stand when it counts. She and Sidorova are the likely favorites; none of the three Americans have been especially sharp this summer. Canada’s Alysha Newman set a national record of 4.82 m (15-9 3/4) at the Diamond League Paris meet and figures as a possible medalist as well.

● Women/Long Jump: 5-6 October

Leading entries:
7.16 m Malaika Mihambo (GER: 23-6)
7.05 m Ese Brume (NGR: 23-1 3/4)
7.00 m Brittney Reese (USA: 22-11 3/4) ~ Defending champion
6.93 mi Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova (BLR: 22-9)
6.92 m Florentina Iusco (ROU: 22-8 1/2)

Mihambo has been the world leader for most of the season and everyone else has been playing catch-up. Reese is going for her fifth world title and has jumped 7.00 m his year and 7.01 m wind-aided. Brume has the one 7.05 m at her Nationals, but has otherwise not been past 6.76 m (22-2 1/4) at sea level.

● Women/Triple Jump: 3 & 5 October

Leading entries:
15.41 m Yulimar Rojas (VEN: 50-6 3/4) ~ Defending champion
14.93 m Shanieka Ricketts (JAM: 48-11 3/4)
14.89 m Caterine Ibarguen (COL: 48-10 1/4) ~ 2017 Worlds silver; 2016 Olympic Champ
14.77 m Liadagmis Povea (CUB: 48-5 1/2)
14.73 mi Ana Peleteiro (ESP: 48-4)

Rojas has been superb this season, moving to no. 2 all-time in September; she has five meets better than Ricketts’ second-place mark on the world list. Ibarguen won silver in 2017and is a very fine big-meet competitor. Also watch for American Keturah Orji, fourth in 2016 and with a competitive seasonal best of 14.72 m (48-3 1/2).

● Women/Shot Put: 2-3 October

Leading entries:
20.31 m Lijiao Gong (CHN: 66-7 3/4) ~ Defending champion
19.68 m Chase Ealey (USA: 64-6 3/4)
19.55 m Danniel Thomas-Dodd (JAM: 64-1 3/4)
19.54 mi Christina Schwanitz (GER: 64-1 1/4)
19.47 m Maggie Ewen (USA: 63-10 1/2)

Gong won in 2017 and owns four Worlds medals; she’s a clear choice to win. She was defeated by Ealey early in the season, but has rebounded with eight straight wins since. Ealey has been second-best during the season, but will be challenged by Thomas-Dodd and Schwanitz, the 2015 World Champion. Ewen, who scored a lifetime best at the USA vs. Europe match is the wild card; another big PR could result in a medal.

● Women/Discus: 2 & 4 October

Leading entries:
69.39 m Jaime Perez (CUB: 227-8)
69.20 m Denia Caballero (CUB: 227-0)
68.58 m Sandra Perkovic (CRO: 225-0)
67.15 m Valarie Allman (USA: 220-3)
66.64 m Claudine Vita (GER: 218-8)

Perkovic owns Olympic golds in 2012 and 2016 and world titles in 2013 and 2017. She hasn’t quite been able to get back to that level, but she’s a contender for sure. Perez showed she can be clutch when needed with a last-throw win at the Pan American Games, but Caballero was the 2015 World Champion and should not be counted out.

● Women/Hammer: 27-28 September

Leading entries:
78.24 m DeAnna Price (USA: 256-8)
76.75 m Brooke Andersen (USA: 251-9)
76.46 m Gwen Berry (USA: 250-10)
76.36 m Zheng Wang (CHN: 250-6)
75.23 m Malwina Kopron (POL: 246-10)

The U.S. women have never won a medal in this event and enter with the three top marks on the season. Is the drought over? Price has thrown just once since the USATF Nationals, where she set an American Record of 78.24 m (256-8), but Berry won the Pan Am Games and after raising her fist during the awards ceremony, got a reprimand from the USOPC. Any medal for the American throwers would be historic.

● Women/Javelin: 30 September-1 October

Leading entries:
67.98 m Huihui Lyu (CHN: 223-0) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
67.70 m Kelsey-Lee Barber (AUS: 222-1)
67.40 m Nikola Ogrodnikova (CZE: 221-1)
67.22 m Tatsiana Khaladovich (BLR: 220-6)
66.59 m Christin Hussong (GER: 218-5)

Lyu has won 12 of 13 meets this year and the last 12 in a row. She won the Diamond League Final and is the clear favorite. Barber has come on during the summer and appears poised for a medal.

● Women/Heptathlon: 2-3 October

Leading entries:
6,819 Nafi Thiam (BEL) ~ Defending champion
6,813 Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR)
6,663 Erica Bougard (USA)
6,619 Xenia Kriszan (HUN)
6,610 Kendell Williams (USA)

Thiam is a great talent and has set lifetime bests this season in the 200 m, high jump and shot put. She won in 2017 with 7,013 and another 7,000-plus score is certainly within reach. Johnson-Thompson set her PR in winning at Gotzis, but Thiam will have to fall back for KJT to think about winning. Bougard has moved up steadily and is a real contender for a medal in her fourth World Championships start.

Prize money at the Worlds is $60,000-30,000-20,000-15,000-10,000-6,000-5,000-4,000 for individual events at $80,000-40,000-20,000-16,000-12,000-8,000-6,000-4,000 for the top eight places.

NBCSN has coverage from Doha starting at 9:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday; look for results here.

LANE ONE: The U.S.’s unequaled collegiate Olympic-sport programs may be heading to implosion, starting in California

By
Rich Perelman
-

For those who have followed the long-running debate over amateurism and intercollegiate athletics, the issue is finally front and center. For those in the Olympic world who have not followed this, you will soon as it may be the start of the implosion of Olympic-sport programs in universities across the country.

The situation is this:

● The California legislature has passed S.B. 206, a bill which requires that four-year colleges in the state “shall not prevent a student of a postsecondary educational institution participating in intercollegiate athletics from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s name, image, or likeness.”

Students may be represented by agents or attorneys, but while the bill prohibits students from contracting “in conflict with a provision of the athlete’s team contract,” it also clearly states that this does not extend “when the athlete is not engaged in official team activities.”

The bill, if signed into law, would become effective in 2023.

● The bill is now with California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), who has been harshly critical of the current system of amateurism adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, made up of universities from across the country.

● In the past days, the bill has generated equally harsh comments from the NCAA and from individual athletic directors of schools outside California.

The NCAA Board of Governors sent a letter to Newsom on Wednesday (25th) stating, in part:

“If the bill becomes law and California’s 58 NCAA schools are compelled to allow an unrestricted name, image and likeness scheme, it would erase the critical distinction between college and professional athletics and, because it gives those schools an unfair recruiting advantage, would result in them eventually being unable to compete in NCAA competitions. These outcomes are untenable and would negatively impact more than 24,000 California student-athletes across three divisions.”

The letter further noted that the NCAA is working on its own rules on allowing students to use their name, image and likeness – with a report due at the end of October – “but not pay them to play.”

● USA Today quoted Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith as saying last Tuesday that “If the California law goes into effect in ’23 and let’s say the NCAA legislation, however it emerges, doesn’t quite meet what California wants it to be and they continue to hold that law, who’s going to play (California schools)? We’re certainly not. They won’t be members of the NCAA. I think that’s going to be the problem.”

California State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) brushed off the threat saying that the state is too big and the economic opportunities too great to ignore.

At the same time, bills have been introduced, or are being talked about in New York, South Carolina and elsewhere, some with direct pay-to-play concepts in them.

This is mostly about Division I college football and men’s college basketball; that’s where the money is. But while the politicians preen about supporting athletes, the implications of this legislation are much more far-reaching:

(1) The California bill tries to protect the ability of a school to continue to have an apparel, shoe and equipment sponsor such as Nike, adidas, Under Armour and so on, but leaves a gaping loophole that does not require students to support such agreements “when not engaged in team activities.”

You can see the ads now: “Johnny Jones has to wear Nike on the court, but he kicks back in Under Armour.” What’s Nike – or any of the other big brands – going to think about that?

(2) The likely scenario is for all of the brands to sign fewer schools – many fewer – and to concentrate their attention on signing the top high school players so that they are locked up when they are in college, especially for football, where players are only eligible for the NFL Draft three years after finishing high school.

(3) This will result in a cash shortage that will be significant by 2025-26 for those schools without longer-term agreements and the pressure will be for either more money from the university to support athletic teams, or to cut teams.

(4) This will take some years into the future, but watch out for any change to the rules concerning the number of sports which must be competed in to maintain Division I status. The NCAA requirements for Division I status currently specify:

“Division I member institutions have to sponsor at least seven sports for men and seven for women (or six for men and eight for women) with two team sports for each gender. Each playing season has to be represented by each gender as well.”

If this goes down due to a dip in revenues across the country from support going to athletes instead of to athletic departments, the first sports on the chopping block will be those which generate only modest revenue, such as soccer, track & field, diving, swimming, wrestling and so on, the so-called “Olympic sports.”

It won’t have an impact on the U.S. team for Paris in 2024, but could certainly be felt for Los Angeles in 2028 and beyond. And it won’t hurt just American athletes, but many foreign athletes who receive scholarships at NCAA schools, especially in track and swimming.

Is this a reason for Newsom not to sign the bill? He likely hasn’t any appreciation of this aspect of the proposed law, since he’s fixated on the relatively small number of athletes who will reap the rewards from this legislation and not what it means more broadly. From the USA Today story, he said “in one respect there’s a racial component. Close to 90% of these coaches are white and the majority of Division I basketball players are black. The plurality of Division I football players are black.”

On top of all of the other issues facing the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, this is another one that needs to be planned for. The USOPC has a Collegiate Advisory Council that is already working for waivers of existing NCAA rules prohibiting off-season coaching of world-class collegiate athletes by their school coaches, and to allow training support and expenses provided by the USOPC or the National Governing Bodies.

But those changes won’t matter much if schools simply drop sports to lessen the costs of their athletic programs, leaving fewer students who are also athletes.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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ATHLETICS Worlds Preview III: Expect to hear “Jamaica, Land We Love” multiple times this coming week

By
Rich Perelman
-
Hi, I'm Dalilah Muhammad, and I'm the world-record holder in the 400 m hurdles!

The IAAF World Championships finally get going on Friday in Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium with no finals, but the women’s marathon will be held at 11:59 p.m. However, when the medals start getting distributed in the women’s events, don’t be surprised if you’re able to hum the Jamaican anthem – “Jamaica, Land We Love” – by the end of the championships.

Jamaican sprint power has ebbed on the men’s side, but not for the women; a look at the women’s track events:

● Women/100 meters: 28-29 September

Leading entries:
10.73 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) ~ 2018-12 Olympic Champion
10.73 Elaine Thompson (JAM) ~ Defending champion; 2016 Olympic Champion
10.88 Dina Asher-Smith (GBR)
10.93 Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
10.94 Briana Williams (JAM)

Fraser-Pryce and Thompson, who between them have won the last three Olympic titles, are the clear favorites, not only for their year-leading times at the Jamaica Nationals, but impressive running during the summer. That said, Asher-Smith is fully capable of breaking them up or even winning, and Ta Lou was the 100/200 m silver medalist in London two years ago. Williams, just 17, was cleared by a Jamaican doping panel on Wednesday with just a reprimand after testing positive; she insisted that the prohibited substances came from over-the-counter medications and had no intent to cheat.

Defending champ Tori Bowie of the U.S. has not healed fully from her injuries in 2018 and has run a modest 11.09 so far this year. American champ Teahna Daniels ran 10.99 at the NCAA West Regionals in May and 11.00 at the NCAA final, but no faster than 11.13 at sea level since.

● Women/200 meters: 30 September-1-2 October

Leading entries:
22.00 Elaine Thompson (JAM) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion
22.05 Blessing Okagbare (NGR)
22.08 Dina Asher-Smith (GBR)
22.16 Angie Annelus (USA)
22.22 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM)

Olympic champ Thompson and European champ Asher-Smith rate as favorites here, since Okagbare has been consistently inconsistent all season, She won at the Prefontaine Classic in 22.05, but nothing close since then. Annelus was fast at the NCAAs, winning her second title in a row, but hasn’t been seen since her third-place finish at the U.S. Nationals in 22.71.

U.S. champ Dezerea Bryant has run 22.47 and has a blazing start, but hasn’t shown much since Des Moines. Two-time defending champion Dafne Schippers (NED) has managed only 22.45 this season and may be hurt.

● Women/400 meters: 30 September, 1 & 3 October

Leading entries:
49.05 Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion
49.17 Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
49.78 Shericka Jackson (JAM)
50.20 Shakima Wimbley (USA)
50.38 Kendall Ellis (USA)

With the exception of Miller-Uibo, this has been a down year for the 400 m. The Bahamas star has only run the distance three times, winning in 49.05-49.54-49.59 with no one close. She’s an overwhelming favorite.

Naser was thought to be a challenger, but her 49.17 at the Lausanne Diamond League meet is her only sub-50 of the year. Same for Jackson, whose sub-50 came at the Jamaican Nationals in June. That makes the minor medals up for grabs, but the Americans have not distinguished themselves either. Phyllis Francis of the U.S. came from nowhere to win in the final meters in London two years ago and she or someone else could surprise again … for second place.

● Women/800 meters: 27-28-30 September

Leading entries:
1:57.72 Ajee Wilson (USA) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
1:57.99 Natoya Goule (JAM)
1:58.19 Hanna Green (USA)
1:58.61 Lynsey Sharp (GBR)
1:58.65 Raevyn Rogers (USA)

With Caster Semenya (RSA), Francine Niyonsaba (DJI) and Margaret Wambui (KEN) all excluded due to the IAAF’s female eligibility regulations, Wilson has been the top performer this season and has won eight of 10 meets, losing only two Semenya twice and Niyonsaba once. Goule, who ran at LSU, looked like a top challenger, but was only fifth at the Diamond League Final in Brussels. Green has been a revelation in 2019 and along with Rogers, are medal contenders. The biggest challenger to Wilson might be the veteran Sharp, who has a strong tactical sense and finish.

● Women/1,500 meters: 2-3-5 October

Leading entries:
3:55.30 Sifan Hassan (NED)
3:55.47 Genzebe Dibaba (ETH)
3:56.73 Laura Muir (GBR)
3:57.40 Gudaf Tsegay (ETH)
3:58.84 Rababe Arafi (MAR)

It’s not clear if Hassan – who set the world record for the mile this year – will run this race; she’s set to compete in the 10,000 m on Saturday and then decide between the 5,000 m and 1,500 m. Even if she runs, she’s no more than a co-favorite with Dibaba, who looked unbeatable in Diamond League wins in Rome and Rabat, only to finish fourth in the Final in Zurich.

Those two are the class of the field in 2019, but in a championship – likely slow – race, there are other obvious contenders. Muir is still recovering from injury, but if she feels good, could try to break the race open from 600 m to go. Two Americans are medal threats: the 2011 World Champion Jenny Simpson, with her perfect tactical sense that earned her a silver medal in 2017, and sprint-finisher Shelby Houlihan, who won at the U.S. Nationals. Then there is German Konstanze Klosterhalfen (3:59.02), but it’s not clear whether she will run this race or the 5,000 m. This should be one of the best races of the meet.

● Women/3,000 m Steeple: 27 & 30 September

Leading entries:
8:55.58 Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN)
9:03.83 Hyvin Kiyeng (KEN) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
9:04.90 Emma Coburn (USA) ~ Defending champion
9:06.76 Celliphine Chespol (KEN)
9:07.23 Wilfred Yavi (BRN)

Chepkoech has won seven of eight races this year, including six in a row and owns the untouchable world record of 8:44.32 from 2018. She a heavy favorite and she has hinted that the WR could be in jeopardy in Doha. Defending champion Coburn and 2017 silver winner Courtney Frerichs (9:09.75 in 2019) have been saving their fitness and tactics for this race, but have not shown as much fitness as the Kenyans most of this year. In Coburn’s three Diamond League races, she’s finished 4-2-6 this season. A Kenyan sweep is unlikely, but certainly possible. Wild card: German Gesa Krause (9:07.51), who beat Coburn at the Diamond League Final in Zurich.

● Women/5,000 m: 2 & 5 October

Leading entries:
14:20.36 Hellen Obiri (KEN) ~ Defending champion
14:22.12 Sifan Hassan (NED) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
14:26.76 Konstanze Klosterhalfen (GER)
14:29.54 Letesenbt Giday (ETH)
14:31.69 Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi (KEN)

If Obiri is fit and Hassan is entered, it will be a clash of the titans. Obiri ran the fastest time of the year at the Diamond League meet in London, with Hassan third; Hassan won the Diamond League Final, with Obiri fourth. If they are both in shape, this will be epic.

It’s also not clear which race Klosterhalfen will choose, but she has shown great talent at this distance. Beyond those three, the best last lap will be in line for medals. It could be Giday or Chelimo, or Fantu Worku (ETH) or Lilian Rengeruk (KEN) or someone we don’t suspect.

● Women/10,000 m: 28 September

Leading entries:
30:37.89 Letesenbet Gidey (ETH)
30:40.85 Netsanet Gudeta (ETH)
30:45.14 Senbere Teferi (ETH)
30:49.57 Emily Sisson (USA)
30:53.11 Tsehay Gemechu (ETH)

Forget the year leaders; the defending champ, Almaz Ayana (ETH) hasn’t run the distance all year, but pulled a similar stunt in 2017, winning the 10,000 m and silver in the 5,000 m after having been quiet all during that year. Add in Kenyan Hellen Obiri and Dutch star Sifan Hassan – the favorites in the 5,000 m – and suddenly the race is wide open.

The U.S. has won medals in this event before; Emily Infeld famously out-leaned an already-celebrating Molly Huddle for bronze in 2015; Huddle is back and she and Sisson could be battling for a podium spot again.

● Women/Marathon: 28 September

Leading entries:
2:17:08 Ruth Chepngetich (KEN)
2:19:46 Lorna Salpeter (ISR)
2:20:40 Ruti Aga (ETH)
2:20:51 Roza Dejere (ETH)
2:21:05 Shura Demise (ETH)

The late data and proximity to the big fall marathons – like Berlin on Sunday – has hurt the field, but the medals will mean plenty to the winners. This race has no pacesetters, so the experience of Chepngetich and the Ethiopians will help; this will be Salpeter’s sixth career marathon and she has bean improving steadily and won in Prague in May at 2:19:46. She was 41st in the 2017 Worlds marathon and she is able to pace herself properly, could set off a celebration in Tel Aviv about 2:30 a.m. Sunday!

● Women/100 m hurdles: 5-6 October

Leading entries:
12.32 Danielle Williams (JAM)
12.40 Janeek Brown (JAM)
12.43 Keni Harrison (USA)
12.49 Tobi Amusan (NGR)
12.55 Nia Ali (USA)

Williams has been outstanding, winning her last three Diamond League meets in 12.32-12.46-12.46, with no one close. She’s a clear favorite, despite almost not making the team after she false-started out of the Jamaican Nationals. Harrison has been good, finishing second to Williams twice in the Diamond League and everyone else has been up and down. Brown has not regained her NCAA form that had her as the world leader in June.

Amusan, Ali, defending champ Brianna McNeal (USA/12.61) and Sharika Nelvis (USA/12.66) are all in contention for a medal. This is one event in which watching the heats and semis can tell you a lot about who’s in form.

● Women/400 m hurdles: 1-2-4 October

Leading entries:
52.20 Dalilah Muhammad (USA) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
52.85 Sydney McLaughlin (USA)
53.11 Ashley Spencer (USA)
54.11 Zusana Hejnova CZE)
54.16 Rushell Clayton (JAM)

Muhammad and McLaughlin could become one of the must-see rivalries in the sport. Muhammad set the world record in the U.S. Nationals, but won just four of six races this year, with McLaughlin winning the other two and is 2-1 against her. Neither has raced much – just six times each – and both ran a grand total of one race since the end of July. Another record?

Spencer and Hejnova should fight for third; Clayton is coming on a medal threat and is not to be ignored. Defending champ Kori Carter of the U.S. has only managed 55.09 this season.

● Women/4×100 m Relay: 4-5 October
● Women/4×400 m Relay: 5-6 October

Jamaica should walk away with the 4×100, even with ordinary passes, with Elaine Thompson, Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce and Briana Williams on the team. Germany has run 41.67 and passes the stick perfectly and the Dutch should be close if Dafne Schippers is fit.

The U.S. has plenty of speed, but no experience. Good passes will mean a silver medal.

In the 4×400, the U.S. has the most depth and should win; no one else has run faster than 3:24.81 (Poland). Look for a possible leg for Allyson Felix, who ran a very encouraging 50.10 on her carry at the USA vs. Europe match in Minsk. She’ll be on the quirky Mixed 4×400 m on 29 September (Sunday) and if she continues to improve, she can really help in this race.

● Women/20 km Walk: 29 September

Leading entries:
1:25:29 Glenda Morejon (ECU)
1:25:34 Jiayu Wang (CHN) ~ Defending champion
1:25:37 Shenjie Qieyang (CHN)
1:25:56 Hong Liu (CHN)
1:27:15 Liujing Yang (CHN)

The race starts at 11:30 p.m. to beat the heat, with temperatures still expected to be around 90 F. Who handles the heat best will win and since there are four Chinese who can work together, it’s likely Yang or Qieyang.

● Women/50 km Walk: 28 September

Leading entries:
4:03:51 Maocuo Li (CHN)
4:04:50 Elenora Giorgi (ITA)
4:05:46 Julia Takacs (ESP)
4:07:30 Faying Ma (CHN)
4:13:57 Ines Henriques (POR) ~ Defending champion

The conditions are going to be hot at 11:30 at night, and once again, working together helps. There are three Chinese, including Rui Liang (4:19:34 this year) and any could win. This will not be a fun race, finishing about 4:00 a.m. Doha time.

Prize money at the Worlds is $60,000-30,000-20,000-15,000-10,000-6,000-5,000-4,000 for individual events at $80,000-40,000-20,000-16,000-12,000-8,000-6,000-4,000 for the top eight places.

Next up: women’s field events; look for results here.

TSX DAILY: Russia acknowledges Tokyo participation in jeopardy, but RUSADA held blameless; Coe re-elected IAAF chief and Banks elected to Council; Jack Hatton passes

By
Rich Perelman
-

≡ TSX DAILY ~ 26 September 2019 ≡

| 1. |  LEADING OFF: While Russia may be suspended, anti-doping agencies come to the aid of RUSADA 

A very strange narrative is forming as the World Anti-Doping Agency looks into whether the historical lab data retrieved from the Moscow Laboratory that was at the center of the Russian doping scandal from 2011-15 was manipulated to continue the cover-up of athletes who were doping.

The head of the Russian Olympic Committee, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, issued a statement full of concern:

“Judging by the fact that the WADA Executive Committee has already initiated fast-track consideration of RUSADA’s status issue based on the Compliance Committee’s report, the situation is very serious.

“In a short time of three weeks, our organizations overseeing submissions of the database need to either conclusively disprove the accusations of any machinations on the Russian side or undertake thorough measures to identify persons involved in this case. Otherwise, along with the problem of RUSADA’s status and ramifications for our sports arising from that, the Russian national team’s prospects of taking part in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will be jeopardized.”

The seriousness was underlined by a comment from the International Olympic Committee to the Russian news agency TASS on Monday as to whether Russia could be prevented from competing as a national team at the Tokyo Games next year:

“According to the new WADA rules, effective as of April 2018, this process is conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the IOC fully respects this procedure.”

Translation: WADA will have the authority, under the new rules for World Anti-Doping Code signatories, to ban Russia from the Tokyo Games, subject to an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Yet, at the same time, the head of the 67-member Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations (iNADO) – usually a hawk on sanctions vs. Russia – issued a statement which condemns the possible data manipulation, but praises the current version of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, including:

“‘WADA’s correct and only legal recourse in the light of further Russian defiance of sporting rules and principles is to declare the National Anti-Doping Organisation non-compliant even though there is no evidence that RUSADA itself is in any way involved.

“‘RUSADA has, since its reformation following the corrupt activities of previous officials, proven to be an eager and valued participant in international anti-doping work.’ said iNADO CEO, Graeme Steel.

“‘While a declaration of non-compliance is necessary under the rules, of all Russian organisations, RUSADA has been the one leading the way to effect positive change in the country’” said Steel.”

Pretty amazing, but this is consistent with the comments from WADA officials about the changes made in RUSADA under the direction of Yury Ganus (pictured). Steel added, “we will continue to support RUSADA” in its efforts to effect “positive change within Russia.”

This bodes well for the future, whenever the Russian doping saga is finally concluded, but it’s hardly solace to Russian athletes. High jumper Mariya Lasitskene, the reigning World Champion, posted a notice on her Instagram account reported by TASS as:

“In case RUSADA is suspended again, we will leave beyond the Russian borders to hold training sessions abroad in order to be available for international doping officers.”

Her stance harkens back to 2016, when the only Russian track & field athlete allowed to compete in Rio de Janeiro was long jumper Darya Klishina, who trained in the U.S. (Florida) and was therefore tested by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Added Lasitskene, “I am not going to skip the second Olympic Games in a row due to some particular people, who are unable to honestly fulfill their work obligations.”

| 2. | ATHLETICS: Coe unanimously re-elected; Willie Banks elected to IAAF Council from the U.S.

It was a productive day for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), with 203 members convening in Doha (QAT) for the IAAF Congress and electing new officers.

There was no surprise in the re-election of Sebastian Coe for president; he received all 203 votes in support of a second term.

There were changes in the IAAF Council, including the election of U.S. candidate Willie Banks (pictured), the former world-record holder in the triple jump who has had significant sports management experience that can be of value to the group.

The elected members included:

Vice Presidents:
● Ximena Restrepo (COL)
● Sergey Bubka (UKR) ~ re-elected
● Geoffrey Gardner (NFI) ~ already a Council member
● Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al Saud (KSA) ~ already a Council member

Members:
● Hiroshi Yokokawa (JPN) ~ re-elected
● Antti Pihlakoski (FIN) ~ re-elected
● Anna Riccardi (ITA) ~ re-elected
● Nan Wang (CHN)
● Adille Sumariwalla (IND) ~ re-elected
● Nawal El Moutawakel (MAR) ~ re-elected
● Abby Hoffman (CAN) ~ re-elected
● Sylvia Barlag (NED) ~ re-elected
● Alberto Juantorena (CUB) ~ re-elected (previously a Vice President)
● Willie Banks (USA)
● Raul Chapado (ESP)
● Dobromir Karamarinov (BUL)
● Beatrice Ayikoru (UGA)

Two Council members who stood for re-election were unsuccessful; France’s Bernard Ansalem and Ahmad El Kamali (UAE), who was disqualified by the Athletics Integrity Unit.

There were further developments on the doping and sponsorships fronts announced at the Congress:

● The Congress voted by 164-30 to continue the suspension of the Russian Athletics Federation in view of the continuing issues noted by the IAAF’s Russia Task Force.

● The Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group signed on as a 10-year sponsor of the IAAF Diamond League from 2020-29, the first presenting sponsor of the circuit since Samsung ended its sponsorship after the 2012 season. As part of the deal, Wanda subsidiary Infront will market the Diamond League media rights for five years from 2025-29, replacing IMG, which is the marketer through 2024.

The agreement includes the creation of a new IAAF event to be held annually in China, with the details to be announced later.

The Congress will conclude on Thursday.

Check out our World Championships preview on the men’s field events here.

| 3. | CYCLING: Dennis repeats as World Time Trial champ in Yorkshire

The UCI World Road Championships continued in England, with a masterful performance by defending champion Rohan Dennis of Australia to win his second consecutive Individual Time Trial.

A hot early pace was set on the 54.0 km course from Northhallerton to Harrowgate by Italian Filippo Ganna at 1:07:00.35 that was not bettered until the 43rd of 57 riders finished, Belgium’s 19-year-old Remco Evenepoel, who took the lead at 1:06:14.28.

Four-time champion Tony Martin (GER) started strongly, but faded to nine overall as the 50th rider to go. Slovenian Primoz Roglic, a terror at the time trials in the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana, managed only a 12th-place finish.

Dennis, riding last as the reigning champ, had to deal with rain that started falling during his ride, but was undaunted. He was first at each checkpoint and steamed home in 1:05:05.35 to win by almost 69 seconds.

He hadn’t been seen since abandoning the Tour de France in July, but he was more than ready.

“I didn’t go without a lot of preparation: a lot of time at home, a lot of work on my head to get myself mentally prepared for today. 

“I knew what pace I went out with last year, so I just stuck on that and got into my rhythm. I knew I was 20 seconds up at the first check and I knew I had more to give, that I wasn’t going to die on the climbs.  It was absolutely perfect today.” Complete results are here.

| 4. | WEIGHTLIFTING: Solis moves up to win 81 kg at Worlds; U.S.’s Arthur wins bronze

It was a good day for the Western Hemisphere at the World Weightlifting Championships in Pattaya (THA), with Colombia’s Leydi Solis winning a second world title and American Jenny Arthur claiming her first-ever Worlds medal.

Solis was the Olympic silver medalist at 69 kg (~152 lbs.) in 2008 and the World Champion at that weight in 2017. But with the adoption of the new weight classes, she moved up to 81 kg (~179 lbs.) and won the Clean & Jerk and the overall total for a second career Worlds gold.

Arthur (pictured), 25, was a 2016 Olympian and finished sixth in the women’s 75 kg division. She finished seventh in the Snatch, but then made her heaviest lift of 139 kg (~306 lbs.) for runner-up honors in the Clean & Jerk and third overall at 245 kg combined (~540 lbs.).

Defending champ Lidia Valentin of Spain lifted a combined 246 kg (~542 lbs.) for the silver medal, and Solis lifted 247 kg (~545 lbs.) to win.

Arthur missed on her heaviest Snatch lift of 110 kg (~243 lbs.); if she had done it, she would have won the event! Solis and Valentin also missed their heaviest lifts in Snatch.

European champ Yauheni Tsikhantsou of Belarus finished second in the Snatch and Clean & Jerk and that was enough to give him the gold medal at 102 kg by 398 kg (~877 lbs.) to 397 kg (~875 lbs.) over Korea’s Yun-Seong Jin.

The Worlds continue through Friday; look for results here.

| 5. | JUDO: Sad news of the passing of U.S. judoka Jack Hatton

American Jack Hatton, a three-time member of the U.S. team for the World Judo Championships, has passed away at age 24, according to an announcement from USA Judo.

No cause of death or other details were provided; Hatton was teaching judo in Greenfield, New York. He competed at 81 kg and had his best year in 2019, winning a bronze medal in the Pan American Championships and placing fifth at the Montreal Grand Prix.

His top international performance was a silver medal in the Antalya (TUR) Grand Prix in 2018.

The USA Judo post added, “Jack made an indelible mark on all who had the pleasure of knowing him, and he will not be forgotten. We grieve with the entire USA Judo and international judo community during this tough time. USA Judo is in the process of providing grief counseling services for those in need and will share information on services for Jack as they become available.”

| 6. | FOOTBALL: UEFA President tells members not to play Iran or Saudi Arabia

The issue of admitting women as spectators into men’s matches expanded on Wednesday as European Football Association (UEFA) chief Aleksander Ceferin (SLO) suggested to the 55 members that they refrain from playing matches against Iran or Saudi Arabia:

“We know that two countries do not allow men and women to watch matches together, we can not punish anyone, but that does not mean we have to be quiet, so our advice to 55 federations and all clubs to ensure that their teams do not play in these countries or against teams from these countries where the basic rights of women are not respected.”

The AIPS report on the UEFA conference noted that FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) has sent an inquiry delegation to Iran to look into the arrangements planned for the 10 October Asian World Cup qualifying match in Tehran vs. Cambodia. Infantino has been clear that women must be admitted as spectators to such matches.

| 7. | COMMONWEALTH GAMES: NOC chief of India says CWG is a waste

The Commonwealth Games will be in Birmingham, England in the summer of 2022, with India protesting the exclusion of shooting, at which it won 16 medals at the 2018 Games in Australia.

However, beyond talking about a “possible boycott” of the event over shooting, Indian Olympic Association chief Narinder Batra is now calling the entire program a waste. In an interview with the Indian Express newspaper, he said

“These Games have no standard. For me, these are a waste of time and money. We win 70 medals, 100 medals at the Commonwealth Games while at the Olympics, we get stuck at two (medals).

“That means the level of competition isn’t high at CWG. It’s not a ranking tournament either. So why waste time? We should rather go to better competitions and prepare for the Olympics.”

India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi; the organization of that event went well over budget and was widely panned.

ATHLETICS Worlds Preview II: Taylor vs. Claye, Kendricks vs. Duplantis, Walsh vs. Crouser top men’s field-event showdowns

By
Rich Perelman
-
American vault star Sam Kendricks

The IAAF World Championships in Doha (QAT) start Friday with tremendous match-ups in several of the men’s field events … and new world records are absolutely in play:

● Men/High Jump: 1 & 4 October

Leading entries:
2.35 m Maksim Nedasekau (BLR: 7-8 1/2)
2.35 mi Naoto Tobe (JPN: 7-8 1/2i)
2.34 mi Yu Wang (CHN: 7-8i)
2.33 m Mikhail Akimenko (RUS: 7-7 3/4)
2.33 m Ilya Ivanyuk (RUS: 7-7 3/4)
2.33 m Stefano Sottile (ITA: 7-7 3/4)

This event is the definition of wide-open, with no clear favorite, but many contenders.

Given the modest performances worldwide this year, a surprise is possible and many eyes will be on defending champ Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar, returning from injury with a seasonal best of just 2.27 m (7-5 1/4). Is he ready to jump high? His last meet was at the Zurich Diamond League final, where he finished 10th at 2.20 m (7-2 1/2).

The winner there, Ukraine’s Andrei Protsenko (2.32 m/7-7 1/4) certainly rates attention as well.

● Men/Pole Vault: 28 September & 1 October

Leading entries:
6.06 m Sam Kendricks (USA: 19-10 1/2) ~ Defending champion
6.02 m Piuotr Lisek (POL: 19-9) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
6.00 m Mondo Duplantis (SWE: 19-8 1/4)
5.92 m Thiago Braz (BRA: 19-5)
5.90 mi Pawel Wojciechowski (POL: 19-4 1/4i)

The battle between Kendricks, Lisek and Duplantis has been one of the highlights of the season so far. Kendricks has competed in an amazing 24 meets so far this season, winning 16 and finishing second five times. He had won five in a row until Duplantis defeated him at ISTAF Berlin at the end of August, with Lisek third.

It’s hard to see anyone else in the medals, but both the comebacking Braz and Wojciechowski are more than capable on a given day.

● Men/Long Jump: 27-28 September

Leading entries:
8.65 m Juan Miguel Echevarria (CUB: 28-4 1/2)
8.40 m Shoutarou Shiroyama (JPN: 27-6 3/4)
8.38 m Jeff Henderson (USA: 27-6) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion
8.38 mi Miltiadis Tentoglu (GRE: 27-6i)
8.37 m Luvo Manyonga (RSA: 27-5 1/2) ~ Defending champion

Echevarria is one of the most exciting – and inconsistent – stars in the sport. He clearly has the potential to take the world record from American Mike Powell (8.95 m/29-4 1/2), but he could also fail to qualify for the final. He’s the favorite, but a shaky one considering that Manyonga has won four of his last five meets and consistent in the 8.30 m (27-2 3/4) range.

Wild card? Try Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle, out to 8,32 m (27-3 3/4) this season.

● Men/Triple Jump: 27 & 29 September

Leading entries:
18.14 m Will Claye (USA: 59-6 1/4) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
17.82 m Christian Taylor (USA: 58-5 3/4) ~ Defending champion
17.68 m Omar Craddock (USA: 58-0 1/4)
17.58 mi Hugues Zango (BUR: 57-8 1/4)
17.53 m Pedro Pablo Pichardo (POR: 57-6 1/4)

Should be one of the highlights of the meet: Will Claye – the three-time Worlds medalist – finally get the upper hand vs. three-time World Champion and two-time Olympic Champion Taylor?

Claye has the two best jumps of the year at 18.14 m (59-6 1/2) and 18.06 m (59-3) to win in Paris. But Taylor won the Diamond League Final in Brussels at 17.85 mw (58-6 3/4w), with Claye second and Craddock third. The world record of 18.29 m (60-0 1/4) is in play and don’t forget Portugal’s Pichardo, capable of a monster jump at any time.

● Men/Shot Put: 3 & 5 October

Leading entries:
22.74 m Ryan Crouser (USA: 74-7 1/4) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion
22.61 m Darlan Romani (BRA: 74-2 1/4)
22.44 m Tomas Walsh (NZL: 73-7 1/2) ~ Defending champion
22.35 m Darrell Hill (USA: 73-4)
22.32 m Michal Haratyk (POL: 73-2 3/4)
22.31 m Joe Kovacs (USA: 73-2 1/2) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist

The world record of 23.12 m (75-10 1/4) by American Randy Barnes from 1990 has been in the crosshairs of Crouser, Walsh and others for a while now and a breakthrough could come in Doha.

Crouser has been the best in the world when completely healthy, but with so many good throwers, there is no margin for error. Walsh has been the top competitor of late and Romani’s best came at the Prefontaine Classic at Stanford.

Crouser has won 10 of his 12 meets this season; Walsh has won 11 of 15 and took the Diamond League Final in Brussels. Americans and Hill and Kovacs (the 2015 World Champion) are both contenders for medals as well.

● Men/Discus: 28 & 30 September

Leading entries:
71.86 m Daniel Stahl (SWE: 235-9) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
70.78 m Fedrick Dacres (JAM: 232-3)
68.14 m Lukas Weisshaidinger (AUT: 223-7)
67.78 m Ola Stunes Isene (NOR: 222-4)
67.73 m Andrius Gudzius (LTU: 222-2) ~ Defending champion

Stahl and Dacres have been the best all season; Stahl has won 12 of his 15 meets, and won the Diamond League Final over Weisshaidinger and Dacres. Expect those three to be the medalists.

● Men/Hammer: 1-2 October

Leading entries:
81.74 m Wojciech Nowicki (POL: 268-2) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
80.88 m Pawel Fajdek (POL:265-4 ) ~ Defending champion
79.38 m Javier Cienfuegos (ESP: 260-5)
78.97 m Denis Lukyanov (RUS: 259-1)
78.54 m Bence Halasz (HUN: 257-8)

Poland’s Fajdek is the three-time defending World Champion, but Nowicki has won two Worlds bronzes in a row and has the two best throws in the world this season. They have been competing against each other for 10 years now and Fajdek holds a career 74-13 lead and is 7-3 vs. Nowicki this year. If he wins again, Fajdek would become the first thrower to win four Worlds golds, not to mention four in a row!

● Men/Javelin: 5-6 October

Leading entries:
90.61 m Magnus Kirt (EST: 297-3)
90.03 m Johannes Vetter (GER: 295-4) ~ Defending champion
89.65 m Andreas Hofmann (GER: 294-1)
89.17 m Edis Matusevicius (LTU: 292-6)
89.06 m Bernhard Seifert (GER: 292-2)
89.05 m Chao-Tsun Cheng (TPE: 292-2)

Kirt has been the world leader since May and has extended his lead twice. He won the Diamond League Final in Zurich and has been consistent at 88 m-plus (288-8). However, Vetter got his seasonal best of 90.03 m (295-4) in the U.S. vs. Europe match and beat Kirt there. Both he and Hofmann are gold-medal possibilities. The wild card is Cheng, who has been strong in big moments and won the Asian Championships impressively early in the year.

● Men/Decathlon: 2-3 October

Leading entries:
8,711 Damian Warner (CAN) ~ 2015 Worlds silver medalist
8,572 Niklas Kaul (GER)
8,473 Lindon Victor (GRN)
8,453 Pierce LaPage (CAN)
8,444 Kaz Kazmirek (GER) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist

No doubt that Warner is capable of winning it all, but the focus of this event will be on France’s Kevin Mayer, the world-record holder at 9,126 from 2018. As defending champ from 2017, he had a free pass into this meet and has set lifetime bests during the season in the 110 m hurdles and shot put. He’s been excellent in the biggest meets, finishing fourth in the 2013 Worlds, second in the 2016 Olympics and won the 2017 Worlds. Another world record? Possible!

Prize money at the Worlds is $60,000-30,000-20,000-15,000-10,000-6,000-5,000-4,000 for individual events at $80,000-40,000-20,000-16,000-12,000-8,000-6,000-4,000 for the top eight places.

Next up: women’s track events; look for results here.

TSX DAILY: USOPC Hall of Fame elects Smith and Carlos, making athlete sanction threats toothless + Dygert-Owen wins Worlds Time Trial and more World Champs previews

By
Rich Perelman
-

≡ TSX DAILY ~ 25 September 2019 ≡

| 1. |  LANE ONE: USOPC Hall of Fame committee selections renders USOPC’s protest sanctions toothless

Much was made of the award ceremonies protests by American gold-medal winners Race Imboden and Gwen Berry at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru last month.

Imboden went to one knee during the national anthem after being part of the men’s Team Foil winners in fencing and Berry raised her fist during the anthem after her victory in the women’s hammer throw in track & field.

Both received a letter from U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee chief executive Sarah Hirshland placing them on probation for 12 months and indicating that stronger sanctions would be in place if such behavior was repeated.

On Monday, the USOPC announced its first class of inductees into the organization’s Hall of Fame. Five Olympians, three Paralympians and one team were selected based in part on a public vote. There were also four inductees selected by the Hall of Fame nominating committee in the categories of coach, contributor and “legends.”

The “legends” were 1968 Olympic 200 m gold medalist Tommie Smith and bronze medalist John Carlos, much more famous today for raising their gloved fists in the air during the awards ceremony than for their brilliant running on the track, including a world record for Smith that lasted 11 years.

By selecting Smith and Carlos, the Hall of Fame nominating committee – whose members are not identified anywhere on the USOPC’s vast Web site – have effectively torpedoed any concept of sanctions for U.S. athletes who are involved in political demonstrations in Tokyo in 2020.

Never mind that all athletes will be required – as Imboden and Berry were – to sign an agreement that they will not participate in any such demonstrations. No matter what anyone does, as long as it is not illegal in Japan, they can simply say, “You put Smith and Carlos into the Hall of Fame for doing the same thing” and they would be right.

There are many more moving parts to this, including the view of the International Olympic Committee, which has its own rules against political protests. The IOC banished Smith and Carlos from the Mexico City Games shortly after they left the victory stand, and did the same for the casual stance of Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett on the awards stand after the 400 m final in 1972.

Did the USOPC management team know about the election of Smith and Carlos? They’ve been selected now and there will be discussions with the IOC and many others about the implications of naming them as individuals who “courageously stood up for racial equality during the civil rights movement” during the Mexico City Games.

Oh yes, and have you noticed that the Tokyo Games fall between the Democratic and Republican conventions next summer? More details here.

| 2. | CYCLING: American Chloe Dygert-Owen runs away with World Champs Time Trial

There’s winning and then there’s what Chloe Dygert-Owen of the U.S. did during the rainy women’s Individual Time Trial at the UCI World Road Championships in Yorkshire (GBR).

Already the winner of the Pan American Games Time Trial in August, Dygert (pictured) started 30th in the field of 53 and despite ridiculously wet conditions, starting passing rider after rider ahead of her.

She whipped past eight in all and stopped the clock at 42:11.57 and then waited for the remaining riders to finish. No one came close.

Dutch star Anna van der Breggen, runner-up the prior three years in this race, moved into second, but was more than 1:32 behind Dygert-Owen. The final rider was two-time champ Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), but she could manage only third.

Coached by two-time Time Trial World Champion Kristin Armstrong, Dygert-Owen now moves to medal-favorite status for Tokyo. But she wasn’t the only American who shined, as Amber Neben – now 44, but also a two-time World Champion in this event – finished fourth and Leah Thomas was seventh.

The U.S. won two medals in the men’s U-23 Time Trial, with Ian Garrison and Brandon McNulty taking the silver and bronze medals behind three-time winner Mikkel Bjerg of Denmark.

The Road Worlds continue through Sunday; the men’s Time Trial is scheduled for Wednesday. More here.

| 3. | ATHLETICS Preview: Can the U.S.’s Coleman, Lyles and Norman sweep the Doha sprints?

In the first of a four-part preview of the IAAF World Championships starting Friday in Doha (QAT), the men’s running and walking events are reviewed with at least one world record in danger and good prospects for the U.S. in the sprints:

● The U.S. has the favorites in the men’s 100-200-400 with Christian Coleman, Noah Lyles and the duo of Michael Norman and Fred Kerley in the 400 m. Coleman (pictured), however, hasn’t run since the USATF Nationals while Lyles is the biggest favorite in the whole meet.

● The middle distances have a strong 1,500 m favorite in Kenya’s Tim Cheruiyot, but the 800 m should be a duel between Nijel Amos (BOT) and American Donavan Brazier, who showed great tactical sense in his recent, come-from-behind Diamond League win.

● The long distances appear ripe for Ethiopian wins in the 5,000 m, 10,000 m and marathon, but who knows if the races turn into slow, tactical affairs? The 3,000 m Steeple favorite is Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, but he will be challenged by Kenyans Benjamin Kigen and defending champ Conseslus Kipruto.

● The 110 m hurdles looked for a long time like a 1-2 for the U.S. with Grant Holloway and Daniel Roberts. But only Roberts has looked strong in Europe and Orlando Ortega (ESP) and defending champ Omar McLeod (JAM) are coming on.

The world record is at stake in the 400 m hurdles, with the no. 2 and no. 3 performers of all time in the race: Norway’s defending champ Karsten Warholm and American Rai Benjamin. And if Qatari star Abderrahmane Samba is back in form, it could be a three-way race for gold.

● The U.S. is a huge favorite in the 4×400 m relay, but the 4×100 m is always a question about the U.S. passing. Good passes could mean the first world title for the U.S. in the event since 2007; otherwise, look for Britain, Germany or Japan.

Much more detail on each event is here; look for more previews daily this week.

| 4. | CANOE-KAYAK Preview: More medals for Martikan and Fox at Slalom Worlds?

The all-time leading medal winners in the ICF Slalom World Championships are Slovakia’s Michal Martikan (now 40) and Australia’s Jessica Fox. Both will be looking to extend their records at the 2019 Worlds in La Seu d’Urgell, Spain.

While Martikan is not among the favorites this time, he has won 22 Worlds medals in the C-1, including 14 golds, with his last podium appearance in 2017. Fox, 25, has rocketed to fame in both the C-1 and K-1, and has nine golds – the most ever – and 12 total medals. She could reach the record of 14 currently held by Czech Stepanka Hilgertova (1989-2015).

The top 18 countries in men’s and women’s K-1, and the top 11 countries in men’s and women’s C-1 will qualify one quota place for the 2020 Games. More here.

| 5. | DOPING: Latest call to throw out the WADA Board from Global Athlete group

In the aftermath of the announcement that the World Anti-Doping Agency has commenced a sanctions review over “discrepancies” in the Moscow Laboratory data retrieved in January, the Global Athlete Start-Up Group posted an open letter on Tuesday calling on the Chair, Director General and head of the Compliance Review Committee to resign.

At issue, of course, is WADA’s decision to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency in September 2018, with its agreement to provide the Moscow Lab data and the stored samples according to a specified timetable. Global Athlete says the WADA has “failed to protect clean athletes” and “not fit for purpose.”

Yawn.

| 6. | THE LAST WORD: How much are medals worth … in Zambia?

Reader Dan Bell has studied the awards given to medal winners by various governments over the years and found a remarkable recent controversy from the All-African Games held in Morocco last month.

Zambian swimmer Tilka Paljk won a bronze medal in the women’s 50 m Breaststroke and was rewarded with 3,000 Kwacha, worth about $230.85 U.S. at current exchange rates. Wrote Paljk in a Facebook post:

“When I first heard that I got K3,000 from the government for winning a bronze at the all African games, I thought ‘wow, are these guys serious? Is this it?’ But I didn’t want to come [out] ungrateful so I just kept quiet and said ‘thank you’. After seeing this in the paper today, I am glad that this is out there and that people can see how ridiculous it is. We are the BEST athletes on the continent and to be given a K5,000 for being the African champion is honestly embarrassing and insulting. I can’t even pay my rent with that money, let alone my coach. I want to ask the government if they feel content or proud for giving us a K5,000 for being the best in Africa. It’s honestly a joke. But thanks anyway.”

LANE ONE: USOPC Hall of Fame committee selections renders USOPC’s protest sanctions toothless

By
Rich Perelman
-


Remember the awards ceremony protests during the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru last month by American gold medalists Race Imboden in fencing and Gwen Berry in track & field?

Imboden went to one knee during the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” as a member of the winning Team Foil squad and Berry raised her fist during the anthem during the medal presentation ceremony for the women’s hammer throw.

These actions did not go unnoticed and USOPC spokesman Mark Jones released a statement shortly afterwards, noting in the case of Imboden:

“Every athlete competing at the 2019 Pan American Games commits to terms of eligibility, including to refrain from demonstrations that are political in nature. In this case, Race didn’t adhere to the commitment he made to the organizing committee and the USOPC. We respect his rights to express his viewpoints, but we are disappointed that he chose not to honor his commitment.”

A similar note was circulated concerning Berry.

A week later, USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland sent a letter to both, which included:

“This letter will serve as a formal reprimand from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Additionally, the USOPC considers you to be in a probationary period for the next 12 months. This means you could face more serious sanctions for any additional breach of our code of conduct than might otherwise be levied for an athlete in good standing.”

Hirshland’s letter indicated that the USOPC would be discussing the issue of protests and punishments with the International Olympic Committee, which has the authority to ban athletes from participating in the Games for, among other things, political protests.

It’s going to be a more interesting discussion now.

In case you missed it, the USOPC announced its first class of inductees in seven years for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame on Monday (23rd), naming five Olympians, three Paralympians, one team and four others: a coach, contributor and two “legends.”

The legends were 1968 Olympic 200 m gold medalist Tommie Smith and bronze medalist John Carlos. They famously each raised a gloved fist – universally recognized at the time as the “Black Power Salute” – during the playing of the anthem during the awards ceremony in Mexico City (MEX).

They were promptly banished from the Games and sent home.

Now they will be inducted as members of the USOPC Hall of Fame in November. The selection was not part of the public vote – done for the Olympians, Paralympians and team – but the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame nominating committee.

The members of this group are not listed anywhere on the USOPC Web site, but it is made of individuals who “represent the following areas of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements: U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association, Athletes’ Advisory Council, Paralympic sport, media, USOC Board of Directors, USOC executive and one at-large committee member.”

So as a person representing “USOC executive” had a vote in this, Hirshland was at least indirectly present in the decision-making process.

And by this action, Hirshland and the USOPC now cannot possibly contemplate sanctions against U.S. athletes who publicly protest just about anything during next summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Let’s be clear: Smith and Carlos are being honored for their protests during the Mexico City Games; the USOPC biography of both in the Hall of Fame announcement starkly describes each as individuals who “courageously stood up for racial equality during the civil rights movement.”

Their protests were deeply political and aimed at audiences in the U.S. and were noticed because of the wide interest in the Olympic Games vs. limited interest (and television exposure) of track & field.

If the USOPC even thinks of sanctioning an athlete for some form of protest in 2020, the answer back will be, “You put Smith and Carlos into the Hall of Fame for doing the same thing.”

What will the USOPC’s response be to that?

And the IOC?

Most especially under current President Thomas Bach, the IOC has declared itself as an organization which places “sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” How does a T-shirt worn during fencing warm-ups by Imboden reading “Impeach Trump” or one worn by football star Megan Rapinoe that says “Pay Me Now” suit the IOC?

How can the USOPC ask its athletes to sign the pledge against political “demonstrations” in view of honoring Smith and Carlos as members of its Hall of Fame? Hirshland described the new class of inductees as “champions who have transcended sport through the legacy they leave both on and off the field of play. … We thank them for their impact on sport and society, and for continuing to inspire the next generation of athletes and fans.”

Of course, there are people who may be offended that Smith and Carlos are receiving this honor. First in line should be Vince Matthews, now 71, and the family of the late Wayne Collett – who passed in 2010 – the gold and silver medalists in the 1972 Olympic 400 meters and stood casually on the victory stand in Munich (GER) during the playing of the U.S. anthem. Said Collett at the time, “I couldn’t stand there and sing the words because I don’t believe they’re true. I wish they were. I believe we have the potential to have a beautiful country, but I don’t think we do.”

Surely they must be inducted also, yes, and as soon as possible?

The Hall of Fame nominating committee has created an untenable position for Hirshland and the USOPC and seriously undercuts the integrity of the organization’s “probation” imposed on Imboden and Berry.

Hirshland, USOPC Board chair Susanne Lyons and the U.S. IOC members Anita DeFrantz and Kikkan Randall will indeed have to have a serious discussion with Bach and others in Lausanne, and soon. With the Tokyo Games taking place in a U.S. election year and between the Democratic and Republican conventions, it will be prime time for political demonstrations for American athletes.

And if the U.S. athletes are doing it, you may rest assured that the floodgates will be opened for similar actions by others in countries where free speech is allowed … and thanks to television, will cause problems for those watching in countries where speech is repressed.

Maybe someday we’ll find out who the members are of the little committee that caused such a big uproar.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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ATHLETICS Worlds Preview I: Will the U.S. men sweep the sprints at Doha?

By
Rich Perelman
-

A massive throng of 1,972 athletes from 210 countries have gathered in Doha, Qatar for the 2019 IAAF World Championships, where the daily high temperatures range from 97-101 degrees (F), but are guaranteed to be in the 70s inside the Khalifa International Stadium for the competition.

Having the Worlds so late – a month later than any of the prior 17 editions – has caused a substantial uproar in training schedules and no one is quite sure of what will happen when the running, jumping and throwing starts on Friday.

The heat in Qatar has also changed the schedule, with a single, long session each day, with no rest days, going straight through for 10 days, to 6 October.

There are plenty of controversies already, with considerable chatter about doping and a report – rejected by the Qatari organizers – that ticket sales for the 40,000-seat stadium have only reached 50,000 for the entire meet and that free tickets will be given to children and migrant workers to fill the place.

Regardless, the athletes are there and that’s what’s important, so let’s look ahead to the men’s running events in Doha (based on entry data from the IAAF):

● Men/100 meters: 27-28 September

Leading entries (with 2019 seasonal bests):
9.81 Christian Coleman (USA) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
9.86 Divine Oduduru (NGR)
9.87 Justin Gatlin (USA) ~ Defending champion
9.93 Akani Simbine (RSA)
9.93 Arthur Cisse (CIV)
9.93 Cravon Gillespie (USA)

Coleman, who was subject to sanctions for not reporting his whereabouts but saw the complaint withdrawn, is the favorite. He has been faster and more consistent than anyone else, but hasn’t been seen on a track since the end of July. He could be rusty, or he could be ready to do something special

Gatlin ran 9.97 in a small meet in Italy on 1 September, then felt a tug in a hamstring two days later in Croatia and hasn’t been seen since. Is he healed? Oduduru and Gillespie ran their hot times back in June at the NCAA meet, so Simbine, Jamaica’s Yohan Blake, British star Zharnel Hughes or Canada’s Andre De Grasse might be in line for a medal.

● Men/200 meters: 29-30 September-1 October

Leading entries:
19.50 Noah Lyles (USA)
19.73 Divine Oduduru (NGR)
19.82 Kenny Bednarek (USA)
19.86 Ramil Guliyev (TUR) ~ Defending champion
19.87 Andre De Grasse (CAN)
19.87 Alex Quinonez (ECU)

Lyles has to be the biggest favorite in the meet and has been sensational since a tight loss to Michael Norman in the Diamond League in Rome back in early June. In his five finals, he’s run 19.72, 19.50, 19.78. 19.65 and 19.74!

Guliyev and De Grasse looked good in chasing Lyles home in the Diamond League final, in 19.86 and 19.87 and are favored for medals. But then there is Quinonez, who seems to surprise when no one is looking, and Coleman, who has run 19.91 this year and swears he will do some damage here.

Oduduru won the NCAA with a hot time and has disappeared; Bednarek pulled up at the USATF Nationals in the final, but ran 19.86 at altitude in May and 20.07 in his USATF semi. If healed, he could be a contender.

● Men/400 meters: 1-2-4 October

Leading entries:
43.45 Michael Norman (USA)
43.64 Fred Kerley (USA)
44.14 Steven Gardiner (BAH) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
44.29 Nathan Strother (USA)
44.40 Akeem Bloomfield (JAM)
44.40 Vernon Norwood (USA)

The U.S. has dominated this event, with Norman running 43.45 to move to no. 4 ever back in April and Kerley running a lifetime best to beat him, 43.64-43.79 at the USATF Nationals. They are clear favorites to run 1-2, but Gardiner – who has a lifetime best of 43.87 – will be conceding nothing.

These three are prohibitive medal favorites, but much attention will be paid to 2011 World and 2012 Olympic champ Kirani James (GRN). Still just 28, he ran 44.47 in his only race this season, on 6 September in Spain. More in the tank?

● Men/800 meters: 28-29 September-1 October

Leading entries:
1:41.89 Nijel Amos (BOT)
1:42.54 Ferguson Rotich (KEN)
1:42.70 Donavan Brazier (USA)
1:43.51 Brandon McBride (CAN)
1:43.62 Amel Tuka (BIH)

The clock says that Amos, Rotich and Brazier are the class of the field, but they are hardly locks for medals. Amos and Rotich ran 1-2 with stirring times in the Diamond League Monaco race, but Brazier was tactically perfect in coming from seventh with a half-lap to go to win the Diamond League final just 0.10 from the American Record.

Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir (1:43.69 this year) cannot be counted out and a slower, more tactical race will play into the hands of 2017 Worlds silver medalist Adam Kszczot (1:44.61 in 2019). Want a wild card? How about the two Puerto Ricans: Wesley Vazquez (1:43.83) and Ryan Sanchez (1:44.82)?

● Men/1,500 meters: 3-4-6 October

Leading entries:
3:28.77 Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
3:30.16 Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)
3:30.58 Ronald Musagala (UGA)
3:30.62 Charlie Grice (GBR)
3:30.66 Ayanleh Souleiman (DJI)

No matter what the pace, Cheruiyot has been dominant in this event for a couple of years. He’s a strong favorite to win, with a battle royal behind him for the other medals. Defending silver medalist Filip Ingebrigtsen (NOR: 26 years old) has run 3:30.82, but ranks only sixth among the declared entries. Younger brother Jakob (19) and Musagala both have lifetime bests this season and have closed hard at the end of races.

After looking so great indoors, Ethiopia’s Sam Tefera has had an indifferent outdoor season, but he’s a medal threat if fit. It’s hard to see how 2016 Olympic champ Matthew Centrowitz of the U.S. could figure in the medal hunt, but if the race is slow, his tactical sense is not to be underestimated.

● Men/3,000 m Steeple: 01 & 04 October

Leading entries:
8:04.82 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
8:05.12 Benjamin Kigen (KEN)
8:05.51 Getnet Wale (ETH)
8:05.69 Fernando Carro (ESP)
8:05.72 Abraham Kibiwot (KEN)

The top five all ran their seasonal bests in finishing 1-2-3-4-5 at the Diamond League Monaco race in July, but Wale won at the Diamond League Final in Brussels. Those two and Kigen look like likely medalists, but defending champ (and Rio Olympic champ) Conseslus Kipruto (KEN) swears he will be ready to run for gold here.

● Men/5,000 m: 27 & 30 September

Leading entries:
12:52.98 Telahun Haile Bekele (ETH)
12:53.04 Selemon Barega (ETH)
12:54.92 Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH)
12:56.26 Birhanu Balew (BRN)
12:56.48 Abadi Hadis (ETH)

Looks like an Ethiopian sweep, doesn’t it? But the year list is deceiving since the top five times all came in the terrific Diamond League Rome race, the best of the year so far. All four Ethiopians are medal threats, as are Uganda’s Diamond League Final winner, Joshua Cheptegei (12:57.41) and Kenya’s Nicholas Kimeli (12:57.90). A slower pace will give tacticians like American Paul Chelimo – the bronze medalist in 2017 – a better shot at a medal.

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen (13:02.03) is running this as a warm-up for the 1,500 and could surprise with his excellent final-lap speed.

● Men/10,000 m: 6 October

Leading entries:
26:48.95 Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH)
26:49.66 Selemon Barega (ETH)
26:49.99 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH)
26:50.16 Rhonex Kipruto (KEN)
26:53.15 Andamlak Belikhu (ETH)

The year list is again dominated by a single race, the Ethiopian Trials in Hengelo (NED) in July, with 13 of the top 14 marks run so far. If the four Ethiopians at the Worlds work together, a similar result is possible, but that seems unlikely. That opens the door for others, possibly including American Lopez Lomong (27:30.06 at the U.S. Nationals). But the top three Ethiopians are all experienced internationals; they will be hard to beat.

● Men/Marathon: 5 October

Leading entries:
2:02:55 Mosinet Geremew (ETH)
2:03:16 Mule Wasihun (ETH)
2:05:01 Shura Kitata (ETH)
2:06:46 Amos Kipruto (KEN)
2:06:46 Okubay Tsegay (BRN)

The marathon will start at 11:59 p.m. and be run in the middle of the night due to the hot weather in Doha. It sounds exotic, but who knows what will happen? Geremew, Wasihun and Shura Kitata ran 2-3-4 behind Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) in London, but this race will have no pacesetters and no Kipchoge. Label the Ethiopians favorites, but they need to work together to forge a pace which will shake off any challengers.

The entries for this race were certainly impacted by the late date, especially with the Berlin Marathon coming this Sunday.

● Men/110 m hurdles: 30 September & 2 October

Leading entries:
12.98 Grant Holloway (USA)
13.00 Daniel Roberts (USA)
13.05 Orlando Ortega (ESP)
13.07 Omar McLeod (JAM) ~ Defending champion
13.12 Sergey Shubenkov (RUS) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist

Holloway and Roberts were 1-2 at the NCAAs in June; Holloway has lost his form since then, but assures anyone who will listen that he’ll be ready. Roberts has been good on the Diamond League circuit, winning in Paris in 13.08 a month ago, but he skipped the final. In the meantime, Ortega has been excellent and McLeod has been coming on.

Those three are the medal favorites; Shubenkov is certainly a possibility. But what about Holloway?

● Men/400 m hurdles: 27-28-30 September

Leading entries:
46.92 Karsten Warholm (NOR) ~ Defending champion
46.98 Rai Benjamin (USA)
47.27 Abderrahmane Samba (BRN)
48.30 Ludvy Vallant (FRA)
48.33 Kyron McMaster (BVI)

Kevin Young’s 1992 world record of 46.78 is unquestionably in jeopardy, with Warholm and Benjamin racing to the nos. 2-3 times in history at the Diamond League Final in Zurich (SUI) at the end of August.

This time, they have to work through two preliminary rounds and there might also be Samba to worry about. He won the Diamond League meet in Shanghai in May, but hasn’t been seen since, reportedly due to a foot injury. If he is right, he could challenge, but the pressure to perform in his home country makes this a lot to ask.

If Samba isn’t fit, the fight for third could be epic, with 2017 silver winner Yasmani Copello (TUR) and McMaster the most likely to claim a medal.

● Men/20 km Walk: 4 October

Leading entries:
1:17:15 Toshikazu Yamanishi (JPN)
1:17:25 Koki Ikeda (JPN)
1:17:45 Massimo Stano (ITA)
1:18:00 Eiki Takahashi (JPN)
1:18:07 Perseus Karlstrom (SWE)

The strong Japanese marks were from the Asian Championships back in March, but Yamanishi also won the IAAF Race Walk Challenge event in La Coruna (ESP), so he’s the favorite. Stano was second at La Coruna and Karlstrom was fourth and Ikeda should challenge for a medal

This event will start at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday evening and finish about 1 a.m. The competitors can literally say they went for a midnight stroll in Doha.

● Men/50 km Walk: 28 September

Leading entries:
3:37:43 Yohann Diniz (FRA) ~ Defending champion
3:38:02 Qin Wang (CHN)
3:39:07 Yusuke Suzuki (JPN)
3:41:04 Wenbin Niu (CHN)
3:41:15 Yadong Luo (CHN)

If Diniz is right, there’s no stopping him, but in six Worlds appearances, he has gone DQ-2nd-12th-DQ-10th-1st. So who knows? All of the top marks are from early in the year, so form is a question; the minor medalists figure to come from China or Japan.

This event will also start at 11:30 p.m., and finish about 3:30 a.m., which will make it a unique show on its own.

● Men/4×100 m Relay: 4-5 October
● Men/4×400 m Relay: 5-6 October

The U.S. hasn’t won the men’s 4×1 since 2007 and blew both relays in 2017. With a team that will include Coleman, Lyles and Mike Rodgers, this year looks better, IF the American sprinters can get the stick around the track.

The British (37.60), Japanese (37.78) and Dutch (37.99) have all been under 38 seconds; if the U.S. passes were actually good, they could be under 37!

The American quartet, with Norman, Kerley and Benjamin, should win the 4×400 m without too much difficulty. The lesser medals should be sorted out about Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and Colombia, which won the Pan Am Games at 3:01.41.

Prize money at the Worlds is pretty good: $60,000-30,000-20,000-15,000-10,000-6,000-5,000-4,000 for individual events at $80,000-40,000-20,000-16,000-12,000-8,000-6,000-4,000 for the top eight places.

Back later with more previews of the men’s field events; look for results here.

CANOE-KAYAK Preview: Martikan and Fox try to extend record totals at World Slalom Champs

By
Rich Perelman
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Australia's Slalom star Jessica Fox

A massive turnout of 450 athletes from 63 countries is anticipated for the 2019 ICF World Canoe Slalom Championships at La Seu d’Urgell in Spain, with Olympic qualifying spots on the line as well.

The top 18 countries in men’s and women’s K1, and the top 11 countries in men’s and women’s C1 will qualify one quota place for the 2020 Games. But beyond that will be the performances of two of the all-time greats in the sport, Michal Martikan (SVK) and Jessica Fox of Australia.

Martikan, now 40, is the all-time leader with 22 World Championships medals and 14 golds in C-1, starting in 1995 (at age 16!). His last individual medal was a 2017 C-1 bronze.

Fox, 25, started at the 2010 Worlds and has won nine golds and 12 total Worlds medals. The nine golds is the most ever in women’s Slalom, but she is within striking distance of the all-time record for Slalom medals – 14 – held by Czech Stepanka Hilgertova (1989-2015), The next closest active paddler is German Jasmin Schornberg, who has 10 medals from 2006-18.

The expected contenders:

Men/C-1:
● Matej Benus (SVK) ~ 2011 Worlds bronze medalist; three 2019 World Cup medals
● Alexander Slafkovsky (CZE) ~ 2013-17 Worlds silvers
● Roberto Colzingari (ITA) ~ World Cup winner in Tacen
● Franz Anton (GER) ~ 2018 World Champion
● Sideris Tasiadis (GER) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze
● Luka Bozic (SLO) ~ three 2019 World Cup medals
● Benjamin Savsek (SLO) ~ 2017 World Champion; 2014-15 World silvers
● Ryan Westley (GBR) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist; 2015 Worlds bronze

Men/K-1:
● Jiri Prskavec (CZE) ~ 2015 World Champion; 2013-18 Worlds silvers
● Vit Prindis (CZE) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist; 2019 World Cup winner in Markkleeberg
● Giovanni de Gennaro (ITA) ~ 2019 World Cup winner in Tacen
● Peter Kauzer (SLO) ~ 2009-11 World Champion; 2017 Worlds bronze
● Joe Clarke (GBR) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion; 2019 World Cup winner in Lee Valley
● Boris Neveu (FRA) ~ 2014 World Champion
● Andrej Malek (SVK) ~ 2019 World Cup winner in Bratislava
● Hannes Aigner (GER) ~ 2018 World Champion

Women/C-1:
● Jessica Fox (AUS) ~ 2013-14-15-18 World Champion
● Kimberley Woods (GBR) ~ 2019 World Cup silver in Lee Valley & Prague
● Tezera Fiserova (CZE) ~ 2017 Worlds silver; 2018 Worlds bronze
● Nuria Villarrubla (ESP) ~ 2015 Worlds bronze
● Viktoria Wolffhardt (AUT) ~ 2019 World Cup silver in Tacen
● Evy Leibfarth (USA) ~ 2019 World Cup bronze in Tacen
● Mallory Franklin (GBR) ~ 2017 World Champion; 2013-14-18 Worlds silver
● Claire Jacquet (FRA) ~ 2019 World Cup winner in Bratislava
● Ana Satila (BRA) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist

Women/K-1:
● Jessica Fox (AUS) ~ 2016 Olympic bronze; 2014-17-18 World Champion
● Ana Satila (BRA) ~ 2019 World Cup Final silver medalist
● Ricarda Funk (GER) ~ 2015 World Champion; 2017-18 Worlds bronzes
● Stefanie Horn (ITA) ~ 2019 World Cup winner in Tacen
● Eva Tercelj (SLO) ~ 2019 World Cup silver medalist in Tacen; World Cup Final bronze
● Mallory Franklin (GBR) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
● Corinna Kuhnle (AUT) ~ 2010-11 World Champion
● Luuka Jones (NZL) ~ 2016 Olympic silver medalist

This is the third time for La Seu as the site for the World Championships, and always in the ninth year of a decade: 1999, 2009 and now 2019. Look for results here.

CYCLING: Dygert crushes field in Worlds Time Trial win; U.S. has three of top seven finishers

By
Rich Perelman
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World Time Trial medalists Ann van der Breggen (NED-silver), Chloe Dygert (USA-gold) and Annemiek van Vleuten (NED-bronze). (Photo: UCI)

American Chloe Dygert-Owen served notice to the entire cycling world that she is going to have to be dealt with in Tokyo next year with a brilliant, overwhelming victory in the Individual Time Trial at the 2019 UCI World Road Race Championships in Yorkshire, England.

Dygert, 22, started 30th in the field of 53, but passed eight riders (!) on the way to a stunning time of 42:11.57, with no one close.

She took over the lead from Alena Amialiusik by more than 3:17, with 19 of the best riders in the world still to come. Dutch star Anna van der Breggen, who had finished second in this race for the past three years, came within 1:32.35 of the lead as the 45th rider in the order and she stayed right in that position.

The last rider to start was two-time winner Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), who also flew through the rainy conditions on the 30.3 km course, but was way behind at the finish, 1:52.66 behind the winner and in third place behind teammate van der Breggen.

Dygert-Owen wasn’t the only American star on the day, as former World Champion Amber Neben, 44, was fourth and Leah Thomas finished seventh.

“I really prepared very well for this,” said Dygert-Owens afterwards. “We took this year and just worked towards this race. I had my concussion last year so we had to take this slow and now we’re looking forward to Tokyo. It’s always very special to wear the stripes, it’s everybody’s goal, and I’m just super thankful for everyone who believed in me. I live in Washington State so I’m used to riding in the rain and I knew everyone else was going to be scared so I tried to make the most of it.”

Dygert-Owen is coached by two-time Time Trial World Champion Kristin Armstrong (2006, 2009), so she was indeed ready. It’s her third international senior title, after the Pan American Time Trial in 2017 and the Pan American Games Time Trial earlier this year in Lima, Peru. She also won the 2015 World Junior Road Race and Time Trial, and won two golds at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2018 in the Individual and Team Pursuits!

She wasn’t the only American highlight at the Road Worlds so far, as Ian Garrison and Brandon McNulty won the silver and bronze medals in the men’s U-23 Individual Time Trial behind three-time winner Mikkel Bjerg of Denmark.

The UCI World Road Championships continue with the men’s Time Trial tomorrow – look for Vuelta a Espana winner Primoz Roglic (SLO) as one of the favorites and continue with the road races through Sunday. Look for results here.

UCI World Road Championships
Yorkshire (GBR) ~ 22-29 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men

Time Trial/U-23 (30.3 km): 1. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN), 40:20; 2. Ian Garrison (USA), 40:47; 3. Brandon McNulty (USA), 40:48; 4. Mathias Norsgaard Jorgensen (DEN), 40:58; 5. Brent van Moer (BEL), 41:04.

Time Trial/Junior (27.6 km): 1. Antonio Tiberi (ITA), 38:28; 2. Enzo Leijnse (NED), 38:36; 3. Marco Brenner (GER), 38:41; 4. Quinn Simmons (USA), 38:48; 5. Michel Hessmann (GER), 38:56.

Women

Time Trial (30.3 km): 1. Chloe Dygert-Owen (USA), 42:11; 2. Anna van der Breggen (NED), 43:44; 3. Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), 44:05; 4. Amber Neben (USA), 44:50; 5. Lisa Klein (GER), 44:53; 6. Marlen Reusser (SUI), 45:14; 7. Leah Thomas (USA), 45:25; 8. Lucinda Brand (NED), 45:27.

Time Trial/Junior (13.7 km): 1. Aigul Gareeva (RUS), 22:16; 2. Shirin van Androoij (NED), 22:20; 3. Elynor Backstedt (GBR), 22:27; 4. Camilla Alessio (ITA), 22:31; 5. Wilma Olausson (SWE), 22:33. Also in the top 10: 7. Zoe Ta-Perez (USA), 22:42; … 9. Megan Jastrab (USA), 23:01.

Mixed

Mixed Team Time Trial: 1. Netherlands (Brand, Markus, Pieters, Bouwman, Mollema, van Emden), 38:27.60; 2. Germany, 38:50.35; 3. Great Britain, 39:18.87; 4. Italy, 39:23.49; 5. France, 39:50.64; 6. Switzerland, 39:54.54; 7. Slovenia, 40:25.00; 8. Denmark, 40:31.98.

BADMINTON Preview: All five no. 1-ranked shuttlers in Korea Open in Incheon

By
Rich Perelman
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Japan's no. 1-ranked Akane Yamaguchi

No one can say that the Badminton World Tour doesn’t feature its top players on a regular basis. Once again, all five of the no. 1-ranked players in the BWF World Rankings are in the field for the 28th edition of the Korea Open.

This year’s edition is being held – for the third time – in Incheon and includes not only the five top-ranked players/teams, but also four of those ranked no. 2 and three of those ranked third! The top seeds (and their current world rankings):

● Men/Singles:
1. Kento Momota (JPN: no. 1 in BWF World Rankings) ~ Won 5 tournaments in 2019
2. Tien-Chen Chou (TPE: 2) ~ Defending Champion
3. Jonatan Christie (INA: 6)

● Men/Doubles:
1. Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA: 1)
2. Junhui Li/Yuchen Liu (CHN: 3)
3. Takeshi Kamura/Keigo Sonoda (JPN: 4)

● Women/Singles:
1. Akane Yamaguchi (JPN: 1) ~ 2016 Champion
2. Yufei Chen (CHN: 2)
3. Tzu-Ying Tai (TPE: 4)

● Women/Doubles:
1. Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara (JPN: 1)
2. Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi (JPN: 3) ~ Defending Champions
3. Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (JPN: 2)

● Mixed Doubles:
1. Siwei Zheng/Yaqiong Huang (CHN: 1)
2. Yilyu Wang/Dongping Huang (CHN: 2)
3. Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino (JPN: 3)

Prize money is $30,000-15,000-5,800 for the top three placers in the Single events and $31,600-15,200-5,600 for the top three in the Doubles. Look for results here.

TSX DAILY: WADA confirms Russian doping inquiry on data “discrepancies”; Nye and Rogers in historic 1-2 for U.S. lifters; 13 new U.S. Hall of Fame members

By
Rich Perelman
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≡ TSX DAILY ~ 24 September 2019 ≡

| 1. |  LEADING OFF: Russian doping data “discrepancies are not random” per AIU 

The World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed the details of its deepened inquiry into the quality of the information retrieved from the Moscow Laboratory in January of this year, while the details of a possible cover-up came from the IAAF’s Athletics Integrity Unit.

WADA issued a statement following its Executive Committee meeting on Monday in Tokyo (JPN) clarifying the current status, noting that WADA’s Compliance Review Committee had opened a formal compliance procedure into possible manipulation of the data on 17 September. The notice to the Russian Anti-Doping Agency provided three weeks in which to explain “inconsistencies” in the data and answers to other questions.

The Moscow Lab data is being compared to a copy provided by a whistleblower in 2015, and the most detailed explanation of the issues was provided by the IAAF’s Athletics Integrity Unit, which was provided with all of the data related to track & field athletes.

The IAAF Council, meeting in Qatar in advance of the World Championships due to begin on Friday, agreed to maintain the suspension of the Russian Athletics Federation. The report from its Russian Taskforce chair, Rune Andersen (NOR) explained the issue plainly:

“[S]ome of the underlying raw data and PDFs presenting those data (the chromatograms) in visual hard copy form either are not present or are present only in altered form. 

“Importantly, the AIU advises that these discrepancies are not random: in many cases, they relate to positive findings that appear in the LIMS database copy provided by the informant (including the ‘disappearing positives’ referenced in the McLaren report) but do not appear in the 2019 copy of the database (or in the underlying raw data and PDFs).” (Emphasis added)

Andersen’s report further noted that the “discrepancies” seen by the AIU mirror those seen for other sports by WADA and lead to the inexorable conclusion that even while ostensibly complying with the WADA requirements for reinstatement last January, the cover-up of doping positives by Russian athletes continued.

So the next step will be the comments from Russia, due on or about 8 October. The WADA Compliance Review Committee will then review the replies and then decide what to recommend, if anything, to the Executive Board. The next ExCo meeting is scheduled for 4 November 2019 in Poland and could see the Russian Anti-Doping Agency re-classified as non-compliant, thereby putting Russian participation – as a national team – in the 2020 Tokyo Games in jeopardy.

The WADA statement did note that 47 cases of possible doping positives had been developed from data deemed trustworthy and these had been distributed for further action to the relevant International Federation.

There’s more; the details are here.

| 2. | WEIGHTLIFTING: Historic 1-2 finish for Katie Nye and Mattie Rogers in Worlds 71 kg final

For the first time in 64 years, American lifters finished first and second in a weight class at the World Weightlifting Championships, continuing in Pattaya (THA).

In the women’s 71 kg division, 20-year-old Katie Nye (pictured) led the Snatch, Clean & Jerk and the combined total to win the world title at 248 kg (~547 lbs.), ahead of teammate Mattie Rogers, who lifted a combined total of 240 kg (~529 lbs.) for the combined silver medal.

Nye became only the fourth U.S. women to win a world title in weightlifting, following Karyn Marshall in 1987 (at 82.5 kg), Robin Byrd in 1994 (50 kg) and Sarah Robles in 2017 (+90 kg).

The gold-silver combination was the first ever for U.S. women; the last time it happened for the men was way back in 1955 for Paul Anderson and James Bradford in the +90 kg division, the heaviest at the time.

It’s Nye’s second international title this season, as she also won the World Junior Championships earlier in the year; Rogers won a medal for the third consecutive World Championships, making her one of the most decorated American women in the sport, with a total of six medals (counting medals for individual lifts as well as the combined total).

More here; the championships continue through the 27th, with Robles still to lift.

| 3. | GYMNASTICS: Biles leads U.S. women’s team for World Championships

USA Gymnastics named its six-woman team for the 2019 FIG Artistic World Championships in early October in Stuttgart (GER), selecting the top six finishers from last weekend’s Team Selection Camp in Florida.

There was no doubt about four-time All–Around world champ Simone Biles, of course, who won the U.S. nationals All-Around as well as the Team Selection Camp competition. But some of the other choices were more surprising.

First-year senior competitor Sunisa Lee (pictured) was a stunning second at the U.S. Nationals and second again at the Selection Camp, so she was easily selected. But then it got more complicated.

Grace McCallum was third in the Nationals All-Around and sixth at the Selection Camp, so she was in. But the 4-5 placers at the Nationals – Morgan Hurd (the 2017 World Champion) and Leanne Wong – were only 9-8 at the Selection Camp and left as non-traveling alternates.

Kara Eaker, 10th at Nationals, but third at the Selection Camp made it, as did McKayla Skinner, who was eighth at Nationals, but fourth at the Selection Camp. Jade Carey, who was seventh at Nationals and fifth at the Selection Camp, was named as she is a prime candidate for medals in the Vault and Floor.

Of the six who will go to Stuttgart, five will compete in the Team round, but the declaration does not have to be made until just before the competition starts. More here.

| 4. | FOOTBALL: FIFA annual awards honor Lionel Messi, Megan Rapinoe and Jill Ellis

FIFA announced its annual awards in a ceremony on Milan, Italy, with Argentina’s Lionel Messi awarded the “Best FIFA Men’s Player” for the sixth time and American striker Megan Rapinoe winning the women’s award.

The top coaches were German Jurgen Klopp, who guided Liverpool to the UEFA Champions League title and American Jill Ellis, coach of the two-time U.S. women’s World Cup winners.

The best keepers were Alisson Becker, the Brazilian goalie playing for Liverpool and Sari van Veenendaal (NED), who played a major role in getting the Dutch to the Women’s World Cup final.

Five American women were named to the women’s World 11: Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Rose Lavelle, Kelley O’Hara and Julie Ertz. The complete list is here.

| 5. | BASKETBALL: Thompson and Mitchell confirm interest in 2020 Olympic team

The outlook for the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team continues to brighten, as a third member of the Golden State Warriors, star shooting guard Klay Thompson, said he planned to play for the American team next summer.

Thompson (pictured) was a member of the 2016 Olympic gold medalists and also played with teammate Steph Curry as a member of the 2014 FINA World Cup winners and – with Curry – can bring the outside shooting touch the U.S. lacked at the recent FIBA World Cup in China.

Thompson is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but is expected back in February.

In addition, Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz also signaled his readiness to play in 2020, after being one of the best players on the U.S. team at the World Cup. He averaged 13.1 points per five and 5.0 assists and shot 46.6% from the field (40.5% on three-pointers) in 27.2 minutes per game.

| 6. | ATHLETICS: Sad news of the passing of Olympic discus thrower Jarred Rome

Two-time U.S. Olympic discus thrower Jarred Rome died on Saturday (21st) after complaining of not feeling well the previous evening. He had been inducted into the Snohomish County Hall of Fame on Wednesday in Everett, Washington and had been out with friends on Friday evening at a local casino. No more details of his passing have been published.

Rome, just 42, won national discus titles in 2004 and 2011, made the 2004 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams and competed in four IAAF World Championships with a best of seventh in 2005. His best of 68.76 m (225-7) came in 2011; he ranks no. 15 on the all-time U.S. list.

¶The IAAF World Championships start on Friday and the IAAF is ramping up its information express with two important documents now available for download:

● Confirmed entry lists, with seasonal and personal best marks, and

● IAAF Doha 2019 Statistics Handbook, a stunning 850-page compilation of past results, records, all-time lists and much more. Amazing, and free to download!

The World Championships are about prestige, but also money. Some $7.53 million in prize money will be handed out to the top placers: $60,000-30,000-20,000-15,000-10,000-6,000-5,000-4,000 for the top eight. Relay teams will be rewarded with $80,000-40,000-20,000-16,000-12,000-8,000-6,000-4,000 for the top eight.

World records will be worth a $100,000 bonus, but it has to be a new record, not a tie!

| 7.| USOPC: Hall of Fame class of 2019 named, including “legends” Tommie Smith and John Carlos

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced its first class of Hall of Fame inductees in seven years, with 13 new members to be enshrined on 1 November.

The five Olympians selected from a field of 15 included:

● Lisa Leslie (Basketball)
● Nastia Liukin (Gymnastics)
● Misty May-Treanor (Beach Volleyball)
● Apolo Anton Ohno (Short Track Speedskating)
● Dara Torres (Swimming)

Three Paralympians were selected:

● Candace Cable (Alpine Skiing/Nordic Skiing/Track & Field)
● Erin Popovich (Swimming)
● Chris Waddell (Alpine Skiing/Track & Field)

The team selection was the 1998 women’s ice hockey team, which won the inaugural Olympic gold medal in the sport.

In addition, the Hall of Fame nominating committee selected four additional inductees:

● Legend: Tommie Smith, 1968 gold in Track & Field (200 m)
● Legend: John Carlos, 1968 bronze in Track & Field (200 m)
● Coach: Ron O’Brien, Diving (Olympic coach in 1972-76-80-84-88)
● Contributor: Tim Nugent, founder of the Division of Disability Resources and Services program at the University of Illinois

The 13 new members bring the Hall of Fame total to 154; the USOPC reported that “nearly 200,000 votes were cast” for the Olympic/Paralympic/Team categories.

STAT PACK: Results for the week of 16-22 September 2019

By
Rich Perelman
-

The Stat Pack: a summary of results of international Grand Prix, World Cup and World Championships events, plus U.S. domestic events and Pan American championships events of note.

In this week’s issue are reports on 11 events in nine sports:

● Badminton: BWF World Tour 1000: China Open in Changzhou
● Boxing: AIBA Men’s World Championships in Yekaterinburg
● Canoe-Kayak: ICF Sprint Super Cup in Linyi
● Figure Skating: ISU Challenger Series/U.S. Int’l Classic in Salt Lake City
● Gymnastics: FIG Artistic World Challenge Cup in Guimaraes
● Gymnastics: FIG Rhythmic World Championships in Baku
● Gymnastics: FIG Trampoline World Cup in Khabarovsk
● Judo: IJF World Tour: Tashkent Grand Prix in Tashkent
● Shooting: USA Shooting Shotgun Fall Selection in Kerrville
● Skateboard: World Skate Street World Championships in Sao Paulo
● Wrestling: UWW World Championships in Nur-Sultan

plus our calendar of upcoming events through 27 October. Click below for the PDF:

[wpdm_package id=16894 template=”link-template-button-popup.php”]

For the stories behind the stats, be sure to visit TheSportsExaminer.com often!

WEIGHTLIFTING: Sensational 1-2 finish for Katie Nye and Mattie Rogers in Worlds 71 kg!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Weightlifting history for Mattie Rogers (left, silver) and Katie Nye (gold) of the U.S. at the 2019 IWF 71 kg Worlds, with North Korea's Hyo-Sim Kim (bronze) and Emily Godley (GBR, fourth). (Photo: IWF)

When the entry lists for the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships were finalized, the women’s 71 kg division was the one where U.S. hopes were centered.

Based on the confirmed list of lifters, Americans Katie Nye and Mattie Rogers had the top expected totals of 246 kg and 238 kg, respectively. But would it turn out that way?

Yes and yes.

Nye led all three lifts at 112 kg (~247 lbs., a World Junior Record) for the Snatch, 136 kg (~300 lbs.) for the Clean & Jerk and 248 kg for the total (~547 lbs.), winning her second international title of the season. Still only 20, she won the World Junior Championships in Fiji in early June and now owns both world titles in the same season.

“I am happy that I did what I had to do for the win,” said Nye afterwards. “As an athlete, you’re trained to not be satisfied with what you do, then you’re not going to make any progress. Leaving 141 kg out there [in the Clean & Jerk], I was proud of what I was done, [but] I knew I had that in me.”

Rogers was third in the Snatch (106 kg/234 lbs.) and second in the Clean & Jerk (134 kg/~295 lbs.) and her combined total of 240 kg (~529 lbs.) was well clear of North Korea’s Hyo-Sim Kim, at 230 kg (~507 lbs.) combined in third.

“I was definitely a little tired going into the clean and jerks, the second was a personal best by 2 kilograms. The third was a little wild and crazy,” Rogers said. “I’m really happy to be here. I was here for myself more than anything else. I was not after a medal, I was not after a total, I was not here for any particular person. I was here to just have fun and I think we did a really good job of doing that.”

It’s the third Worlds in which Rogers, 24, has won a medal. She won the bronze for all three lifts at 69 kg in the 2017 Worlds in Anaheim (USA) and claimed a bronze for the Clean & Jerk at 71 kg in Ashgabat (TKM) in 2018. With two medals in Pattaya, she has a career total of six.

The 1-2 finish is the first ever for U.S. women in the World Championships; the last time it happened for the men was in 1955, when Paul Anderson and James Bradford won gold and silver in the +90 kg division, the heaviest at the time.

In the men’s 89 kg division, Armenia’s Hakob Mkrtchyan was fourth in the Snatch and second in the Clean & Jerk, but his combined total of 375 kg (~827 lbs.) was the winner, just better than Iran’s Ali Miri, who totaled 374 kg (~825 lbs.).

The meet continues through the 27th. Summaries so far:

IWF World Championships
Pattaya (THA) ~ 18-27 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men

55 kg: 1. Yun Chol Om (PRK), 294 kg (World Record; new weight class: 2. Igor Son (KAZ), 266 kg; 3. Mansour Al Saleem (KSA), 265 kg; 4. Tran Nguyen (VIE), 263 kg; 5. Arli Chotney (KAZ), 263 kg; 6. John Ceniza (PHI), 262 kg; 7. Hafez Ghashghaei (IRI), 260 kg; 8. Surahmat Wijoyo (INA), 250 kg.

61 kg: 1. Fabin Li (CHN), 318 kg (World Record; old, 317 kg, Eko Yuki Irawan (INA), 2017); 2. Eko Yuli Irawan (INA), 306 kg; 3. Francisco Mosquera (COL), 302 kg; 4. Kim Tuan Thach (VIE), 296 kg; 5. Jhon Serna (COL), 295 kg; 6. Yoichi Itokazu (JPN), 293 kg; 7. Shota Mishvelidze (GEO), 287 kg; 8. Aznil Muhamad (MS), 285 kg.

67 kg: 1. Lijun Chen (CHN), 337 kg: 2. Lyudong Feng (CHN), 333 kg; 3. Jong Ju Pak (PRK), 330 kg; 4. Adkhamjon Ergashev (UZB), 328 kg; 5. Luis Mosquera (COL), 320 kg; 6. Mitsunori Konnai (JPN), 317 kg; 7. Daniyar Ismayilov (TUIR), 316 kg; 8. Henadz Laptseu (BLR), 313 kg. Also: 23. Alex Lee (USA), 295 kg; … 27. Jordan Wissinger (USA), 283 kg.

73 kg: 1. Zhiyong Shi (CHN), 363 kg (World Record; old, 362 kg, Shi, 2019); 2. Kang Chol O (PRK), 347 kg; 3. Bozhidar Andreev (BUL), 346 kg; 4. Vadzim Likharad (BLR), 338 kg; 5. Briken Calja (ALB), 337 kg; 6. Julio Mayora (VEN), 337 kg; 7. Joohyo Bak (KOR), 337 kg; 8. Jeongsik Won (KOR), 336 kg. Also: 9. Clarence Cummings Jr. (USA), 333 kg.

81 kg: 1. Xiaojun Lyu (CHN), 378 kg (World Record; old, 375 kg, Dayin Li (CHN), 2019): 2. Dayin Li (CHN), 377 kg; 3. Brayan Rodallegas (COL), 363 kg; 4. Rejepbay Rejepov (TKM), 363 kg; 5. Yunder Beytula (BUL), 358 kg; 6. Antonino Pizzolato (ITA), 358 kg; 7. Andres Mata (ESP), 356 kg; 8. Zacarias Bonnat (DOM), 355 kg. Also: 9. Harrison Maurus (USA), 350 kg; … 23. Christian Rodriguez (USA), 327 kg.

89 kg: 1. Hakob Mkrtchyan (ARM), 375 kg; 2. Ali Miri (IRI), 374 kg; 3. Revaz Davitadze (GEO), 371 kg: 4. Aliaksandr Bersanau (BLR), 370 kg; 5. Toshiki Yamamoto (JPN), 368 kg; 6. Dongju Yu (KOR), 367 kg; 7. Olfides Saez (CUB), 364 kg; 8. Keydomar Vallenilla (VEN), 364 kg. Also: 17. Jordan Cantrell (USA), 350 kg.

Women

45 kg: 1. Saziye Erdogan (TUR), 169 kg; 2. Ludia Montero (CUB), 167 kg; 3. Lisa Setiawati (INA), 165 kg; 4. Thi Vuong (VIE), 164 kg; 5. My Phuong Khong (VIE), 161 kg; 6. Rosielis Quintana (VEN), 157 kg; 7. Mary Flor Diaz (PHI), 156 kg; 8. Rosina Randafiarison (MAD), 155 kg.

48 kg: 1. Huihua Jiang (CHN), 212 kg (World Record; old, 210 kg, Zuihui Hou (CHN), 2019); 2. Zhihui Hou (CHN), 211 kg; 3. Song Gum Ri (PRK), 204 kg; 4. Chanu Mirabai (IND), 201 kg; 5. Ana Segura (COL), 188 kg; 6. Kristina Sobol (RUS), 187 kg; 7. Beatriz Piron (DOM), 187 kg; 8. Morghan King (USA), 183 kg. Also: 13. Alyssa Ritchey (USA), 178 kg.

55 kg: 1. Qiuyun Liao (CHN), 227 kg; 2. Wanqiong Zhang (CHN), 222 kg; 3. Hidilyn Diaz (PHI), 214 kg; 4. Zulfiya Chinshanlo (KAZ), 213 kg; 5. Yenny Sinisterra (COL), 210 kg; 6. Muattar Nabieva (UZB), 209 kg; 7. Ana Lopez (MEX), 202 kg; 8. Rachel Leblanc (CAN), 201 kg. Also: 9. Jourdan Delacruz (USA), 200 kg.

59 kg: 1. Hsing-Chun Kuo (TPE), 246 kg (World Record; old, 243 kg, Kuo, 2019); 2. Hyo Sim Choe (PRK), 245 kg; 3. Guiming Chen (CHN), 233 kg; 4. Rosive Silgado (COL), 222 kg; 5. Mikiko Andoh (JPN), 222 kg; 6. Zoe Smith (GBR), 216 kg; 7. Yusleidy Figueroa (VEN), 215 kg; 8. Rebeka Koha (LAT), 215 kg. Also: 16. Hunter Elam (USA), 200 kg; … 20. Jessica Lucero (USA), 191 kg.

64 kg: 1. Wei Deng (CHN), 261 kg (World Record; old, 257 kg, Deng, 2019); 2. Un Sim Rim (PRK), 251 kg; 3. Loredana-Elena Toma (ROU), 240 kg; 4. Mercedes Perez (COL), 238 kg; 5. Irina-Lacramoiara Lepsa (ROU), 235 kg; 6. Maude Charron (CAN), 230 kg; 7. Nathalia Llamosa (COL), 222 kg; 8. Sarah Davies (GBR), 222 kg.

71 kg: 1. Katie Nye (USA), 248 kg; 2. Mattie Rogers (USA), 240 kg; 3. Hyo Sim Kim (KOR), 230 kg; 4. Emily Godley (GBR), 226 kg; 5. Anastasiia Anzorova (RUS), 219 kg; 6. Maya Laylor (CAN), 218 kg; 7. Yekaterina Bykova (KAZ), 211 kg; 8. Kristel Macrohon (PHI), 210 kg.

GYMNASTICS: Biles leads women’s World Championships team; Hurd only an alternate

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic gold medalist and now twice World Champion Jade Carey (USA)

USA Gymnastics named its women’s team for the FIG Artistic World Championships in Stuttgart (GER) starting on 4 October, led by Simone Biles.

Gymnastics is very much a sport of “what have you done lately” and the six women named to the Worlds team were the top six at last weekend’s Team Selection Camp All-Around in Sarasota, Florida:

● Simone Biles ~ 2019 National All-Around Champ; 1st at Selection Camp A-A
● Jade Carey ~ 7th at Nationals; 5th at Selection Camp
● Kara Eaker ~ 10th at Nationals; 3rd at Selection Camp
● Sunisa Lee ~ 2nd at Nationals; 2nd at Selection Camp
● Grace McCallum ~ 3rd at Nationals; 6th at Selection Camp
● McKayla Skinner ~ 8th at Nationals; 4th at Selection Camp

Not selected, but named as non-traveling alternates were 2017 World Champion Morgan Hurd (4th at Nationals, 9th at Selection Camp) and 2018 National Junior Champion Leanne Wong (5th at Nationals, 8th at Selection Camp).

Left out were Faith Torrez (7th at Selection Camp), Emily Lee (10th), Jordan Chiles (11th) and Trinity Thomas (12th). Not invited to the camp were past stars who have been injured, such as Ragan Smith and Riley McCusker, both members of the 2018 Worlds team.

Of the six who are headed to Stuttgart, only five will be selected to compete in the Worlds Team qualifying, but that decision won’t be made until just before the event starts.

This will be the first Worlds for Lee and Skinner, but the other four have all been there:

4: Biles: 2013-14-15-18
1: Carey: 2017
1: Eaker: 2018
1: McCallum: 2018

Only Biles has Olympic experience, from 2016, and she owns an astonishing 20 World Championships medals (14-3-3). Biles owns the career records for most gold medals (14) and most golds in an individual event (11), the most individual events medals (17) and is tied with Soviet Svetlana Khorkina (1994-2003) for the most total Worlds medals with 20.

THE BIG PICTURE: WADA wants answers on Russian data; IAAF continues RusAF suspension

By
Rich Perelman
-

The stunning revelations concerning possible “manipulation” with the Moscow Lab data provided to the World Anti-Doping Agency in January reverberated around the globe on Monday, with developments coming from Japan and Qatar:

● WADA: Fast-track review of Russia Code compliance now underway

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s Executive Committee met in Tokyo (JPN) on Monday and issued a statement clarifying the action now underway:

“The ExCo was also informed that further investigation, by WADA [Intelligence & Investigations Department] and independent experts in digital forensics, of the inconsistencies in the Moscow Laboratory data outlined in WADA’s press release dated 2 July 2019 had led WADA to open a formal compliance procedure against RUSADA on 17 September 2019. Ensuring the authenticity of the Moscow Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and underlying raw data was one of the critical conditions imposed by the ExCo for RUSADA to maintain its compliance with the Code when the ExCo decided to reinstate RUSADA as Code-compliant in September 2018.”

Three weeks from the 17th would mean the answers are due back to the Compliance Review Committee by the 8th of October. The Russian response will be evaluated by the WADA staff, then sent to the Compliance Review Committee for recommendations to the Executive Committee.

None of this is going to happen quickly, but there should be more action at the next WADA Executive Committee meeting, in Katowice (POL), on 4 November. An action by WADA to make Russia non-compliant could lead directly to sanctions against it under the Code Compliance Standards … which will immediately be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The good news here is that there is sufficient time – for now – to consider all of these issues well before the Tokyo Games approach next July.

The statement also noted that 47 case files on possible doping cases that have come up through the review of the Moscow Lab data have been forwarded to the appropriate International Federation for action. Per the statement, “The aforementioned 47 cases are unaffected and contained no inconsistencies in the data.”

● IAAF: No change in status; Russian Athletics Federation still suspended; data “discrepanices are not random”

The IAAF Council met in Doha (QAT) in advance of its World Championships that begin on Friday and confirmed the continuing suspension of the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF).

The report presented by the IAAF Russia Taskforce Chair Rune Andersen (NOR) confirmed serious issues with the Moscow Lab data (paragraph broken apart for readability):

“The AIU has advised that it is still in the process of analysing that data, but it has already identified numerous discrepancies between the copy of the LIMS database that an informant provided to WADA in 2015 and the copy of the LIMS database that WADA took at the Moscow lab in January 2019.

“In addition, some of the underlying raw data and PDFs presenting those data (the chromatograms) in visual hard copy form either are not present or are present only in altered form.

“Importantly, the AIU advises that these discrepancies are not random: in many cases, they relate to positive findings that appear in the LIMS database copy provided by the informant (including the ‘disappearing positives’ referenced in the McLaren report) but do not appear in the 2019 copy of the database (or in the underlying raw data and PDFs). (emphasis added)

“As a result, the AIU has advised that it is not able to confirm that the data provided by the Russian authorities to WADA in January 2019 are authentic and have not been tampered with, and therefore currently the AIU does not have everything it needs to determine whether any of the RusAF athletes in the LIMS database has a case to answer for violation of the anti-doping rules.

“The Taskforce’s view is that the ongoing situation is detrimental to the sport of Athletics as it impacts on AIU’s ability to prosecute cases which in turn is unfair to clean athletes. The AIU is now working with WADA to determine the cause of the discrepancies it has identified.”

This is a major problem and the report further noted that “The AIU has been advised that WADA has found very similar discrepancies in those data.”

Andersen cited other issues, including falsification of medical records for high jumper Danil Lysenko and continuing coaching by banned individuals.

The Russian federation confirmed that 448 athletes are in the registered testing pool and are required to file “whereabouts” information for testing purposes. During the first eight and a half months of 2019, 824 Russian athletes were tested a total of 2,581 times, with 67 suspected rule violations so far (that’s a positives rate as high as 8.1% of those tested).

In effect, there are now two anti-doping organizations working on the Moscow Lab data: WADA and the IAAF’s Athletics Integrity Unit, and as both are seeing the same manipulations of the data provided in January, the situation appears to be getting worse, not better.

TSX DAILY: Russia reported to have manipulated doping data; U.S. wins five Worlds wrestling golds + fourth Skateboard title for Huston

By
Rich Perelman
-

≡ TSX DAILY ~ 23 September 2019 ≡

| 1. |  LANE ONE: Here we go again – Russia could be suspended after evidence of data manipulation!

At the end of a week in which Russia athletes posted dominating performances in multiple sports came news that could shake Russian sport once again.

ARD reporter Hajo Seppelt, whose December 2014 documentary exposed the Russian doping scandal to the world, reported late Friday on Twitter:

RUS under suspicion to have manipulated Moscow lab data (provided to @wada_ama  early 2019). @wada_ama  Compliance Review Committee will inform WADA Exco at Tokyo meeting next week. „Non Compliance” procedure already initiated.

After suspending Russia in 2015, the World Anti-Doping Agency controversially reinstated the country’s Anti-Doping Agency to compliant status in September 2018 and was finally able to obtain the Moscow Laboratory testing data from 2011-15 last January and the requested stored specimens last April.

The hard work of comparing the 24 terabytes of data retrieved to a version of the data provided to WADA by a whistleblower then began. In July, WADA sent information on as many as 298 additional positive tests from 2011-15 to the relevant international federations for their review and possible sanctions.

But now there are problems with the data and a story on the Danish site SportsPressen quoted Michael Ask, the Danish head of the Institute of National Anti-Doping Agencies:

“I was informed by WADA about the case last Friday, where I was told that the agency has initiated a process which means that Russia has now been given three weeks to answer WADA’s questions about the inaccuracies in the Russian doping data provided, which the agency’s data experts have found.”

The WADA Executive Committee will meet on Monday (23rd) in Tokyo (JPN) to discuss the issue and the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board has a meeting upcoming from 2-4 October in Lausanne (SUI), by which time the Russia response could have been received. WADA has a further meeting in Poland on 4 November, and the Russian reply will certainly be in by then.

What happens?

Is Russia going to be suspended again? In advance of the 2016 Olympic and 2018 Winter Games, the IOC had only a very short time to make decisions about Russia’s participation. Now it has months ahead of it and plenty of time to implement any desired program.

What about the International Paralympic Committee, which banned Russia from 2015 into early 2019? And the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which has suspended Russia continuously since 2015, will meet this week to consider what further steps to take, if any, concerning reinstatement.

It’s a mess, and a serious one with Tokyo 2020 coming up quickly. More here.

| 2. | WRESTLING: U.S. ends World Champs with wins from Mensah, Dake and Cox

The U.S. claimed its third women’s Freestyle title and two men’s Freestyle titles in the now-concluded United World Wrestling World Championships in Kazakhstan.

After wins by Jacarra Winchester (55 kg) and Adeline Gray (76 kg), Tamyra Mensah (pictured) continued her rampage through the 68 kg division, winning her five bouts by 10-0, 6-1, 10-1, 10-0 and 8-2 in the final against Swede Anna Fransson to claim her first world title. She’s clearly the favorite in Tokyo for 2020.

The U.S. men’s team won four medals, including repeat World Championships golds from Kyle Dake (79 kg) and J’Den Cox (92 kg), with Cox unscored on for the tournament (26-0). Both of these are non-Olympic weights, so they will have to decide at which class they will compete in 2020.

Previous World Champions Jordan Burroughs (74 kg) and Kyle Snyder (97 kg) both won bronze medals, losing very tough, late-scoring matches in the semifinals. They scored the only men’s Olympic qualifying places in the tournament; most of the places will be awarded in regional competitions next year.

Besides Dake and Cox, there were four other repeat champions from 2018: Zavur Uguev (RUS: 57 kg), Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS: 74 kg), Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS: 97 kg) and three-time winner Geno Petriashvili (GEO) at 125 kg.

Russia won five of the 10 classes in men’s Freestyle and won the team title easily (the U.S. was third); Japan won the women’s Freestyle team title again, with the U.S. also third. More here.

| 3. | WEIGHTLIFTING: China dominating like it’s 1997 with seven wins in 10 classes!

The 2019 Weightlifting World Championships are all about China. Its lifters have been superb, winning seven of the first 10 classes (of 20) to be contested and winning 12 medals so far, double that of second-place North Korea (6).

The Chinese have regularly led the medal table at the IWF Worlds, but have not had this kind of success – nobody has – since 1997, when the Chinese won 10 golds (in 19 classes), and there are still 10 more classes to be contested.

The record books are also being re-written with eight of the 10 classes completed posting new world marks for the combined lifts:

● Men/55 kg: 294 kg (~648 lbs.) by Yun-Chol Om (PRK) ~ fifth Worlds gold

● Men/61 kg: 318 kg (~701 lbs.) by Fabin Li (CHN)

● Men/67 kg: 361 kg (~796 lbs.) by Zhiyong Shi (CHN) ~ third Worlds gold

● Men/73 kg: 378 kg (~833 lbs.) by Xiaojun Lu (CHN) ~ fifth Worlds gold

● Women/49 kg: 212 kg (~467 lbs.) ~ Huihua Jiang (CHN) ~ second Worlds gold

● Women/58 kg: 246 kg (~542 lbs.) ~ Hsing Chun Kuo (TPE) ~ fourth Worlds gold

● Women/64 kg: 261 kg (~575 lbs.) ~ Wei Deng (CHN) ~ fifth Worlds gold

Deng swept her event with world record in each lift: Snatch 116 kg/~256 lbs.), Clean & Jerk (145 kg/~320 lbs.) and the total. More here.

| 4. | SKATEBOARD: Huston wins fourth Worlds Street title; qualifies for Tokyo

Meet the favorite for the Skateboard Street event at the 2020 Olympic Games: it’s American Nyjah Huston.

Huston (pictured) won his fourth World  Championships gold – 2014-17-18-19 – and a spot for the 2020 Tokyo Games at the World Skate Street World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

He was fifth in the semis, but won in the final with two excellent runs of 8.9 and 9.1 points and two high-scoring tricks of 9.7 and 9.3 for a total of 36.9. That was just slightly better than Japan’s Yuto Horigome (36.6).

Brazil’s Pamela Rosa won her first world title in the women’s division, scoring 25.2, well ahead of teammate Rayssa Leal (24.3) and Japan’s defending World Champion, Aori Nishimura (21.6). More here.

| 5. | SHOOTING: Olympic star Hancock and teen Smith win Skeet Fall Selection and lead Olympic Trials

USA Shooting uses a lengthy process to select its Olympic participants and the Fall Selection meet concluded the first half of the program for Skeet.

Following up on the Trap finals held the week before, the competition in Kerrville, Texas saw four days of action, with 75-50-75-50 targets each day, with the top six advancing to an ISSF-style elimination finals.

The men’s event was led by country singer – and ace shooter – Colt McBee, who had a one-point lead over twice-Olympic champ Vincent Hancock. But McBee was quickly eliminated in the finals and with three points for the win, Hancock now leads into the second stage by 248-247-246 over Phillip Jungman and McBee.

The women’s program saw 2019 national champion Austen Smith – still just 188 – confirm her role as a major contender for 2020 by winning the four-day trial with 243 points. She trailed 2017 World Champion Dania Vizzi (241) after the first 250 targets, but Smith won the elimination finals over six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode to finish ahead, 243-241-240-239 over Vizzi, Samantha Simonton and Rhode.

The second half of the Trials will come in February. More here.

| 6. | GYMNASTICS: Total domination – as usual – by Russia in Rhythmic World Championships

Coming into the 2019 FIG Rhythmic Worlds in Baku (AZE), Russia’s domination of the event was so deep that it had won 48 of the last 50 individual events in the prior 10 championships from 2005-17.

Nothing changed.

Russians won all five individual events again, with Dina Averina (pictured) winning her third straight All-Around title, as well as the Ball, Clubs and Ribbon. Teammate Ekaterina Selezneva won in Hoop.

Just behind them was Israel’s Linoy Ashram, who joined Averina in winning five individual medals, with silvers in Hoop, Clubs and Ribbon and a bronze in the All-Around and Ball.

Russia also won the team title, with Israel second, and four athletes – Averina and sister Arina Averina, Selezneva and Ashram – won 16 of the 18 individual and team medals available. More here.

Simone Biles won the All-Around at the USA Gymnastics women’s Team Selection Camp in Sararota, Florida and qualified automatically for the U.S. team for the 2019 FIG World Championships.

Biles scored 58.550 and won the Vault and Floor events to finish ahead of Sunisa Lee (58.200) and Kara Eaker (57.100).  The rest of the women’s team for the Worlds will be announced on Monday. More here.

In the FIG Trampoline & Tumbling World Cup in Khabarovsk (RUS), Americans Jeffrey Gluckstein and Aliasei Shostak won the Synchronized Trampoline event for their first-ever World Cup golds. The pair had won World Cup bronzes together back in 2015 and 2016. More here.

| 7. | BOXING: AIBA men’s Worlds conclude with ex-USSR winners in seven of eight classes

The strange 2019 AIBA men’s World Championships in Yekaterinburg (RUS) concluded last Saturday with Russia and Uzbekistan winning three titles each and Kazakhstan one, all with first-time World Champions.

The only repeat winner was Cuba’s Andy Cruz, who defeated American Keyshawn Davis at 63 kg. It was Cuba’s only gold in a tournament where they were big favorites, but won only three medals. Davis’s silver was the only American medal and the U.S. had only one other quarterfinalist.

Perhaps the most stunning result was Kazak Bakzad Nurdauletov’s victory at 81 kg. He defeated Cuba’s Julio Cesar La Cruz in the semifinals, denying the Cuban and fifth World Championships gold. Kazakhstan actually led the medal table with six (1-1-4).

Because AIBA has been suspended by the IOC, there was no Olympic qualifying from the World Championships; the Tokyo entries will be determined by a series of regional tournaments early in 2020. More here.

| 8. | JUDO: Tushishvili wins in Tashkent; Rio star Rafaela Silva caught for doping

The IJF World Tour was in Uzbekistan for the Tashkent Grand Prix, with Russia winning five weight classes for top honors. The lone top-ranked judoka in the field was Georgia’s 2018 World +100 kg Champion Guram Tushishvili, who won his division. More here.

Off the field, Brazil’s iconic Rio 57 kg Olympic champ Rafaela Silva announced last Friday that she had tested positive during the Pan American Games for a banned substance. “I am clean and I will continue to train and fight to prove my innocence,” she said. “I tested positive for fenoterol … but I did not use this substance, I am not asthmatic.”

She passed a second test on 29 August and has not been suspended as yet. She promises an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

| 9. | COMING ATTRACTIONS: World Champs continue in cycling and weightlifting, start in track and canoeing

A busy week in this “World Championships” season, with four on tap this week:

● Weightlifting in Pattaya (THA): through 27 September
● Road Cycling in Yorkshire (GBR): through 29 September
● Canoe Slalom in La Seu d’Urgell (ESP) from 25-29 September
● Athletics in Doha (QAT): from 28 September to 6 October

Also on this week’s schedule is the annual Berlin Marathon on Sunday. Normally, a race of this magnitude would never be scheduled during the IAAF Worlds, but this is another unintended consequence of the late scheduling of the event in Qatar.

GYMNASTICS: Gluckstein & Shostak win World Cup Synchro Trampoline in Russia!

By
Rich Perelman
-
World Cup winners: Jeffrey Gluckstein (l) and Aliaksei Shostak (Photo: USA Gymnastics)

No surprise that China’s three-time World Champion Lei Gao won the individual Trampoline title at the FIG Trampoline & Tumbling World Cup in Khabarovsk (RUS), but it was a first-time experience for the American Synchro team of Jeffrey Gluckstein and Aliaksei Shostak.

National champ Gluckstein and Shostak teamed up for a narrow 52.540-52.070 win over the Belarus pair of Uladzislau Hancharou and Aleh Rabtsau, the 2017 World Champions. Gluckstein and Shostak had won Synchro bronzes together in 2015 and 2016 World Cup events, but the victory was a first.

Gao defeated Hancharou, 61.895-61.860 in the men’s individual competition, while 2019 World Champs bronze medalist Yana Pavlova (RUS) won the women’s event, 56.600-56.550 over Japan’s Hikaru Mori. Summaries:

FIG Trampoline World Cup
Khabarovsk (RUS) ~ 19-22 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men

Trampoline: 1. Lei Gao (CHN), 61.895; 2. Uladzislau Hancharou (BLR), 61.860; 3. Nikita Fedorenko (RUS), 61.020.

Synchro Trampoline: 1. Jeffrey Gluckstein/Aliaksei Shostak (USA), 52.540; 2. Uladzislau Hancharou/Aleh Rabtsau (BLR), 52.070; 3. Daiki Kishi/Ryosuke Sakai (JPN), 50.790.

Double Mini: 1. Mikhail Zalomin (RUS), 78.100; 2. Diogo Carvalho Costa (POR), 73.700; 3. Aleksandr Odintsov (RUS), 72.700.

Tumbling: 1. Mikhail Malkin (AZE), 76.300; 2. Maksim Riabikov (RUS), 72.300; 3. Maxim Shlyakin (RUS), 71.700.

Women

Trampoline: 1. Yana Pavlova (RUS), 56.600; 2. Hikaru Mori (JPN), 56.550; 3. Lingling Liu (CHN), 55.785.

Synchro Trampoline: 1. Ayano Kishi/Yumi Takagi (JPN), 49.240; 2. Lauren Sampson/Jessica Pickering (AUS), 48.450; 3. Lea Labrousse/Marine Jurbert (FRA), 47.890.

Double Mini: 1. Lina Sjoeberg (SWE), 71.600; 2. Aleksandra Bonartseva (RUS), 69.900; 3. Bronwyn Dibb (NZL), 69.400.

Tumbling: 1. Fangfang Jia (CHN), 71.000; 2. Viktoriia Danilenko (RUS), 69.300; 3. Elena Krasnokutckaia (RUS), 67.600.

LANE ONE: Here we go again – Russia could be suspended after evidence of doping data manipulation!

By
Rich Perelman
-

Last week was a great one for Russian sport … until the news began leaking out about a possible calamity.

Russia hosted the men’s World Boxing Championships and won three of the eight weight classes, dominated – as usual – the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, taking all five individual events and the team title, and then finishing off a brilliant World Wrestling Championships with nine golds, including five wins in the men’s Freestyle division.

But Hajo Seppelt, head of the German ARD television team that helped break the Russian doping scandal wide open back in December 2014, tweeted late Friday that the World Anti-Doping Agency suspects that Russian authorities may have “manipulated” the long-sought data bank from the Moscow Laboratory where the 2011-15 national doping scheme was managed:

Seppelt further tweeted on Sunday concerning a report from the Danish agency SportsPressen that Michael Ask (DEN), the chair of the 67-member Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations (iNADO), had been told by WADA that the Russians had been asked – within three weeks – to “explain the inconsistencies.”

In the SportsPressen story, Ask states (per Google Translate):

“I was informed by WADA about the case last Friday, where I was told that the agency has initiated a process which means that Russia has now been given three weeks to answer WADA’s questions about the inaccuracies in the Russian doping data provided, which the agency’s data experts have found. …

“I do not want to finally decide on the possible consequences at this time. But of course, WADA should of course exclude RUSADA again. And maybe one should also punish the country as a whole and not just the national anti-doping agency.

“Of course, even though the doped Russian athletes themselves have a responsibility and must be punished for cheating their pure competitors, in this case there is also a responsibility in Russia’s political system. But the pendulum also points back to the IOC, which in its time was opposed to punishing Russia collectively.”

Conveniently, a WADA Executive Committee meeting will be held in Tokyo (JPN) on Monday (23rd), followed by another on 4 November. The process for monitoring the Russian situation starts with WADA’s Compliance Review Committee, the group that controversially recommended Russia’s reinstatement back in September 2018, which will then forward any comments or suggestions to the Executive Committee.

What now?

The only thing that is sure is that the process will be deliberate. What is helpful is that the relevant regulatory bodies are all in motion and meeting soon:

● 23 September ~ WADA Executive Board in Tokyo (JPN)
● 02-04 October ~ IOC Executive Board in Lausanne (SUI)
● 30 Oct.-1 Nov. ~ IOC Coordination Commission meeting in Tokyo (JPN)
● 04 November ~ WADA Executive Board in Katowice (POL)
● 03-04 December ~ IOC Executive Board in Lausanne (SUI)

So, the three-week period for a response from Russia will end about 8th of October, leaving plenty of time for the issue to be reviewed and resolved and acted upon by both WADA and the International Olympic Committee with regards to the 2020 Tokyo Games.

While WADA will do the heavy lifting, all eyes will be on the International Olympic Committee, which has had a decided lean toward Russia:

● 2016 Olympic Games: On 18 July, the World Anti-Doping Agency released the first edition of the McLaren Report, which described in detail the doping scheme used by Russia to maintain the eligibility of its athletes from 2011-15. WADA suspended Russia, but on 24 July – just 12 days prior to the start of the Rio Games – the IOC decided to allow Russian competitors at the Games with eligibility to be decided by the International Federations. Of a total of 389 athletes submitted, 278 were allow to compete.

● 2018 Winter Games: Russia was suspended by the IOC and a procedure set up to allow “neutral” athletes from Russia to compete. The sanction was announced on 5 December 2017 and the Winter Games started on 9 February, 66 days later. A total of 168 Russian athletes were allowed to compete.

The difference now is that the issue has popped up well in advance: the Tokyo 2020 Games won’t start until 24 July.

The recently-released WADA Annual Report noted that “The significant progress that has been made in relation to the retrieving by WADA of the data and samples from the Moscow Laboratory would not have happened without the September 2018 ExCo decision. Time has shown it was the right decision for the good of athletes and clean sport.”

Now those who made this decision will face the same strategic questions as before:

(1) Should Russia be suspended as non-compliant once again?

(2) What about the much-praised current status of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, directed by Yury Ganus?

(3) Even if WADA suspends Russia again, will the IOC fo9llow and what of the international federations, almost all of whom – excepting athletics and weightlifting – allowed Russia to compete en masse in 2016?

(4) The International Paralympic Committee banned Russia en toto for its 2016 Games and 2018 Winter Games; what will its stance be for Tokyo?

Along with the IPC – which did not reinstate Russia until 15 March of this year – the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has been the toughest on Russia and continues to hold the Russian Athletics Federation on suspension. The IAAF will meet in advance of its World Championships in Doha (QAT) this week and is not expected to reinstate Russia, especially with the additional news from last Friday.

All of this comes against the background of continuing scrutiny of 298 athletes identified by WADA as having “suspicious data,” with the evidence sent on 2 July to the relevant international federations for their follow-up. What about that data?

It’s a mess. There are no winners here, only losers, but no one knows who the losers will be yet, since the extent of the data “manipulation” has not been defined.

But it’s a headache that WADA, the IOC and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency did not want. But we have it and now it has to be dealt with. The Olympic Movement appeared to be past this damaging chapter in its history, but now must agree with the famous line spoken by Al Pacino, as Michael Corleone in “The Godfather: Part III” (1990):

“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

Rich Perelman
Editor

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BADMINTON: Marin returns with win over Tai in China Open in Changzhou

By
Rich Perelman
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Rio Olympic champion Carolina Marin (ESP)

Rio Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain tore her anterior cruciate ligament in January.

On Sunday, she faced no. 4-ranked Tzu Ying Tai (TPE) in the finals of the China Open and promptly lost the first set, 21-14. But that didn’t stop her and she returned in style, winning the last two sets by 21-17 and 21-18 for the 2-1 win.

“I cannot describe my feelings right now because I’m so happy,” said Marin. “There was some frustration with myself in the first game. I tried to keep calm. I had to be patient and find the good length on the shuttle. But the most important thing is I could fight until the end. I just waited until she made mistakes. I just wanted to play some long rallies because I knew this match was going to be really tough. She has good strokes, she has so much deception that I had to be careful.”

No. 1-ranked Kento Momota (JPN) continued to impress, winning his fifth tournament of the season with a come-from-behind, 19-21, 21-17, 21-19 win over Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting.

The no. 1-ranked men’s and Mixed Doubles teams both won: Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA) and Siwei Zhend and Yaqiong Huang (CHN), respectively. China’s Qingchen Chen and Yifan Jia, ranked nl. 4, pulled off a minor upset by defeating no. 3 Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi of Japan in straight sets. Summaries:

BWF World Tour/China Open
Changzhou (CHN) ~ 17-22 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Singles: 1. Kento Momota (JPN); 2. Anthony Ginting (INA); 3. Long Chen (CHN) and Anders Antonsen (DEN). Final: Momota d. Ginting, 19-21, 21-17, 21-19.

Men/Doubles: 1. Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA); 2. Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan (INA); 3. Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Ardianto (INA) and Junhui Li/Yuchen Liu (CHN). Final: Gideon/Sukamuljo d. Ahsan/Setiawan, 21-18, 17-21, 21-15.

Women/Singles: 1. Carolina Marin (ESP); 2. Tzu Ying Tai (TPE); 3. Yufei Chen (CHN) and Sayaka Takahashi (JPN). Final: Marin d. Tai, 14-21, 21-17, 21-18.

Women/Doubles: 1. Qingchen Chen/Yifan Jia (CHN); 2. Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi (JPN); 3. Ye Na Chang/Hye Rin Kim (KOR) and Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (JPN). Final: Chen/Jia d. Matsutomo/Takahashi, 21-14, 21-18.

Mixed Doubles: 1. Siwei Zheng/Yaqiong Huang (CHN); 2. Yilyu Wang/Dongping Huang (CHN); 3. Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (THA) and Seung Jae Seo/Yujung Chae (KOR). Final: Zheng/Huang d. Wang/Huang, 21-17, 13-21, 21-16.

JUDO: Russia best in Tashkent Grand Prix; no. 1 Tushishvili wins at +100 kg

By
Rich Perelman
-
Tashkent +100 kg winner Guram Tushishvili of Georgia (Photo: IJF)

Coming so soon after the IJF World Championships, a modest field showed up for the Tashkent Grand Prix, with Russia claiming seven medals (5-2-0) for top honors. The hosts from Uzbekistan had a good showing, also with seven medals, but with two golds (2-3-2).

The lone no. 1-ranked fighter in the field, Georgia’s Guram Tushishvili (+100 kg World Champion in 2018), won his division, defeating Belmurod Oltiboev (UZB) by ippon in the final. Summaries:

IJF World Tour/Tashkent Grand Prix
Tashkent (UZB) ~ 20-22 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men

60 kg: 1. Yago Abuladze (RUS); 2. Genki Koga (JPN); 3. Diyorbek Urozboev (UZB) and Yung Wei Yang (TPE).

66 kg: 1. Yakub Shamilov (RUS); 2. Yuji Aida (JPN) and Sardor Nurillaev (UZB) and Mohamed Abdelmawgoud (EGY).

73 kg: 1. Khikmatillokh Turaev (UZB); 2. Behruzi Khojazoda (TJK); 3. Bilal Clioglu (TUR) and Magdiel Estrada (CUB).

81 kg: 1. Sharofuddin Boltaboev (UZB); 2. Kamoliddin Rasulov (UZB); 3. Shamil Borchashvili (AUT) and Sami Chouchi (BEL).

90 kg: 1. Marcus Nyman (SWE); 2. Khusen Khalmurzaev (RUS); 3. Mashu Baker (JPN) and Peter Zilka (SVK).

100 kg: 1. Kazbek Zankishiev (RUS); 2. Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE); 3. Daniel Mukete (BLR) and Mikita Sviryd (BLR).

+100 kg: 1. Guram Tushishvili (GEO); 2. Belmurod Oltiboev (UZB); 3. Yakiv Khammo (UKR) and Alisher Yusupov (UZB).

Women

48 kg: 1. Sabina Giliazova (RUS); 2. Leyla Aliyeva (AZE); 3. Melodie Vaugarny (FRA) and Maryna Cherniak (UKR).

52 kg: 1. Bokyeong Jeong (KOR); 2. Khorloodoi Bishrelt (MGL); 3. Soumiya Iraoui (MAR) and Gefen Timo (ISR).

57 kg: 1. Hedvig Karakas (HUN); 2. Ivelina Ilieva (BUL); 3. Jandi Kim (KOR) and Youjeong Kwon (KOR).

63 kg: 1. Kathrin Unterwurzacher (AUT); 2. Anriquelis (VEN); 3. Lucy Renshall (GBR) and Inbal Shemesh (ISR).

70 kg: 1. Elisavet Teltsidou (GRE); 2. Gulnoza Matniyazova (UZB); 3. Hilde Jager (NED) and Elvismar Rodriguez (VEN).

78 kg: 1. Bernadette Graf (AUT); 2. Antonina Shmeleva (RUS); 3. Karla Prodan (CRO) and Natalie Powell (GBR).

+78 kg: 1. Kseniia Chibisova (RUS); 2. Hayun Kim (KOR); 3. Sarah Adlington (GBR) and Milica Zabic (SRB).

SKATEBOARD: Huston wins fourth World title and qualifies for Tokyo in Street Worlds

By
Rich Perelman
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World Champion (again): American Nyjah Huston (Photo: Monster Energy)

American Nyjah Huston showed once again that he is the man to beat in Street with a four World Championships triumph in the World Skate Street World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

He’s now won in 2014-17-18-19 and clinched a qualifying spot for the 2020 Tokyo Games, as did all of the medal winners.

Huston was only fifth in the semifinal (34.8), won by fellow American Dashawn Jordan (35.5). But in the final, he scored 8.9 and 9.1 on his two runs and his two best tricks scored 9.7 and 9.3 for a total of 36.9 points and a tight win over Japan’s Yuto Horigome (36.6).

The best score for any run went to Japan’s Yukito Aoki (9.2), who finished sixth; Jordan couldn’t duplicate his semifinal success and finished last at 23.4.

In the women’s division, Brazil’s Pamela Rosa has been the best on tour this season and she won again, taking her first world title at 25.2, well ahead of teammate Rayssa Leal (24.3) and Japan’s defending World Champion, Aori Nishimura (21.6).

Rosa’s two runs scored poorly – 2.8 and 1.2 – but her four tricks were winners, earning 7.8, 6.3, 6.0 and 5.1 for a 25.2 total. Leal had the best women’s run in the final at 5.0.

Most of the contestants for Tokyo will be selected from the World Skate rankings as of next June. Summaries:

World Skate Street World Championship
Sao Paulo (BRA) ~ 16-22 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men/ Final: 1. Nyjah Huston (USA), 36.9; 2. Yuto Horigome (JPN), 36.6; 3. Gustavo Ribeiro (POR), 36.2; 4. Kelvin Hoefler (BRA), 36.0; 5. Jamie Foy (USA), 34.8; 6. Yukito Aoki (JPN), 33.6; 7. Angelo Caro (PER), 31.8; 8. Dashawn Jordan (USA), 23.4.

Women/ Final: 1. Pamela Rosa (BRA), 25.2; 2. Rayssa Leal (BRA), 24.3; 3. Aori Nishimura (JPN), 21.6; 4. Candy Jacobs (NED), 16.2; 5. Mariah Duran (USA), 15.5; 6. Gabriela Mazetto (BRA), 14.9; 7. Alexis Sablone (USA), 9.6; 8. Yumeka Oda (JPN), 8.7.

WEIGHTLIFTING: China dominating World Champs with seven wins in first 10 classes!

By
Rich Perelman
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China's Olympic and World Champion lifter Wei Deng.

The 2019 World Championships in Thailand has been marked with a tidal wave of Chinese wins and world records as the meet reached the halfway mark on Sunday.

Chinese lifters won seven gold medals in the 20 events of the 2018 Worlds in Turkmenistan, but have equaled that feat in just the first 10 classes in 2019. No one has won more than seven since 1997, when the Chinese won 10 golds (in 19 classes) at another Worlds in Thailand, in Chiang Mai!

The world record lists have also been taking a beating, with new records for the total amount of the combined lifts set in four of five men’s classes and three of five women’s classes:

Men:
● 55 kg: 294 kg (~648 lbs.) by Yun-Chol Om (PRK) ~ fifth Worlds gold
● 61 kg: 318 kg (~701 lbs.) by Fabin Li (CHN)
● 67 kg: 361 kg (~796 lbs.) by Zhiyong Shi (CHN) ~ third Worlds gold
● 73 kg: 378 kg (~833 lbs.) by Xiaojun Lu (CHN) ~ fifth Worlds gold

Women:
● 49 kg: 212 kg (~467 lbs.) ~ Huihua Jiang (CHN) ~ second Worlds gold
● 58 kg: 246 kg (~542 lbs.) ~ Hsing Chun Kuo (TPE) ~ fourth Worlds gold
● 64 kg: 261 kg (~575 lbs.) ~ Wei Deng (CHN) ~ fifth Worlds gold

Deng was especially impressive, setting world marks in her class for all three lifts: Snatch 116 kg/~256 lbs.), Clean & Jerk (145 kg/~320 lbs.) and the total.

The meet continues through the 27th. Summaries so far:

IWF World Championships
Pattaya (THA) ~ 18-27 September 2019
(Full results here)

Men

55 kg: 1. Yun Chol Om (PRK), 294 kg (World Record; new weight class: 2. Igor Son (KAZ), 266 kg; 3. Mansour Al Saleem (KSA), 265 kg; 4. Tran Nguyen (VIE), 263 kg; 5. Arli Chotney (KAZ), 263 kg; 6. John Ceniza (PHI), 262 kg; 7. Hafez Ghashghaei (IRI), 260 kg; 8. Surahmat Wijoyo (INA), 250 kg.

61 kg: 1. Fabin Li (CHN), 318 kg (World Record; old, 317 kg, Eko Yuki Irawan (INA), 2017); 2. Eko Yuli Irawan (INA), 306 kg; 3. Francisco Mosquera (COL), 302 kg; 4. Kim Tuan Thach (VIE), 296 kg; 5. Jhon Serna (COL), 295 kg; 6. Yoichi Itokazu (JPN), 293 kg; 7. Shota Mishvelidze (GEO), 287 kg; 8. Aznil Muhamad (MS), 285 kg.

67 kg: 1. Lijun Chen (CHN), 337 kg: 2. Lyudong Feng (CHN), 333 kg; 3. Jong Ju Pak (PRK), 330 kg; 4. Adkhamjon Ergashev (UZB), 328 kg; 5. Luis Mosquera (COL), 320 kg; 6. Mitsunori Konnai (JPN), 317 kg; 7. Daniyar Ismayilov (TUIR), 316 kg; 8. Henadz Laptseu (BLR), 313 kg. Also: 23. Alex Lee (USA), 295 kg; … 27. Jordan Wissinger (USA), 283 kg.

73 kg: 1. Zhiyong Shi (CHN), 363 kg (World Record; old, 362 kg, Shi, 2019); 2. Kang Chol O (PRK), 347 kg; 3. Bozhidar Andreev (BUL), 346 kg; 4. Vadzim Likharad (BLR), 338 kg; 5. Briken Calja (ALB), 337 kg; 6. Julio Mayora (VEN), 337 kg; 7. Joohyo Bak (KOR), 337 kg; 8. Jeongsik Won (KOR), 336 kg. Also: 9. Clarence Cummings Jr. (USA), 333 kg.

81 kg: 1. Xiaojun Lyu (CHN), 378 kg (World Record; old, 375 kg, Dayin Li (CHN), 2019): 2. Dayin Li (CHN), 377 kg; 3. Brayan Rodallegas (COL), 363 kg; 4. Rejepbay Rejepov (TKM), 363 kg; 5. Yunder Beytula (BUL), 358 kg; 6. Antonino Pizzolato (ITA), 358 kg; 7. Andres Mata (ESP), 356 kg; 8. Zacarias Bonnat (DOM), 355 kg. Also: 9. Harrison Maurus (USA), 350 kg; … 23. Christian Rodriguez (USA), 327 kg.

Women

45 kg: 1. Saziye Erdogan (TUR), 169 kg; 2. Ludia Montero (CUB), 167 kg; 3. Lisa Setiawati (INA), 165 kg; 4. Thi Vuong (VIE), 164 kg; 5. My Phuong Khong (VIE), 161 kg; 6. Rosielis Quintana (VEN), 157 kg; 7. Mary Flor Diaz (PHI), 156 kg; 8. Rosina Randafiarison (MAD), 155 kg.

48 kg: 1. Huihua Jiang (CHN), 212 kg (World Record; old, 210 kg, Zuihui Hou (CHN), 2019); 2. Zhihui Hou (CHN), 211 kg; 3. Song Gum Ri (PRK), 204 kg; 4. Chanu Mirabai (IND), 201 kg; 5. Ana Segura (COL), 188 kg; 6. Kristina Sobol (RUS), 187 kg; 7. Beatriz Piron (DOM), 187 kg; 8. Morghan King (USA), 183 kg. Also: 13. Alyssa Ritchey (USA), 178 kg.

55 kg: 1. Qiuyun Liao (CHN), 227 kg; 2. Wanqiong Zhang (CHN), 222 kg; 3. Hidilyn Diaz (PHI), 214 kg; 4. Zulfiya Chinshanlo (KAZ), 213 kg; 5. Yenny Sinisterra (COL), 210 kg; 6. Muattar Nabieva (UZB), 209 kg; 7. Ana Lopez (MEX), 202 kg; 8. Rachel Leblanc (CAN), 201 kg. Also: 9. Jourdan Delacruz (USA), 200 kg.

59 kg: 1. Hsing-Chun Kuo (TPE), 246 kg (World Record; old, 243 kg, Kuo, 2019); 2. Hyo Sim Choe (PRK), 245 kg; 3. Guiming Chen (CHN), 233 kg; 4. Rosive Silgado (COL), 222 kg; 5. Mikiko Andoh (JPN), 222 kg; 6. Zoe Smith (GBR), 216 kg; 7. Yusleidy Figueroa (VEN), 215 kg; 8. Rebeka Koha (LAT), 215 kg. Also: 16. Hunter Elam (USA), 200 kg; … 20. Jessica Lucero (USA), 191 kg.

64 kg: 1. Wei Deng (CHN), 261 kg (World Record; old, 257 kg, Deng, 2019); 2. Un Sim Rim (PRK), 251 kg; 3. Loredana-Elena Toma (ROU), 240 kg; 4. Mercedes Perez (COL), 238 kg; 5. Irina-Lacramoiara Lepsa (ROU), 235 kg; 6. Maude Charron (CAN), 230 kg; 7. Nathalia Llamosa (COL), 222 kg; 8. Sarah Davies (GBR), 222 kg.

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