TOKYO: Sporting excellence returned to Tokyo on Saturday as the opening day of the long-awaited World Athletics Championships delivered on every front. Records were smashed and world titles defended, with some surprise wins keeping the night exciting for a sold-out stadium that stood empty during the Covid-hit Olympics four years ago.
The most predictable win of the night went to American Ryan Crouser, who won his third consecutive world title (22.34m) and became the only man to do so in the shot put, where he holds the world and championship record.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet claimed her first world title in the women’s 10,000m despite being the world record holder in the event. The two-time Olympic champion powered through the last 200m to win gold in 30:37.61 ahead of Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, who set a national record of 30:38.23. Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay settled for bronze with 30:39.65.
The plot twist of the night came in the men’s 100m as world number 28 Gift Leotela of South Africa clocked a personal best 9.87 to lead the semi-finals ranking tomorrow night.
Canada’s Evan Dunfee won the first medal of the championships in the men’s 35km race walk to claim his maiden world title at the age of 34 in 2 hours 28 minutes and 22 seconds. Brazil’s Caio Bonfim was second with a 2:28:55 season’s best while Japan’s Hayato Katsuki won the host nation’s first medal in 2:29:16.
Over on the women’s side, world record holder Maria Perez of Spain retained her world title in 2:39:01. Italy’s Antonella Palmisano took home silver in 2:42:24, while Ecuador’s Paula Milena Torres set a national record of 2:42:44.
Up until Saturday morning, defending champion Crouser had not competed all season due to an elbow injury, but he nevertheless won the first gold of the championships for the US. Mexico’s Uziel Munoz had the throw of his life as he set a national record of 21.97m on his final attempt to move up from fifth to second position, and Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri threw a 21.94m to win bronze. New Zealand’s Tom Walsh got fourth despite the same throw since Fabbri had a superior second-best mark.
The mixed 4x400m relay saw the US in a league of their own as they won gold and set a new championship record in 3:08.80. They had a monumental lead in the final leg of the race over the Netherlands (3:09.96) and Belgium in third place (3:10.61), who were ecstatic with their win. The Polish team looked gutted after the race as they missed a podium finish by 0.02 seconds (3:10.63).
In the women’s 1500m, world record holder and reigning champion Faith Kipyegon finished eighth in the heats (4:02.55) to advance to the semi-finals. Just hours earlier, her world record (3:48.68) set at the Eugene Diamond League in July was ratified by World Athletics. Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu topped the heats with a 4:01.23 while world number seven Nikki Hiltz of the US came in second with a 4:01.73.
Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji was poised to medal in this event but was barred from competing on the eve of the competition amid a legal dispute over allegedly missing a drug test. She was accused in May of refusing to give a sample for a doping test “without any justification,” according to a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In the men’s 100m heats, Leotola clocked his personal best, topping the times ahead of world number four Oblique Seville of Jamaica (9.93). World lead Kishane Thompson of Jamaica posted an easy 9.95, as did showman and Olympic champion Noah Lyles of the US.
Olympic champion Julian Alfred is top-ranked headed into the women’s 100m semi-final with a 10.93, while Great Britain’s Daryll Neita comes in second with a 10.94 season’s best. World lead Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the US was third with a 10.99 to round off the sub-11 times.
Reigning champion and countrywoman Sha’Carri Richardson posted a season’s best of 11.03, blinged out in her signature style of jewellery and long acrylic nails. Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce — who made her ninth world championship appearance — ran 11.09 behind compatriot Tia Clayton (11.01) and Shericka Jackson (11.04).
Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off echoed in the stadium as the women competed in the long jump qualifiers on one side and the 100m heats on the other, with the men’s pole vault nestled in between.
In the men’s 3,000m Steeplechase, Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma had a fall on the first barrier that elicited a gasp from the audience. His fall in Paris last year knocked him unconscious, and he had to be carried off the track on a stretcher. Nevertheless, the Ethiopian caught up to the rest of the field at the 2000m mark and finished with a 8:27.79 to qualify for the finals.
The Moroccans are top-ranked going into the final as Soufiane El Bakkali ran 8:26.99 and Salaheddine Ben Yazdide clocked 8:27.21.
American double Olympic discus champion Valarie Allman threw 66.07 metres to qualify comfortably for Sunday’s final, where she will hope to end her frustrating world title drought.
Also advancing to the final — this one for long jump — was Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall, who only needed one jump to move through.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, in his opening ceremony speech, hailed the local organising committee for putting together the nine-day event.
“To the athletes, you are everything — thank you for bringing your talents,” he said. “Thank you for writing what I know will be another chapter in the illustrious history of this great sport.”
