The World Championships in Athletics in Eugene ended with top-class performances on Sunday. The eventual gold medalist Tobi Amusan from Nigeria set a world record in the 100 m hurdles in the semi-finals in 12.12 seconds, while the Swede Armand Duplantis crossed 6.21 m in the pole vault and improved on the world record he held. After 49 medal decisions, the USA dominated with 13 gold, 9 silver and 11 bronze, followed by Ethiopia (4/4/2).
In the semi-finals, 25-year-old Amusan was 0.28 seconds below her personal best this year. The American Kendra Harrison had held the world record since 2016 with 12.20. In the final, Amusan, who secured Nigeria’s first gold in history, was even faster, the 12.06s count due to a tailwind of 2.5m/s. but not as a new record. Silver went to Britany Anderson (JAM) in 12.23, bronze to Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR/12.23).
In the pole vault, Duplantis delivered what many had hoped for: a new world record. “I got a bit tired, but then the audience lifted me up once more. It was just wonderful today,” said the 22-year-old, whose best time was 6.20. Silver went to Christopher Nilsen (USA/5.94), bronze to Ernest John Obiena (PHI/5.94). In the long jump, Malaika Mihambo won a gold medal for the badly battered Germany, the Olympic champion defended her title with 7.12 m ahead of Ese Brume (NGR/7.02) and Leticia Oro Melo (BRA/6.89).
In the decathlon, Frenchman Kevin Mayer was unbeatable with 8,816 points. Top favorite Damian Warner from Canada was eliminated on the first day with a thigh injury. “I feel great. I won’t sleep today, I’ll drink something,” the now two-time world champion (previously 2017) answers a question into the stadium microphone. The silver medal went to Canada’s Pierce Lepage (8,701), bronze to USA’s Zachery Ziemek (8,676).
The 800m winner was 20-year-old Olympic champion Athing Mu for the USA in a world best time of the year of 1:56.30s ahead of Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson (1:56.38) and Kenya’s Mary Moraa (1:56.71). ). The Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the 5,000 m in 13:09.24 minutes ahead of Kenyan Jacob Krop (13:09.98) and Oscar Chelimo from Uganda (13:10.20). “I felt really good today. I won it and I really needed it,” said the Scandinavian, for whom it was his second medal following silver in the 1,500m.
The men’s 4 x 400 m relay went to the USA in 2:56.17 minutes, which meant the second gold medal for individual world champion Michael Norman. Jamaica (2:58.58) took silver and Belgium (2:58.72) bronze. In the women’s 400 m hurdles world record holder Sydney McLaughlin won the second title, as the anchor she won with the USA in 3:17.79 ahead of Jamaica (3:20.74) and Great Britain (3:22.64). World champion in the 35 km walk was the Italian Massimo Stano, who in 2:23.14 hours ahead of the Japanese Masatora Kawano (2:23:15) and the Swede Perseus Karlstrom (2:23:44), who already a week ago 20km bronze won, prevailed.
