By AA Correspondent
Haruka Kitaguchi added the Olympic javelin gold to the one she had from last year’s World championships as the track and field programme concluded in a blaze of glory for the American longer relay teams at the Stade de France on Saturday (Aug 10).
Mutaz Essa Barshim, the most outstanding high jumper Asia has known, was aiming for his second consecutive Olympic gold but eventually ended up with the bronze as an epic battle between New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr and American Shelby McEven unfolded after the two tied at 2.36m. The Kiwi triumphed in a pulsating jump-off.
With events drying up and with Japan having had no medal till Saturday in these Games athletics programme, it was left to Kitaguchi to step up and respond to the situation. Luckily for her, the start proved auspicious and productive, a big throw of 65.80m that could not be surpassed through the rest of the competition.
Kitaguchi and others in the field tried their best to go beyond the 65-metre mark but they could not succeed. The 26-year-old Japanese who finished 12th and last in the home edition of the games three years ago with just 55.42m, came up with a fifth-round throw of 64.73m but did not wait for the result of her final throw as she crossed the line in a hurry to celebrate.
Jo-Ane Van Dyke of South Africa was second with a season best 63.93m while Nikola Ogrodonikova of Czechia was third at another season best of 63.68m.
What was surprising in the javelin was the total eclipse of the No. 2 woman this season, Australian McKenzie Little, with a 12th-place finish at 60.32m and a similar fate for World championship silver medallist Flor Dennis Ruiz of Colombia with 62.78m that gave her the fifth spot. Ruiz had led the season with 66.27m while Little was second with 66.27m achieved in the London Diamond League meet in July.
Another prominent name to end up without a medal was the 2016 Olympic champion, Sara Kolak of Croatia with 63.40m. Defending Olympic champion Liu Shiying of China did not qualify for these Games while another Chinese Lu Huihui ended up 22nd in qualification with a below-par 59.37m. Kitaguchi, though she did not have a great season, had her path cleared for the Olympic coronation and she happened to strike it rich with her opening throw.
The way Barshim progressed in the competition, there never was any indication that he could be in any trouble, all smooth clearances at 2.22, 2.27, 2.31 and 2.34. At 2.36m he failed the first time on an evening that had seen his gold-medal sharing Italian from Tokyo, Gianmarco Tamberi go out early.
The Italian had needed medical attention for a renal colic hours before the competition and it was a surprise that he came at all. He went out at 2.27m. Having topped the season with 2.37m and with his determination to win the gold alone this time, Tamberi was tipped to be the favourite. He finished 11th with 2.22m. Barshim went and hugged him near the stands as though acknowledging that fate had ruined the Italian’s chances.
Barshim took the bronze on a countback with Italian youngster Stefano Scottile who also cleared 2.34m. The Italian had one failure at 2.31m and that mattered in the end. He sailed through 2.34m without problem and failed thrice at 2.36m. Barshim failed twice at that height and took his last jump at 2.38m and failed.
“I’m really happy,” said Barshim. “It was my dream to get to the Olympics. Standing here, the most decorated high jumper in Olympic history, it’s a blessing. It’s been a journey.”
The 33-year-old Qatari had said before the games began that it would be his last Olympics in a career where he had also won three World titles in 2017, 2019 and 2022 but also had a collection of two silver from the Olympics (2012 and 2016) and a silver and a bronze from the World championships.
Japanese Ryoichi Akamatsu was fifth with 2.31m while Korean Woo Sang-Hyeok, silver medallist at the 2022 World championships, ended up with 2.27m at seventh place.
Rai Benjamin, the 400m hurdles winner, took the US to a pulsating win in the 4x400m relay, just barely hanging on against the awesome talent from Botswana, Letsile Tebego. In the end, the US was just short of the world record set in 1993 (2:54.29) while coming in 2:54.43, an Olympic record. Botswana was third fastest on the all-time lists with 2:53.54, an area record. Britain was third, also in an area record of 2:55.83.
Japan posted an Asian record of 2:58.33, erasing the mark of 2:59.05 that India had set in the heats of the World championships in Budapest last year. The team comprised (with splits in brackets) Yuki Nakajima (45.36), Kaito Kawabata (44.50), Fuga Sato (44.44) and Kentaro Sato (44.03). The top six in the men’s relay bettered either the area record or national record.
The US women’s 4x400m relay team was closer to the world record than their men, clocking 3:15.27, an area record. The Netherlands, with Femke Bol once again coming from behind on the anchor, as she did in the mixed relay final to gain the gold, grabbed the silver for her country in 3:19.50, a European record while Britain finished third in a national record of 3:19.72. Jamaica dropped the baton and did not finish, the first time the country had not got onto the podium since 1996.
Masai Russell of the US won the women’s 100m hurdles gold, pushing Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn to the bronze spot with Frenchwoman Cyrena Samba-Mayela taking the silver.
Faith Kipyegon of Kenya became the first woman to win three successive Olympic gold medals in the 1500m, clocking 3:51.29, slicing two seconds off her record set in Tokyo.
“It’s a big, big achievement,” said Kipyegon, the winner of the silver medal in the 5000m at these Games earlier.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway put behind the disappointment of his setback in the 1500m earlier, with a masterly display of 5000m running that saw his win at 13:13.66. Ronal Kwemoi of Kenya and American Grant Fisher, who earlier won the bronze in the 10,000m, took the minor medals.
In morning action in men’s marathon, a late replacement for Ethiopia, Tamirat Tola won in n Olympic record of 2:06:26. On a tough course over hills and in extreme heat and humidity it was an enormous effort by the Ethiopian. Belgian Bashir Abdi won the silver in 2:06:47 and Kenyan Benson Kipruoto the bronze in 22:07:00.
The disappointment in the marathon was the failure of world record holder and the winner of the last two Olympics marathons, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, to finish the course. He gave up past 30km unable to proceed, holding his hip and showing that he was in pain. He was greeted by the spectators lined up on the course with huge cheers before being escorted off in a vehicle.
