By A Correspondent
Mutaz Essa Barshim’s long reign as the world high jump champion came to an end at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on Tuesday night (Aug 22)The man with whom he had shared the gold at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago, Italian Gianmarco Tamberi, claimed his first World championships gold with a world-lead-equalling 2.36m. American JuVaughn Harrison was second with the same height while Barshim, who had won three titles in succession from 2017, settled for the bronze.
Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali showed why he was considered the best in the world in the 3000m steeplechase, winning without too many problems from a formidable field that included world-record holder Lemecha Girma of Ethiopia. It was a night when another favourite obliged while another was beaten.
Valerie Allman, overwhelming favourite to take the women’s discus gold, was pushed out of the top by her American team-mate Laulauga Tausaga who came up with a fifth-round throw of 69.49mChinese Feng Bin, the defending champion and Asian champion who produced a season best in four of her six throws had to be contended with the bronze at 68.20 while Allman claimed the silver with 69.23m.
Faith Kipyegon lived up to her pre-Worlds billing as the undisputed champion in the 1500m. It was her third straight Worlds title as she won the battle with Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands in 3:54.87.Barshim does not get a good startThe start for Barshim was not auspicious as he failed once at his starting height of 2.25m. Tamberi also had a failure at that height. But it was not a clue to the eventual happenings on a balmy day in Budapest.As the competition progressed, it was clear that Harrison would challenge the joint Olympic champions severely. The American matched the favourites at every stage and was left at the top after clearing 2.33m on his first attempt since he had scaled all his previous heights also in the first attempts while the other two had started with a failure.At 2.36m, a height that he had cleared at Chorzow, Poland, to take the world lead, the 32-year-old Barshim failed. Harrison fumbled on his first attempt but cleared next.
The half-bearded Tamberi, who had not looked in great form this season barring when he did 2.34m to take second position behind Barshim at Chorzow, cleared 2.36m on his first attempt to trigger wild celebrations in the stands that had a sizeable Italian contingent.
The Italian had one hand on the gold now. With the bar being raised to 2.38m, Tamberi failed twice while Harrison failed three times. Tamberi, whose PB is 2.39m, had one unsuccessful attempt at 2.40m.
Tamberi and Barshim, two friends who soaked in the adulation of fans over their achievement of gold in the Tokyo Olympics together, hugged each other. The Italian showman thanked the Gods and the stars as he greeted the applause from the crowd which kept urging him on through the contest. He was now the Olympic champion (shared) plus the World champion. Last time when Barshim had won with 2.37m, Tamberi had finished fourth with 2.33.
Korean Woo Sang-Hyeok who had won the silver at Oregon last year finished at 2.29m, having cleared all his heights till then with ease on his first attempts. At 2.33m he had two failures and one more at 2.36m.
“I just went for it,” said Tamberi. “I wanted to write history by winning gold medals at all the major competitions.
“The feeling is amazing. It is worth all the sacrifices over the years. After the qualifications I was a little scared because I did not feel as good as I wanted, but I knew I always change in the final.
“There is no high jumper who won two Olympic golds so making history in Paris would be amazing. But first, the party tonight. I need to celebrate this medal because after one year of sacrifices and diet, I deserve it.” He had battled through an injury on his way to glory.
Like Tamberi, Barshim too had been injured in recent years. But he had come into these championships, ahead on the world lists and looked confident.
“I came here with three world golds and one silver and managed to add a bronze tonight,” said Barshim.
“Look at my career. It is really amazing. If it was not me that did this, but someone else, I would like to be that someone. Today I look at my CV and I am the only high jumper with such a medal count. This almost brings tears to my eyes. I just need to give myself credit. Having my son here only makes it more memorable. It is very emotional to have all my family and friends out here.”
El Bakkali in command
El Bakkali was his supreme confident self as he tackled the threat posed by Girma whose world record in Paris had given rise to expectations about his possible claim to the throne in Budapest. The Moroccan showed that when it came to clearing hurdles and the final ‘kick’ there was none to match him.
In a way the rest of the field played into his plans by hanging on with him or slightly ahead for the better part of the race. El Bakkali was happy to tag along rather than set his own pace. This was the World championships and he was aiming to defend his title as well as his reputation as the Olympic champion and there was no need to infuse pace.
Up to around 450 metres from the finish, El Bakkali played the waiting game with Girma before taking off. Onto the final back straight, Girma fought hard but with the final water jump it was clear that the Moroccan would have little problem in coasting through.
The Moroccan raised his arms in triumph as he crossed the line in 8:03.53 . He looked up to pray, then shed tears of joy and relief. In ten finals since September 2021, El Bakkali is yet to be beaten. His head-to-head record with Girma now stands at 8-1. That one loss was a bronze placing behind Girma at the Doha World championships in 2019 when Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto won the gold.
Kipyegon unchallenged
Kipyegon became the first woman to win three world titles in the 1500m. She was ready for Hassan who made her move from around 300 metres out to the finish. Kipyegon held her pace and stepped up from 200 metres.
Hassan made a last-ditch effort as the runners came to the final bend. But then the Kenyan was ready for that. On the straight, Kipyegon was unmatched while Ethiopian Welteji kept Hassan behind on the inside for the silver. The Dutchwoman, aiming for the treble of 1500-5000-10,000 here had to be satisfied with the bronze. She had fallen and injured herself in the 10,000m earlier close to the finish and gone out of the medals bracket.
Kipyegon clocked 3:54.87, Welteji 3:55.69 and Hassan 3:56.00.
“This is a great season for m, breaking world records and becoming a world champion here, defending my title,” said Kipyegon. “I told myself, you are the strongest, just keep going.”
Asked about her plans for this final, Kipyegon said: “My plan was to get to the front and to go faster because I know these races can be up and down. I just got myself in front after 300m and nobody came.”
“This silver is beyond of all my expectations,” said Welteji, a world under-20 champion in 800m in 2018. “To run the World Championships final alongside an athlete such as Faith is very special. I tried to keep my eyes on her and to follow her pace as long as possible.”
Tausaga-Colins pulls off the biggest upset
Before coming to Budapest, Tausaga-Collins had a best of 65.46m, the mark she achieved at the US Nationals in July, in joining Allman in the World championships squad. She had finished 12th in the World championships at home last year with only 56.47m. Feng Ben had won then with 69.12m.
Under the circumstances, Tausaga-Collins was not considered among the favourites to make the podium this time. She, however, had better ideas, as it turned out.
Her fifth-round winning throw came out of nowhere and took everyone by surprise. Till then Allman had held a comfortable lead with only Feng Bin looking capable of upsetting the American.
Allman had a series of 68.57, 66.94, 68.79, 69.23, 64.60, 68.61. Feng Bin had 66.97, 65.16, 65.91, 67.18, 67.41, 68.20. Tausaga’s best before her 69.49m was 65.26m in the third round. She had two fouls.
“I don’t know if I have a fairy godmother or something, or my ancestors had some say in it, but I was able to do something tonight that I didn’t think was possible yet,” said 25-year-old Tausaga-Collins.
“I was confident if I was on my A game, I could sneak through into a medal place and not be 12th like I was in the last two world championships.
“I’m just so happy. It’s unbelievable to go from 12th to first. No one was expecting me, and I just showed up.”
With the US making a surprise one-two, and Jorinde van Klinken of the Netherlands coming fourth (67.20m), two-time World and Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic of Croatia had to be satisfied with the fifth place at 66.57m
Photo 1 credit : https://www.sportskeeda.com/amp/athletics/news-2023-world-athletics-championships-day-4-final-results
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Photo 3 Credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/TCJG7TWnkFsPUMtd6
Photo 4 Credit : https://images.app.goo.gl/ZUPkSFG5jAViauvN6
