By A Correspondent
Josh Kerr of Britain brought off one of the biggest upsets of metric mile history, beating Norwegian Jacob Ingebrigtsen, the overwhelming favourite, on the fifth day of the World athletics championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on Wednesday (Aug 23).
On a night when the other Norwegian favourite, Karsten Holm, obliged in the 400m hurdles final, Ingebrigtsen’s defeat was a stunning reversal of form and reputation.
The women’s pole vault gold medal was shared between defending champion Katie Moon of the US and Australian Nina Kennedy, reminiscent of the tied number one position and subsequent joint gold medal agreement between Qatari Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italian Gianmarco Tamberi in high jump in the last Olympics.
The night also saw the first women’s individual gold medal for Dominican Republic as Marileidy Paulino took the 400m title to add to the silver she had won in last year’s edition. Paulino also is the silver medallist in the event from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Kerr tastes victory at last
The favourites need not always win. That truth was brought home tellingly all over again as Kerr finished ahead of Ingebrigtsen for the first time in nine meetings beginning from July 2016.
Despite being an Olympic champion and a world champion in 5000m, Ingebrigtsen had never won the World title in the 1500m. It was time the Norwegian won the World title in the shorter event, the experts and form book seemed to suggest this year.
But that was not to be. Ingebrigtsen had come through the heats and semifinals comfortably, coming ahead of Kerr in both. In fact, he could even gesticulate to the crowds to his right to applaud as he coasted towards the finish-line having kept himself in check in the semifinal at fifth or sixth position. At the end he again gestured to the crowds as though to indicate who the champion was. That was the level of his superiority.
Wednesday was, however, different. As Ingebrigtsen took the bell, Kerr made sure that he would be at the shoulder of the Norwegian. Through the back straight, Kerr slowly began to creep up. Till the final bend he was pushing Ingebrigtsen hard and with about 150m to go he looked ready to take over.
As the runners entered the home straight, Ingebrigtsen could not show his customary dash while Kerr gained marginally. With about 70 metres to the finish, the Briton looked to have forged ahead for the last time never to give up the slender lead.
“I knew I had him with about 50m to go”, Kerr would say later.
The 22-year-old Ingebrigtsen, who clocked an Area record of 3:27.14 in Chorzow, Poland, last month, finished as though he was resigned to his second loss in as many World championships on the trot while Kerr ground his teeth and finished strongly. So did several others behind him. It was Ingebrigtsen’s first loss in nine finals since August 2022.
Ingebrigtsen looked stunned in the end, but congratulated Kerr, whose joy knew no bounds. “I won the gold,” he said as he gesticulated towards the stands. He had won the bronze in the Tokyo Olympics and was fifth at the Eugene Worlds last year.
Kerr, 25, the third Briton ever to win the World 1500m title, clocked 3:29.38, a season best. Ingebrigtsen timed 3:29.65 and Narve Giljey Nordas, another Norwegian, took the bronze in 3:29.68.
“It’s crazy that Edinburgh Athletics Club has back-to-back world champions. I know Jake (Wightman) was in the crowd tonight and due respect to him for laying the path for me to follow,” said Kerr about the second successive success for Britain and his club. Wightman had won the gold last year.
“As I came round the bend, I thought I have to give everything I have. I didn’t worry about what was going on earlier in the race, I just made sure I was there with 200m to go. Then in the last 30m I thought, ‘I want this so badly, I don’t care how much pain I’m in. I’m going to do everything to get to the finish line first’.
The World Athletics President, Seb Coe, came down to present Kerr his gold medal. Coe, the two-time Olympic champion over the distance, did not have the opportunity to win the world title.
Ingebrigtsen who is to run the 5000m also in the championships gave credit to Kerr.
“All credit to Kerr, he had a good race. Of course, I am disappointed. I tried to give 100% but it is not easy when you are not feeling 100%. I had been on a training camp for three, almost four, months, with a minimum of social life and contact with the rest of the world, but in the warm-up today and in the semifinal, I was a little bit dry in my throat.
“It got worse on the last two days and then a little bit better when I woke up this morning. Not feeling 100% feels very unlucky. I will definitely run the 5000m, but I do not know how it will go,” the Norwegian was quoted as saying.
Warholm coasts through for third gold
For Warholm there were no major hiccups like his countryman in the men’s 400m hurdles final. He won the title for the third time in succession having won in 2017 and 2019.
American Rai Benjamin did challenge him through the first 200 metres, but into the second half of the race, Warholm had things easier as he scored victory in 46.89s.
Warholm had entered these championships with the fastest time in the world this season, 46.91s in Monaco in July. He was the odds-on-favourite in this meet, and he proved yet again why he was considered invincible.
Benjamin posed a challenge early on but could not maintain the tempo after the half-way stage and eventually finished third in 47.34s, behind British Virgin Islands’Kyron McMaster whose silver came in 47.34s.
“I feel like the gold medal is back where it belongs,” said Warholm. “It’s an amazing feeling.
“It was the perfect run for me. I was able to keep my form in the first 250m and I know that the guys were running their asses off and would be very tired. It was just left for me to turn on the turbos over the last 100m and the race was mine.
“They went out super hard, but I knew they were going to get it tough in the end. I knew I would have the most left on the home stretch.
“Every gold medal means a lot to me but this one is a bit extra special because I lost it last year. I had an injury and a tough season, so it’s a good little comeback story. I learned a lot from that too. I love racing, I put everything in my life into this and having an injury is tough, but it also motivated me to come back and get the gold back again, “said Warholm
McMaster was more than happy with his silver. “I fulfilled a part of my dream tonight,” he said. “First thing was to get a medal. Second step was to take one of the big three. I got second today, so Warholm is still the target. But he knows that.
“I am proud of myself, but I just wanted more,” said Benjamin. “I want to prove I have it in me.
“It has been a very tough season, dealing with a quadriceps injury, a lot of changes, a lot of distractions. I lost a close friend of mine. It was just tough. I try not to make any excuses; I try to come out and do my best. I am very satisfied with the first half of the race. I just cannot put the pieces together in the last half.
“I just did not have it. I just need to be better. I just do not know what happened today.”
Kennedy and Moon share pole vault gold
Kennedy and Moon were tied at 4.90m, equalling the world lead, in women’s pole vault final. The tie could not be resolved when they failed at 4.95m. They had a chat and agreed that the best way was to share the gold.
Kennedy was naturally overjoyed. This was her first global title. For Moon this was the second World title in succession. She is also the Olympic champion.
“I jumped out of my skin tonight. It was super crazy,” said Kennedy, who added eight centimetres to her own National record.
“When the final started, I didn’t think sharing a gold medal would work for me,” said 32-year-old Moon, she said, “but now I am completely satisfied. What a battle it was.”
Wilma Murto of Finland took the bronze on a countback with Tina Sutej of Slovakia as they did 4.80m.
Paulino adds gold to her collection
After her silver last year, which added to her collection of two silvers at the Olympics including one in the mixed relay, it was time for Paulino to strike gold. And she did that with plenty to spare in the 400m with a national record of 48.76s.
It was her country’s third gold medal following the 400m hurdles champion Felix Sanchez who took it in 2001 and 2003. He had also won two Olympic gold medals.
With world leader Sydney McLaughlin of the US pulling out at the last moment with an injury and defending champion Miller-Uibo not ready for these championships having attained motherhood, the field was clear for Paulino to be the favourite.
As it turned out, Polish woman Natalia Kaczmarek and Barbados’s Sada Williams posed the main threat to Paulino.
Williams had a good start but faded in the second half of the race while Kaczmarek grabbed her country’s first medal in the event in the World championships.
In the morning session on Wednesday India’s Parul Chaudhary qualified for the women’s 3000m steeplechase final, finishing fifth in her heat in a personal best of 9:24.29.
In men’s long jump qualification, defending champion Wang Jianan of China qualified for the final with a third-round jump of 8.34m. Also advancing was Indian Jeswin Aldrin, the world leader this year with 8.42m, with an 8.00m that proved to be the last qualification slot.
Missing the qualification from Asia was Asian champion Lin Yu-Tang of Chinese Taipei with 7.45m. He had jumped a National record of 8.40m in the Asian championships at Bangkok last month.
The rest of the Asians to go out included Chinee Zhang Mingkun (7.97), Japanese Yuki Hashioka (7.94), M. Sreeshankar of India (7.74), Zhang Jingqiang of China (7.64), Chang Ming Tai of Hong Kong (7.60), Shoutaru Shiroyama of Japan (7.46).
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