If you love high-level, competitive, and dramatic sports, then the 2023 IAAF World Track & Field Championship held in Budapest, Hungary, lived up to and perhaps exceeded expectations. The nine-day event showcased the world’s best athletes who demonstrated speed, endurance, power, and agility. The competition produced stunning moments of camaraderie, such as the decision made by American Katie Moon and Nina Kennedy to share the pole-vaulting gold after clearing the 4.90 meters mark. There were also stunning upsets, including British runner Josh Kerr upsetting Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win the gold medal in the 1,500-meter gold. Also, 21-year-old Jamaican Antonio Watson stunned the world by winning the first 400-meter gold medal in nearly 40 years for the Caribbean island. Watson surged to the finish line in the last 30 meters of the race for a memorable finish. Yes, these moments did not crack the top five but are honorable mentions. In this article, we look at the five biggest moments from a wild championship.
1. Noah Lyles Conquers the Field to Become the Sport’s Mega Star-Noah had won back-to-back titles as the 200-meter champion, but the event lacks the sizzle of the 100 meters. The winner of that event is considered the present world’s fastest man. Therefore, Lyles was an underdog to win the short sprint event and compatriot Fred Kerley was seen as the favorite. Kerley added spice to the competition by stating in the press conference, “I’m Fred Kerley, this is my title. If Noah’s going to run 9.65, then I’m running faster.” Noah gave a sharp reply by saying, “That’s what they all say ’til they get beat.” Kerley failed to back up all that talk by fizzling in the semifinal of 100 meters. Lyles took disadvantage of the slip-up by shocking the field by clocking 9.87 to win the gold medal in the final. Noah brought confidence and dominance to his pet event, the 200 meters, winning the final in 19.52, still short of the record mark. He completed the trifecta by running the anchor leg to win gold in the 4*100 relay. Noah became the first athlete since Usain Bolt to win gold in all three events at the same championship and is now the face of male sprinting heading into Paris.
2. Shacarri Richardson Silences the Critics-Richardson has turned around her career in just a year after being suspended from marijuana use and embroiled in controversy. Shacarri entered Budapest enjoying a stellar season but there were questions she could deliver under pressure on the world stage. In the semifinal of the 100m, she finished third and her dreams of medaling appeared dash having missed out on the automatic and qualifying based on time. Richardson ran in lane 9 in the finals away from the Jamaican duo of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson. Richardson benefited from the outside lane as she focused to the end shocking the stadium to win in a time of 10.65 which is a championship record. Richardson then went on to win bronze in the 200-meter despite it being her weakest event. She completed the collection by storming to the finish line as the anchor. It sets up nicely what is to come next year in France.3
3. Shericka Jackson Captures Gold in near world record-after missing out on the 100 meters, Jackson was determined to make amends in the 200 meters. The prediction for the race was that it would be a near-photo finish with the likes of Gabby Thomas, Shaccari Richardson, and Marie-Josee Ta Lou in the lineup. In the final, Jackson delivered as she covered the field around the curve, and the race was against the clock. When she crossed the line, she won the race by clocking 21.41 seconds, four-tenths of a second ahead of Thomas which is a massive margin in the 200 meters. However, she did break the championship record but did not break the world record of 21.34, and the disappointment showed on her face. Yes, Jackson will have her eyes on that record set by Flo-Jo in 1988 when she heads to the Olympics in Paris next year as the second-fastest woman in history.
4. Faith Kipyegon is now a living distance running icon-Kipyegon entered this year as one of the best distance runners in the world having won back-to-back Gold at the Olympics and two Gold at the World Championships in the 1500m event. However, in 2023 alone she set new world records in the 1,500 meters (3:49.11), one mile (4:07.64), and 5,000 meters (14:05.20). She went to Budapest and did the impossible by winning the 1500m and 5000m becoming the first woman to do so at the World Championships. Kipyegon is enjoying unprecedented success and is bringing more attention to women’s distance running.
5. Femke Bol earns her redemption-Bol had a disastrous start to the meet by falling flat on her face in the mixed 4×400-meter relay. The Dutch athlete matched American Alexis Holmes stride-for-stride during the anchor leg of the relay, however, the 23-year-old Bol tripped and fell just a few meters from the finish line to dash the hopes for a gold medal. However, she dusted herself off in the 400-meter hurdles and in the absence of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, dominated the field to win in a time of 51.70, which is the second fastest time in history. In one of the last events of the meet, Bol was in the same position as she started as anchor in the 4×400-meter relay. In an exciting finish, in the last 50 meters, Bol overhauled Britain’s Nicole Yeargin and then edged Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams on the line to win Gold for her country. It was a remarkable way to achieve redemption and was part of the storylines from a terrific championship.