In the past ten days, the United States hosted the World Athletics Championship for the first time in Eugene, Oregon. The small town is called ‘Track Town USA’ because in that tiny community in North America, the sport is beloved and celebrated. The championship was exciting and successful because 29 countries won gold medals breaking the previous record of 26 in 2017. It showed that the sport transcends race, color, and creed. The United States emerged as winners topping the medal standings with 13 gold, 9 silver, and 11 bronze for a total of 33 medals. The team was so dominant that the next best countries in the standings in Ethiopia and Jamaica won ten medals each. In this article, however, we will focus on the top five moments of the memorable championships.
5. Jake Wightman-the British middle-distance runner pulled off a stunning upset to win gold in the 1500 meters. Wightman ran a tactically sound race by staying near the pack but with about 300 meters left, he took the bold step of grabbing the lead and forcing the field to beat him to the line. Wightman executed brilliantly to hold off the fast-finishing Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who won the gold at the last Olympics. It was a remarkable display because Wightman finished 10th in the event last year to now win gold dramatically. The victory was even sweeter because his father and coach, Geoff Wightman, was the stadium announcer for the event. What a cool moment!
4. Noah Lyles-when people think of male sprinting, the name that will always come to mind is the electrifying 19.19 clocked by Usain Bolt in the 200 meters. Noah Lyles lined up in the finals, determined he would not leave anything in the tank, and exploded out of the blocks. Lyle came off the curve with lead and hit the gas pedal to create a big lead, and all that was left involved watching the clock as he crossed the line at 19:31 seconds. In the process, it smashed the championship and American record of 19.32 by Michael Johnson. Whether Lyle can break the world record in the future, may not be farfetched after that performance.
3. Shelly-Ann/Shericka Jackson- these athletes were inseparable during the competition because they are Jamaican teammates, competed head-to-head in the same races, and produced stunningly contrasting results. In the 100-meter finals, 35-year-old Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce powered her way from the blocks to the finish line without any real threat to strike gold in a stunning championship record of 10.67 seconds. Shericka Jackson avenged her second place in the 100-meter race, by blowing past Fraser-Pryce near the 150-meter mark to win the 200-meter final in a championship record of 21.45 seconds. Amidst the competition, these women were so friendly that Shelly-Ann was caught on camera fixing Shericka’s hair after her crowning achievement.
2. Sydney McClaughlin-Sydney is the new American darling, and hopefully, she got some exposure from the staging of this event on home soil because she is as dominant an athlete in any sport. McClaughlin dominated the field in the 400 meters field that the competition really came down to her and watching the clock because she was so far ahead. She crossed the line and smashed the world record with a run of 50.68. In the 4*400 relays, she ran a blistering split of 47.91, making her the second-fastest sprinter in the 400 in women’s history, coming just ahead of Czech sprinter Jarmila Kratochvílová, who ran a then-record 47.99 in 1983. So, could a switch to the flat quarter mile be her next challenge? Only time will tell.
1. Toby Amusan-entering the World Championships, Nigeria had never won a gold medal. Toby Amusan narrowly missed the medal podium with a 4th place finish in the 100-meter hurdles in the Tokyo Olympics. Like a champion, Amusan used the disappointment to fuel the fire and arrived in Eugene to win the gold. In the semifinal, she produced a flawless run that shocked the stadium by producing a world record time of 12.12, lowering the record by eighth hundredths off a second. There were doubts that the Nigerian woman could repeat the feat because she had given too much in the semifinal. However, in the final, she produced another virtuoso performance of 12.06. Unfortunately, the record did not stand because of the heavy wind assistance. Nonetheless, the world will long remember Toby Amusan for her historic back-to-back runs and earning gold for Nigeria for the 1st time.