THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
The 2024 Olympic Games are under a year away, Paris looming closer for athletes all over the world including those in Track and Field, often seen as the showpiece of the Olympics. The stars of Athletics have been busy over the last fortnight, competing at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The event is often used, especially by commentators, as a marker for those competing in the Olympics, but being called World Champion is something to take great pride in, in itself. And as one successful athlete suggested, being called 'World Champion' is something that should mean just that, and not just what some teams call themselves when winning a title in the USA.
With nine days of competition in Budapest done and in the books, followed by a quick trip to Zurich, Switzerland for a prestigious round of the Diamond League this past Thursday, we can look at who won, and who will look to defend their positions in Paris next year.
The USA topped the medals table, as widely expected, winning a total of 29 medals across all the events. There were nine bronze winners, as well as eight silvers, but it was the 12 golds that we can focus on.
On the first day of the Championships Ryan Crouser bagged the first top podium place for the USA team when he threw a Championship record 23.51m in the shot put. This was followed by the Mixed 4 x 400m relay team running a world record time of 23min 08.80s. The team consisted of Matthew Boling, Rosey Effiong, Alexis Holmes, Justin Robinson, and Ryan Willie who ran in the qualifying heat.
The next day the sprints got underway, the elite races that capture everyone's attention. The USA has been in the shadows for a long time as the Jamaicans have had the upper hand in recent times, a certain Usain Bolt dominating the men's event in particular. The USA now boasts some highly talented sprinters and they delivered.
Noah Lyles won the 100m in the world best time this year of 9.83s. He was backed up 24 hours later by Sha'Carri Richardson in the Women's race, in a new Championship record time of 10.65s. Lyles and Richardson will carry the hopes of USA sprinting over the next few years, and if they stay healthy should be a real force in Paris. In the 110m Hurdles Grant Holloway won the final by some distance with a season-best 12.96s.
Day Four, and in the field Lagi Tausaga-Collins topped the list in the women's discus. After qualifying in fifth she found something extra in the final and won with a personal best distance of 69.49m.
The next day there was more success for the women in the field events as Katie Moon reached a dizzying height of 4.90m in the pole vault, currently the leading height in the world. Moon shared gold with her great rival and close friend Australia's Nina Kennedy.
Day Six saw no golds won by the USA, but next day Lyles was back on track for the 200m, an event where he predicted that he would beat Bolt's long-standing world record. He didn't manage that but he did win his second winner's medal as he raced home in 19.52s.
The eighth day saw another popular winner in the women's field events. Chase Ealey is a character who often wears colorful makeup as she spins across the circle in her chosen shot put event. She bided her time in this one but with a season best of 20.43m she found form when it was needed to lead her competitors.
The sprint teams did not disappoint late in the evening on Day Eight, with both the 4 x 100m men's and women's teams winning. This was Noah Lyles's third gold medal as he anchored the team home, aided by teammates Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Brandon Carnes, and JT Smith who ran in the heats. The women's team was anchored by Richardson; on the team with her were Tamari Davis, Twanisha Terry, and Gabby Thomas. Tamara Clark and Melissa Jefferson ran in the heats. The men's team ran a world-best time of 37.38s, and the women's team went one better with a Championship record time of 41.03s.
On to the final day, known mostly for more final relay events. The 4 x 400m men's team won the last gold for Team USA. Justin Robinson, Quincy Hall, Vernon Norwood, and Rai Benjamin ran the final, helped by Trevor Bassitt, Matthew Boling, and Christopher Bailey in the heats. The time recorded in the final was another world-best so far this year: 2min 57.31s.
With these titles in the bag, some of the stars backed up their Championship form in the Zurich Diamond League event, where Lyles and Richardson won their 100m races.
The future looks great for Team USA's track and field stars, and over the next year they will aim to improve and take more medals in all categories.
