.jpg)
The curtain has closed on this year's world championships but if you're a track and field fan like me you're probably still savouring the tremendous display of talent put on by the world's finest athletes.
For me, this was a championship of 3's at least in the sprints, as both Usain Bolt and his compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce captured gold medals in all three sprint races.
The 200m was no different. Even before the race, I don't think anyone ever doubted that Bolt would be the winner. His long strides attacked the corner with ferocity, putting him in complete command of the race by the 50m mark, allowing him plenty of room to ease up at the line in a time of 19.66 sec. No disrespect to the other competitors but I think most of us were really just trying to figure out who would nab the other medals. My bet was on Bolt's team mate and last year's Olympic Bronze medallist Warren Weir for 2nd, but I figured the bronze was wide open. As predicted Weir ran the race of his life, blazing the last 40m for silver in a personal best of 19.79 and American Curtis Mitchell grabbed 3rd spot.
Finally in the 4x100m the stage was already set for yet another gold. A brilliant 3rd leg by America's Rakieem Salaam actually had the USA leading Jamaica but that final exchange was nothing short of DISASTROUS (not that it would have mattered in the end) but hard to watch Salaam and Gatlin fumbling with the baton while as Jamaica executed a superior exchange...after that, the race over. Gatlin and the US team were left a distant second as Bolt powered to the line in 37.36. Well off world record pace, but a fine race nonetheless. The win handed Jamaica Its 3rd consecutive win in this event at a major championship and permanently secured Bolt’s legend status. The proud Jamaican leaves the Moscow with eight world titles overall, equalling world gold records held by US track star Carl Lewis and Allyson Felix. In any other year 9.77 and 19.66 would have been regarded as simply mind boggling but the coming of the Bolt era has relegated these times to just "good". It is the mark of a man who’s truly changed the landscape of the sport.
The women were not to be outdone.The diminutive Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce matched Bolt's success medal for medal.
But while the 100m was almost a given, the 200m was never a foregone conclusion. No one would ever want to play down the remarkable abilities of Olympic champion Allyson Felix. Track pundits were salivating for a showdown between the two in the final but alas it was not to be... regretfully Felix pulled up with a torn hamstring and you know the rest from there. Shelly-Ann won in 22.17 and Ahoure (also second in the 100m) pipped Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare at the line for 2nd. Had Felix been uninjured, I think we would have been able to really see what Shelly could do in the 200m...perhaps a sub 22? Nevertheless still an awesome race to watch. This event handed Fraser Pryce the rare sprint-double title, making her the 3rd woman in history to do so ( see what I mean about a theme of 3’s)
The 4x100m must have been like the icing on the cake, Fraser Pryce anchored the Jamaican quartet to an astounding victory in a championship record of 41.29 . I don't think I've ever seen such a margin of victory...quite astounding really. France did well for silver while defending champions USA suffering from the absence of Felix and Jeter fought hard for 3rd.
Now that we are done with the Triple triumphs in the sprints it's time to show some appreciation for the historic double-double in the long distances. Yes I'm talking about the immortal races of Great Britain's Mo Farah, who to the world's amazement claimed both the 10,000m and 5000m... repeating his unbelievable success at last year's Olympics. Whereas the thrill of the sprints is undoubtedly captivating, the perseverance of long distance runners brings another level of awe.
Farah took 10,000 gold on the opening night of the championships, with a supreme final lap then came back 6 days later to claim the 5000m. I think the longer distance was almost a certainty but you never know in the 5000m.
Farah ran a strategic race from the get go, producing a lung-bursting kick in the final lap to hold off the fast finishing Kenyans. Farah crossed the line in 13min 26.98sec.
Whatever the US lacked in the flat sprints,they made up for it in the hurdles...capturing both men 110m and women’s 100m hurdles titles. After years of injuries and rhythm struggles David Oliver overcame it all to claim the obstacle event in a commendable 13.00.
But it was the women’s equivalent that literally had me at the edge of my seat. To say defending world champion and Olympic Champion Sally Pearson was having a HORRID year, would be the understatement of the century. Two hamstring injuries and a late start to the season had the hurdles queen looking a far cry from the glory of the past two years. The look in Pearson’s eyes just before the start of the race pretty much told the story of how difficult its been. Concern obvious in her eyes and body language as focused for the race. Meanwhile to her left the youthful Brianna Rollins was poised and confident as ever. Despite all this, at the sound of the gun Pearson took off like a bullet! For a split second I thought it was all over for Rollins...That's until I saw her finishing like a freight train. Hurdle for hurdle that girl was like flipping INSANE. Rollins caught the Australian by the 8th hurdle and blazed past Pearson in a time of 12.44sec. How she got over that horrific start and still managed to win is beyond me. Pearson has vowed it will be her final defeat in this event but I don’t know folks, Miss Rollins looks like she’s NOT going anywhere any time soon.
While the track was on fire, the field events was tantalizing. France’s Teddy Tamgho wowed the crowd with a spectacular leap of 18,04m to claim Triple Jump gold. In an extraordinary final Tamgho edged Pedro Pichardo of Cuba and Will Claye of the United States becoming the third man to clear the magical 18 meter mark in the triple jump.
There were so many awesome races and great talent that I just cannot list them all. The above merely my highlights. However please join me in giving heartiest commendations to those below:
Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast and Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare give the African continent its first ever medals in a women's world 200 metres final on Friday
Christine Ohuruogu -- GB's iron lady--wins 400m by the narrowest of margins, smashing the 28-yr-old British record in the event,
LaShawn Merritt Reclaims mens 400m title for the USA
Russia's Aleksandr Menkov: leaps 8.56 meters for Long Jump gold
Javon Francis anchors Jamaica's 4x400m relay team with an impressive/unbelievable lap dragging Jamaica to an otherwise unlikely silver.
