Double Olympic champion and world record holder Ryan Crouser finally bagged World Championships gold as he led a United States clean sweep in a dramatic shot put competition with a best throw of 22.94 metres on Sunday.
Defending champion Joe Kovacs had briefly led with a fifth-round effort of 22.89 but had to settle for silver, while Josh Awotunde claimed bronze with a big personal best of 22.29.
It was the first time any nation had swept the podium in shot put, coming a day after the U.S. men did the same in the 100 metres. Crouser thought he had won gold in 2019 when he launched a massive throw in the final round, only for Kovacs to snatch it by 1cm with his final throw.
He might have thought it was happening again as he sat on the lead with 22.58 from his third round then saw Kovacs beat it with his best effort of the season.
Next into the circle though the world record holder showed his mettle with a championship record throw. Tom Walsh of New Zealand, champion in 2017 and bronze medallist in 2019, struggled in the early rounds and finished fourth with 22.08.
Holloway successfully defends 110m hurdles world title
American Grant Holloway successfully defended his 110 metres hurdles world title after Jamaica’s Olympic champion Hansle Parchment injured himself in the warmup and world leader Devon Allen was disqualified for a false start.
Tokyo silver medallist Holloway opened up a lead from the 10m mark and came home in 13.03 seconds, ahead of compatriot Trey Cunningham and Spain’s Asier Martinez.
“At the start, it was just me, my lane and my space and I was ready for whatever happens,” said Holloway.
“We have to continue the hard work and we will see what happens next. It feels good to win in front of the home crowd.”
It was the United States’ second track gold in Eugene, Oregon, a day after Fred Kerley led an American sweep of 100 metres.
Cunningham said he was disappointed at not finishing higher on the podium in his worlds debut, after picking up the collegiate title at the springy and speedy Hayward Field track last month.
“We came for even a shinier medal. I don’t like to settle, but it’s the world championships, and everyone brings their best,” said Cunningham, adding that he had struggled on the sixth hurdle before regaining his poise.
“I stayed composed and in my lane and did what I needed to do.”
Martinez was overjoyed after producing a personal best (13.17) to collect Spain’s second consecutive bronze in the event.
“This is a dream and I am having a hard time to wake up from it,” he said. “We are becoming a leading sport in Spain and results back this up.”
Andersen crushes women’s hammer field for gold
American Brooke Andersen secured a crushing victory in the hammer throw, taking World Championship gold with a throw of 78.96 metres.
Canadian Camryn Rogers collected silver with 75.52 and Andersen’s compatriot Janee Kassanavoid took bronze.
The world leader had already secured the top of the podium with 77.42 metres on her fourth attempt but kept the gold even further out of reach as she threw 77.56 on her fifth try and let out a cry as she beat that effort with her final throw to cheers from the home crowd.
American Nageotte wins pole vault world gold
Olympic champion Katie Nageotte won the United States’ first women’s pole vault gold at the World Championships in more than two decades, with compatriot Sandi Morris taking silver and Australian Nina Kennedy the bronze.
Nageotte cleared 4.85 metres on her first attempt to win her first medal at the worlds, while Morris had to settle for a third straight silver after clearing the same height but on her second attempt.
The last American to win gold in the event was Stacy Dragila at the 2011 Edmonton worlds.
It was the third straight gold for the American women in the field events in Eugene, Oregon, after Chase Ealey won the shot put and Andersen triumphed in the hammer throw.
Cheptegei retains world 10,000 title and eyes distance double
Uganda’s world record holder Joshua Cheptegei showed he had learned his Olympic lesson as he delivered a tactical masterclass to win a second successive world 10,000 metres gold.
Last year in Tokyo, Cheptegei kept his powder dry until the bell, only to be outkicked by Selemon Barega. On Sunday, he started upping the ante with over a kilometre to go, throwing in laps of 64 and 63 seconds to stretch a group of eight as they hit the bell.
He then continued to press and though there was a mad scramble behind him that had the healthy Hayward Field crowd roaring in appreciation, he was strong enough to hold the field off and come home in 27:27.43 minutes.
Kenya’s Stanley Mburu, who took a heavy fall on the first lap, recovered well to finish second in 27:27.90. Jacob Kiplimo, 21, who was third in Tokyo, claimed another bronze for Uganda in 27:27.97.
“I knew that if I get into the last fight, I can control it and I could speed it up,” said Cheptegei, still only 25 but who made his world championship debut back in 2015.
“I did not aim to run really fast because of the heat. The sun was very strong, but I was able to get stronger and keep it faster and faster.”
Fast-finishing Grant Fisher just ran out of track in his bid to win a first medal in the event for the United States, finishing fourth, with Ethiopia’s Olympic champion Barega unable to repeat his Tokyo fireworks as he ended up fifth.
Cheptegei, who also took a silver in the event in 2017 and won Olympic gold over 5,000m last year, will now attempt the elusive double when going again over 5,000 later in the week in Eugene.
“It was very emotional for me to come back to the USA where I started my international career in 2014 (winning the world junior 10,000m title in Eugene),” he said. “Now, I want to continue my dominancy in the long distance running and I hope I will manage it.”
Record-holder Van Niekerk eases through 400m heat
South African world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk made a confident return to the World Championships, easing through his 400 metres heat, as a trio of Americans also advanced.
Rio Olympic champion and twice world champion van Niekerk set a speedy pace through the first half of the track but slowed through the finish to win, conserving his energy a year after he failed to reach the final in Tokyo, citing mental struggles.
“I need to open up my legs a little bit to get my muscles going and see what I need to work on before I get to the semifinal,” said Van Niekerk, who won back-to-back world titles in 2015 and 2017 but missed 2019 due to injury.
“I feel much, much better but obviously my mentality is to get into the finals and see what happens.”
Americans Michael Norman and Champion Allison, the only men to break 44 seconds this season, faced little threat in Eugene, Oregon, as the action carried on under scorching sun.
Norman, who suffered a hamstring injury in Doha and failed to reach the podium in Tokyo, looked comfortable on the springy Hayward Field track, easing up through the final metres to cheers from the home fans as he aims to turn around his run of tough luck.
“I’ve had this goal for three years now and track hasn’t been fair to me the last three years but I’m going to make this my year and compete to the best of my ability,” said Norman.
“It was a super controlled, super easy race and I’ll go back and watch film and see what areas I can improve on.”
Making his world debut, the 23-year-old Allison easily rolled through to Wednesday’s semifinal.
“It was good to get out there, but I approach it like a normal track meet,” said Allison. “You just have to go out there and race and be yourself.”
Compatriot Michael Cherry, a relay champion in Tokyo and Doha, also went through.
Three times Olympic medallist Kirani James of Grenada advanced along with Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori, who produced the fastest time of the day with 44.87, a personal best.
The event kicked off without the reigning Olympic and world champion Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas, who is sidelined with injury.
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