Los Alamos grad wins shot put to give U.S. first gold

EUGENE, Ore. — Shot putter Chase Ealey’s smeared red, white and blue makeup along with her matching nails paired well with this: Team USA’s first gold medal at the world championships.

Not a bad early birthday present, either. Ealey, who went to high school in Los Alamos and turns 28 in four days, ended up winning the event on her first attempt Saturday night at Hayward Field. Her opening toss went 67 feet, 2¾ inches and dethroned two-time defending world champion Gong Lijiao of China.

By a matter of minutes, Ealey earned the honor of first American gold at the inaugural world championships held in the U.S. Moments later, Fred Kerley led an American sweep in the 100.

“I haven’t quite absorbed the information that it’s happened,” said Ealey, who became Team USA’s first world outdoor champion in the women’s shot put. “It just feels really good.”

To remind herself to relax and breathe at big meets, Ealey glances at her forearm.

She has “breathe” tattooed on it. This competition certainly left her breathless.

After her first attempt, no one could match her. It’s the first time a female thrower has won the competition at worlds on her opening attempt in the final.

All part of her plan.

“I warmed up bigger than I competed, which happens a lot,” she explained. “I was really feeling myself — every throw was at 20 [meters]. I was just like, ‘OK, I think I can do this.’ The minute I got in there and [heard] the cheers in the crowd, I knew it would happen. I felt really good about it.”

For Gong’s final attempt, Ealey found a vantage point from which she could tell instantly if she would end up with gold or silver.

Gold it was.

After her last attempt — a scratch — she buried her face in her hands before heading for the stands, where her family awaited.

As for the makeup, “it’s a whole thing,” she explained. The smear was caused by another reason.

“I don’t always cry it off into oblivion and have people having to fan my face,” cracked Ealey, who went to college at Oklahoma State. “It’s all amazing. I feel like I did a bunch of firsts and I’m really proud of it.”

Distance icon finishes fourth in 10K meters

Endurance icon Sifan Hassan wasn’t going for three medals this time. Now, she won’t even get two, and she’s OK with that.

The Dutch distance workhorse got outraced to the line in a fight-to-the-finish 10,000 meters Saturday in the world championships. She finished fourth, behind Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia, Hellen Obiri of Kenya and Obiri’s latecharging teammate, Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi.

Gidey won in 30 minutes, 9.94 seconds. Only 0.62 seconds separated the top four runners.