Olympic champions flaunt might
EUGENE (AFP) — Emmanuel Korir of Kenya and Pedro Pichardo of Portugal added world titles to their respective Olympic crowns, but there was injury heartbreak for Canada’s Damian Warner in the decathlon.
Two other gold medalists from last year’s Tokyo Olympics had a mixed bag, Indian Neeraj Chopra having to content himself with silver in the men’s javelin, but Dutch runner Sifan Hassan leaving Eugene medal-less after finishing sixth in the women’s 5,000m.
The 4x100m relays saw the United States women beat a loaded Jamaican team featuring individual sprint champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, to win gold, but a Canada team anchored by Olympic 200m champion Andre de Grasse beat the favored US men’s team into silver.
“It felt great to do it, to spoil the party for them,” said De Grasse, who contracted Covid-19 three weeks before the championships and was too fatigued to race the 200m.
“We talked about this moment so many times. We came up a little bit short at the Olympics, and we were all like, we could do better... it’s a good way to end the championship.”
Korir produced a trademark kick from 200m out to win the men’s 800m in one minute and 43.71 seconds, well ahead of Algerian Djamel Sedjati with silver and Canada’s Marco Arop bronze.
“I knew there were some guys close behind me in the last 100m,” Korir said.
“I was expecting someone to come, but no one did. I never shake my end in training but I do in races. It’s like magic. I have been working for this. It’s been a long wait — I failed in 2017 and 2019 and I made it now.”
Pichardo was imperious in the triple jump, all but tying up competition when he went out to 17.95 meters on his first attempt.
“I opened strongly,” the Cuban-born Pichardo said, adding that he had been mentally focused on the mythical 18-meter mark in a bid to better his two previous silvers.
It felt great to do it, to spoil the party for them.
“My mindset was focused on 18m. It did not come out today, but more importantly, I won gold. This world title was elusive to me.”
In the absence of American multiple global medal winner Christian Taylor, world and Olympic bronze medalist Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso claimed silver 40cm off Pichardo, while China’s Zhu Yaming took bronze.
Warner, also a winner in Tokyo, was in full control of the decathlon after four of the first day’s five events, but he pulled up injured in the 400m.
He was left lying on the track clutching his left hamstring.
Puerto Rico’s Ayden Owens-Delermew is now installed as the overnight leader, with the second day of action comprising the 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500m.
Grenada’s Peters retained his javelin throw title with a best of 90.54 meters on his sixth and final attempt for victory, having dominated the competition throughout.