Athletics World Championships, Lyles and Jackson, 200 masterpiece. Ingebrigtsen tries again in the 5000

From our correspondent Andrea Buongiovanni

& commat; abuongi

July 22nd
– EUGENE (USA)

Two 200 like this, in the space of a quarter of an hour, they had never really seen each other. Women first, with Jamaican gold Shericka Jackson in 21.45, second world all-time performance, 11/100 from Flo-Jo Griffith Joyner’s much talked about record of 34 years ago. Then the men, with the American Noah Lyles to devour the track in 19 ”31, the third fastest time ever, 12/100 from the legendary record of Usain Bolt. Jamaica that brings the United States closer in one case, the United States that tickles Jamaica in the other. The night in Oregon smells of history: what a sight.

Men

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A madman on the Hayward Field track: it’s Noah Lyles. The 25-year-old from Florida, under the eyes of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the “masters” of Mexico City 1968, is a beast right from the start (reaction to the shot of 0 ”141). Outside, in the sixth lane, he brushes the curve as he paints a work of art. The action is as effective as it is elegant. The breakdown of the race into two stages is clear: a tumultuous 10 ”19 the first part, an unreal 9” 16 the second (wind at +0.4 m / s). Noah never breaks down, he always stays pushed. When he dives to the finish line the displays howl 19 ”32. He will be quickly updated in 19 ”31, even better. And that meager penny makes a big difference, because it’s worth the national record. Since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics final, he belonged to Michael Johnson, in the stands at Eugene as a commentator for the NBC. Better, besides Bolt (19 ”19 at the World Championships in Berlin 2009), only Yohan Blake (19” 26) did. Behind Lyles (what would he have done with a +2.0 behind him?), Two compatriots. The silver, as at the Tokyo Olympics, is for Kenny Bednarek (19 ”77), the bronze for Erriyon Knighton, at 18 years and 174 days the youngest sprinter to get on an individual world podium. For the United States, in the half lap of the track, it is the second “sweep” after the one in Helsinki 2005 (signed by Justin Gatlin, Wallace Spearmon and John Capel). He is paired with that of the 100 on Saturday (never happened). With six different athletes …

Women

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Shericka Jackson, already silver in the 100, runs the first 100 in the corners in 11 “04 and, with wind at +0.6 m / s, those in the straight in an unspeakable 10” 41. Who knows what she would have done if the gust had been of superior strength and just within the limits … The 28-year-old born in Saint Ann, a pupil of Stephen Francis at the Kingston MVP Track Club and former great fifteenth-century athlete (bronze at the 2015 and 2019 World Championships), in this season, winning the national championships at the end of June, she had already reached 21 ”55 on the 200 and Eugene, in the semifinal, almost without pushing, had raced in 21” 67. Behind her she already has a long and successful career, but this year’s explosion places her among the greatest sprinters ever. Silver ends at the neck of the infinite Shelly-Ann Fraser (21 ”81), winner of the 100 on Sunday: for her it is the thirteenth world medal, one less than Usain Bolt and Merlene Ottey. Jamaica scores a double in the specialty as it hasn’t happened since Helsinki 2005, when the United States did it with Allyson Felix and Rachel Smith. The bronze awards the outgoing champion, the British Dina Asher-Smith (22 ”02). The United States chews bitter: for the first time in history, between 100, 200 and 400 women do not win any medals. The best result is the fifth place of Abby Steiner, right in the 200.

The rest

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In the 5000 heats the best is Kenyan Jacok Krop (13’13 “30), winner of the second, with Jakob Ingebrigtsen behind him greeting the audience on the final straight, while the first goes to the Ugandan Oscar Chelimo, an athlete very close to the ‘Italy (13’24 ”24). In the qualifiers of the javelin, two go beyond 88 meters: the grenadin defending champion Anderson Peters (89.91) and the Indian Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra (88.39).