Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon won gold in the 1,500m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Munich’s Tobias Potye just missed out on bronze in the high jump, while American Lalauuga Tausaga sensationally won gold in the discus. The fourth day of competition at the World Championships in Athletics at a glance.
1,500m – Kipyegon in front, Welteji and Hassan on the pitches
Faith Kipyegon from Kenya was the fastest over the 1,500 m in 3:54.87 minutes. The Olympic champion has been unbeaten at this distance for two years now. Diribe Welteji from Ethiopia won silver in 3:55.69 minutes, just ahead of Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands (3:56.00 minutes).
“This is a great season for me”said Kipyegon. “Breaking the world records and becoming world champion, defending the title – I’m grateful for that.” Kipyegon set world records in the 1,500m, one mile and 5,000m in the summer.
Participants from Germany did not take part in the 1,500 m at this World Championships.
High jump – Potye narrowly misses bronze
Tobias Potye from Munich just missed the bronze medal in the high jump. The 28-year-old jumped a good 2.33 m in the final, but in the end that was only enough for fifth place. This shattered one of the few medal hopes of the German team. Had Potye cleared the 2.33m on the first attempt, he would have been guaranteed bronze. Potye had jumped 2.34m in the run-up to the World Championships and flew to Budapest as number three in the world. “I’m proud that I did it today. I won in my eyes”Potye told the sports show.
Gold went to co-Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi with 2.36 m in front of the American JuVaughn Harrison and the Qatari Mutaz Essa Barshim (2.33 m) who, like Tamberi, was an Olympic champion in Tokyo, at that time both agreed on a joint victory. “I feel like a person who defeats superheroes”said Tamberi.
The German high jumper Tobias Potye
Discus – Tausaga sensationally wins gold
Laulauga Tausaga from the USA surprisingly won gold in the discus throw. In her fifth attempt, she improved her personal best by a good four meters to 69.49 m.
Only silver remained for Olympic champion Valarie Allman, she no longer countered. The German discus trio around Kristin Pudenz in sixth place clearly missed out on medals. “I would have liked to have shown more. But you have to do sixth at world level first. Today I didn’t have the necessary flexibility that you need in a competition to be able to throw at the front.”said Pudenz, who should have thrown the best performance for a medal, of the sports show: “That wouldn’t have been impossible today.”
400 m – Hudson-Smith breaks Schönlebe’s European record
The former GDR sprinter Thomas Schönlebe lost his European record over 400 m after 36 years. In the semifinals, the Briton Matthew Hudson-Smith ran in 44.26 seconds seven hundredths faster than the 58-year-old Saxon who won the title at the 1987 World Championships in Rome .
A runner from Jamaica was even quicker: Antonio Watson ran a personal best of 44.13 seconds, just like the third fastest runner: Vernon Norwood (USA) finished in 44.26 seconds. Steven Gardiner from the Bahamas missed the final, in the third race he had to retire injured while in the lead.
3,000 m steeplechase – El Bakkali defends his title
Soufiane El Bakkali remains world champion over 3000 m steeplechase. The Moroccan won in 8:03.53 ahead of Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia (8:05.44) and Abraham Kibiwot of Kenya (8:11.98).
El Bakkali had already won the world title in Eugene in Oregon/USA in 2022, this time he also ran more than 20 seconds faster. “After the win in Eugene, I’m proud to bring home the next gold medal”said El Bakkali. “This medal gives me motivation for the Olympic Games in Paris, I want to win there too.”
100 m hurdles – Harrison with pace in the semifinals
Kendra Harrison had a strong time in the prelim. In 12.24 seconds she was clearly the fastest runner in the total of all five heats ahead of Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas (12.44 seconds) and Tobi Amusan of Nigeria in 12.48 seconds.
Amusan set the current world record of 12.12 seconds at the 2022 World Cup last year. She was recently suspended for missing three doping controls. The disciplinary tribunal of the world athletics association World Athletics recognized “no violation of the rules”. The independent integrity commission AIU was disappointed afterwards and considered an appeal to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport CAS.
400 m hurdles – Shamier Little as the fastest in the final, German without a chance
Shamier Little from the USA reached the final as the best participant in the overall ranking of the three semi-finals over 400 m hurdles in 52.81 seconds. Femke Bol of the Netherlands ran the second fastest time with 52.95 seconds, Rushell Clayton of Jamaica with 53.30 seconds ran the third best personal best time.
The two German participants had no chance: Carolina Krafzik (54.58 seconds) and Eileen Demes (56.71 seconds) missed the final run.
800 m – Wanyonyi Fastest in heats
Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya ran the fastest time in the seven heats over 800m in 1:44.92 minutes. Marco Arop of Canada in 1:45.05 and Gabriel Tual of France in 1:45.10 followed on the places.
23 runners reached the semi-finals, including Saul Ordonez from Spain, who only finished 41st overall in terms of time – but finished third in his heat and progressed through placement.