by Larry Eder
Dafne Schippers, photo by PhotoRun.net
Dafne Schippers, in a period of less than two hours, ran two national records in the 100 meters: 10.83 in the semi finals and 10.81 in the finals. She was beat by Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce. On CCTV, SAFP said, ” I do not believe in luck. I believe in hard work and God.”
Here is Alex Mills review of the happenings on the second session of Day 3.
Shawn Barber, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce were among the big winners on day three of the IAAF world championships in Beijing as five golds were awarded within a whirlwind final hour of competition.
For Fraser-Pryce it was business as usual as she stormed to yet another world championship 100m title, taking victory after following up her fabulous start by powering away from the field to eventually cruise home in 10.76 seconds. Next to cross the line in yet another national record time was Dutch sensation Dafne Schippers, who finished second in 10.82, while Usa’s Tori Bowie took bronze in 10.86.
On a night when Fraser-Pryce and a number of other established global champions regained or retained their world championship titles, it was Canadian rookie Barber who stole the headlines as he overcame the challenge of two former winners and the Olympic champion to win gold in the men’s pole vault. By doing so he became his country first winner of the event as well as the youngest winner of a world championship pole vault title since Sergey Bubka in 1983.
Coming into the competition fresh off of setting a new PB 5.93m at the London Diamond League and becoming the Pan Am Games champion a few days later, Barber was fancied by many to challenge for a medal at his first major championships, yet few expected him to top the podium.
Yet as his far more experienced rivals began to falter as the field of sixteen finalists continued to reduced in size, Barber stayed calm to bring the challenge to his rivals.
Having already produced a perfect record between 5.50 and 5.80m, Barber then became the only man to clear 5.90m at the first attempt, to set the bar for his rivals. Then as four of the six remaining athletes failed to clear the height, including world record holder Renaud Lavilllenie, only one man remained that could prevent Barber from winning the title, reigning champion Raphael Holzdeppe.
Having only cleared the height at the third attempt, the German then had to clear 6m and the Canadian not to win, despite some close attempts, neither man succeeded. Meaning gold went to Barber and silver to Holzdeppe as Lavellenie had to settle with a three way tie for bronze alongside’s Poland’s Pawel Wojciechowski and Piotr Lisek after to failing to win an illusive world gold once more.
Speaking afterwards Barber was both surprised and delighted: “It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, I was just looking to be on the podium somewhere, it was such a good experience.
“I couldn’t ask for a better competition.”
In the evening’s other field event final Colombia’s Caterine Ibarguen showed why she is unbeaten since November 2012 as she won a second consecutive world championship gold medal in the women’s triple jump, winning the competition by 12 centimetres from Israel’s Hanna Knyazyeva-Minenko, with Kazakstan’s Olga Rypakova back in third.
There was a historic clean sweep for Kenya in the men’s 3000m steeple chase as they claimed the top four spots in the event for the first time ever. Leading the way was double Olympic champion EZEKIEL KEMBOI as the East African showman showed why he is such a brilliant championship performer to out-sprint his compatriots and claim his fourth world title in a row.
With seven men still challenging as they hit the final lap, the Kenyan’s flicked the switch to produce a change of pace that their rivals including the much fancied Evan Jager could not match, leaving it down to a intranational battle. With his title up for grabs Kemboi left his team for dead as they came into the home strait and attacked the final hurdle, moving smoothly over before striding away to win in 8:11.28.
Four is also the number of global titles that Kenya’s Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot now owns after she won an equally epic last lap burn up in the women’s 10,000m. Looking to regain the title she won in 2011, Cheruiyot was one of nine athletes in contention at the bell, as her rivals failed to break away, the Kenyan made her decisive move with 200m to go. Though world leader Gelete Burka of Ethiopia tried to stay with her, she was just too strong, holding on to win in 31:41.31.
As Burka came home for silver .46 seconds later, bronze was secured by America’s Emily Infield in the most dramatic of fashions.
Sitting in fourth as they hit the home strait Infield continued to drive for the finish, though the gap between her and compatriot Molly Huddle in third seemed too big to close. Yet as they got closer and closer to the line, the gap got smaller and smaller. Just as Huddle looked to have the medal secured, she raised her arms, easing inches too early, unaware at how close her rival really was, still sprinting for the line Infield, competing at her first major championships, drove past her to win bronze with her last two steps of the race. Leaving her fellow American with a lifetime of regret.
Reigning champion Zuzana Hejnová looked imperious as she came through the semi-finals of the women’s 400 metre hurdles as the fastest qualifier. Running in heat three, the Czech athlete got out well and controlling the race from the 200m mark after which her victory never in doubt, as she took victory in 54.24 secondsahead of Jamaica’s Janieve Russell. There were also impressive wins for Denmark’s Sara Slott Petersen in 54.34s and America’s Cassandra Tate with 54.33. World leader Shamier Little also squeezed through to the Wednesday’s final as a fastest loser.
Olympic champion Kirani James is still in with a great chance of regaining his world 400m title after winning his semi-final in 44.16 and he was followed home in second by Olympic silver medallist LuguelÃn Santos in a new national record of 44.26.
After failing to impress in his heat world leader Isaac Makwala of Botswana ran a sensational second bend to fly home to victory in the second semi-final, running 44.11 despite being out in lane nine. There was also victory for his African rival Wayde Van Niekerk who took the final semi in 44.31.
With a best throw of just 76.83m Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott failed to qualify for the final of for the men’s Javelin. As seven men achieved the automatic qualification standard including favourite Julius Yego of Kenya.
