by Stuart Weir
Eilidh Doyle, Courtney Okolo, Shakima Wimbley, 400 meter women medalists, photo by PhotoRun.net
The third day of the championships was exciting and envigorated the crowd in Arena Birmingham. The host country fans, chilled to the bone coming to the stadium, were warmed up with the silver medal of Laura Muir, bronze of Eilidh Doyle and the gutty run of Elliot Giles.
Adam Kszczot wins 800 meters, with close battle for the silver and bronze, photo by PhotoRun.net
Here’s Stuart Weir, giving us a view from the media seats, on the British performances of the day, in the midsts of the US winning TJ (Will Claye), women’s PV (Sandi Morris), 1-2 in women’s 400 meters, silver in men’s 800 meters, and after massive DQs in 400 mens, a medal of some color. And then, we have not even begun speaking on the 60 meter hurdles (Keni Harrison finally gets a global title).
Genzebe Dibaba doubles as do Laura Muir and Sifan Hassan! photo by PhotoRun.net
Thanks Stuart for your fine British coverage for RunBlogRun!
Brits in action day 3.
The host country finished the third day with 4 medals, one more than Portland two years ago. Laura Muir followed the previous day’s bronze in the 3000m with a silver in the 1500m.
Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba took gold in 4:05.27, just as she had in the previous day’s 3000m. For much of the race Muir looked like having to settle for a second bronze medal as she seemed to be hanging on as Dibaba made a break late in the race but then Muir found the energy to surge past Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan and take silver in 4:06.23.
A year ago Muir won gold in both 1500m and 3000m in the European Indoor Championships but that was written off as not being against world class opposition. For her to take on the world and come away with two medals in two days confirmed her ability to be competitive on the world stage.
Muir summed up her achievement: “I’ve finished 4th, 6th and 7th in world finals before so to win two medals this time around is amazing; it is about time! I was so focused on the race and the people in front of me that I wasn’t even focusing on those behind me. I used my strengths and made the moves in the right places. I knew I had to build it up but react when I had to. I just tried to take my time and not panic. I was very close to silver in the 3000m so I knew I just had to go for it this time. I knew if I made the right moves, I could get another medal, and improve on the bronze”.
Another Scot, Eilidh Doyle took a battling bronze in the 400m. She finished behind two Americans, Courtney Okolo and Shakima Wimbley. Doyle, a serial relay medalist and very good 400m hurdler, said of her performance: “I’ve always won medals in the relays but to win one on my own in an individual 400m is very special and means a lot. It’s not my preferred event so to do this is incredible.
“I love the indoors -. I’m testing my flat speed and it is clearly there so I’ll look forward to getting back to the hurdles.”
In the men’s 800m, there was a rollercoaster of emotion to be felt in an evening of high drama. Elliot Giles ran a fine race only to be run out of the medals in the final few strides of the race. Then the American Drew Windle was disqualified and Giles was suddenly a medalist. Then Windle was reinstated and Giles’ medal was gone.
The only real disappointment in the day was CJ Ujah’s false start in the 60m semi-final, when he could easily have been among the medals.
