by Larry Eder
This is our report on Day 1 of the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. The Champs are being held on March 1-3, 2024.
What a first day for the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland!
1. The Women’s shot put showed that there are always surprises in sports! Sarah Mitton of Canada overcame the huge 20.19m PB by Germany’s Yemisi OgunLeye, who threw a 60-centimeter PB to open the competition! Giving Canada its first gold in women’s shot put, Sarah Mitton improved to 20.22m, going 6-6 in indoor season. Outdoor world champ, 2022 silver indoor medalist Chase Jackson finished in bronze in 19.67m. Many had thought Chase would be the winner. Surprises abound in champs.
2. In the women’s pentathlon, Noor Vidts, BEL, took gold with 4,773 points. Noor is the defending champ. Noor hurdled 60m in 8.27, High jumped 1.79m, threw the shot 14.26m, leaped 6.50m, and ran the 800m in 2:12.99. In silver, Saga Vanninen, just 20 years of age, scored 4,677 points with 8.33 in 60, 1.79m in HJ, 15.01m in shot put, 6.41m in long jump, and 2:20.54 in 800m. Bronze medalist Sofia Dokter, NED, scored 4,571 points. Sofia hurdled 8.29, high jumped 1.76m, threw the shot 13.04m, leaped 6.20m LJ, and ran 2:11.89, taking the bronze by 20 points! Chari Hawkins, first US finisher, was 7th in 4,388 points.
3. What drama in the Women’s High Jump! Yaroslava Mahuchikh, UK cleared 1.92m, 1.95m, and 1.97m on first attempts, she was leading and expected to take gold. Nicola Olyslagers, AUS, cleared 1.88m, 1.92m, and 1.95m on the first attempts but two on 1.97m. Lia Apostolovski, SLO, had an excellent series, equalling her PB. Lia went 1.84m, 1.88m, 1.92m, 1.95m, all on her first attempts, she missed at 1.97, passed to 1.99, and retired from there, taking the bronze. On her last attempt, after Yaroslava Mahuhchikh missed 3 times at 1.99m, Nicola Olyslagers cleared 1.99m on her third attempt, giving Australia its first gold in the high jump, indoors, man or women! The Ukrainian star took the silver. Vashti Cunningham picked up a stomach bug in Glasgow and did not compete.
Nicola OLYSLAGERS, Yaroslava MAHUCHIKH, Lia APOSTOLOVSKI at the World Athletics Indoor Championships on MAR 1, 2024 in GLASGOW, UK (Photo by Dan Vernon for World Athletics).
4. Ryan Crouser has won 2 Olympic gold medals (2016, 2021). Ryan Crouser has two World Outdoor golds (2022, 2023) and World Outdoor silver (2019). The one gold that Ryan Crouser did not have? World Indoor. In Belgrade, Ryan Crouser took the silver.
Ryan wanted the gold medal.
Well, no more.
Ryan Crouser did a shot put clinic in Glasgow, responding to Tom Walsh of New Zealand’s 22.07m. Ryan Crouser had five fair throws. The worst was 22.00m. His other 4 throws were 22.36m, 22.51m, 22.77m, and 22.69m. Those four throws would have won the competition. In silver was Tom Walsh, the one-time World Champion (London 2017), two-time World Indoor gold, two-time World Indoor bronze, Olympic bronze, and now World Indoor silver, with his 22.07m throw. Tom is now the athlete with most medals in shot put for men and has tied Valeria Adams for most male or female medals in shot put. 1. Ryan Crouser, USA, 22.77m, 2. Tom Walsh, NZ, 22.07m, 3. Leonardo Fabri, Italy, 21.96m.
5. The race of the first day delivered. Christian Coleman has the world record, 6.34 in the 60m. He set that in 2018. Coleman went on to win the 60m title in Birmingham 2018 WIC. In Belgrade WIC 2022, Christian was upset by Marcel Jacobs, the Olympic champ at the 60m, taking silver.
Noah Lyles has not only improved his start, but his acceleration was incredible to witness when, in Albuquerque, he defeated Christian Coleman, coming from behind.
Christian Coleman got out well in the World Champs Final, and Noah Lyles had a good start for him. Lyles began to
accelerate, but there just was not enough real estate. More importantly, Christian Coleman was not returning to Lyles, and Coleman won 6.41 WL, with Lyles equalling his PB. Ackeem Blake was third in 6.46, good news for Jamaica. Smiling on the track, with his parents smiling on the track, Christian Colemen added to his 2018 gold and 2022 silver and now begins the long road to Eugene, Oregon, for the 2024 US Olympic Trials.
6. Day two begins in North America at 4.45 Eastern on Peacock and for session 2, 2 PM Eastern for the second session. Lots of finals and lots of significant events!
