Takeways from Day Two at the Worlds,
by Sean MacPherson
Day two of the World Championships at Hayward Field featured a fascinating Women’s 10K Final, an American sweep in the Men’s 100 meters, and some interesting storylines elsewhere in the Prelims. Here were the biggest storylines on the track from day two in Eugene.
Fred Kerley Leads American Sweep in the Men’s 100 Meters
The Men’s 100-meter final was not only a moment of U.S. pride inside a mostly full Hayward Field but also a culmination of years of overcoming adversity and defying the odds for the three American medalists. Fred Kerley changed from specializing in the 400 meters to the 100 meters just 16 months ago. Bracy Williams recently rejoined the sport of track and field after nothing came of a stint in the NFL and Alliance of American Football from 2017-2019. Bromell nearly quit the sport after tearing his left Achilles in the 2016 Olympics and taking years to recover. So in 2019, Kerley was a 400-meter runner, Bracy Williams was a football player, and Bromell struggled to get back on track after three years of injury recovery. Now, the three share the podium in the marquee event at the first World Championships on American soil. Perhaps Fred Kerley wanted a faster time or a larger margin of victory as the clear favorite. Perhaps Marvin Bracy Williams thought he could have won after leading most of the race. Maybe Trayvon Bromell thinks he could have done better than bronze, having beaten both of the other two athletes in the past. However, I don’t think any of the three athletes were thinking about that following this race. I think all three were all smiles, having known all that they have overcome in the sport of track and field.
Letesenbet Gidey Wins Amazing Women’s 10K
Ethiopia’s Litesenbet Gidey, the world record holder in both the 5K and 10K, claimed her first world title in a time of 30:09.94 in the Women’s 10K on Saturday. Gidey closed with a 60-second lap and barely managed to hold off Kenyan athletes Hellen Obiri and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi in a thrilling finish. Perhaps this victory came with some controversy as Gidey drifted into the second lane, blocking off and brushing her elbow against Obiri over the final 10 meters. American Karissa Schweizer fought hard and hung with the leaders for most of the race but ultimately fell to 9th place in a time of 30:18.05. This time was a 29-second pb for Schweizer and the third fastest in American history.
Teare Struggles in Men’s 1500
All of the main contenders in the Men’s 1500 seamlessly qualified for the next round besides Cooper Teare. The U.S. Champion struggled as he finished in 13th place in his heat at a time of 3:41.15. He did not look like himself and fell way behind in the final 200 meters of the race. Afterward, Teare revealed that he was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his tibia and ran for the first time since the U.S. Championships the morning of this race. Extremely unfortunate timing for an injury as Teare was expected to be in the mix in this event in front of the home fans.
Daniel Roberts Stumbles in the 110m Hurdles
Many have talked about the possibility of a 1-2-3 sweep in the 110m hurdles with a very talented team of four athletes. The chances of that decreased quite a bit as Daniel Roberts, the U.S. Champion, collided with a hurdle and fell to the ground. Unfortunately for Roberts, this was a repeat of what happened to him at the 2019 Doha World Championships. In a classy move, Grant Holloway stopped in the middle of an interview and re-entered the track to console his American teammate.
