Marileidy Paulino and Allyson Felix in the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (© Getty Images)
With a stunning surge on the final straight of the anchor leg, the Dominican Republic grabbed the first track gold medal of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, and denied the US a home victory in Allyson Felix’s final race on the global stage.
In the final event of the evening at Hayward Field, Fiordaliza Cofil made up a big deficit to overtake US anchor runner Kennedy Simon in the last 50 metres and secure the mixed 4x400m title for the Dominican Republic in 3:09.82 - the second-fastest time in history.
“We are a small country, but we have a big heart,” said the Dominican Republic’s lead leg runner Lidio Feliz.
It was the third gold medal in World Championships history for the Dominican Republic, a nation of just 10.8 million people. The previous two were won by 400m hurdler Felix Sanchez.
Dutch 400m hurdles specialist Femke Bol also produced a dramatic late charge that saw her pass Simon and nearly catch Cofil at the line, taking the silver in a national record 3:09.90. The US settled for the bronze in 3:10.16.
The opening day of the first World Championships in the United States also saw Japan finish 1-2 in the men’s 20km race walk. Other highlights of the afternoon session included the fastest time ever run in the heats of the men’s 100m at a major championships and a world U20 record in the event.
This World Championships has been billed as the US versus the rest of the world, and, on this day at least, the rest of the world came up on top in the chase for the top prizes.
The US had sizeable leads in the mixed relay but couldn’t hold on, with Felix and Simon both fading and allowing the Dominicans to catch them. Felix ran 50.15 on the second leg and Simon 50.90 on the fourth.
The Dominican Republic’s winning time puts them behind only the USA (3:09.34) on the world all-time list, and the Dutch team recorded the fourth-fastest ever performance. Marileidy Paulino ran the second leg for the Dominican Republic in 48.47, while Bol ran 48.95 on the anchor leg.
Helping the team to bronze, Felix – already the most decorated athlete in World Championships history – achieved her 19th medal in her 10th and final championship. She finishes her career with 13 gold, three silver and three bronze.
“It was very special to be able to run in front of a home crowd for my last race,” the 36-year-old Felix said. “It was so cool. My daughter was in the stands. It was a night I will cherish. I’ve had such good memories. I know it is time and these guys will carry it on into the future. I am peace stepping into this next stage and have tremendous gratitude for this sport.”
Yamanishi retains title and leads Japanese 1-2 in men’s 20km race walk
Earlier on, Japan swept the top two places in the men’s 20km race walk as defending champion Toshikazu Yamanishi retained his title ahead of Koki Ikeda, with Sweden’s Perseus Karlstrom taking third.
Toshikazu Yamanishi celebrates his 20km race walk win in Oregon (© Getty Images)
In a race contested on a one-kilometre loop on Martin Luther King Boulevard, Yamanishi – the 26-year-old Olympic bronze medallist – went to the front from the start and led a breakaway group including Ikeda, Karlstrom and Kenya’s Samuel Gathimba.
The two Japanese athletes surged away from the group after the 17km mark, racing shoulder to shoulder before Yamanishi broke away on his own on the final loop to take command. He posted a devastating 3:40 final kilometre on the 20th and final circuit. Pumping his right fist with about 100m to go, he crossed the line in 1:19.14. Ikeda, silver medallist at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, finished in 1:19.14, while Karlstrom clocked 1:19.18.
Yamanishi became only the third man in World Championships history to successfully defend the 20km race walk title.
“I am very gratified,” he said. “It took tremendous skill and I was happy to be strong enough. Today was my day. I am happy to be the first Japanese to repeat the world title in race walking.“
Ikeda said: “I was happy with my sliver today, but I wanted more. I will come back for gold.”
Blazing times in men’s 100m heats
US champion Fred Kerley, the fastest man this year, underlined his status as the man to beat in the 100m by winning his heat in 9.79 – the fastest time ever run in a 100m heat at a major championship. And he made it look easy, running a smooth, controlled race.
Fred Kerley flies to the fastest ever 100m heat time at a major championships with 9.79 in Oregon (© Getty Images)
In the very next heat, US teammate Trayvon Bromell won easily in 9.89. Before crossing the line, he glanced to his right and held up two fingers in a victory gesture.
Jamaica’s Oblique Seville had the day’s third-fastest time, winning his heat in 9.93 ahead of Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs. The Italian, who has been hindered by injuries all outdoor season, equalled his season’s best 10.04.
“I struggled in the race,” Jacobs said. “I am not at 100%. I gave everything I had. I will go to a physio to be ready for tomorrow.”
Letsile Tebogo of Botswana captured the fifth heat in 9.94, a world U20 record. “The time is maybe something surprising but I knew I was well prepared,” the 19-year-old said. “The main target is maybe the final. But that doesn’t mean I cannot go into the top three.”
The 100m semifinals and final will be contested on Saturday evening.
In other qualifying events:
• Olympic men’s shot put champion and world record-holder Ryan Crouser had a throw of 22.28m to qualify for the final. Outside of the 2019 final, his mark in qualification in Oregon is the best ever throw at a World Championships. Four others hit the automatic qualifying mark of 21.20m – fellow US thrower Joe Kovacs (21.50m), Tom Walsh (21.44), Nick Ponzio (21.35) and Jacko Gill (21.24).
Ryan Crouser in shot put qualification at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (© Getty Images)
• In the women’s shot put, Olympic gold medallist and two-time world champion Gong Lijiao of China led 12 women into the final with a top throw of 19.51m. Competing in her eighth straight World Championships, Gong is seeking an unprecedented seventh shot put medal.
• In the men’s 3000m steeplechase, Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco won his heat in 8:16.65 to move into the final. Olympic silver medallist Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia won his own heat in 8:19.64 and compatriot Hailemariyam Amare won the third in 8:18.34.
• All of the main contenders advanced to Saturday’s semifinals in the women’s 1500m. The times got faster in each heat as Hirut Meshesha of Ethiopia won the opener in 4:07.05, Kenyan favourite Faith Kipyegon won the next in 4:04.53 and Gudaf Tsegay clocked 4:02.68 in the third.
Faith Kipyegon wins her 1500m heat at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (© Getty Images)
• Eleven athletes cleared 4.50m in women’s pole vault qualifying. They included Olympic champion Katie Nageotte, US teammate and world indoor champion Sandi Morris and 2016 Olympic gold medallist Katerina Stefanidi of Greece.
• Japan’s Yuki Hashioka had the top mark of 8.18m in men’s long jump qualifying. Also going over eight metres were Greece’s Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, USA's Marquis Dendy, Sweden’s Thobias Montler and Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer. Reigning champion Tejay Gayle of Jamaica failed to record a mark and will miss the final.
Steve Wilson for World Athletics
