The Cross Internacional de Atapuerca, the second Gold leg in the World Athletics Cross Country Tour, will be held on Sunday (27) near the northern Spanish city of Burgos and features the most prominent line-up of any cross-country event so far this season.
Double Cross Country Tour winner Rodrigue Kwizera will start the men&rsquo;s 9km race as the man to beat following his commanding win last week in Amorebieta. The 25-year-old from Burundi has won at most of the leading Spanish cross-country events in recent years, but he is yet to win in Atapuerca. He has finished third for the past two years and was second in 2021.
Oscar Chelimo, the 2022 world 5000m bronze medallist, will be Kwizera&rsquo;s toughest opponent, having finished second to Kwizera in Amorebieta last week. He&rsquo;ll be joined by fellow Ugandan Martin Kiprotich, fresh from his victory over 10km in Trieste last week.
World U20 cross-country silver medallist Mezgebu Sime leads a strong Ethiopian contingent. He&rsquo;ll be joined by steeplechase specialist Hailemariyam Amare, who finished one place behind Kwizera at last year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships, and teenager Ayele Tadesse, who lowered his 10km PB to 27:40 in Brasov last month.
Ireland&rsquo;s Efrem Gidey, who this year has set PBs at 5000m, 10,000m and the half marathon, will also be in contention. Meanwhile, Spanish record-holders Fernando Carro (3000m steeplechase), Abdessadam Oukhelfen (10km) and Carlos Mayo (half marathon) will be joined by European indoor 3000m silver medallist Adel Mechaal.
The women&rsquo;s 8km race looks set to be a thrilling encounter between Kenya&rsquo;s Grace Nawowuna and Burundi&rsquo;s Francine Niyomukunzi.
Nawowuna finished fourth at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst and went on to clock a PB of 29:47.42 over 10,000m, then placed ninth over that distance at the World Championships in Budapest. More recently, she clocked 30:33 over 10km in Brasov and ran 1:07:16 on her half marathon debut in Cardiff.
Niyomukunzi, meanwhile, is fresh from a highly convincing victory in Amorebieta.
Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Daisy Jepkemei should also be in the hunt for a podium finish. The steeplechase specialist was seventh at the World Cross Country Championships earlier this year. Last month she ran 31:32 over 10km in Brasov and clocked 1:07:54 on her half marathon debut in Montbeliard.
Moroccan steeplechaser Ikram Ouaaziz, Portugal&rsquo;s Mariana Machado and Germany&rsquo;s Elena Burkard complete the international line-up. Carolina Robles, third in Amorebieta last weekend, leads the Spanish challenge alongside Olympic 1500m finalist &Aacute;gueda Marqu&eacute;s and 2022 European U20 champion Mar&iacute;a Forero.
More than 3500 athletes from 15 countries will take part in the event. Weather forecasters predict a cloudy day with temperatures between 6-8C and 90% chance of rain.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

The Cross Internacional de Atapuerca features the most prominent line-up of any cross-country event so far this season

Kwizera and Chelimo resume rivalry in Atapuerca

World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that Annelie Ehrhardt, the 1972 Olympic 100m hurdles champion, has died at the age of 74.
Ehrhardt won her Olympic title for East Germany in a world record of 12.59 and she went on to become European champion two years later, running a championship record of 12.66 in Rome. In doing so, she claimed a second European medal, following the silver she secured in Helsinki in 1971.
She also claimed multiple medals at the European Indoor Championships, including gold in 1972 and 1973.
Ehrhardt returned to the Olympic stage in Montreal in 1976, when she reached the semifinals of the 100m hurdles. That was to be her final competitive appearance.
&ldquo;With the loss of Germany's first Olympic champion in the history of the sprint hurdles, German athletics has lost an outstanding personality in German sport," said the German athletics federation.
World Athletics

Annelie Ehrhardt, 1950-2024

1972 Olympic 100m hurdles champion Ehrhardt dies

<h3>Senior world record:</h3>
Women&rsquo;s high jump 2.10m Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) Paris 7 July 2024
<h3>U20 world records:</h3>
Men&rsquo;s triple jump 17.66m Jaydon Hibbert (JAM) Monaco 21 July 2023
Women&rsquo;s 5000m 14:21.89 Medina Eisa (ETH) Brussels 14 September 2024
Women&rsquo;s javelin 64.41m Yan Ziyi (CHN) Quzhou 14 September 2024
 Yaroslava Mahuchikh&rsquo;s world high jump record of 2.10m set in Paris in July has been ratified by World Athletics.
Three world U20 records &ndash; set by Medina Eisa, Jaydon Hibbert and Yan Ziyi &ndash; have also been ratified.
Ukraine&rsquo;s Mahuchikh improved one of the longest-standing world records on the books when she cleared 2.10m at the Meeting de Paris &ndash; part of the Wanda Diamond League &ndash; on 7 July.
With her win secured when she cleared 2.03m, Mahuchikh had the bar moved up to 2.07m and cleared it on her second jump, improving her own national record. She then prepared to attempt 2.10m &ndash; one centimetre higher than the world record set by Bulgaria&rsquo;s Stefka Kostadinova at the World Championships in Rome on 30 August 1987 &ndash; and cleared it on her first try.
&ldquo;Coming into this competition, I had feelings that I could jump 2.07m and maybe 2.10m,&rdquo; said Mahuchikh. &ldquo;Finally, I signed Ukraine to the history of world athletics.&rdquo;
Mahuchikh, who won the world high jump title in Budapest last year, went on to win the Olympic title on her return to Paris in August.
The world U20 records by Eisa and Yan were set on the same day &ndash; 14 September.
China&rsquo;s Yan, who set a world U20 javelin record of 64.28m in Hangzhou on 14 April, improved again five months later. In Quzhou, the 16-year-old added another 13cm to her world U20 record, throwing 64.41m to also improve her own world U18 best.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Eisa achieved her world U20 5000m record when finishing second to Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet in the Wanda Diamond League final in Brussels.
The 19-year-old Eisa ran 14:21.89, improving on the previous official world U20 record of 14:30.88 set by her compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba in Bergen on 11 June 2004. Eisa&rsquo;s mark is also faster than the 14:23.71 run by Birke Haylom in Eugene in May, which is pending ratification.
Hibbert&rsquo;s world U20 triple jump record was achieved in Monaco on 21 July last year. Leaping 17.66m, the then 18-year-old improved on his own previous best of 17.54m set in Albuquerque on 11 March 2023.
World Athletics

Three world U20 records – set by Medina Eisa, Jaydon Hibbert and Yan Ziyi – have also been ratified

Ratified: Mahuchikh's world high jump record

Here's your chance to experience the World Athletics Awards up close and personal&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate with the stars!&nbsp;
The World Athletics Awards will take place in Monaco on 1 December, honouring the best athletes of 2024, and we want you to be part of this extraordinary celebration. Enter below for a chance to win one of two incredible prizes: 1) a trip for two people to Monaco from 29 November to 2 December 2024 or 2) a digital meet and greet with one or more World Athletics finalists.
From breakfast with the athletes to an exclusive evening celebrating their achievements, this trip will bring you close to the stars of athletics like never before. Don&rsquo;t miss out on this unforgettable opportunity!
<a class="btn" style="color: black;" href="#enternow">ENTER NOW</a>
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6719f962e43738398c55b49c.jpg" />
&nbsp;
Enter now for your chance to win the ultimate VIP fan experience at the World Athletics Awards!
<a name="enternow"></a><div id="mc_embed_shell" style="white-space: normal">
<div id="mc_embed_signup" style="white-space: normal"><form id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" class="validate" action="https://worldathletics.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=3c4427c3b82ef23e5076f1ead&amp;id=e76e91f251&amp;f_id=00ed94e0f0" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" target="_blank">
<div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll">
<h2>Enter now</h2>
<div class="indicates-required">* indicates required</div>
<div class="mc-field-group"><label style="width: 150px; float: left;" for="mce-EMAIL">Email Address *</label><input id="mce-EMAIL" class="required email" style="width: 300px; border: solid 1px silver;" name="EMAIL" required="" type="email" value="" /></div>
<div class="mc-field-group"><label style="width: 150px; float: left;" for="mce-FNAME">First Name *</label><input id="mce-FNAME" class="required text" style="width: 300px; border: solid 1px silver;" name="FNAME" required="" type="text" value="" /></div>
<div class="mc-field-group"><label style="width: 150px; float: left;" for="mce-LNAME">Last Name *</label><input id="mce-LNAME" class="required text" style="width: 300px; border: solid 1px silver;" name="LNAME" required="" type="text" value="" /></div>
<div id="mce-responses" class="clear" style="white-space:normal; ">
<div id="mce-error-response" class="response" style="display: none;"></div>
<div id="mce-success-response" class="response" style="display: none;color:green"></div>
</div>
<div style="position: absolute; left: -5000px;" aria-hidden="true"><input tabindex="-1" name="b_3c4427c3b82ef23e5076f1ead_97c2092893" type="text" value="" /></div>
<div class="clear">
By submitting your details, you are agreeing that World Athletics will send you information and special offers relating to athletics and athletics events and you are agreeing to the World Athletics <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/privacy-policy">privacy policy</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/terms-and-conditions">terms of use</a>. <input id="mc-embedded-subscribe" class="btn" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Submit" /></div>
</div>
</form></div>
</div><script type="text/javascript" src="//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js"></script><script type="text/javascript">(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);</script>
&nbsp;
<ul style="padding-left: 20px; list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Closing date:&nbsp;Entries must be submitted by&nbsp;11 November 2024 at 5:00 PM CET.</li>
<li>Eligibility:&nbsp;No age limit to enter. However, if the winner is under 18, they must be accompanied by their parent/legal guardian .</li>
<li>Availability to travel: The winner and their accompanying person&nbsp;must be available to travel from 29 November to 2 December 2024&nbsp;(inclusive).</li>
<li>Prize:
<ul style="padding-left: 20px; list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The VIP Trip to Monaco will be awarded to one winner, selected at random from all valid entries.</li>
<li>VIP trip details: Includes round-trip flights (economy class) for two persons , 3-night hotel accommodation (4 stars) and VIP access to the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on 1 December 2024.</li>
<li>After selecting the winner, a further ten participants will be randomly selected to win an exclusive group digital meet &amp; greet online&nbsp; with one or more World Athletics Awards finalists.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Meet &amp; greet details:&nbsp;A group digital meet &amp; greet for&nbsp;ten&nbsp;winners. Date and time will be at World Athletics' discretion and confirmed closer to the&nbsp;World Athletics Awards.</li>
<li>Notification:&nbsp;Winners will be contacted&nbsp;after the closing date via the email&nbsp;address&nbsp;provided during entry.</li>
<li>Please see&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/terms-and-conditions">World Athletics Prize Competition Terms and Conditions</a> for further information.</li>
</ul>

Enter for a chance to experience the World Athletics Awards up close and personal!

Win the trip of a lifetime to the World Athletics Awards

Few athletics disciplines have produced as many historic marks in a single season as the men's 800m in 2024. The stunning year of speed prompts the question of how much faster times might drop in 2025, when the season ends at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
None other than David Rudisha of Kenya, whose world record has stood since 2012, is watching with interest.
&ldquo;I believe nothing is impossible,&rdquo; Rudisha said in August, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. &ldquo;The world records are set to be broken. Anytime we set our world record, somebody is looking forward to see how they are going to reach that bar, and with the new technology, the innovation, the good shoes, nothing is impossible.&rdquo;
Though breaking Rudisha&rsquo;s world record of 1:40.91 has never been impossible, in recent years it appeared highly unlikely, just the same.&nbsp;
Over the course of seven weeks between July and August, however, the men&rsquo;s 800m all-time list was stunningly and repeatedly rewritten by a new wave of challengers, led by Emmanuel Wanyonyi.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/671924783d497201ca38a76c.jpg" alt="The men's 800m final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games" />
The men's 800m final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (&copy; Dan Vernon)
</div>
The 20-year-old Kenyan won the Olympic gold medal in 1:41.19, edging Canada&rsquo;s Marco Arop by just 0.01, on 10 August. And just 12 days later, Wanyonyi lowered his PB again to 1:41.11, tying Wilson Kipketer for second all time &ndash; just 0.2 off Rudisha&rsquo;s mark.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy to have run that crazy time,&rdquo; Wanyonyi said.&nbsp;
The world all-time top 10 now features five men who all ran faster than 1:41.7 this year: Wanyonyi, Arop (No.4), Algeria&rsquo;s Djamel Sedjati (No.5), France&rsquo;s Gabriel Tual (No.6) and Bryce Hoppel of the US (No.7).&nbsp;
Overall, 10 men ran faster than 1:42.5, all of whom now rank among the 21 fastest performers in history.
In the Olympic final, Hoppel became the first US runner to go under 1:42, while breaking the national record by more than half a second with a time of 1:41.67. That would have earned gold in every Olympic final except for 2012, when Rudisha ran his world record. Yet in Paris, amid the fastest Olympic final in history, Hoppel&rsquo;s time wasn&rsquo;t fast enough to even reach the podium, what he termed a &ldquo;heartbreaking&rdquo; result that left him fourth behind Wanyonyi, Arop and Sedjati, who ran 1:41.50 for bronze. That wasn&rsquo;t even Sedjati&rsquo;s PB; one month before the Olympic final, he ran 0.04 faster.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great for the 800m, great for the sport, to see some of the all-time greats out there running faster than some people ever have,&rdquo; Hoppel said. &ldquo;It's really fun to be a part of that. I just have to work hard and somehow figure out how to beat them.&rdquo; 
<div style="padding: 0px 20px 5px 20px; border: 2px solid #b68cff;">
<h2>Men's world 800m all-time list</h2>
 
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 220px; border-style: none;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1:40.91</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">David Rudisha (KEN)</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">London</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">9 Aug 2012</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1:41.11</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Wilson Kipketer (DEN)</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Cologne</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">24 Aug 1997</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1:41.11</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Emmanyel Wanyonyi (KEN)</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Lausanne</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">22 Aug 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1:41.20</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Marco Arop (CAN)</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Paris</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">10 Aug 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1:41.46</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Djamel Sedjati (ALG)</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Monaco</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">12 Jul 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1:41.61</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Gabriel Tual (FRA)</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Paris</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">7 Jul 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1:41.67</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Bryce Hoppel (USA)</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Paris</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">10 Aug 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1:41.73</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Sebastian Coe (GBR)</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Florence</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">10 Jun 1981</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1:41.73</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Nijel Amos (BOT)</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">London</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">9 Aug 2012</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1:41.77</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Joaquim Cruz (BRA)</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Cologne</td>
<td style="width: 25%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">26 Aug 1984</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/800-metres/all/men/senior?regionType=world&amp;timing=electronic&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2024-10-23&amp;maxResultsByCountry=all&amp;eventId=10229501&amp;ageCategory=senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full list</a>
</div>
 Why did 2024 produce so many fast times?&nbsp;
Hoppel believes the intensity of an Olympic year played a role, but &ldquo;the spikes, the tracks, all of that plays a factor,&rdquo; said Arop, who also thinks that taking a bicarbonate supplement for the first time had personally helped him limit lactic acid.
&ldquo;This is, I guess you could say, the next generation of 800m athletes,&rdquo; Arop said. &ldquo;And they're all entering their primes. It's just incredible when one person does something incredible, and everybody else just buys into it.&rdquo;
So, what will it take to reach the podium at the 2025 World Championships &ndash; taking place in Tokyo from 13-21 September &ndash; when Wanyonyi, Arop, Sedjati, Tual and Hoppel will all still be in their primes, between 21 and 28 years old?
&ldquo;Well, I think that world record&rsquo;s going pretty soon, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; said Great Britain&rsquo;s Max Burgin, who was eighth in the Olympic final.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/668d84b989090694b4047511.jpg" alt="Gabriel Tual, Djamel Sedjati and Emmanuel Wanyonyi clash in the 800m" />
Gabriel Tual, Djamel Sedjati and Emmanuel Wanyonyi clash in the 800m (&copy; Ed Hall / Diamond League AG)
</div>
Both Rudisha and Wanyonyi described establishing a new record as &ldquo;not easy&rdquo;. Rudisha noted that in the 43 years since World Athletics President Sebastian Coe ran a then world record 1:41.73 in Florence, the world record has been lowered by less than a minute.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It tells you that it&rsquo;s also a very tight world record,&rdquo; Rudisha said.&nbsp;
But not an impossible one to break, perhaps. Not after so many athletes ran so fast in 2024.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t predict that one,&rdquo; Rudisha said, when asked who could take down his record. &ldquo;It is hard to say but these guys are in good form.
&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s see how they are going to progress. This is the year they have shown that they can really push themselves to the limit.&rdquo;
Andrew Greif and Michelle Katami for World Athletics

Few athletics disciplines have produced as many historic marks in a single season as the men's 800m in 2024

How the world's top 800m men made history in 2024

World Athletics is looking for an intern to join the Member Relations team.
The internship programme will involve:
&bull; Facilitating the collection of administrative data from the Members through forms and calls &bull; Updating data on Members on various digital systems &bull; Providing support to the Member Relations team in reviewing and evaluating grant applications and reports submitted by Member Federations &bull; Writing reports, analysing and presenting data and conclusions
The duration of the internship can be two windows according to the need and interest of the intern:
&bull; From 6 January 2025 until 30 June 2025 (6 months)
Position description: <a href="https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=da0fac47-2cd8-4234-8a81-09f1183dd797.pdf&amp;urlSlug=member-relations-internship-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">English</a>&nbsp;
We would like to get to know you better, therefore we would encourage you to send us a motivation letter (a one-page document) to share why you would like to join our team, what you would like to get out of this experience, how your future career will benefit from this and how you can contribute to the World Athletics Member Relations team. The file must be under 5MB and be attached as Motivation Letter along with your resume.&nbsp;
Please send your documents and application to <a href="mailto:Yannick.morard@worldathletics.org">yannick.morard@worldathletics.org</a> by 15 November 2024.

World Athletics is looking for an intern to join the Member Relations team

Vacancy: Member Relations internship

When the celebrated movie director John Schlesinger came to formulate the opening sequence for Marathon Man, the classic thriller featuring Dustin Hoffman in the title role, he chose to use footage of Abebe Bikila from the official film of the 1964 Olympic Games.
It is not difficult to see why.
Watching Bikila in Kon Ichikawa&rsquo;s highly acclaimed, highly evocative Tokyo Olympiad is as mesmerising an experience today as it was when the enigmatic Ethiopian ghosted serenely through the streets of the Japanese capital and into the annals of athletics history 60 years ago.
A member of Emperor Haile Selassie&rsquo;s Imperial Bodyguard, Bikila had already secured a landmark achievement with his stunning barefooted marathon success in Rome in 1960, opening the floodgates as the first Olympic gold medal winner from the distance running hotbed of East Africa.
A metal cast of Bikila&rsquo;s right foot, which was personally measured by ASICS&rsquo; late founder and president Kihachiro Onitsuka in 1961 when the Ethiopian visited Japan to participate in the Mainichi Marathon &ndash; a race which he won in 2:29:27 &ndash; will be inducted into the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) in December.
<a href="https://tinyurl.com/visitMOWA?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1uFag-npvz4gdFXVtm-f1SRmATLMgrH6EfteXcsxdyhkDjlAqSTGI0FyE_aem_YnvvRtN7zNjZf5s7tNG4Rw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enter the 3D MOWA platform</a>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/671644b0e80777930af625a7.jpg" alt="A metal cast of Abebe Bikila's right foot" />
A metal cast of Abebe Bikila's right foot (&copy; MOWA)
</div>
The compelling close-up and slow-motion shots of Bikila on his way to becoming the first back-to-back Olympic marathon champion show a timeless figure, running with ease and grace, and with a smoothness of stride reminiscent of Kenenisa Bekele, one of the regal Ethiopians who followed the pioneering African king of distance runners.
There is not the slightest trace of distress on Bikila&rsquo;s face as he eases clear of the plucky Irish athlete Jim Hogan and the Australian world record machine Ron Clarke and into the splendid isolation of what he truly was: a marathon man apart.
Just 40 days earlier, Bikila had undergone an appendectomy. For that reason, he was not expected to repeat his Roman heroics.
Wearing shoes this time, Bikila held back while Clarke &ndash; bronze medallist in the 10,000m a week before &ndash; blasted through the opening 5km in 15:06.
He pulled ahead from just before the halfway mark and finished a staggering 4 minutes 7 seconds clear of the field in 2:12:11.2 - shattering the 2:13:55 world record held by Basil Heatley, the British runner who proceeded to dramatically outsprint Japan&rsquo;s Kokichi Tsuburaya for the silver medal.
Waving away the offer of a blanket after crossing the line, the unruffled Bikila calmly walked on to the infield to entertain the rapturous 75,000 crowd with a prolonged display of calisthenics.
Mel Watman characteristically nailed it in his race report for Athletics Weekly.
&ldquo;Watching Bikila Abebe [sic] during the race was an almost mystical experience,&rdquo; the great British athletics writer observed.
&ldquo;How can a man reel off 26 miles in 5:02 apiece and seemingly remain as fresh and composed as when he started out?
&ldquo;The rest of the world&rsquo;s distance runners would dearly like to know.&rdquo;
Despite his groundbreaking victory in Rome four years previously, in what was then a world record time of 2:15:16.2, Bikila was still such a mystical figure to the wider athletics world that his name continued to be written the wrong way round, not just in reports but in official results.
<h2>&ldquo;I do not fear anyone&rdquo;</h2>
In 1965, John Usherwood travelled to Addis Ababa in search of the marathon man behind the mystique for Sports Illustrated. He confessed to being taken aback when the double Olympic champion returned from a two-hour morning run in a state of perspiration.
&ldquo;Watching his post-marathon repertoire of exercises in Tokyo, I imagined that he probably did not sweat, did not breathe hard, did not have a pulse,&rdquo; Usherwood wrote.
The US sportswriter also discovered that Bikila had not been naturally blessed with his silkily-smooth running style.
It had been refined by the Finnish-born Swedish coach behind Bikila&rsquo;s success.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/671644cbe80777930af625aa.jpg" alt="Abebe Bikila on his way to marathon victory in Tokyo" />
Abebe Bikila on his way to marathon victory in Tokyo (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Onni Niskanen was a major in the Swedish army, seconded to the Ethiopian military services as an advisor then as director of physical education.
A distance runner himself, selected to represent Sweden in the ultimately cancelled Alternative People&rsquo;s Olympics in Barcelona in 1936, Niskanen nurtured Bikila on a diet of interval sessions and twice-weekly two hour runs in the hills and mountains outside Addis.
&ldquo;Before 1959, I hardly knew who this Abebe was,&rdquo; Niskanen told Usherwood. &ldquo;He ran only third in the marathon trials for the Rome Olympics and already then he was 27 years old.
&ldquo;At the beginning we had much trouble. He did not hold his head properly, his arms flew all over, his balance was bad. I had to keep yelling at him to convince him.
&ldquo;But the dedication, the willpower of this man&hellip;there is none like him I have ever seen. He always expects to win.
&ldquo;He does not even know who he is racing against. Clarke, Heatley, Edelen? They are just names to him.&rdquo;
Bikila concurred. &ldquo;I do not fear anyone,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I do not have to know the names and the faces of those I will exceed.&rdquo;
<h2>&ldquo;Laid down in my destiny&rdquo;</h2>
One notable exception was Mamo Wolde. Bikila recognised and respected but did not fear his fellow guard and training partner, who finished fourth in the Olympic 10,000m in Tokyo.
As fate dictated, Wolde succeeded Bikila as Olympic marathon champion in Mexico City in 1968. Bikila dropped out after 17 miles, suffering from a fractured fibula.
The year after that he sustained spinal injuries in a car accident that left him paralysed from the waist down.
While receiving medical treatment in England in 1970, he competed in archery and table tennis at the Stoke Mandeville Games, the early predecessor of the Paralympics.
Bikila accepted his fate stoically, observing in 1971: &ldquo;It was laid down in my destiny that at a certain moment I would be a famous athlete and that at a certain moment I would be as you find me now. It is God&rsquo;s will.&rdquo;
The great Ethiopian emperor of the marathon died of a brain haemorrhage in Addis Ababa in 1973. He was just 41.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage

When the celebrated movie director John Schlesinger came to formulate the opening sequence for Marathon Man, he chose to use footage of Abebe Bikila from the official film of the 1964 Olympic Games

"An almost mystical experience" - 60 years since Bikila completed back-to-back Olympic victories

As part of the World Athletics Awards 2024, World Athletics is pleased to confirm the nominees for Women&rsquo;s Track Athlete of the Year and Men&rsquo;s Track Athlete of the Year.
Given the higher number of disciplines on the track, there are six nominees for this category, though &ndash; as with the other categories &ndash; there will be just two finalists.
In what has been another memorable year for the sport, the nominations reflect some of the standout performances achieved at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, World Athletics Indoor Championships, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world.
<h3>The nominees for 2024 Women&rsquo;s Track Athlete of the Year are (in alphabetical order):</h3>
Julien Alfred, Saint Lucia &bull; Olympic 100m champion&nbsp; &bull; World indoor 60m champion&nbsp;
Beatrice Chebet, Kenya &bull;&nbsp;Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion &bull; World 10,000m record
Faith Kipyegon, Kenya &bull; Olympic 1500m champion &bull; World 1500m record
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, USA &bull; Olympic 400m hurdles and 4x400m champion&nbsp; &bull; World 400m hurdles record
Marileidy Paulino, Dominican Republic &bull; Olympic 400m champion &bull; Diamond League 400m champion
Gabby Thomas, USA &bull; Olympic 200m champion &bull; Olympic 4x100m and 4x400m champion 
<h3>The nominees for 2024 Men&rsquo;s Track Athlete of the Year are (in alphabetical order):</h3>
Rai Benjamin, USA &bull; Olympic 400m hurdles and 4x400m champion &bull; World 400m hurdles leader&nbsp;
Grant Holloway, USA &bull; Olympic 110m hurdles champion &bull; World indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record&nbsp;
Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Norway &bull; Olympic 5000m champion &bull; World 3000m record&nbsp;
Noah Lyles, USA &bull; Olympic 100m champion &bull; Olympic 200m bronze&nbsp;
Letsile Tebogo, Botswana &bull; Olympic 200m champion &bull; World 200m leader
Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Kenya &bull; Olympic 800m champion &bull;&nbsp;Diamond League 800m champion
The vote to determine the Track Athlete of the Year finalists is now open on World Athletics social media platforms -&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" href="https://www.instagram.com/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a>. It will close on 27 October.
The <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/nominees-announced-field-athlete-year-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/nominees-announced-field-athlete-year-2024">nominees for the Field Athlete of the Year awards</a> were announced on 14 October and the nominees for the Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year awards will be announced on 28 October.
World Athletics

World Athletics is pleased to confirm the nominees for Women’s Track Athlete of the Year and Men’s Track Athlete of the Year

Nominees announced for Track Athlete of the Year 2024

Rodrigue Kwizera and Francine Niyomukunzi completed an unprecedented Burundian double at the Cross Internacional Zornotza &ndash; the first Gold event of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour &ndash; in Amorebieta on Sunday (20).
Niyomukunzi won the women&rsquo;s race by more than a minute, while Kwizera kicked ahead on the final lap to take the men&rsquo;s race.
Uganda&rsquo;s Dan Kibet went off like a bullet in the men&rsquo;s 8.7km event, covering the opening kilometre in a swift 2:47, followed only by his compatriots Oscar Chelimo and Kenneth Kiprop as well as pre-race favourite Kwizera.
Chelimo, the 2022 world 5000m bronze medallist, took turns with Kibet at the front with the second kilometre covered in 2:50. Teenager Kiprop remained at the back of the lead quartet but was starting to struggle.
The pace settled on the second lap, which was covered in 6:03. With 14 minutes on the clock, Kwizera moved into the lead for the first time and his first change of speed was enough to leave Kiprop behind. The lead trio reached the bell together, but Kwizera then launched a devastating burst of speed on the final lap &ndash; covered in 5:48 &ndash; to win by 12 seconds from Chelimo, 25:29 to 25:41. Kibet was a further eight seconds behind while a fading Kiprop was overtaken in the later stages by Kenya&rsquo;s Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang.
&ldquo;It was a tough race for me because it was hot,&rdquo; said Kwizera. &ldquo;The first kilometres were quite fast and I preferred to stay at the back of the leading pack; then I moved to the front to asses my rivals&rsquo; energy and at the bell I decided to push hard, not to wait to the later stages. It&rsquo;s important for me to accumulate points for the Cross Country Tour as I have been the winner for the last two seasons. I&rsquo;ll next race in Atapuerca on Sunday.&rdquo;
In the women&rsquo;s 8.7km race, 2021 winner Niyomukunzi took command from the outset, closely followed by Spanish marathon record-holder Majida Maayouf. They slowly began to open up a gap on a chase quintet comprising Hungary&rsquo;s Lili Anna Vindics Toth, Ecuador&rsquo;s Katherine Tisalema and the Spanish trio of Carolina Robles, Cristina Ruiz and &Aacute;ngela Viciosa.
Maayouf couldn&rsquo;t live with Niyomukunzi&rsquo;s swift cadence for much longer, though, and the Burundian reached the 3km mark with a four-second lead over Maayouf, herself 16 seconds ahead of Vindics-Toth and Robles.
At the bell, Niyomukunzi&rsquo;s lead had grown to 44 seconds and she extended that to more than a minute by the time she reached the finish line in 30:07. On the final lap, Maayouf managed to dispose of Robles&rsquo; challenge while Vindics-Toth finished fourth.
&ldquo;I decided to push from the start, but Maayouf joined me in the lead so I kept on increasing the pace and fortunately I broke away from her,&rdquo; said Niyomukunzi, who&rsquo;ll also be racing in Atapuerca next weekend. &ldquo;I felt quite strong throughout the race.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men (8.7km) 1 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 25:29 2 Oscar Chelimo (UGA) 25:41 3 Dan Kibet (UGA) 25:49 4 Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang (KEN) 26:07 5 Kenneth Kiprop (UGA) 26:16 6 Egide Ntakarutimana (BDI) 27:09 7 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 27:15 8 Fernando Carro (ESP) 27:18 9 Abdisa Fayisa (ETH) 27:33 10 Abderrahman El Khayami (ESP) 27:35
Women (8.7km) 1 Francine Niyomukunzi (BDI) 30:07 2 Majida Maayouf (ESP) 31:11 3 Carolina Robles (ESP) 31:19 4 Lili Anna Vindics-Toth (HUN) 31:34 5 Cristina Ruiz (ESP) 31:46 6 Carla Arce (ESP) 31:51 7 Katherine Tisalema (ECU) 31:56 8 Angela Viciosa (ESP) 32:08 9 Azucena D&iacute;az (ESP) 32:53 10 Irene Pelayo (ESP) 33:05

Rodrigue Kwizera and Francine Niyomukunzi completed an unprecedented Burundian double at the Cross Internacional Zornotza

Kwizera and Niyomukunzi confirm supremacy in Amorebieta

Yalemzerf Yehualaw returned to winning ways at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, winning the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in a course record of 2:16:52 on Sunday (20).
Tsegaye Getachew made it an Ethiopian double as he regained the title he won two years ago, winning the men&rsquo;s race in 2:05:38 in a close finish from compatriot Boki Asefa.
Yehualaw, winner in London two years ago, was looking to rebound following her eighth-place finish in the British capital earlier this year. The 25-year-old set out with clear intent, passing through 10km in 32:23 before breaking away from her last remaining challenger, Bahrain&rsquo;s Desi Jisa, and reaching the half-way point in 1:08:00.
Jisa managed to hold on to second place through half way, which she reached in 1:08:14, 30 seconds ahead of Haven Hailu, Winfridah Moseti and Bedatu Hirpa. But the chase trio managed to catch the Bahraini runner at 25km (1:21:15).
By this point, Yehualaw had a lead of almost a minute and was showing no signs of slowing down. She passed 30km in 1:36:23, 63 seconds ahead of Hailu and Moseti, and continued to pull away from the field.
The former world 10km record-holder went on to finish in 2:16:52, chopping 28 seconds from the course record set two years ago by Almaz Ayana. Moseti&rsquo;s challenge faded in the closing stages, leaving Hailu to finish second in 2:19:29. Moseti was third in 2:20:27, just three seconds ahead of her fellow Kenyan Gladys Chesir.
The course record may never have been in jeopardy in the men&rsquo;s race, but it was highly competitive throughout. A pack of 15 runners passed through 10km in 29:27 and 14 of those were still together at half way, which was reached in 1:02:31.
Getachew, the 2022 winner, was among the large lead pack, along with fellow Ethiopian Asefa, world silver medallist Maru Teferi of Israel, and Kenyan trio Justus Kangogo, Kennedy Kimutai and Felix Kipkoech.
The pack started to whittle down throughout the second half, but three men &ndash; Getachew, Asefa and Teferi &ndash; entered Amsterdam&rsquo;s Olympic Stadium just a few strides apart from one another.
Just as he had done two years ago, Getachew proved to have the stronger finish as he held off his opponents to win in 2:05:38. Asefa was a close second in 2:05:40, just two seconds ahead of Teferi.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 2:16:52 2 Haven Hailu (ETH) 2:19:29 3 Winfridah Moseti (KEN) 2:20:27 4 Gladys Chesir (KEN) 2:20:30 5 Bedatu Hirpa (ETH) 2:21:09 6 Aminet Ahmed (ETH) 2:21:24
Men 1 Tsegaye Getachew (ETH) 2:05:38 2 Boki Asefa (ETH) 2:05:40 3 Maru Teferi (ISR) 2:05:42 4 Justus Kangogo (KEN) 2:06:45 5 Kennedy Kimutai (KEN) 2:07:13 6 Felix Kipkoech (KEN) 2:07:39 
<h2>Cheptegei wins in Delhi</h2>
World and Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei lived up to expectations to take the men&rsquo;s title at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, while Ethiopia&rsquo;s Alemaddis Eyayu was a surprise winner of the women&rsquo;s race at the World Athletics Gold Label road race on Sunday (20).
Kenya&rsquo;s world 5km bronze medallist Alex Matata led the men&rsquo;s race for most of the way. But as he entered the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in the closing stages, Cheptegei unleashed his trademark finishing kick that has carried him to multiple major titles.
The Ugandan crossed the line in 59:46 as Matata finished second in 59:53 ahead of fellow Kenyan Nicholas Kipkorir (59:59). Two-time world 5000m champion Muktar Edris was fifth in 1:00:52.
&ldquo;This win is special to me because it&rsquo;s my first ever half marathon victory,&rdquo; said Cheptegei. &ldquo;I felt good throughout the race, despite the slow start. I felt some problems in my feet around 16-17km, but I decided to push and catch up with Nicholas, and then we pushed each other for about two kilometres.&rdquo;
Cynthia Limo, the winner here back in 2015, led during the early stages of the women&rsquo;s race with Ethiopian duo Alemaddis Eyayu and Tiruye Mesfin close behind.
Eyayu and Limo passed through 10km together before the Ethiopian pulled ahead in the second half. Eyayu went on to win in 1:08:17, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Limo. Mesfin clocked 1:09:42 for third while British record-holder Eilish McColgan was third (1:09:55).

Yalemzerf Yehualaw returned to winning ways at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, winning in 2:16:52

Yehualaw breaks Amsterdam course record, Getachew regains title

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Roza Dereje, who finished fourth in the Olympic marathon in Sapporo, is among the athletes racing the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label event, which will be streamed live for free on <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Inside Track</a> on Sunday (20).
It will be Dereje&rsquo;s first marathon since that Olympic appearance three years ago, following the birth of her son, Yobsan.
As well as finishing fourth in Sapporo, the 27-year-old has achieved second and third-place finishes in the Chicago and London marathons, respectively, and has a PB of 2:18:30.
&ldquo;Even though it is my first time to race since I gave birth, running is not new to me,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;So, I am not nervous about it. I am preparing well for the race to make my comeback fruitful.&rdquo;
She will be joined in Toronto by her compatriot Waganesh Mekasha, who won the Osaka Marathon in February and was a close second in Toronto last year, plus Afera Godfay, who was third last year. Natasha Wodak leads the Canadian entries.
The men&rsquo;s field features last year&rsquo;s winner Elvis Cheboi of Kenya, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mulugeta Uma, who won this year&rsquo;s Paris Marathon, and Dubai Marathon fourth-place finisher Abdi Fufa, also of Ethiopia.
<h2>Where to watch</h2>
The 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon&nbsp;will be streamed live for free on <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Inside Track</a>.
The stream will start at&nbsp;7:00am EDT / 11:00am GMT on Sunday 20 October.
Watch live on <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inside Track</a>.

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon will be streamed live for free on World Athletics Inside Track on Sunday (20)

Watch the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Inside Track

It&rsquo;s hardly surprising that Masai Russell is a fighter.
The US hurdler went to high school in Potomac, the Maryland town that was once home to Sylvester Stallone, star of the Rocky movies, and Mike Tyson, a real-life heavyweight boxing champion.
&ldquo;Home is Upper Marlboro, Maryland, but I commuted to Bullis School in Potomac every day for four years,&rdquo; says Russell, who showed her own fighting qualities in the scrap for the Olympic 100m hurdles title in Paris.
The 24-year-old slugged her way into contention off the final barrier in the Stade de France in August, delivering the knockout blow to the big home hope with her lunge for the line.
Russell prevailed in 12.33 - 0.01 ahead of the French athlete Cyrena Samba-Mayela, with defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico third in 12.36.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6713855356176242626605dd.jpg" alt="Masai Russell dips to win the Olympic 100m hurdles title in Paris" />
Masai Russell dips to win the Olympic 100m hurdles title in Paris (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
</div>
It was not the only gold medal success for Bullis in the French capital. Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old prodigy in the victorious US men&rsquo;s 4x400m squad, happens to be a current student at the independent high school in Potomac.
For Russell, her narrow triumph in the 100m hurdles final was a fifth and final victory of a marathon outdoor season that stretched to 22 races, including heats, semifinals and finals. Her other four wins came in her Olympic heat and in the three rounds she negotiated at the US trials in Eugene in June.
That she emerged victorious from the two meetings out of 15 that mattered the most tells you a lot about the battling spirit of the Marylander who started her track career as a 400m hurdler, clocking 57.55 for bronze at the Pan American U20 Championships back in 2017.
Russell won as many races &ndash; five out of 11 &ndash; during an indoor season which culminated in the disappointment of missing out on a spot on the world indoor 60m hurdles podium by one place and 0.02.
Having started 2024 with four goals written down &ndash; world indoor record, world indoor title, Olympic title and world outdoor record &ndash; she saw the first two claimed by her training partner, the Bahamian Devynne Charlton taking gold in Glasgow in 7.65 ahead of Samba-Mayela (7.74) and Poland&rsquo;s Pia Skrzyszowska (7.79).
&ldquo;It was pretty devastating,&rdquo; reflects Russell, who crossed the line fourth in 7.81.
&ldquo;I missed out on a medal by just being leaned out but I wasn&rsquo;t going to make the same mistake in the outdoor season.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been amazing to see the transition from indoors to out.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6713857c56176242626605e0.jpg" alt="Masai Russell celebrates with her training partner Devynne Charlton in Paris" />
Masai Russell celebrates with her training partner Devynne Charlton in Paris (&copy; Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
</div>
That transition took place at the elite hurdles factory of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, also the alma mater of fellow global gold medal winners Camacho-Quinn, Kendra Harrison and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, as well as Daniel Roberts, runner-up to Grant Holloway in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles in Paris.
Russell and Charlton are guided by Rolando &ldquo;Lonnie&rdquo; Greene, the Bahamian head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been my coach from the jump, since coming into Kentucky as an 18-year-old,&rdquo; says Russell.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s such a relentless coach. I&rsquo;ve progressed every single year underneath him, on his programme.&rdquo;
Russell first broke 13 seconds with 12.90 in 2021 and has since improved to 12.71 in 2022, 12.36 in 2023 and now 12.25 in 2024.
That 12.25 came in the final at the US Olympic trials. It puts Russell joint fifth on the world all-time list.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just super-promising that I&rsquo;ve got better every single year under Coach Greene,&rdquo; she continues.
&ldquo;It makes me so happy to know what my future has to hold &ndash; being as young as I am, not being as strong as I could possibly be. I know my ceiling&rsquo;s super-high with a coach like that.&rdquo; 
<div style="padding: 0px 20px 5px 20px; border: 2px solid #b68cff;">
<h2>Global champions in the women's high hurdles</h2>
Not since Australia&rsquo;s Sally Pearson followed world indoor glory in Istanbul with Olympic gold in London in 2012 has there been a back-to-back global champion in the two women&rsquo;s high hurdles events.
Although USA's Nia Ali won successive 60m hurdles titles indoors, in 2014 and 2016, Jamaica&rsquo;s Danielle Williams claimed world 100m hurdles gold outdoors in between.
2024 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Masai Russell (USA) 2024 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Devynne Charlton (Bahamas) 2023 World Championships 100m hurdles: Danielle Williams (Jamaica) 2022 World Championships 100m hurdles: Tobi Amusan (Nigeria) 2022 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Cyrena Samba-Mayela (France) 2021 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Puerto Rico) 2019 World Championships 100m hurdles: Nia Ali (USA) 2018 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Kendra Harrison (USA) 2017 World Championships 100m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Australia) 2016 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Brianna Rollins (USA) 2016 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Nia Ali (USA) 2015 World Championships 100m hurdles: Danielle Williams (Jamaica) 2014 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Nia Ali (USA) 2013 World Championships 100m hurdles: Brianna Rollins (USA) 2012 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Australia) 2012 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Australia)
Only two women have won successive 100m hurdles world titles: USA's Gail Devers (1993 and 1995) and Michelle Perry (2005 and 2007).
The only woman to have won&nbsp;successive high hurdles titles&nbsp;in the Olympic arena is Australia&rsquo;s Shirley Strickland in the 80m hurdles (1952 and 1956).
</div>
 In international terms, Russell is still a relative novice in the high hurdles. The 400m hurdles was still her main event two years ago.
She finished sixth in the 400m hurdles final at the 2022 US Championships, clocking 55.66, and fourth in a semifinal of the 100m hurdles in 12.76.
It was not until last year that Coach Greene had Russell concentrating on the high hurdles. She finished third at the US Championships and made the semifinals at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, crashing out after hitting hurdles two and three.
On reflection, she considers her success in this year&rsquo;s Olympic trials as her break-out achievement.
Russell scorched home at Hayward Field in 12.25, ahead of Alaysha Johnson (12.31), Grace Stark (12.31), Nia Ali (12.37), Tonea Marshall (12.38) and Harrison (12.39).
&ldquo;I was way more stressed making the team in the trials than actually being on the line in the Olympic final,&rdquo; she says.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no Olympics if you don&rsquo;t get through the US trials. And the US trials is like the Olympics within itself.
&ldquo;That was the fastest-run women&rsquo;s 100 hurdles. And the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles is the most competitive event in track and field.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all so close and so talented. Whoever has the cleanest race on the day, they&rsquo;re probably going to win.
&ldquo;I think 12 women have run 12.30s this year. I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s ever been done in history&hellip; It&rsquo;s pretty sick.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6713867cb5060fe7563222bf.jpg" alt="Masai Russell on her way to the US 100m hurdles title" />
Masai Russell on her way to the US 100m hurdles title (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Indeed, 12 women have run under 12.40 in 2024, six of them in that stunning US final - and that adds up to a historical high by some margin.
In 2023 the total was seven. In 2022 it was six. Prior to that no more than two women had broken 12.40 in any year.
In addition to the intense competition, Russell also has to contend with the tide of history as she looks towards 2025, with the lure of world titles indoors and out, and towards a home Olympics in 2028.
In the cut and thrust of the women&rsquo;s high hurdles, she has become the 14th different consecutive global champion.
Yet Russell maintains she still has her sights on the targets she set at the start of 2024.
&ldquo;My goal is to be the world indoor record-holder, the world indoor champ, world outdoor record-holder, world outdoor champ - and Olympic champ again,&rdquo; she insists.
&ldquo;If I&rsquo;m not shooting to be the best ever in the sport, then what am I doing?
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying to build a legacy for those who look up to me: the little girls who don&rsquo;t believe they&rsquo;re big enough or strong enough to do it.
&ldquo;I know that they can. I want to be that person for them.&rdquo;
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics

It’s hardly surprising that Masai Russell is a fighter

Nominees announced for Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year 2024

Jepkemei and Kwizera the winners in Atapuerca

McKean’s 1989 World Cup singlet to enter MOWA

Kejelcha breaks world half marathon record in Valencia

Kawano sets world 35km race walk record in Takahata