World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that Alpheus Finlayson, a former World Athletics Council Member and former President of the Bahamian athletics federation, died on Friday (22) at the age of 76.
Born in Nassau in 1947, Finlayson discovered his passion for athletics while at school and became a runner and then an administrator.
He was President of the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association from 1989 to 1997 and also held roles including Vice President of the Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation, and Vice President of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Area Athletic Association.
The first Bahamian Olympic medal in athletics was won during Finlayson&rsquo;s presidency of the national federation, when Frank Rutherford claimed triple jump bronze at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
He was also in the role when the nation&rsquo;s first three World Championships medals were won, in 1995 and 1997.
Finlayson became the first Bahamian elected to the World Athletics Council in 1999 &ndash; a position he held until 2003 &ndash; and he attended every World Athletics Championships from the inaugural edition in Helsinki in 1983 to the 2017 event in London.
As well as his impact in administration, Finlayson was an athletics writer, historian and broadcaster, publishing his book From Vancouver to Athens: Fifty Years of Bahamian International Track &amp; Field Competition in 2009 and hosting Track World television and radio shows.
Outside of athletics, Finlayson also had a successful career in insurance.

Alpheus Finlayson, 1947-2023

Former World Athletics Council Member Finlayson dies

Olympic bronze medallist Emma Oosterwegel successfully defended her heptathlon title at the Decastar meeting in Talence while Makenson Gletty smashed his PB to win the decathlon at the final World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold event of the year on Sunday (24).
Dutch heptathlete Oosterwegel ended her 2023 campaign on a high, scoring a season&rsquo;s best of 6495 to move to fourth on this year&rsquo;s world list behind the three world medallists. French all-rounder Gletty, meanwhile, added 164 points to his PB to take the decathlon with 8443.
USA&rsquo;s Taliyah Brooks, winner of Multistars earlier this year, got off to the strongest start in the heptathlon as she clocked 12.91 to take the lead after the first event, the 100m hurdles. A 1.75m clearance in the high jump kept Brooks at the top of the leaderboard ahead of Switzerland&rsquo;s Annik Kalin, who clocked 13.21 and cleared 1.75m, and Germany&rsquo;s Sophie Weissenberg, who topped the high jump with a 1.81m clearance after clocking 13.72 in the hurdles.
Oosterwegel, meanwhile, was in fifth after her 13.46 run in the hurdles and 1.75m leap in the high jump. But a 13.80m throw in the shot put moved her up to third overall. Weissenberg took the lead after throwing 13.67m, while Brooks (12.93m) slipped to second.
The margins tightened after the 200m as Brooks closed the gap to just a single point, clocking 24.02 to Weissenberg&rsquo;s 24.05 in the 200m. Oosterwegel ran 24.48 to hold on to third place ahead of Kalin and Marijke Esselink of the Netherlands.
Kalin catapulted herself to the top of the leaderboard after the first event of day two, leaping 6.67m in the long jump to move 36 points clear of Brooks, who jumped 6.24m. A 6.18m jump from Oosterwegel kept her in third place overall.
Oosterwegel then produced one of the stand-out performances of the day, throwing a javelin PB of 56.66m &ndash; almost 10 metres farther than the next-best heptathlete &ndash; to move into the overall lead with one event remaining. Kalin threw 46.05m, while Brooks managed 37.41m.
Oosterwegel rounded out her weekend with a solid 2:13.62 clocking in the 800m, bringing her tally to 6495 &ndash; the second-best score of her career after the 6590 PB she set when earning Olympic bronze in Tokyo.
Kalin was second with 6390 and Brooks held on to third place with 6181. Oosterwegel&rsquo;s victory moved her into the overall lead in the Combined Events Tour standings.
<h2>Redemption for Gletty</h2>
Gletty, who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the World Championships, went into Decastar fired up and ready to end his season on a high.
He got off to a strong start, clocking 10.78 in the 100m and leaping 7.34m in the long jump, then moved into the lead thanks to a 16.46m heave in the shot put, a PB by 10cm. Once he made it to the top of the leaderboard, he did not relinquish that position for the rest of the competition.
Germany&rsquo;s Manuel Eitel provided strong opposition, though. He was the early leader after clocking 10.64 in the 100m, then Switzerland&rsquo;s Finley Gaio went to the top of the standings after leaping 7.54m in the long jump.
Belgium&rsquo;s world U20 heptathlon record-holder Jente Hauttekeete moved from ninth to fifth &ndash; behind Gletty, Eitel, Gaio and Victor &ndash; thanks to his 2.08m clearance in the high jump, the best of the day by nine centimetres. Gletty, Eitel and world bronze medallist Lindon Victor each managed 1.96m, while Gaio cleared 1.93m.
The top of the standings remained the same following the day&rsquo;s final event, the 400m. Gaio clocked 48.30 and Gletty a PB of 48.38 to finish day one in the lead ahead of Eitel, who ran 48.75.
Gletty&rsquo;s second day started well as he produced the fastest time in the 110m hurdles, 14.01, extending his lead over Eitel and Gaio. Victor made up ground in the discus, throwing 48.74m to move into third overall behind Eitel, but Gletty maintained the lead with his 41.67m throw.
From thereon in, the positions of the top three remained the same. A 17-centimetre improvement on his PB in the pole vault, 5.07m, gave Getty a comfortable lead of more than 200 points over Eitel (4.67m) and Victor (4.77m).
The gaps closed slightly after the javelin, Eitel throwing 63.68m to Victor&rsquo;s 62.95m and Gletty&rsquo;s 59.77m. But Gletty could not be caught in the final event, the 1500m, and he ended his series with a solid 4:27.46 clocking. That gave the 24-year-old a winning score of 8443, moving him to sixth on the French all-time list and 14th on this year&rsquo;s world list.
Eitel was second with 8193 and Victor held on to third with 7980.

Oosterwegel wins Decastar heptathlon with 6495, Gletty takes decathlon with 8443 PB

Oosterwegel and Gletty end season on a high in Talence

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tigst Assefa successfully defended her BMW Berlin Marathon title in style, smashing the world record with 2:11:53* while distance running legend Eliud Kipchoge notched up a record fifth victory at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in the German capital on Sunday (24).
Assefa took more than two minutes off the women&rsquo;s world record of 2:14:04, which had been set by Kenya&rsquo;s Brigid Kosgei at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Kipchoge, meanwhile, won by 31 seconds in 2:02:42, the fifth-fastest time of his illustrious career.
The men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races unfolded in contrasting style.
A large pack of the leading contenders ran together through the early stages of the women&rsquo;s race, passing through 5km in 15:58. 13 women were still in contact with the lead as they passed through 10km in 31:45.
By the time 15km was reached in 47:26, Assefa and compatriot Workenesh Edesa had managed to open up a slight gap on Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Chepkirui and Ethiopia&rsquo;s 2015 world 5000m silver medallist Senbere Teferi and Zeineba Yimer. The first 12 women were strung out, but still within 15 seconds of one another &ndash; and all were running inside world record pace.
Sensing that most of her rivals were already starting to fade, Assefa took greater command of the race by throwing in a 2:59 split for the 16th kilometre. By the time she reached 17km, Assefa had dropped Edesa, the last of her opponents, and had just a few male pacemakers for company.
Assefa seemed to grow in confidence &ndash; and pace &ndash; once she knew she was alone at the front of the pack, and she went on to reach the half-way point in 1:06:20, putting her on track to smash the world record by more than a minute.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/651003551134bfc23005d649.jpg" alt="Tigst Assefa on her way to a world record at the Berlin Marathon" />
Tigst Assefa on her way to a world record at the Berlin Marathon (&copy; SCC EVENTS/Petko Beier)
</div>
And then she sped up. The next kilometre was covered in 2:48, the fastest of the race up to that point, extending her advantage over Edesa and Chepkirui.&nbsp; Assefa&rsquo;s 25km split of 1:18:40 was still well inside world record schedule; Chepkirui and Edesa, now almost a minute behind the leader, had dropped off the pace, but were still on course for huge PBs.
Assefa, still looking incredibly relaxed and composed, covered the next 10km segments in a remarkable 31:02, bringing her to 35km in 1:49:41. Her 30km split was 1:34:12, the second-fastest mark in history for that checkpoint (behind Ruth Chepngetich&rsquo;s 1:34:01 from the 2022 Chicago Marathon).
But while Chepngetich faded badly in that race last year, Assefa went from strength to strength in the closing stages in Berlin.
She got to 40km in 2:05:13, following another 15:32 5km split, putting her on course for a finishing time in the 2:12 range. Spurred on by the knowledge that the world record was in the bag, Assefa picked up her pace in the closing kilometres and charged through the finish line in 2:11:53.
Chepkirui held on to second place in 2:17:49, while Tanzania&rsquo;s Magdalena Shauri made a remarkable breakthrough to take third place in 2:18:41, a huge national record.
A record eight women finished inside 2:20.
<h2>Berlin victory no.5 for Kipchoge</h2>
Kipchoge may not have improved on his own world record, but he added to his legacy on the streets of Berlin by achieving a record fifth win, clocking 2:02:42.
The two-time Olympic champion eventually won by 31 seconds, but for most of the race he had company in the surprising form of Ethiopia's Derseh Kindie.
The duo made an early break from the rest of the field, reaching 5km in 14:12 with a 15-second margin over the rest of the elite men. By 10km, reached in 28:27, they were operating at exactly 2:00:00 marathon pace and more than half a minute ahead of the seven-man chase pack.
Kipchoge and Kindie continued to run together at world record schedule through the half-way point, reached in 1:00:22, but the pace started to drop soon after. By the time they got to 25km (1:11:48), they were no longer on schedule to break Kipchoge's record of 2:01:09 set last year in Berlin.
But records weren't Kipchoge's main concern; he had company in the form of a relatively unheralded runner up to 30km (1:26:25), so his attention was primarily on securing victory.
At about 31km into the race, Kipchoge increased his tempo and, with a cursary glance over his shoulder to see if Kindie was able to follow, knew it was enough to see off his opponent. The Kenyan great was alone in front at last, while Kindie continued for another minute or so before stepping off the course.
Kipchoge still had more than 10km to go, but his lead was comfortable and his form was controlled and relaxed. He went on to win in 2:02:42, while a fast-finishing Vincent Kipkemoi came through to take second place in 2:03:13. Ethiopia's Tadese Takele was third in 2:03:24.
A record nine men finished inside 2:05 and 15 finished inside 2:06, making it the deepest men's marathon in history. There were national records for Germany's Amanal Petros (ninth in 2:04:58) and Switzerland's Tadesse Abraham (11th in 2:05:10).
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Tigst Assefa (ETH) 2:11:53 2 Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) 2:17:49 3 Magdalena Shauri (TAN) 2:18:41 4 Zeineba Yimer (ETH) 2:19:07 5 Senbere Teferi (ETH) 2:19:21 6 Dera Dida (ETH) 2:19:24 7 Workenesh Edesa (ETH) 2:19:40 8 Helen Bekele (ETH) 2:19:44 9 Charlotte Purdue (GBR) 2:22:17 Men 1 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:02:42 2 Vincent Kipkemoi (KEN) 2:03:13 3 Tadese Takele (ETH) 2:03:24 4 Ronald Korir (KEN) 2:04:22 5 Haftu Teklu (ETH) 2:04:42 6 Andualem Shiferaw (ETH) 2:04:44 7 Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:49 8 Philemon Kiplimo (KEN) 2:04:56 9 Amanal Petros (GER) 2:04:58 10 Boniface Kiplimo (KEN) 2:05:05
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure

Ethiopian takes more than two minutes off world record

Assefa smashes world marathon record in Berlin with 2:11:53, Kipchoge achieves record fifth win

Eliud Kipchoge and Tigst Assefa return to defend their BMW Berlin Marathon titles, with Kipchoge on the hunt for a record fifth men&rsquo;s race win at the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race on Sunday (24).
With athletes seeking fast times and leading performances as they look to make a mark ahead of next year&rsquo;s Olympic Games in Paris, the pair face formidable fields on the streets of the German capital.
Kenya&rsquo;s Kipchoge clocked 2:01:09 to improve his own world record by half a minute when winning in Berlin last year. That was his fourth victory &ndash; matching the feat achieved by Haile Gebrselassie &ndash; and now Kipchoge has the chance to go one better.
&ldquo;Berlin&nbsp;for me is like home,&rdquo; said two-time Olympic champion Kipchoge, who claimed his previous Berlin Marathon wins in 2015, 2017 and 2018, the latter in a then world record of 2:01:39. &ldquo;Looking at the Olympic Games in Paris next year, I considered which races would be the best preparation for me and&nbsp;Berlin&nbsp;was the best option.&rdquo;
A year ago, his pace for much of the early stages of the race suggested he might even break two hours. &ldquo;But that was 2022, it&rsquo;s a different year now and a different race,&rdquo; said the 38-year-old. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m nervous, but that shows I&rsquo;m ready. I&rsquo;ll try to run a good time.&rdquo;
Of the 18 competitive marathons he has raced, Kipchoge has only lost on three occasions &ndash; on his Berlin Marathon debut in 2013, in London in 2020, and in Boston in April. Completing the undulating Boston course in 2:09:23, Kipchoge finished his most recent race in sixth place, but the Kenyan remains the man to beat in Berlin.
There are a number of athletes who will want to challenge him, however.
Kipchoge&rsquo;s compatriot Amos Kipruto has the second fastest PB among the entries and he hopes to go even faster on Sunday.
The 2019 world bronze medallist, who won last year&rsquo;s London Marathon, clocked 2:03:13 when finishing second to Kipchoge in last year&rsquo;s Tokyo Marathon.
The pair have clashed on two other occasions in the marathon: once in Berlin, where Kipruto finished second in 2:06:23 behind Kipchoge&rsquo;s world record run in 2018, and once at the Olympic Games in Japan, where Kipchoge won and Kipruto did not finish.
This time they will face 10 other men with sub-2:06 PBs: Kenya&rsquo;s Jonathan Maiyo, Eliud Kiptanui, Ronald Korir, Philemon Kiplimo, Enock Onchari and Mark Korir, and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tadu Abate, Andualem Shiferaw and Haftu Teklu, plus Eritrea&rsquo;s Ghirmay Ghebreslassie.
Like Kipchoge, Ghebreslassie also raced in Boston but he did not finish. The 2015 world champion, who finished fourth at the Olympics the following year, ran his PB of 2:05:34 last year &ndash; a mark that put him third in the Seville Marathon.
Mark Korir and Abate respectively finished second and third behind Kipchoge in Berlin last year and also return.
Ronald Korir raced three marathons last year, achieving his best performance in the last of those. In Valencia in December he clocked his PB of 2:05:37.
In the same race, Kiplimo ran 2:05:44 in what was only his second career marathon and first outside of Kenya. He now races the distance for the third time, as part of a field that also features Onchari, who ran 2:05:44 in Seville in February.
Leading the domestic challenge is Amanal Petros, who hopes to break his own German record of 2:06:07.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve trained in Kenya for almost four months, concentrating entirely on&nbsp;Berlin,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Going through halfway in around 62 minutes is feasible, but we can adjust the pace at any time.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The field also features Swiss record-holder Tadesse Abraham, who ran 2:06:38 last year in Zurich.
Just two seconds behind him on PB is Ethiopia&rsquo;s Andamlak Belihu, who finished fourth in Berlin last year thanks to that lifetime best.
His compatriot Tadese Takele, the 2021 world U20 3000m steeplechase silver medallist, makes his marathon debut. He clocked 59:41 on his half marathon debut in Herzogenaurach last year.
Assefa headlines the women&rsquo;s race after improving the women's course record by more than two minutes last year with her winning time of 2:15:37, a mark that places her fifth on the world all-time list.
She won by almost two-and-a-half minutes ahead of Rosemary Wanjiru and Tigist Abayechew, and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Abayechew also returns to a race where she set her 2:18:03 PB.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m delighted to be running again in Berlin,&rdquo; said Assefa. &ldquo;Last year&rsquo;s race proved an unexpected success for me. I think I can run even faster on Sunday. A further improvement would be a success.&rdquo;
In response to the question of whether a new course record would mean setting her sights on the world record of 2:14:04, she added: &ldquo;Much can happen so I cannot say at the moment what would be the halfway split. I want to improve my time, but I am not thinking about the world record.&rdquo;
Assefa and Abayechew will race against another five women with sub-2:20 PBs and a further five who have dipped under 2:22.
Joining Assefa with a PB under 2:18 is Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Chepkirui. The Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medallist finished fourth in the London Marathon in April in 2:18:51 and ran her PB of 2:17:29 in Valencia in December. While this is her first time at the Berlin Marathon, she does have experience of racing in the city as she won the Berlin Half Marathon in 2022 in a course record of 1:05:02.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Workenesh Edesa finished fourth last year in a PB of 2:18:51, while her compatriots Hiwot Gebrekidan and Zeineba Yimer, plus Japan&rsquo;s Hitomi Niiya, are the other athletes in the field who have dipped under 2:20 in their careers so far.
Etagegne Woldu ran 2:20:03 in Valencia in December and is joined by her compatriots Gutemi Imana, Dera Dida and Yoshi Chekole, plus Romania&rsquo;s&nbsp;Delvine Meringor.
The field also features Ethiopia&rsquo;s Senbere Teferi, the 2015 world 5000m silver medallist who set a world 5km record of 14:29 in 2021 and is contesting her third marathon.
<h3>Elite fields</h3>
Women Tigst Assefa (ETH) 2:15:37 Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) 2:17:29 Tigist Abayechew (ETH) 2:18:03 Workenesh Edesa (ETH) 2:18:51 Hiwot Gebrekidan (ETH) 2:19:10 Hitomi Niiya (JPN) 2:19:24 Zeineba Yimer (ETH) 2:19:28 Etagegne Woldu (ETH) 2:20:03 Gutemi Imana (ETH) 2:20:11 Delvine Meringor (ROU) 2:20:49 Yoshi Chekole (ETH) 2:21:17 Dera Dida (ETH) 2:21:11 Fikrte Wereta (ETH) 2:22:50 Charlotte Purdue (GBR) 2:23:26 Margaret Muriuki (KEN) 2:23:52 Senbere Teferi (ETH) 2:24:11 Malindi Elmore (CAN) 2:24:50 Deborah Schoneborn (GER) 2:25:52 Fabienne Schlumpf (SUI) 2:26:14 Annie Frisbie (USA) 2:26:18 Domenika Mayer (GER) 2:26:50 Rabea Schoneborn (GER) 2:27:03 Kristina Hendel (GER) 2:27:29 Laura Hottenrott (GER) 2:28:02 Yevheniya Prokofyeva (UKR) 2:28:06 Ursula Sanchez (MEX) 2:29:11 Angie Orjuela (COL) 2:29:12 Tabea Themann (GER) 2:31:54 Jana Soethout (GER) 2:34:28 Melina Wolf (GER) Debut
Men Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:01:09&nbsp;&nbsp; Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:03:13 Jonathan Maiyo (KEN) 2:04:56 Eliud Kiptanui (KEN) 2:05:21 Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) 2:05:34 Ronald Korir (KEN) 2:05:37 Tadu Abate (ETH) 2:05:38 Philemon Kiplimo (KEN) 2:05:44 Enock Onchari (KEN) 2:05:47 Mark Korir (KEN) 2:05:49 Andualem Shiferaw (ETH) 2:05:52 Haftu Teklu (ETH) 2:05:53 Amanal Petros (GER) 2:06:27 Josphat Boit (KEN) 2:06:34 Tadesse Abraham (SUI) 2:06:38 Andamlak Belihu (ETH) 2:06:40 Okubay Tsegay (ERI) 2:06:46 Abel Kipchumba (KEN) 2:06:49 Yusuke Ogura (JPN) 2:06:51 Denis Chirchir (KEN) 2:07:17 Justus Kangogo (KEN) 2:07:40 Titus Kipkosgei (KEN) 2:07:46 Godadaw Belachew (ISR) 2:07:54 Dominic Nyairo (KEN) 2:08:13 John Hakizimana (RWA) 2:08:18 Guojian Dong (CHN) 2:08:28 Liam Adams (AUS) 2:08:39 Scott Fauble (USA) 2:08:52 Mehdi Frere (FRA) 2:08:55 Byambajav Tseveenravdan (MGL) 2:09:03 Jared Ward (USA) 2:09:25 Yimer Getahun (ISR) 2:09:27 Michael Somers (BEL) 2:09:31 Stephen Scullion (IRL) 2:09:49 Jianhua Peng (CHN) 2:09:57 Eulalio Munoz (ARG) 2:09:59 Jacob Riley (USA) 2:10:02 Tiidrek Nurme (EST) 2:10:02 Bohdan-Ivan Horodyskyi (UKR) 2:10:14 Bart van Nunen (NED) 2:10:16 33 Thomas De Bock (BEL) 2:10:17 Hendrik Pfeiffer (GER) 2:10:18 Yared Shegumo (POL) 2:10:34 Lemawork Ketema (AUT) 2:10:44 Samuel Fitwi (GER) 2:12:14 Konstantin Wedel (GER) 2:13:02 Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich (KEN) Debut Tadese Takele (ETH) Debut

Eliud Kipchoge and Tigst Assefa return to defend their BMW Berlin Marathon titles, with Kipchoge on the hunt for a record fifth men’s race win

Kipchoge targets title No.5, Assefa seeks another win in Berlin

Women&rsquo;s world road mile record 4:27.97 Nikki Hiltz (USA) Des Moines 25 April 2023
Men&rsquo;s world road mile record 4:01.21 Sam Prakel (USA) Des Moines 25 April 2023
 The winning times from this year&rsquo;s US Road Mile Championships &ndash; 4:27.97 for Nikki Hiltz and 4:01.21 for Sam Prakel &ndash; have been ratified as the inaugural world records for the road mile.
The road mile became an official world record discipline as of 1 September. As announced after the World Athletics Council Meeting in November 2022, official recognition of a world record would require a performance of at least 3:50.00 (men) or 4:19.00 (women) between 1 January and 1 September 2023. If they were not met, the fastest recorded record-eligible performances would be recognised as the world records.
As such, the winning times at the US Road Mile Championships in Des Moines on 25 April proved to be the fastest eligible performances within that time frame and they have now been ratified as the inaugural world records.
There will, however, be a strong chance of these records being broken at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on 1 October, where the road mile is being contested by dozens of the world&rsquo;s best middle-distance runners as part of a programme that also features 5km and half marathon races.
Among those entered for the mile in Riga are Kenya&rsquo;s Faith Kipyegon, who has broken three world records in the 1500m, mile and 5000m on the track in 2023, plus her compatriot Beatrice Chepkoech, Australia&rsquo;s Jess Hull, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Teddese Lemi, Kenya&rsquo;s Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot and Prakel.
World Athletics

The winning times from this year’s US Road Mile Championships – 4:27.97 for Nikki Hiltz and 4:01.21 for Sam Prakel – have been ratified as the inaugural world records for the road mile

Ratified: world road mile records for Hiltz and Prakel

Global bronze medallists Lindon Victor and Emma Oosterwegel return to defend their titles at the Decastar meeting, this season&rsquo;s final World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold event, in Talence this weekend (23-24).
Victor broke his own Grenadian record with 8550 points to win the Decastar decathlon last year and improved again &ndash; to 8756 &ndash; to claim world bronze in Budapest last month. Olympic bronze medallist Oosterwegel, meanwhile, tied with Ivona Dadic in Talence, as they both scored 6233 points to top the heptathlon.
Now Victor and Oosterwegel seek further strong performances as they look to move up the World Athletics Combined Events Tour standings, currently led by Karel Tilga and Sophie Weissenberg, and as athletes aim to make a mark as the Olympic year approaches.
A total of 10 athletes who have surpassed 8200 points in the decathlon and 10 heptathletes with 6200-point-plus PBs will compete at the Stade Pierre Paul Bernard, where Kevin Mayer set his world decathlon record of 9126 in 2018.
Victor moved up to 15th place on that world all-time list topped by Mayer with his performance in Budapest, where he stepped on to a global podium for the first time and finished third behind Canadian duo Pierce LePage and Damian Warner. Such was the standard, Victor&rsquo;s 8756 there was the best mark for third place in any decathlon.
As part of his series, Victor &ndash; the two-time Commonwealth Games champion &ndash; achieved a decathlon championship best of 54.97m in the discus and set PBs in the long jump, 400m and 1500m.
He will be joined in Talence by athletes including Germany&rsquo;s Manuel Eitel, Belgium&rsquo;s Thomas Van der Plaetsen, USA&rsquo;s Devon Williams and Poland&rsquo;s Pawel Wiesiolek.
Like Victor, Eitel was also in action in Budapest where he placed 11th, after scoring a PB of 8351 to finish fifth in Gotzis in May. Van der Plaetsen, who set his 8430 PB when finishing third in Gotzis in 2021, finished fourth in Ratingen in June with 8233 points.
The field also features athletes including French champion Makenson Gletty, Estonia&rsquo;s Risto Lillemets and Belgium&rsquo;s world U20 heptathlon record-holder Jente Hauttekeete.
In the heptathlon, Hungary&rsquo;s Xenia Krizsan, Netherlands&rsquo; Oosterwegel and Germany&rsquo;s Weissenberg compete again, one month on from their respective fourth, fifth and seventh place finishes at the World Championships.
On home soil in Budapest, Krizsan scored 6479 for her third best heptathlon behind the 6651 national record she set to win in Gotzis in 2021. Her World Championships performance left her just 22 points off the bronze medal mark.
Oosterwegel achieved 6464 points in Budapest &ndash; the second best score of her career behind the 6590 PB she set for Olympic bronze in Tokyo &ndash; and Talence offers her a third heptathlon of the year after she also placed third in Ratingen in June.
Weissenberg finished one place ahead of Oosterwegel in Ratingen and then set a PB of 6438 for seventh in Budapest.
Annie Kunz leads the field when it comes to PBs thanks to the 6703 points she set to win the US title in 2021 before finishing sixth at the Tokyo Olympics. Her compatriots Michelle Atherley and Taliyah Brooks also compete, with Brooks having set a PB of 6330 to win the Multistars heptathlon in Desenzano del Garda in April.
The entry list also stars Austria&rsquo;s 2019 world bronze medallist Verena Mayr, Switzerland&rsquo;s Annik Kalin and Spain&rsquo;s Claudia Conte, who competes for the first time since last year's European Championships following injury.

Global bronze medallists Lindon Victor and Emma Oosterwegel return to defend their titles at this season’s final World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold meeting

Victor and Oosterwegel to defend Decastar titles in Talence

With the culmination of the World Athletics outdoor track and field season at the Wanda Diamond League Final last weekend, thoughts are now turning to the indoor format of the sport and preparations for next year&rsquo;s World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.&nbsp;
Now just over five months away, the city is on track to take centre stage once again, and today the event&rsquo;s official Ambassador, Eilidh Doyle, teamed up with Scotland and Great Britain &amp; Northern Ireland 800m star, Jemma Reekie, to launch the volunteer recruitment campaign.
The World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 will be the highest profile sports event to be staged in Scotland next year, attracting more than 650 athletes from 130 countries, as athletes build up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The World Athletics Indoor Championships is held every two years and provides three action-packed days of intense competition in an intimate arena where fans can witness the raw athleticism and talent of many of the world&rsquo;s best athletes at close range. Tickets have already virtually sold out, such is the huge level of interest in this world-class event, coming to Glasgow.
Following the recent success of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships over the summer, this is the next exciting opportunity for Scotland&rsquo;s enthusiastic and committed volunteer community, and a chance also for people new to volunteering to get involved.
WIC Glasgow 24 is planning to recruit around 400 volunteers to support its delivery of the Championships across the areas of Event Operations, Sport Operations and Spectator Experience.
Volunteers will be located at Glasgow&rsquo;s Emirates Arena and other key training, spectator, and support locations around the city. They will largely be required between 23 February - 4 March 2024 (dates will vary according to roles) and must be available to undertake a minimum of four shifts during this period and attend a training day.&nbsp;
Applications are encouraged from a diverse range of participants and WIC Glasgow 24 is committed to making the volunteer programme as accessible as possible. We are also pleased to invite applications from across the UK and internationally, reflecting the global reach and appeal of World Athletics events.
Having finished her international career at the Emirates Arena at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2019, Event Ambassador, Eilidh Doyle said: &ldquo;Volunteers will be at the heart of this incredible world-class event and will play an integral part in helping us raise the bar and set a new standard for elite athletics competition, enhancing the experience of all involved from athletes and their support teams to technical officials, media and the fans.
&ldquo;Volunteer roles give people a fun and rewarding experience, with the opportunity to broaden their skillset in brand new areas as well as meet different people and make new friends. It is a fantastic way to gain vital employment experience that looks great on your CV and above all it is the sense of pride you feel in representing your country as it welcomes the world to Scotland.&rdquo;
Having enjoyed a successful 2023 season including a Wanda Diamond League win in London and fifth at the World Championships in Budapest, Jemma Reekie added: &ldquo;This is your chance to make your mark and become part of the team delivering the first World Athletics Indoor Championships to be held in Scotland. With tickets already nearly sold out the atmosphere in the Arena will be absolutely amazing.
&ldquo;It means so much to the athletes to have friendly faces at a championship, supporting us in every way, from getting on the right bus to the venue, to making sure we are ready in time to get to the start line. So, on your marks - volunteer and do your personal best!&rdquo;&nbsp;
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said: &ldquo;From the first moment I became a journeying athlete and was making my way through the sport, right through to the point where I was responsible for the delivery of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, and then world championships, I recognised one immutable fact, that the difference between a good games and a great games is the work of the volunteers. They are absolutely essential in delivering sport at virtually every level. The events do not run without them.&rdquo;
Culture Minister Christina McKelvie said: &ldquo;Hosting this exciting event in Scotland for the first time demonstrates that we remain the Perfect Stage for events. We&rsquo;ve got a track record in delivering events of this magnitude with the support of volunteers. We saw this during the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, where there were around 4,000 volunteers playing their part, including helping to ensure spectators and competitors enjoyed a warm welcome.
&ldquo;We want major events to continue to provide positive, high quality and meaningful volunteering opportunities that are accessible and inclusive, and which help local communities feel truly engaged with an event and I would encourage people from all backgrounds to consider volunteering for the World Athletics Indoor Championships.&rdquo;
Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life said: &ldquo;Glasgow has a hugely successful track record of hosting major events over the last decade and crucial to that success are the volunteers. Not only do they play a critical role in the delivery of events, but they&rsquo;re also the face of the host, giving the world-renowned warm Scottish welcome to competitors, officials, media, and spectators alike, and leaving a lasting positive impression.
&ldquo;Glasgow is Scotland&rsquo;s largest and most socially diverse city, with the broadest and deepest of global roots. We also look forward to receiving applications from across the UK and internationally, reflecting the global reach and appeal of World Athletics events and the power of sport to bring people together.&rdquo;
Cherry Alexander, UKA&rsquo;s Strategic Lead for Major Events said: "Previous World Championships in the UK have recruited some amazing volunteers who have continued to contribute to athletics and many other sports. Just like the London 2017 'Runners' and the Birmingham 2018 'Gems' we know that the volunteers supporting WICGlasgow24 will do an amazing job and have a fantastic time. They really do make the difference between a good and a great event and we are very excited to work with them to make it a memorable World Indoors."
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events, said: &ldquo;Volunteers play a key role in the successful delivery of all major events and without them an event of this size and scale would not be possible. They have helped ensure Scotland is the perfect stage for events by supporting the successful delivery of our enviable portfolio of world-class events including the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the recent 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The chance to help deliver the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow next March, is an exciting opportunity to be part of the next major event to take place in Scotland for anyone looking to develop new skills and be part of an unforgettable experience.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Volunteer recruitment is open from today (21 September) until 22 October, so on your marks and apply now<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-championships/glasgow24/volunteers"> here.</a>
&nbsp;

World Athletics Indoor Championships

Track stars call out for volunteers as thoughts turn to next year’s World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. 

Track stars Doyle and Reekie call out for volunteers to support Scotland's next world-class event

As the international outdoor track and field season draws to a close, we now look forward to the feast of top-class road racing that will be on offer throughout the final four months of the year.
In just 11 days&rsquo; time, the focus of the sport will be on the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23</a>, where the best distance runners on the planet will compete for global honours in the mile, 5km and half marathon.
The likes of world champion Faith Kipyegon, world record-holder Berihu Aregawi and Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir are among the stars set to compete in the Latvian capital. Recreational runners from around the world, meanwhile, will run on the same courses as the greats when they take to the streets of Riga for the associated mass races.
There are also eight Platinum Label road races between September and December, the first of which was held last weekend with Betsy Saina and Othmane El Goumri winning the Blackmores Sydney Marathon. Of the seven other upcoming Platinum events, three of them form part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) series: the BMW Berlin Marathon, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the TCS New York Marathon.
<h2>Platinum Label road races, Sep-Dec 2023</h2>
17 Sep &ndash; Sydney Marathon 24 Sep &ndash; Berlin Marathon (WMM) 8 Oct &ndash; Chicago Marathon (WMM) 15 Oct &ndash; Amsterdam Marathon 5 Nov &ndash; New York Marathon (WMM) 26 Nov &ndash; Shanghai Marathon 3 Dec &ndash; Valencia Marathon 17 Dec &ndash; Bang Saen Half Marathon
World record-holder and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge will return to Berlin this weekend, seeking a record fifth victory.
The Chicago Marathon two weeks later will be highlighted by a clash between defending champion Ruth Chepngetich and London Marathon winner Sifan Hassan.
Two-time Tokyo Marathon champion Birhanu Legese, the fourth-fastest marathon runner of all time, headlines the men&rsquo;s field for the Amsterdam Marathon. Defending champion Evans Chebet will take on two-time winner Geoffrey Kamworor at the New York City Marathon in November.
For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Shanghai Marathon in late November will welcome an international elite field.
Just one week later, multiple global champion and world record-holder Joshua Cheptegei will make his long-awaited marathon debut in Valencia. In recent years the event has established itself as one of the highest-quality marathons in the world, and this year&rsquo;s edition will surely be no exception.
Towards the end of the year, the Thai coastal area of Bang Saen will host one of the newest additions to the Platinum Label calendar, the Bangsaen21 Half Marathon. Since the pandemic, it has been largely a domestic affair, but it will be back with a bang this year with a high-quality elite line-up.
Hundreds of road races each year are granted a World Athletics Label, ranging from &lsquo;Platinum&rsquo;, for the top tier of road events, to Gold, Elite and Label. There are still more than 100 World Athletics Label road races due to take place between now and the end of 2023.

Plenty of road action to look forward to throughout the final four months of the year

Focus shifts from track as road racing season heats up

Many athletes would be more than happy after running down Sifan Hassan in the final stretch of a major final to lead their nation to a podium sweep. But when Gudaf Tsegay did so in the 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last month, she thought her job was only partially complete.
Most athletes would be delighted with one medal, especially if it&rsquo;s gold. Tsegay wanted two.
Though she fell short in the 5000m and faded to 13th in Budapest, Tsegay used her frustration to go after the world 5000m record set earlier this year by Faith Kipyegon. At the Prefonatine Classic, which this year doubled at the Wanda Diamond League Final, Tsegay lowered Kipyegon&rsquo;s mark by five seconds, running 14:00.21.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6508108887023ba9db81bdf3.jpg" alt="Gudaf Tsegay on her way to breaking the world 5000m record in Eugene" />
Gudaf Tsegay on her way to breaking the world 5000m record in Eugene (&copy; Matthew Quine)
</div>
&ldquo;After the 10,000m in Budapest, I had some pain under the bottom of my foot,&rdquo; Tsegay said. &ldquo;I think it had something to do with the hot weather.&rdquo;
After the race she could barely walk for a few days, and she lay awake at night unable to sleep with frustration.
Tsegay was able to get through the first round of the 5000m in Budapest, and in the final she took the race out hard, hoping others would join in making it a fast pace. But the heat got the better of the field, and she faded sharply towards the end of the race.
&ldquo;I was so mad,&rdquo; Tsegay explained of what remains her only defeat in nine races this year. &ldquo;Training had gone so well and I really wanted to bring two medals back to my country, back to my people, so it was really disappointing. But life and sport are like this; sometimes you fall down, sometimes you win.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/64e13b179072d542501b5669.jpg" alt="Gudaf Tsegay on her way to the world 10,000m title as a fallen Sifan Hassan looks on in Budapest" />
Gudaf Tsegay on her way to the world 10,000m title as a fallen Sifan Hassan looks on in Budapest (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
When Tsegay returned to Ethiopia after the World Championships, she had a lot of local media obligations and celebrations and didn&rsquo;t have much time to train but knew the training she had done throughout the year could position her for a good result. &ldquo;My coach told me, &lsquo;you can still break the [world] record with the fitness you have&rsquo;.&rdquo;
In fact, her coach and husband, Hilufe Yihdego, told her earlier this year that he thinks she could approach the 14-minute barrier. After Tsegay ran 8:16.69 &ndash; just 0.09 shy of the world indoor record &ndash; for 3000m indoors in Birmingham in February, Yihdego suggested to Tsegay that she was capable of breaking the outdoor world 5000m record, which at that point stood at 14:06.62 to Letesenbet Gidey.
When the pacing requests were announced before the Prefontaine Classic, some observers commented that the conditions were not necessarily ideal; most distance records are run in cooler conditions, in the evening, and earlier in the season. None of this phased Tsegay, who said she had an extra fire and motivation burning after her disappointment at the World Championships. She didn&rsquo;t want to leave 2023 without leaving a mark on the distance.
In addition to two pacemakers, Elise Cranny and Sinclaire Johnson from the US, Tsegay&rsquo;s teammate and training partner Birke Haylom told her she would help her break the record in the women&rsquo;s 5000m. Haylom ran the 1500m the day prior, but she returned to help pace the middle stage of the 5000m.
&ldquo;We do all of our training together, and I really need to thank her for all of her support,&rdquo; Tsegay said afterwards.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/64LNuaOMp0c" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Still, for a while it did not seem like a sure thing. While Haylom stayed on pace until five laps to go, world cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet remained close on Tsegay&rsquo;s heels, clipping her a few times. 17-year-old Haylom led the field through 3000m in 8:26.03, which would have been a two-second improvement on the long-standing world U20 record, had Haylom remained in the race to make her make record-eligible.
The focus, though, was on Tsegay, who was still comfortably inside world record pace. With about 1400 metres to go, and now having to lead the race along while battling a head wind, it seemed like Tsegay was falling off the pace, with Chebet still on her tail.
But with two laps to go, Tsegay closed back on to the pacing lights and pulled away from Chebet. Even as she grimaced through the closing stages, Tsegay continued to pull away from the lights, and by the time she reached the final lap, the question was not whether or not she would break the record, but whether she could finish inside 14 minutes.
Having to navigate her way around lapped runners probably cost Tsegay a sub-14-minute finishing time, but she was nevertheless delighted to emerge with her first senior outdoor world record, crossing the line in 14:00.21.
It was the latest of several landmark performances in Eugene for Tsegay. Hayward Field is where, back in 2014, she earned her first major medal, taking world U20 silver over 1500m. She returned to nearby Portland in 2016, still a teenager, to win her first global senior medal, taking world indoor bronze over 1500m.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62308ff7c450449c199a8124.jpg" alt="Gudaf Tsegay in action at the World Indoor Championships" />
Gudaf Tsegay in action at the World Indoor Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
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She made her 5000m debut in Eugene back in 2018 and struck gold over the same distance on the same track at the World Championships last year.
&ldquo;I have a lot of history here, so it&rsquo;s become a special place for me,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Today makes it even more special.&rdquo;
With Tsegay having now wrapped up her outdoor season, she'll soon start to look ahead to 2024 and the Paris Olympic Games. A bronze medallist in 2021, Tsegay will have her eye on taking gold in the French capital.
Before that, though, there's the likelihood of an indoor campaign and a possible appearance at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24. She struck gold over 1500m in 2022, so she may decide to defend her title at that distance or, having moved up in distance outdoors, she could target the 3000m. Or perhaps even both.
Outdoors, it's likely that she'll continue to split her focus between the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m. Now she &ndash; and the world &ndash; knows that it&rsquo;s just a matter of time before a woman breaks 14 minutes for 5000m. Tsegay hopes to be the first to break the barrier, in Oregon or otherwise.
Hannah Borenstein for World Athletics

World 5000m record is the latest in a long line of notable performances for Gudaf Tsegay in Oregon

Eugene the perfect setting for Tsegay’s record-breaking run of redemption

World records from Gudaf Tsegay and Mondo Duplantis contributed to the Wanda Diamond League Final &ndash; held in Eugene on Saturday (16) and Sunday (17) &ndash; being the highest quality non-championship meeting in history based on competition performance ranking scores.
Along with the two senior world records* set in Eugene, there were also five Diamond League records, a world U20 record, nine area records, 14 meeting records and 14 world-leading marks, making the 2023 series final a highly memorable one.
<h3>All-time competition performance ranking</h3>
99,156 - 2023 Prefontaine Classic, Eugene (DL Final) 96,927 - 2022 Weltklasse, Zurich (DL Final) 96,763 - 2021 Weltklasse, Zurich (DL Final) 96,001 - 2019 Weltklasse, Zurich (DL Final) 95,985 - 2018 Herculis, Monaco 95,949 - 2015 Herculis, Monaco 95,753 - 2015 Prefontaine Classic, Eugene 95,715 - 2001 Weltklasse, Zurich 95,562 - 2015 Meeting de Paris, Paris 95,523 - 2017 Prefontaine Classic, Eugene
 In Eugene on Sunday, Duplantis returned to the scene of his 2022 world title and added a centimetre to the world record he set earlier this year. In what was just his fourth jump of the competition, and in a series without any failures, he cleared 6.23m at the first time of asking.
Perhaps the biggest shock of the meeting, though, came from Tsegay, who took almost five seconds off Faith Kipyegon&rsquo;s world record to win the 5000m in 14:00.21.
They were the latest standout performances in a 2023 track and field season where eight senior world records were set in individual track and field disciplines.
Kipyegon tore apart the record books in the middle of the season, setting world records for 1500m, 5000m and the mile. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Lamecha Girma, meanwhile, set a 3000m steeplechase world record in Paris, while Ryan Crouser broke his own shot put world record in Los Angeles back in May. Little more than a week before winning the mile and 3000m double in Eugene, Jakob Ingebrigtsen set a world 2000m record in Brussels.
<h3>Individual senior world records set in outdoor track and field disciplines in 2023</h3>
Women&rsquo;s 1500m: 3:49.11 Faith Kipyegon (KEN) Florence, 2 June Women&rsquo;s 5000m: 14:05.20 Faith Kipyegon (KEN) Paris, 9 June Women&rsquo;s mile: 4:07.64 Faith Kipyegon (KEN) Monaco, 21 July* Women&rsquo;s 5000m: 14:00.21 Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) Eugene, 17 September* Men&rsquo;s shot put: 23.56m Ryan Crouser (USA) Los Angeles, 27 May* Men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase: 7:52.11 Lamecha Girma (ETH) Paris, 9 June Men&rsquo;s 2000m: 4:43.13 Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) Brussels, 8 September* Men&rsquo;s pole vault: 6.23m Mondo Duplantis (SWE) Eugene, 17 September* *pending ratification
 Including indoor, U20, road, and relay marks, there have been 29 world records in total set throughout 2023, 13 of which have already been ratified.
In the Diamond League alone, there were 18 Diamond League records set this year, 15 of which were in standard scoring disciplines.
As was the case in Eugene, where most of the record-breaking marks came about from enthralling duels among the world&rsquo;s best athletes, there will be more excitement in store on 1 October when the Latvian capital hosts the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 &ndash; the final global event of the year.
Kipyegon will have the opportunity to add a fourth world record to her 2023 tally as she contests the road mile for the first time.

World records from Gudaf Tsegay and Mondo Duplantis contributed to the Wanda Diamond League Final being the highest quality non-championship meeting in history

Record-breaking Wanda Diamond League Final brings curtain down on memorable 2023 season

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Gudaf Tsegay and Sweden's Mondo Duplantis both broke world records on a sensational afternoon of action&nbsp;at the&nbsp;Wanda Diamond League Final&nbsp;in Eugene on Sunday (17).
First, Tsegay set the second senior world record of her career and her first outdoors, smashing the world 5000m record with a remarkable 14:00.21* run.
In the second track final of packed second day of action at Hayward Field, the world 10,000m champion took almost five seconds off the world record of 14:05.20 that Faith Kipyegon set in Paris in June as part of a record spree that also saw the Kenyan set global marks for the 1500m and mile.
A fast time had been on the cards and world indoor 1500m record-holder Tsegay delivered. The pacemakers led through 1000m in 2:48.08 and 2000m in 5:37.24, before Tsegay&rsquo;s compatriot Birke Haylom reached 3000m in front in 8:26.03 &ndash; well on world record pace. In fact, that mark would have seen 17-year-old Haylom improve the 38-year-old world U20 3000m record by more than two seconds had she completed the race, but as she did not finish, the split cannot be&nbsp;recorded as an official performance.
Looking composed and determined, Tsegay forged ahead, reaching 4000m in 11:16.89. She only had Kenya&rsquo;s Beatrice Chebet for company at that point but she later left the two-time world medallist behind, too, as she strode away targeting another historic performance.
Tsegay created a gap on Chebet with two laps to go and by the backstraight she had stormed ahead of the lights indicating world record pace.
She reached the bell in around 12:55 and with the crowd on their feet and the clock ticking towards 14 minutes, she crossed the line just after that, in 14:00.21.
Chebet followed her in 14:05.92, the third-fastest performance of all time and just outside Kipyegon&rsquo;s previous world record.
"I was really angry to not bring back two medals from the World Championships, but I knew from our training I had a lot of potential to do something with my fitness," said Tsegay, who finished 13th in the 5000m final in Budapest after winning her 10,000m title. "Even though the conditions weren&rsquo;t perfect (in Eugene), we thought we could do it.&rdquo;
Duplantis thought he could do it, too.
Back in the stadium where he broke the world record to win his first senior world title in 2022, the pole vault superstar added another centimetre to his global mark, clearing 6.23m* on his first attempt for the seventh world record of his career.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/650772c9806a05952c4ba945.jpg" alt="Mondo Duplantis celebrates his world pole vault record of 6.23m in Eugene" />
Mondo Duplantis celebrates his world pole vault record of 6.23m in Eugene (&copy; Marta Gorczynska / Diamond League AG)
</div>
He opened his campaign with a first-time clearance at 5.62m, then he passed at 5.72m and also managed 5.82m on his first go. He chose to skip 5.92m and returned to go clear at 6.02m on his first try to win the competition and achieve the 73rd six metre-plus clearance of his career.
But he wasn&rsquo;t done. It was no surprise to see the bar raised to 6.23m &ndash; one centimetre higher than the world record height he achieved indoors in Clermont-Ferrand in February &ndash; but what happened next had fans left in awe.&nbsp;
With support from the crowd, he took his run up, planted the pole, and then soared clear &ndash; the bar remaining stationary an incredible 6.23m above him.
With his winning performance, Duplantis claimed his third Diamond trophy. Ernest Obiena finished second with 5.82m and Sam Kendricks was third on countback with 5.72m.
"The limit is very high, and I hope that I can continue to jump well and keep jumping higher than I did today," said Duplantis. "But, for now, I&rsquo;m not really thinking about anything except enjoying this moment and enjoying what I just did."
<h2>Ingebrigtsen and Jackson at the double</h2>
Jakob Ingebrigtsen had threatened the men&rsquo;s world mile record on the first day of action in Eugene and he returned to the track on day two targeting another Diamond trophy and another fast time in the 3000m. The Norwegian managed both, but only just, as a late charge from Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yomif Kejelcha put him under serious pressure. It took a photo finish to separate them, with Ingebrigtsen getting the win in 7:23.63 to Kejelcha&rsquo;s 7:23.64 &shy;&ndash; the third- and fourth-fastest performances of all time behind Daniel Komen&rsquo;s world record of 7:20.67 and Hicham El Guerrouj&rsquo;s 7:23.09.
Ingebrigtsen had already been the third fastest 3000m runner in history with the 7:24.00 split he recorded en route to his world two-mile best in Paris. But he improved that European record and also set a Diamond League record in Eugene, with Kejelcha improving the Ethiopian record with his mark.
Further PB performances followed &ndash; USA&rsquo;s Grant Fisher setting a North American record of 7:25.47 in third, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Telahun Haile Bekele setting a PB of 7:25.48 in fourth and his compatriot Selemon Barega also running a PB of 7:26.28 in fifth.
Ingebrigtsen wasn&rsquo;t the only athlete to complete a Diamond double at Hayward Field. After winning the 100m in 10.70 on Saturday, Jamaica&rsquo;s Shericka Jackson retained her 200m title, too, clocking a meeting record of 21.57 (0.3m/s) in the final event of the programme.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6507908bfe42132e4259425b.jpg" alt="Shericka Jackson wins the 200m in Eugene" />
Shericka Jackson wins the 200m in Eugene (&copy; Marta Gorczynska / Diamond League AG)
</div>
As she powered away at the start, she was clearly the athlete to beat and so all eyes turned to the clock, with Jackson having spoken openly about Florence Griffith-Joyner&rsquo;s world record of 21.34 being her target.
Although the record eluded her, Jackson&rsquo;s performance is the eighth fastest in history and she now has five of the top eight performances of all time to her name.
Chasing the two-time world champion to the finish line was Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire&rsquo;s Marie-Josee Ta Lou, who claimed a second runner up finish in 22.10 after also placing second to Jackson in the 200m. Bahamian Anthonique Strachan was third in 22.16.
There was a return to winning ways for Olympic champion Andre De Grasse in the men&rsquo;s 200m, as the Canadian ended a challenging year on a high note.
The multiple Olympic and world medallist finished sixth in the world final in Budapest but rebounded to run his first sub-20-second 200m of the season in Brussels, clocking 19.89 (0.6m/s) to finish third.
He improved again in Eugene, running 19.76 for the fourth fastest time of his career to triumph ahead of US duo Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, who respectively clocked 19.95 and 19.97.
<h2>Mu and Wanyonyi win 800m showdowns</h2>
The women&rsquo;s 800m saw USA&rsquo;s Olympic champion Athing Mu win a much-anticipated 800m clash against Britain&rsquo;s Olympic and world silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson and Kenya&rsquo;s world champion Mary Moraa.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/650790c2fe42132e4259425e.jpg" alt="Athing Mu pips Keely Hodgkinson in the 800m in Eugene" />
Athing Mu pips Keely Hodgkinson in the 800m in Eugene (&copy; Matthew Quine / Diamond League AG)
</div>
While not eligible for the Diamond trophy, as she was racing as a wild card entry having not gathered enough points from competing on the Diamond League circuit, Mu had the chance to end the year on top as she again lined up alongside the pair who had beaten her in Budapest.
In the end, Mu and Hodgkinson pushed each other to national records, as Mu pipped her British rival, who claimed the trophy, with a world-leading 1:54.97 to 1:55.19. Jamaica&rsquo;s Natoya Goule-Toppin also ran a national record of 1:55.96 for third place as Moraa finished fourth in 1:57.42.
In the men&rsquo;s 800m, Kenya&rsquo;s Emmanuel Wanyonyi denied Marco Arop the Diamond League title in the same way that Arop denied his Kenyan rival at the World Championships, kicking off the final bend and storming to a world-leading PB and meeting record of 1:42.80.
Arop led at the bell, following the pacemaker who passed 400m in 49.19. He maintained his front-running tactics through to the final curve, but then Wanyonyi launched his attack.
Algeria&rsquo;s Djamel Sedjati went wide and also gave chase, but Wanyonyi held off them both, crossing the finish line to improve his own PB and world lead by 0.4 of a second, and retain the Diamond League title for Kenya. Arop was second in a Canadian record of 1:42.85, while Sedjati was third in a PB of 1:43.06.
A world lead was also set in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles, as Jamaica&rsquo;s Olympic champion Hansle Parchment beat USA&rsquo;s three-time world champion Grant Holloway, improving his nine-year-old PB with the winning mark of 12.93 (0.9m/s) for good measure.
Although Parchment seemed to stutter at the first barrier, he soon made his way through the field and he led at hurdle nine. As Holloway knocked the final barrier, Parchment moved away for the win, with Holloway staying on his feet for second place in 13.06. As he did at the World Championships, USA&rsquo;s Daniel Roberts completed the top three, running 13.07.
In the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles, Nigeria&rsquo;s world record-holder Tobi Amusan edged Puerto Rico&rsquo;s Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn to win in a season&rsquo;s best of 12.33. Camacho-Quinn was second in 12.38, USA&rsquo;s Kendra Harrison was third in 12.44 and Jamaica&rsquo;s world champion Danielle Williams was fourth in 12.47.
Dutch star Femke Bol broke another record and dipped under 52 seconds once more to win the 400m hurdles. This time the world champion clocked 51.98 to improve the meeting record and win her third Diamond trophy, finishing clear ahead of USA&rsquo;s Shamier Little, who also completed a strong season with 53.45 and second spot. In a repeat of the podium in Budapest, Jamaica&rsquo;s Rushell Clayton was third in 53.45.
Like Bol, Dominican Republic&rsquo;s world champion Marileidy Paulino successfully defended her Diamond League title, winning the 400m in 49.58 ahead of Poland&rsquo;s world silver medallist Natalia Kaczmarek (50.38) and Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands (50.47).
<h2>Kovacs crowned after close contest, Diamond gift for Mahuchikh</h2>
In another historic men&rsquo;s shot put final, just two centimetres separated the top two, with world bronze medallist Joe Kovacs beating world champion and world record-holder Ryan Crouser, 22.93m to 22.91m &ndash; the best ever mark for a second-place finish.
Two-time world gold medallist Kovacs took an early lead when he launched the shot 22.70m in the first round. His US compatriot Crouser, who retained the world title in Budapest with a 23.51m championship record &ndash; just 5cm off his own world record &ndash; despite having two blood clots in his leg, responded with 22.91m in the second round to take the lead, as New Zealand&rsquo;s Tom Walsh also improved to 22.69m.
But Kovacs had a response of his own and he threw 22.93m in the fourth round to move into top spot, relegating Crouser with 22.91m into second place. The previous best ever non-winning mark was the 22.90m that Crouser threw during that dramatic world final in Doha in 2019, where Kovacs won with 22.91m and Crouser and Walsh both threw 22.90m for second and third.
Kovacs&rsquo; 22.93m in Eugene replaces that mark from Doha as his second best ever, behind only the 23.23m he threw to win the Diamond League title in Zurich last year and move to second on the world all-time list behind Crouser.
Walsh claimed third place with his 22.69m second round throw.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/650791528a06f3a4c039b8d8.jpg" alt="Joe Kovacs and Ryan Crouser in Eugene" />
Joe Kovacs and Ryan Crouser in Eugene (&copy; Marta Gorczynska / Diamond League AG)
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Two days before turning 22, Yaroslava Mahuchikh gave herself an early birthday present by winning the high jump with a world-leading 2.03m performance.
The event came down to a battle between the joint world leaders, as Ukraine&rsquo;s world champion Mahuchikh went head to head with Australia&rsquo;s world bronze medallist Nicola Olyslagers.
After first time clearances up to 1.95m, Olyslagers had a scare at 1.98m as she needed all three attempts to make it over. But she kept her competition alive by soaring clear on her third try and then momentarily took the lead as she also cleared 2.01m on her first attempt. But so did Mahuchikh, to maintain a perfect scorecard
Then the bar moved to a world-leading height of 2.03m and they both managed it &ndash; to huge cheers from the crowd. Mahuchikh was first, achieving it on her second try, before Olyslagers matched her &ndash; improving her own Oceanian record by a centimetre when she made it on her third. When 2.05m proved too much for both athletes, Mahuchikh was confirmed as the champion on countback, with Serbia&rsquo;s 18-year-old world U20 and European senior bronze medallist Angelina Topic claiming third place thanks to her clearance of 1.95m.
Olympic champion Valarie Allman and world champion Laulauga Tausaga claimed a US top two in the women&rsquo;s discus, as Allman opened with 68.66m and that remained the winning mark.
Tausaga fought back with 68.36m in the third round &ndash; matching the second-best mark of her career behind the 69.49m she threw to win in Budapest &ndash; but it wasn&rsquo;t quite enough. It did secure her second place ahead of Croatia&rsquo;s multiple global gold medallist Sandra Perkovic, who finished third with 66.85m.
Allman closed her series with 68.51m from the final round before celebrating her third Diamond trophy win.
The men&rsquo;s discus final pit the past two world champions &ndash; the world&rsquo;s current top two &ndash; against each other, as Sweden&rsquo;s Daniel Stahl again went head to head with Slovenia&rsquo;s Kristjan Ceh. For a while, the competition went to that script, as the duo led the competition through to the fourth round. But Australia&rsquo;s Matt Denny was ready to spoil their party and with his fourth throw the Commonwealth Games champion launched the implement 67.37m to move into second place &ndash; just 1cm ahead of Stahl and 27cm behind Ceh.
None of the leading contenders could improve in the fifth round, but Denny had one more big one in him. After Stahl threw 65.62m on his final go, Denny took to the circle and it was clear as he released the implement that he knew it was good. He jumped up and down on the spot before further celebrations when the distance was confirmed &ndash; 68.43m to improve the Australian record he set to finish fourth at the World Championships in Budapest by 19cm.
Only one man could deny him. Ceh took to the circle on the hunt for a second consecutive Diamond trophy, but it wasn&rsquo;t to be and unhappy with his throw, he walked out the front of the circle to record a foul. He finished second with his second-round 67.64m, while Stahl&rsquo;s 67.36m secured him third.
Switzerland&rsquo;s Simon Ehammer and Jamaica&rsquo;s Tajay Gayle could only be separated on countback in the men&rsquo;s long jump, with both athletes leaping 8.22m. Both of those performances came in the fourth round, too.
Ehammer, the 2022 world bronze medallist who holds the world long jump decathlon best of 8.45m, took an early lead with 8.12m and maintained it, his improvement in the fourth round enough to get him the title ahead of 2019 world champion Gayle&rsquo;s second-best mark of 8.08m. Japan&rsquo;s Yuki Hashioka was only 7cm behind them, with 8.15m for third place.
Remarkably, the top two in the women&rsquo;s long jump final recorded exactly the same marks, too. Serbia&rsquo;s Ivana Vuleta left her best until last to leap 6.85m in the final round and add a fifth Diamond trophy to the world title she won in Budapest, winning on countback ahead of Nigeria&rsquo;s Ese Brume, who jumped 6.85m in the third round. USA&rsquo;s Quanesha Burks placed third with 6.77m.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure

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USA&rsquo;s Betsy Saina held off a late challenge from Ethiopia&rsquo;s Rahma Tusa to take the women&rsquo;s title, while Othmane El Goumri claimed the men&rsquo;s race win at the Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (17).
Saina, who finished fifth at the Tokyo Marathon in March, clocked 2:26:47 to win by six seconds ahead of Tusa, while Gladys Chesir claimed third place in 2:28:41.
El Goumri&rsquo;s winning time was 2:08:20 as he triumphed by 23 seconds ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Laban Kipngetich, with Ethiopia&rsquo;s Getaneh Molla placing third in 2:11:22.
Racing on a hot morning, Saina formed part of a pack that passed 10km in 34:57 and the half way mark in 1:14:23 &ndash; with Kenya&rsquo;s Angela Tanui to the fore at that point.
They reached 30km in 1:46:22, with a number of athletes still in contention.
Then Saina and Tusa started to make a move. As they left their rivals behind, they were together through 35km in 2:02:49, with Tanui back in third in 2:03:35.
Saina was still clearly feeling good and she pushed again to create a gap on Tusa, passing the 40km point in 2:19:30, 16 seconds ahead of the Ethiopian. But Tusa wasn&rsquo;t content to sit back and watch the title run away, so she made a late charge. While she was able to close the gap to six seconds by the finish, it wasn&rsquo;t quite enough, and Saina secured the crown, with Tusa taking second place and Chesir coming through for third.
Tanui finished fourth in 2:28:52, while Ethiopia&rsquo;s Bekelech Borecha was fifth in 2:29:13. Australian record-holder Sinead Diver won the national marathon title in 2:31:27, finishing eighth overall.
In the men&rsquo;s race, El Goumri made a move ahead of the 30km mark, but he had formidable company in the form of Tanzanian record-holder Gabriel Geay, who set his PB of 2:03:00 in Valencia last year.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/650677503e4746ee208d0239.jpeg" alt="Othmane El Goumri claims the men's title at the Sydney Marathon" />
Othmane El Goumri claims the men's title at the Sydney Marathon (&copy; Organisers)
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After a half way split of 1:03:56, they passed 30km together in 1:30:58 but Geay could not maintain the pace and he dropped to third by 35km &ndash; with El Goumri ahead in 1:46:11 and Kipngetich overtaking Geay to pass that point in 1:46:28 to Geay&rsquo;s 1:46:58.
Geay dropped out from the race after that point, with El Goumri forging ahead to win in 2:08:20 and Kipngetich claiming second place in 2:08:43. Molla, who had reached 35km in 1:47:31, claimed third place in 2:11:22.
He was followed over the finish line by his Ethiopian compatriot Limenih Getachew, who finished fourth in 2:12:34. Kenya&rsquo;s Moses Kibet, who was defending his title after winning last year in an Australian all-comers' record of 2:07:03, was fifth in 2:13:28, while Oceanian record-holder Brett Robinson won the Australian title in 2:23:05, and like Diver he finished eighth overall.
With more than 17,000 entrants, the event was the largest marathon to ever take place in Australia.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1&nbsp;Betsy Saina (USA)&nbsp;2:26:47 2&nbsp;Rahma Tusa (ETH)&nbsp;2:26:53 3&nbsp;Gladys Chesir (KEN) 2:28:41 4&nbsp;Angela Tanui (KEN)&nbsp;2:28:52 5&nbsp;Bekelech Borecha (ETH) 2:29:13 6&nbsp;Antonina Kwambai (KEN) 2:29:33 7 Haven Hailu Desse (ETH) 2:30:45 8&nbsp;Sinead Diver (AUS)&nbsp;2:31:27
Men 1&nbsp;Othmane El Goumri (MAR)&nbsp;2:08:20 2 Laban Kipngetich (KEN)&nbsp;2:08:43 3 Getaneh Molla (ETH) 2:11:22 4&nbsp;Limenih Getachew (ETH)&nbsp;2:12:34 5&nbsp;Moses Kibet (KEN)&nbsp;2:13:28 6 Jonathan Korir (KEN) 2:15:02 7 Elkanah Langat (KEN) 2:20:15 8&nbsp;Brett Robinson (AUS) 2:23:05

USA’s Betsy Saina held off a late challenge from Ethiopia’s Rahma Tusa to take the women’s title, while Othmane El Goumri claimed the men’s race win at the Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS

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