Dafne Schippers, who won two world 200m titles and multiple other major medals during a highly successful sprinting and combined events career, has announced her retirement.
Along with her world crowns in 2015 and 2017, the Dutch 31-year-old claimed Olympic silver in 2016 and four other senior world medals &ndash; heptathlon bronze in 2013, 100m silver in 2015, indoor 60m silver in 2016 and 100m bronze in 2017.
&ldquo;The race stops here,&rdquo; Schippers wrote in a post on Instagram on Tuesday (26). &ldquo;As an athlete, you always know this day will come, that at one point, your career will be a moment in time &ndash; a collection of memories and hopefully medals.&rdquo;
Schippers started her athletics career in the heptathlon and won her first global gold medal in the seven-discipline event, scoring a personal best of 5967 points to claim the 2010 world U20 title in Moncton. That came a year after she finished fourth as a 17-year-old at the European U20 Championships in Novi Sad and she went on to win the U20 continental crown in Tallinn in 2011.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/651313ed6b63c3672764015f.jpg" alt="Dafne Schippers at the 2010 World U20 Championships" />
Dafne Schippers at the 2010 World U20 Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
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She broke the Dutch 200m record for the first time at that year&rsquo;s World Championships in Daegu, clocking 22.69 in the heats, and made her Olympic debut in London a year later, finishing 10th in the heptathlon.
After finishing third in the Gotzis Hypomeeting in 2013, Schippers contested the 100m and long jump at the European U23 Championships in Tampere, winning gold and bronze, respectively. She then returned to combined events action and became a senior global medallist, claiming heptathlon bronze with a score of 6477 in Moscow after running a seven-second PB in the 800m.
The course of her career would change in 2014. En route to setting a Dutch heptathlon record of 6545 for third place in that year&rsquo;s Hypomeeting, she ran 22.35 for 200m.
&ldquo;After Gotzis, I competed in a couple of sprint events and during a relay sprint I felt an unbelievably strong acceleration, which I had never felt before,&rdquo; she <a href="https://worldathletics.org/spikes/news/dafne-schippers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in 2015</a>.
&ldquo;We decided that I could try out some sprint races and experience the feeling of a sprint race at a championship. It wasn&rsquo;t an easy decision, but my coach and I both believe that this was, and still is, the right thing to do.&rdquo;
The results speak for themselves. At the European Championships in Zurich in the August she achieved an impressive sprint double, winning the 100m in 11.12 and the 200m in 22.03 &ndash; the fastest time by a European since 1995. She was named European Athlete of the Year for the first time and was among the three women&rsquo;s finalists for the World Athlete of the Year honour.
With her focus on sprinting, she won European indoor 60m gold at the start of 2015 and then stormed to the first of her two world 200m titles, clocking 21.63 in Beijing for a championship and European record that still places her sixth on the world all-time list. Four days earlier she had claimed 100m silver in another national record of 10.81.
World indoor 60m and Olympic 200m silver medals followed in 2016, as well as European 100m and 4x100m titles.
Schippers retained her world 200m title in London the following year and added another world bronze to her CV in the 100m.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/651314330b2928645dc1f742.jpg" alt="Dafne Schippers retains her world 200m title in London" />
Dafne Schippers retains her world 200m title in London (&copy; Getty Images)
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She claimed a medal treble at the 2018 European Championships, getting 200m silver plus 100m and 4x100m bronze, and added a European indoor 60m silver to her list of successes in 2019.
Injury affected the latter stages of her career but she still managed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics and her last race was in July 2022.
&ldquo;Today, I have decided to take my life off track to pursue and embrace whatever comes next, but not without saying a massive thank you for all the endless support,&rdquo; Schippers added in her retirement announcement. &ldquo;It has been a journey without regret.&rdquo;
World Athletics

Dafne Schippers won two world 200m titles and multiple other major medals during a highly successful sprinting and combined events career

Two-time world 200m champion Schippers retires

For an athlete who only just made it into the women&rsquo;s 100m final, qualifying from one of the non-automatic spots, Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson showed up in style to snatch the gold medal with a championship record in an iconic showdown that denied the Jamaicans the kind of golden finish they had envisaged.
In the last decade, Jamaican athletes have won four titles in six editions of the World Championships, including a medal sweep last year in Oregon. They were gunning for a fifth at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, but were stopped by the new sheriff in town - Richardson.
And as she crossed the line, pumping her right fist, this was indeed Richardson's night.
The evening had started with some drama as both Ewa Swoboda and Dina Asher-Smith finished third in their semifinals with identical times of 11.01.
Richardson also faced a scare, with her heat being a sort of final before &lsquo;the final&rsquo; - drawn alongside the fastest woman this year, Shericka Jackson (10.65), and two-time 100m world medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou (10.75). The 2019 NCAA champion was left in the blocks and had to fight for a ticket to the final, finishing outside the two automatic spots in third place (10.84).
Eventually, all three athletes were given the nod, heightening the anticipation and intensity of the race &ndash; nine athletes to one gold medal.
Julien Alfred was almost thrown off course too after being awarded a yellow card in the third semifinal for disturbing the start, which made her overly cautious leaving the blocks. Nevertheless, she came from behind to win in 10.92, with Brittany Brown following in 10.97.
The final line up was as intimidating as they come, stacked with four of the eight fastest women of all time. Any newcomer would have been fazed, but not the 23-year-old Richardson who rose to the occasion when it really mattered.
Being drawn in the outer lane proved a blessing in disguise for the US champion, somewhat keeping her out of the line of vision of Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who were assigned inside lanes. &nbsp;
With her face set as a flint as she blazed down the track, Jackson looked crisp as she went toe-to-toe with the rest of the field. Richardson gained the advantage with less than five metres to go, and the US athlete&rsquo;s acceleration towards the end was extraordinary, as she stopped the clock in a championship record of 10.65, taking 0.02 off Fraser-Pryce&rsquo;s record set last year in Oregon.&nbsp;
"I'm here. I'm the champion," she said. "I told you all. I'm not back, I'm better."
Jackson, who led the earlier parts of the race, came through for silver in 10.72 as Fraser-Pryce, who has had a season disrupted by injuries and has only raced twice, was denied a historic sixth title, and took the bronze in a season&rsquo;s best of 10.77.
Ivorian Ta Lou, who had recorded 10 wins out of 10 races this season, suffered her second defeat of the evening, finishing fourth in 10.81. With two silvers in 2017 and a bronze in 2019, the 34-year-old &ndash; who has been in the form of her life &ndash; had hoped that she would become the first female African gold medallist in the 100m, but it was not to be this night.
Such was the depth of the field that six of the nine finalists ran inside 11 seconds. Double NCAA champion Alfred clocked 10.93 in fifth while Swoboda was rewarded with a personal best of 10.97 in sixth position. Brown (10.97), Asher-Smith (11.00) and Tamari Davis (11.03) completed the final.
London 2017 was the last time USA claimed gold in both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 100m at the World Championships, when Justin Gatlin and the late Tori Bowie set the pace for their rivals. Richardson has no doubt made a statement with her triumph that the US athletes are out to reclaim the event which used to be their domain.
Yemi Olus-Galadima&nbsp;for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S 100m MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Sha'Carri Richardson 🇺🇸 USA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">10.65 CR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Shericka Jackson 🇯🇲 JAM</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">10.72</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 🇯🇲 JAM</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">10.77</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-championships/budapest23/results/women/100-metres/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Want to keep up to date during the World Championships with real-time results and statistics, the latest highlights and exclusive competitions? Then join <a href="https://worldathletics.org/inside-track" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inside Track</a> today for free!

World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023

Sha’Carri Richardson showed up in style to snatch the gold medal with a championship record in an iconic showdown

Richardson runs championship record to claim 100m crown in Budapest

<h2>Women's 100m</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/budapest23/timetable/bydiscipline/women/100-metres" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/100m/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/women/senior/2023?regionType=world&amp;timing=electronic&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/sprints/100-metres" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
At the age of 36, with six World Championships behind her and 10 gold medals in her collection, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is preparing to venture into unknown territory at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a new situation for me to come back from injury and start my season so late,&rdquo; the Jamaican sprint phenomenon confessed after contesting her first 100m race of the year, in Lucerne on 20 July.
Having won in Switzerland in 10.82 and in Madrid in 10.83 two days later, Fraser-Pryce heads to the Hungarian capital with an unbeaten record at 100m in 2023. Her only other races since overcoming a knee problem have been a 200m heat and final at the Jamaican Championships, where she finished second to Shericka Jackson, the world champion at the distance, in 22.26 &ndash; plus, of course, that celebrated victory in the mother&rsquo;s race at her son&rsquo;s school sports day.
Three women have gone faster: Jackson, with her scorching 10.65 at the Jamaican Championships, Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson with 10.71 in the heats at the US Championships and the bang in-form Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou with 10.75 at the Bislett Games.
The Jamaican Supermom &ndash; who will be concentrating on the 100m, having withdrawn from the 200m &ndash; will need to close the gap on her rivals if she is to win the title for a sixth time and equal Sergey Bubka&rsquo;s record haul of individual golds in one event.&nbsp;
In 14 years, Fraser-Pryce has only once failed to cross the line first in a World Championships 100m final, finishing fourth in Daegu in 2011.
In Oregon 12 months ago, she won in a championship record 10.67 &ndash; one of her record seven sub-10.70 performances in 2022 &ndash; with Jackson second in 10.73. This time Jackson has the super-fast time going into the championships, plus two 10.78 performances, but her only 100m wins have been on home ground in Jamaica. On the Diamond League circuit, the two-time world 400m bronze medallist has finished runner-up to Richardson in Doha and Silesia and third in Oslo and London.
In terms of head-to-heads, Fraser-Pryce boasts an 8-1 record against her compatriot and training partner and a 21-4 advantage over Ta Lou, but is tied at 3-3 with Richardson, her three successes against the US sprinter having come in their last three meetings.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/64d6c7789328aa9c71f0b08a.jpg" alt="Marie-Josee Ta Lou in Oregon" />
Marie-Josee Ta Lou in Oregon (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
At 34, Ta Lou is in the form of her life. A close second to the late Tori Bowie in London in 2017, losing the gold by 0.01, and third behind Fraser-Pryce and Dina Asher-Smith in Doha in 2019, the 5ft 3in African Pocket Rocket has blasted to 10 victories in 10 100m races in 2023, including Diamond League successes in Florence, Oslo, Lausanne and London, and looks a serious contender for a first global gold.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really going for the gold and I believe that I can do it,&rdquo; Ta Lou said. &ldquo;I know my finish is strong, but my start could be better. I need to improve it to make sure I can achieve my goal of winning gold.&rdquo;
The 22-year-old Richardson, who will be making her major championship debut as a senior, has won eight of nine races at 100m this year, including Diamond League victories in Doha and Silesia. She has reached an impressive level of consistency, registering four of the fastest seven times in 2023, all 10.76 or quicker.&nbsp;
Her one defeat came in the Istvan Gyulai Memorial in Szekesfehervar on 18 July, when she clocked 10.97 as runner-up to the new kid on the blocks, Julien Alfred from St Lucia. The 22-year-old Commonwealth silver medallist prevailed in 10.89, stretching her unbeaten record to 10 wins.
Fifth fastest in the world at 100m with 10.83, Alfred has also clocked the third fastest 200m (21.91), suggesting she has the speed endurance to feature at the end of a close contest.
Brittany Brown and Tamari Davis, second and third behind Richardson at the US Championships, both have the potential to make the final and mount a challenge, while 2012 world U20 champion Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas clocked 10.92 as runner up to Ta Lou in Oslo in June.
The European challenge will be led by Asher-Smith, who clocked an encouraging 10.85 as runner-up to Ta Lou in the London Diamond League, and Poland&rsquo;s 2019 European indoor 60m champion Ewa Swoboda, who broke 11 seconds for the first time with 10.94 for third place in Silesia.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men's 100m</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/budapest23/timetable/bydiscipline/men/100-metres" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/100m/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/men/senior/2023?regionType=world&amp;timing=electronic&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/sprints/100-metres" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
Not since Paris in 2003 has the men&rsquo;s 100m title been claimed by a sprinter from outside the US or Jamaica. Could 2023 in Budapest be the time and place for someone to follow in the footsteps of Kim Collins by bringing an end to the 20-year-old duopoly?
The event appears to be as open as it was in the French capital two decades ago, when Collins put St Kitts and Nevis on the global track and field map. No-one stands out as a clear favourite, though Fred Kerley perhaps ought to be considered the main contender.&nbsp;
The 6ft 3in Texan is the reigning champion, having led a US medal sweep on home soil in Oregon last year ahead of Marvin Bracy-Williams and Trayvon Bromell. US sprinters have won the last three golds and Kerley will lead the starred and striped challenge in Budapest, supported this time by Cravont Charleston, the 2019 world champion Christian Coleman and two-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles, a potential &lsquo;surprise&rsquo; packet.
Kerley has contested just five 100m races this season, two of them in the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Yokohama in May, where he clocked a season&rsquo;s best of 9.88. He registered comfortable victories on the Diamond League circuit in Rabat and Florence, both in 9.94, but was edged out in a tight finish in&nbsp;Silesia&nbsp;on 16 July, South Africa&rsquo;s Akani Simbine taking the win in 9.97 with Kerley and Cameroon&rsquo;s Emmanuel Eseme clocking 9.98 in second and third, and the newly-crowned US champion Charleston fourth in 9.99.
Earlier in the season, Kerley and Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs were engaged in some heated exchanges on social media. They were scheduled to clash in some of the early season races on the international circuit, but none materialised. Jacobs' only outdoor race this season was a 10.21 seventh-place finish in Paris and he withdrew from other scheduled appearances. Kerley also pulled out of some races mid-season.
Ahead of Kerley on the 2023 world list stand two potential challengers in Britain&rsquo;s Zharnel Hughes (9.83) and Kenya&rsquo;s Ferdinand Omanyala (9.84).
When Hughes, a qualified pilot, flew to his 9.83 clocking in New York on 24 June, he sliced 0.04 off the ancient national record held by the only British sprinter to have claimed the world 100m title, Linford Christie, who triumphed in Stuttgart 30 years ago. Should he strike gold in Budapest, the native Anguillan would make it five wins in the event for his Jamaican coach, Glen Mills, the sprint guru who guided Usain Bolt to victory in 2009, 2013 and 2015, and also Yohan Blake in 2011.
&ldquo;Obviously people are going to target the time I&rsquo;ve run,&rdquo; said Hughes, who won the European 200m title last year, &ldquo;but I don&rsquo;t put pressure on myself. That&rsquo;s when things can go topsy turvy.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/64d175d04208dbb88421cc9c.jpg" alt="Zharnel Hughes at the World Athletics Championships" />
Zharnel Hughes at the World Athletics Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Hughes, who false started in the Olympic final two years ago, has no other official sub-10 to his name in 2023, although he won the British title in 10.03 in monsoon conditions and smashed John Regis&rsquo; 30-year-old national 200m record with 19.73 for third place behind Lyles (19.47) and Botswana&rsquo;s Letsile Tebogo (19.50) in the London Diamond League meeting on 23 July.
Omanyala is the only man who has dipped under 9.90 twice this year, the Commonwealth champion backing up his 9.84 from the Kip Keino Classic in May with 9.85 in the Kenyan trials on 8 July. The former rugby player has yet to make a global 100m final but has been a consistent performer on the Diamond League stage, placing third in Rabat, second in Florence and Paris and first in Monaco, and is not lacking in confidence.
Simbine&rsquo;s victory ahead of Kerley in Silesia will have raised his hopes of finally making a global podium &ndash; and winning the race to become Africa&rsquo;s first medal winner in the event. The 29-year-old South African has long been the &lsquo;nearly&rsquo; man of the 100m: fifth in London in 2017, fourth in Doha in 2019 and fifth in Oregon last year, as well as fourth and fifth in the last two Olympic finals. With four successive wins behind him (in Kladno, Ostrava, Stockholm and Silesia), he heads to Hungary with serious momentum.
The African challenge promises to be fierce. Like Simbine and Omanyala, Eseme and Tebogo have also notched top three finishes on the Diamond League circuit, while Simbine&rsquo;s South African teammate Shaun Maswanganyi has a 9.91 clocking to his name.&nbsp;
A place on the podium might not be beyond the scope of all four US sprinters &ndash; including Lyles, who beat Omanyala and Tebogo to win the 100m at the Paris Diamond League and was recovering from Covid when he took third place in the US Championships. He boasts a PB of 9.86.
A new kid on the senior international block, the 20-year-old Bahamian Terrence Jones who won the NCAA indoor 60m title in March, has run 9.91.
The Jamaican challenge will be led by Oblique Seville, who finished fourth in Oregon last year, and the emerging Rohan Watson, who started the year with a best of 10.41 but won the Jamaican title in 9.91. Ackeem Blake stands fourth on the world list with 9.89 but, having placed fourth in the trials, is on the entry list as a reserve.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics

Expected highlights in the women's and men's 100m

WCH Budapest 23 preview: 100m

It is six decades now since the unlikely sprint phenomenon Robert Lee Hayes became a world record-breaker.
A muscle-bound, pigeon-toed 20-year-old college American football star from Florida A&amp;M University, &ldquo;Bullet&rdquo; Bob Hayes &ndash; as he became known to the sporting world &ndash; rumbled out of his blocks on the rapid asphalt-rubber track at the Public Schools Stadium in St Louis and blasted to victory in the AAU Championships 100 yards final on 21 June 1963.
All three judges&rsquo; watches clocked him at 9.1. With the wind gauge reading 0.85m/s, Hayes eclipsed the world record figures of 9.2 originally set by his US compatriot Frank Budd in New York in 1961 (equalled by the teenaged Hayes at Coral Gables, Florida, and twice by Canada&rsquo;s Harry Jerome in 1962).
Hayes clocked 9.1 again in the final, but with the illegal assistance of a 3.45m/s following wind. His world record stood until 1974, when Ivory Crockett ran 9.0 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The World Athletics Heritage publication <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/news/progression-of-world-athletics-records-on-sal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Progression of World Records</a> notes that splits were taken for Hayes at 25 yards (3.0), 60 yards (6.0) and 75 yards (7.1) and that these indicated an increase in speed from 10.67m/s for 25 to 60 yards up to 12.47m/s for the 60 to 75 yards portion.
&ldquo;These splits originally appeared in D Willoughby&rsquo;s The Super Athletes,&rdquo; observes editor Richard Hymans, &ldquo;and, though they can be taken with a pinch of salt, the top speed was used for many years by The Guinness Book of Records as the fastest speed recorded by a human.&rdquo;
Given the undisputed fact that Usain Bolt hit a top speed of 12.42m/s in his 9.58 world record 100m run at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin (covering 60m to 80m in 1.61), those hand-timed St Louis splits were indeed questionable.
A more accurate measure might perhaps be the 12.04m/s that Hayes reportedly reached in the process of becoming the first man to break the 10-second barrier for the 100m, albeit with the assistance of a 4.74m/s tailwind. That was at the Mt SAC Relays at Walnut, California, in April 1963 &ndash; two months before his 100 yards world record.&nbsp;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6493080a0558516a7919775f.jpg" alt="Bob Hayes (702) in the 4x100m at the Tokyo Olympics" />
Bob Hayes (702) in the 4x100m at the Tokyo Olympics (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
<h2>The intruder</h2>
Beyond question, though, is that Bullet Bob was the Lightning Bolt of his day.
Like the Jamaican, Hayes had a striking build for a sprinter &ndash; six inches smaller but with the muscle-packed physique of a middleweight boxer.
At 5ft 11in and 13 and a half stone, he climbed out of his blocks as awkwardly as the beanpole Bolt. His huge shoulders rocked him from side to side as he got into his stride, but then he gathered momentum, flying inexorably past his rivals.
&ldquo;In an era of sleek sprinters, he seemed an intruder,&rdquo; wrote Frank Litsky, the late, great track and field correspondent of The New York Times. &ldquo;He was 5 feet 11 inches and 190 pounds. His chest and thighs were massive. His ankles and calves seemed too small for the bulk they had to support.&rdquo;
Another US sportswriter remarked that Hayes &ldquo;doesn&rsquo;t so much run a race as beat it to death.&rdquo; Renowned sprint coach Bud Winter put it another way: &ldquo;Bob Hayes ran like he was pounding grapes into wine.&rdquo;
<h2>Gaither turns truant into track talent</h2>
Raised in poverty in the rough east-side ghettos in Jacksonville, Florida, Hayes spent much of his early life playing truant from school and hustling on the street. He liked to use his speed on the American football field rather than on the track, his prowess as a high school running back earning him a football scholarship to Florida A&amp;M University in Tallahassee.
He was eventually persuaded to try out for the track team, however, and came under the wing of Jack Gaither, the coach who moulded his raw talent into world-beating potential &ndash; but only after a brush with the law.
Hayes received 10 years&rsquo; probation for armed robbery and assault. In fact, he had hung out with an acquaintance who held up another youngster with a toy gun and took his chewing gum and 11 cents.
Knuckling down under Gaither&rsquo;s guidance on and off the track, Hayes made his mark in his very first college meeting, equalling Jesse Owens&rsquo; long-standing US collegiate freshmen 100 yards record, 9.4, in March 1961.
In June that year he became the 13th man to tie Mel Paton&rsquo;s world record of 9.3 &ndash; although it was never officially ratified because a fortnight later Villanova&rsquo;s Frank Budd broke the record outright with 9.2 at the AAU Championships in New York.
The following year, concentrating solely on sprinting, Hayes ran 9.2 but was denied a share of Budd&rsquo;s world record because the starter had a non-regulation starting pistol. Still, the major breakthrough came in June 1963 with that 9.1 run in St Louis and, after becoming the first man to break six seconds for 60 yards indoors early in 1964, the Bullet headed to the Tokyo Olympics as the big favourite for the 100m.
<h2>One spike, borrows second, takes Tokyo title</h2>
A practical joke almost cost him the gold. Hayes arrived at the track to find he only had one running shoe. The other had been kicked under his bed when he had been messing about with boxer Joe Frasier and long jumper Ralph Boston in his room the night before.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/9f009988-b7e6-4776-868e-881c13f563b8.jpg" alt="Bob Hayes (lane one) wins the 1964 Olympic 100m title" />
Bob Hayes (lane one) wins the 1964 Olympic 100m title (&copy; Getty / Hulton)
</div>
He was lucky that the only other US teammate with size 8.5 feet was in the stadium that day &ndash; and that the inside lane, which had been roughed up by the start of the 20km walk, did not cause him to slip up.
Hayes blitzed down the rain-sodden cinder track to a decisive victory in 10.0, breaking the Olympic record and equalling Armin Hary&rsquo;s world record. Electronic timing was used for the first time at those Games and he was clocked at 10.01. The unofficial hand-held watches showed 9.8, 9.9 and 9.9. Cuban Enrique Figuerola was a distant runner up in 10.2.
Hayes further wowed the crowd by walking to the medal ceremony sporting a cowboy hat, then had them on their feet as he took the US team from fifth to a clear first on the anchor leg of the 4x100m with a world record 39.0. He was timed from a flying start at between 8.6 and 8.9.
<h2>Lost to football</h2>
And, with that, Hayes was gone from track and field. Unlike Bolt, he proceeded to make it as a pro footballer, albeit of the US variety.
The Olympic 100m champion joined the Dallas Cowboys as a wide receiver in 1965 and established himself as one of the all-time greats in a second sport. He made the All Pro team in four successive seasons and won a Super Bowl ring in 1972 as the Cowboys beat their arch-rivals, the Miami Dolphins, 24-3 in New Orleans.
In his 10 seasons with Dallas, Hayes racked up record stats: 365 receptions for 7295 yards and 71 touchdowns. He averaged 20 yards per catch.
As Litsky wrote: &ldquo;His big-play ability had a lasting impact on pro football. Until his day, defenses covered receivers man to man. Hayes was so fast and got behind his defender so often that teams started playing zone defenses against him, always trying to keep a safety behind him as well as a cornerback with him. Since then, the zone has become the staple of professional football defenses.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6493077cc218ad2fa2c8e6cd.jpg" alt="Bob Hayes" />
Bob Hayes (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
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After finishing with the San Francisco 49ers in 1975, Hayes competed on the short-lived International Track Association pro-circuit, winning 14 of his 15 races. He was inducted into the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1976 but he struggled with life away from the major sporting spotlight.
<h2>&ldquo;He was not just a champion. He was a hero&rdquo;</h2>
He suffered financial problems and turned to alcohol and drugs. In 1978 he was arrested on charges of selling cocaine to an undercover agent. Hayes was sentenced to five years in prison but was paroled after 10 months. He insisted he was innocent and had been set up, pleading guilty on the advice of his lawyers.
After prison, Hayes drifted back into drugs and alcohol but then underwent a successful rehabilitation, earning a degree in elementary education at the age of 51.
After battling prostate cancer, he died of kidney failure in Jacksonville in September 2002, aged 59.
The funeral of the only man to have won Olympic gold and a Super Bowl ring drew 3000 mourners. Reverend Jesse Jackson, a football rival from his college days, told the gathering: &ldquo;Bob Hayes held up the nation when he was a second-class citizen living under legal segregation. He couldn&rsquo;t use a downtown toilet in Jacksonville. He couldn&rsquo;t use the public library.
&ldquo;But a first-class man lifted the nation to heights no exalted one could. If only Bob had observed this gathering when he was alive. He was not just a champion. He was a hero.&rdquo;
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage

It is six decades now since the unlikely sprint phenomenon Robert Lee Hayes became a world record-breaker

Bullet Bob, the Lightning Bolt of his day

Fred Kerley and Yokohama school children traded their wisdom on sprinting and sustainability during a visit the world 100m champion made to the Otsuna Elementary School ahead of the recent Seiko Golden Grand Prix.
USA&rsquo;s Kerley, who won the 100m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in the Japanese city on 21 May, met with students as part of the school's Education for Sustainable Development programme.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6469ebdaab72de315a47b166.jpg" alt="Fred Kerley on his way to a 100m win in Yokohama" />
Fred Kerley on his way to a 100m win in Yokohama (&copy; Michael Thomas)
</div>
During his visit Kerley listened to student presentations, held a clinic on how to run faster and raced against some of the children.
The visit forms part of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) <a href="https://www.jaaf.or.jp/sdgs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;Sustainable Development Goals&rsquo; initiative</a> #LetsThink_ , which encourages the athletics family to contribute to sustainable development goals and various social issues through the sport of athletics.
Yokohama City and the JAAF teamed up to deliver an opportunity to school children to drive their interest toward international understanding, diversity and inclusion, and achieving wellbeing through sport. The aim of the event with Kerley was to have the children open their eyes to the world and deepen their interest in sport, including athletics, as they spent time interacting with a top-class athlete who has travelled around the globe.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6474781ead1dbf381923a986.JPG" alt="Fred Kerley demonstrates some sprint drills at the Otsuna Elementary School in Yokohama" />
Fred Kerley demonstrates some sprint drills at the Otsuna Elementary School in Yokohama (&copy; JAAF / Manabu Takahashi)
</div>
Five groups of children made presentations to Kerley on topics including &lsquo;mechanism of global warming&rsquo;, &lsquo;protecting sea life abundance&rsquo; and &lsquo;think about climate change&rsquo; and the sprinter said: &ldquo;It was a great presentation. I learnt something new today.&rdquo;
Then it was Kerley&rsquo;s turn to share his knowledge, as he held a running clinic featuring sprint tips and drills.
The 28-year-old introduced a high-knee drill, emphasising the importance of keeping good posture and staying tall. He also took part in a rock-paper-scissors drills warm-up with the children and then demonstrated his speed to the whole school of more than 850 before racing some of the students.
Ikumi Kodama for World Athletics

Fred Kerley and Yokohama school children traded their wisdom on sprinting and sustainability during a visit the world 100m champion made to the Otsuna Elementary School

Sustainability and sprinting in the spotlight as Kerley visits Yokohama school

Seeing an Italian sprinter on top of the podium hasn&rsquo;t been an unfamiliar sight in recent years.
At the recent European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, the Italian flag was once again raised during the medal ceremony for the men&rsquo;s 60m. But Marcell Jacobs &ndash; the Olympic, European and world indoor champion &ndash; was not the athlete standing atop the podium.
&ldquo;Before the Italian Championships, Jacobs was on another planet for me,&rdquo; says Samuele Ceccarelli, the 23-year-old who scorched to victory in the short sprint in the Turkish city in early March.
His 6.48 triumph in the final, following a 6.47 PB in the semifinals, was considered something of a surprise, but it shouldn&rsquo;t have been. Ceccarelli had beaten his esteemed compatriot by 0.01 at the Italian Championships just two weeks prior, clocking a then PB of 6.54.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/644fea6db647321239ce0b73.jpg" alt="Samuele Ceccarelli celebrates his 60m victory at the European Indoor Championships" />
Samuele Ceccarelli celebrates his 60m victory at the European Indoor Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
&ldquo;Winning my first Italian title and beating the Olympic 100m champion is something that I cannot describe; I did not expect that,&rdquo; says Ceccarelli. &ldquo;There are no words to express my feeling.
&ldquo;I thank Marcell for giving me the chance to compete against him in such a great race,&rdquo; Ceccarelli adds. &ldquo;I knew that my physical form was good, as I demonstrated in the races before the Italian Championships, but the idea of competing with Marcell and beating a champion of this calibre is something that I cannot compare to anything else.
&ldquo;Beating him in Ancona, I felt the same joy I had when Marcell won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.&rdquo;
When Ceccarelli repeated that feat on a championship stage in Istanbul, it made the rest of the athletics world sit up and pay attention.
But when he woke up on the day of the 60m rounds &ndash; all three taking place on the same day &ndash; with a temperature of 37.5C, Ceccarelli feared he may not be at his best.
&ldquo;I had a fever but the Italian team doctors gave me aspirin to keep my temperature under control, and my coach helped me remain calm,&rdquo; says Ceccarelli.
&ldquo;It was a long day with three races (heats, semifinal and final) in just a few hours,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;When I received the blue bib as European seasonal leader before the final, I felt some expectations, but I tried to remain relaxed. It wasn&rsquo;t easy to control these emotions, but I tried to keep the energy and give my best.&rdquo;
He advanced through the first round with 6.62, then set a lifetime best of 6.47 in the semifinals before coming within 0.01 of that to take gold in the final.
&ldquo;It will take a month to sink in what happened,&rdquo; he said at the time. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the most beautiful medal that I have in my bedroom. It&rsquo;s a bit strange to share the podium with Jacobs. I cried on the podium because I couldn&rsquo;t hold back my emotions.
&ldquo;Ever since I started my athletics career, I have always dreamed of being on such a big stage. The biggest dream for any sportsman is to sing the national anthem. I couldn&rsquo;t be happier than this.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/644febfebc5416f117cf26da.jpg" alt="Samuele Ceccarelli and Marcell Jacobs at the European Indoor Championships" />
Samuele Ceccarelli and Marcell Jacobs at the European Indoor Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Jacobs was the first to congratulate Ceccarelli.
&ldquo;I may not have won the medal that I wanted, but at least the European title remains in Italy,&rdquo; said the Olympic 100m and 4x100m champion. &ldquo;The 100m at the Italian Championships will be very competitive, and together we will achieve great results in the relay.&rdquo;
<h2>Frequent injuries a thing of the past</h2>
Beyond the Italian sprinting world, few people in athletics had heard of Ceccarelli before 2023.
He had a 60m PB of 6.72, set while he was still an U20 athlete back in 2019, and his 100m best was &ndash; and still is &ndash; 10.45. He had represented Italy at the continental level as an U20 and as an U23, but had never reached a final.
Persistent injuries and frequent micro-fractures were the main barriers to Ceccarelli&rsquo;s progress in previous years. And before he turned his attention to athletics, karate was his main sporting focus up until the age of 15. But that, he says, helped with his discipline when he switched to athletics at age 16.
&ldquo;I credit karate with giving me a grounding of how to behave as a sportsperson because it taught me respect and fair play,&rdquo; says Ceccarelli, whose grandfather Gastone Giacinti played as goalkeeper for Foggia in the Italian Serie A Football league in the 1970s.
Ceccarelli won several medals at the national U20 level between 2018 and 2019, but injury curtailed the final two months of his career in that age group. He suffered a similar fate in 2021, when his participation at the European U23 Championships in Tallinn was hampered by a stress micro-fracture in his right fibula.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/644fec20bc5416f117cf26dd.jpg" alt="Samuele Ceccarelli at the 2021 European U23 Championships" />
Samuele Ceccarelli at the 2021 European U23 Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
But just a few weeks after returning home from Tallinn, Ceccarelli watched with awe as Jacobs won Olympic gold in Tokyo.
&ldquo;I was watching the race on TV with my parents,&rdquo; Ceccarelli recalls of the Olympic 100m final. &ldquo;Jacobs&rsquo; win gave me an incredible feeling and a lot of energy. He achieved a historic feat and inspired many people, contributing to making athletics popular in Italy.
&ldquo;Marcell is a good guy,&rdquo; he adds. &ldquo;We are rivals on the track but our relationship is very good. He is like a big brother to me. When he hugged me after my win in Ancona, it was like a moment of recognition.
&ldquo;It was an incredible feeling to be part of a national team together with many great athletes who I&rsquo;d only previously known by watching them on television. They created a very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, which helped me remain focused and made me feel like I had been part of the team for a long time.
&ldquo;I built this result (European indoor gold) with patience and sacrifice,&rdquo; adds Ceccarelli. &ldquo;I had so many injuries before. But for the first time this past winter, I could complete a training cycle with my coach and that was the key to achieving these great results this year.&rdquo;
<h2>Looking ahead to the future</h2>
Ceccarelli credits his recent success to his coach Marco Del Medico, who was a guide runner for 2000 Paralympic T11 100m champion Lorenzo Ricci.
&ldquo;I owe my win in Istanbul to my coach,&rdquo; says Samuele, who trains five days a week in Pietrasanta. &ldquo;Without Marco, I would be a Ferrari car without petrol.&rdquo;
After his incredible indoor breakthrough, many are now keen to see what Ceccarelli can do outdoors.
&ldquo;My first goal is to improve my PB of 10.45, which has stood since 2021, but I don&rsquo;t want to think too far ahead,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;The extra 40 metres between 60m and 100m means I have to work more on speed resistance to be competitive outdoors.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/644feabc7c6a260967acc816.jpg" alt="Samuele Ceccarelli at the European Indoor Championships" />
Samuele Ceccarelli at the European Indoor Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
He has also been added to the Italian 4x100m squad. Following their surprise relay triumph in Tokyo, the Azzurri failed to reach the final at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, so Ceccarelli hopes to help turn their fortunes around.
&ldquo;It would be an honour to be part of the Italian relay,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I will be prepared, but I will respect whatever (selection) choice is taken.&rdquo;
Outside of athletics, Ceccarelli is a keen linguist and a fan of rap music. He is also currently combining his sports career with law studies at the University of Pisa.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not easy combining athletics and university,&rdquo; says the 23-year-old, who is now in his fifth year of studies. &ldquo;I study during the morning and I focus on training during the afternoon. The key to balancing all of this is to organise my time well.&rdquo;
In future, Ceccarelli would like to follow in the footsteps of his father by working as a lawyer, or in human resources, as he likes to get to know new people and cultures.
&ldquo;But for now,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;athletics is my priority.&rdquo;
And if he manages to stay ahead of Jacobs outdoors, Ceccarelli may well find himself on more major championship podiums in the near future.
Diego Sampaolo for World Athletics

Seeing an Italian sprinter on top of the podium hasn’t been an unfamiliar sight in recent years.

Indoor surprise package Ceccarelli adds to Italy’s growing sprint prowess

Aleia Hobbs has an instant response when asked for the message she would give her younger self: &ldquo;Keep going&rdquo;.
The 27-year-old has been sprinting for almost two decades and despite being hit with some setbacks between her many successes, she refused to give up. The signs have always been there, and now &ndash; happy and healthy &ndash; she&rsquo;s in the form of her life.
&ldquo;Ever since I went pro, I had some kind of injury. I couldn&rsquo;t have a complete fall (off-season),&rdquo; says Hobbs, who sprinted for Louisiana State University (LSU) &ndash; her home state &ndash; before turning professional in 2018. &ldquo;Before last year I had a first full fall, which gave me a PR, and before this year I had a good fall and another PR, so that was the main thing &ndash; staying healthy.
&ldquo;I came to the point where I was like, &lsquo;am I ever going to run as fast as I ran in college?&rsquo; Because it had been so long. Then again, you&rsquo;ve got to keep on doing it. I kept telling myself: &lsquo;if I can get healthy, I can run fast&rsquo;. I had moments where I was really doubting it, which is frustrating because I knew I could, but I kept getting hurt.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/643feaea8238a421a3f58c40.jpg" alt="Aleia Hobbs wins the US 100m title in 2018" />
Aleia Hobbs wins the US 100m title in 2018 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Hobbs started running at the age of eight, after she demonstrated her speed while sprinting &ndash; terrified &ndash; from a dog near her home in New Orleans.
&ldquo;I was running for my life!&rdquo; she laughs now. &ldquo;I was running as fast as I could run. People kept saying: &lsquo;you need to run track&rsquo;. I went to the playground in my neighbourhood and started running, and I&rsquo;ve been running literally ever since.&rdquo;
Her early career included a second-place finish at the US U20 Championships in 2015 and she claimed silver at the Pan American Junior Championships in Edmonton, during a season that featured a 100m PB of 11.13 for the teenager. But then, in the August, she required surgery on her left knee. Hobbs made a comeback the following year and in 2017 she stormed under 11 seconds for the first time, clocking 10.85 for a 100m PB that would remain her best until 2022.
In 2018 she went sub-11 in 10 of her 12 races, including heats and semifinals, and she won at the US Championships and NCAA Championships, where she added 100m gold to the 60m crown she had claimed indoors three months prior to close her collegiate career in style. But then injury struck again and Hobbs needed the same surgery as in 2015, this time on her right knee.
Again, she worked her way back, and major senior team places were just around the corner.
Hobbs competed at her first senior international event in 2019, anchoring the victorious US 4x100m quartet at the World Athletics Relays in Yokohama, and she made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, again running the final leg in the heats of the 4x100m. She then finished sixth in the 100m final at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, having improved her five-year-old PB to 10.83 in New York and then 10.81 during the semifinals of the US Championships where she claimed silver to secure her World Championships team place.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/643febe88238a421a3f58c43.jpg" alt="Aleia Hobbs at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22" />
Aleia Hobbs at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Then came that second consecutive healthy off-season.
Hobbs opened her 2023 campaign at the LSU Purple Tiger meeting on 13 January and two weeks later she blazed to a 6.98 win at the Razorback Invitational, dipping under seven seconds for the first time to move to equal ninth on the world indoor 60m all-time list.
&ldquo;A couple of days before we left, my coach said: &lsquo;you&rsquo;re going to run fast&rsquo;,&rdquo; she explained after the race. &ldquo;I was like, &lsquo;okay, he&rsquo;s probably just telling me that!&rsquo; I felt good, healthy. I literally just went out there and ran. It was the easiest race I&rsquo;ve ever ran and my coach always says: &lsquo;when the race feels easiest, that&rsquo;s when you know you&rsquo;re fastest&rsquo;. And that&rsquo;s exactly what it felt like.&rdquo;
It felt similar in Boston and New York. And Albuquerque.
Hobbs clocked 7.02 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, and 7.04 at the Millrose Games in New York one week later. Those performances helped her to win the 2023 World Athletics Indoor Tour, the prizes for which include the offer of a wild card place at next year&rsquo;s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61f5d7a63e1a70d20aa9c67c.jpg" alt="Aleia Hobbs wins the 60m at the Millrose Games" />
Aleia Hobbs wins the 60m at the Millrose Games (&copy; Kirby Lee)
</div>
But the best was yet to come. At the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, Hobbs ran 6.94 &ndash; a national indoor record and a time that moved her up to second on the world all-time list, just 0.02 shy of the world record. 
<div style="padding: 0px 20px 5px 20px; border: 2px solid #69d5e0;">
<h2>Women's world indoor 60m all-time list </h2>
6.92 Irina Privalova (RUS) Madrid 11 Feb 1993 6.94 Aleia Hobbs (USA) Albuquerque 18 Feb 2023 6.94 Julien Alfred (LCA) Albuquerque 11 Mar 2023 6.95 Gail Devers (USA) Toronto 12 Mar 1993 6.95 Marion Jones (USA) Maebashi 7 Mar 1998 6.96 Merlene Ottey (JAM) Madrid 14 Feb 1992 6.96 Katerina Thanou (GRE)&nbsp;Maebashi 7 Mar 1999 6.96 Mujinga Kambundji (SUI) Belgrade 18 Mar 2022 6.97 LaVerne Jones-Ferrette (ISV) Stuttgart 6 Feb 2010 6.97 Murielle Ahoure (CIV) Birmingham 2 Mar 2018 6.98 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) Sopot 9 Mar 2014 6.98 Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) Birmingham 18 Feb 2017 6.99 Ewa Swoboda (POL) Torun 5 Mar 2022 6.99 Mikiah Brisco (USA) Belgrade 18 Mar 2022
</div>
 Hobbs puts part of her development down to being able to do more weight training, including squats - something she had to avoid previously because of the problems with her knees. As it was, she was again unable to do a full weight programme, nor block starts, in between her 2023 indoor and outdoor seasons, as she broke a bone in her hand in a fall after her sensational 60m in Albuquerque.
But with the hard work already banked, Hobbs wasn&rsquo;t going to let it stop her. She did what she could and prepared for her outdoor campaign, making her season debut at the Lloyd Wills Invitational on her home track in Baton Rouge.
She won the 100m in 10.87 &ndash; her joint fourth-fastest ever time.
&ldquo;From breaking the American record to breaking a bone my hand. From not being able to do all my weights or block starts in over a month. So thankful for my fastest 100m opener and meet record,&rdquo; she later wrote in a social media post.
It wasn&rsquo;t just the weight programme and training consistency that led to that remarkable breakthrough, however. Life had changed for Hobbs off the track, too, as <a href="https://worldathletics.org/spikes/news/aleia-hobbs-my-son" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she and her partner adopted their son, Amir, last year</a>. He&rsquo;s now 10 months old.
A smile fills Hobbs&rsquo; face.
&ldquo;Me going to training and knowing I&rsquo;m not just doing this for myself, but for my family at home. &lsquo;This is for you, too. I&rsquo;m 110% every day,&rdquo; she beams.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not easy to balance life. For one, the sleep schedule. Amir was sick, he got RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) when he was about five months, so that was bad. I didn&rsquo;t know what sleep was.
&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t sleeping but I knew I still had to go out and do this &ndash; I&rsquo;m not doing it just for me.&rdquo;
Amir has already been trackside to watch Hobbs race.
&ldquo;He came to LSU,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;As soon as I finished, I cooled down and then I went up and got him and brought him down to everybody and coach Shaver - his pawpaw.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnYRd_pOsAu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnYRd_pOsAu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Aleia Hobbs (@aleiabitofthis)</a>
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Family is hugely important to Hobbs, at home and on the track. She has been guided by LSU coach Dennis Shaver since she joined the university in 2014 and her training group currently includes world indoor 60m silver medallist Mikiah Brisco, who Hobbs has been running with since the age of 10 or 11, plus two-time world indoor 60m hurdles champion Lolo Jones and 2016 world U20 100m gold medallist Candace Hill.
The support from both families and fans &ndash; it&rsquo;s key.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the support system I have and the fans, they really keep me going,&rdquo; Hobbs says. &ldquo;People DM (direct message) me and say: &lsquo;hey, just wanted to let you know you&rsquo;re inspiring my daughter so much&rsquo;, or people are like: &lsquo;I&rsquo;ve got hurt so many times, but I know your story, you keep me going&rsquo;. And that keeps me going, knowing that people are really looking up to me.&rdquo;
So, what to do, other than keep on going? Especially when there&rsquo;s another World Athletics Championships and Olympic Games taking place within the next 16 months. Hobbs also shared a short message written on a shoe in a photo posted to social media before the outdoor season: &lsquo;10.7 or bust&rsquo;.
&ldquo;The focus is 100% there because I have still not reached my full potential,&rdquo; says Hobbs, the smile still there but behind it, a look of steely determination. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve not got an individual medal at the World Championships or anything yet, so I&rsquo;ve got to keep it going.&rdquo;
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Aleia Hobbs has an instant response when asked for the message she would give her younger self: “Keep going”.

"Keep going": Hobbs leads by example

A look back at the key moments of 2022 in the sprints

2022 review: sprints

It&rsquo;s a now familiar sight: Joseph Fahnbulleh using his superb top-end speed to chase down his dreams on the hunt for sprint stardom.
That powerful finish was most recently on display at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Zagreb earlier this month, Fahnbulleh capping his season with one final win to celebrate his 21st birthday in style.
That season finale also offered Fahnbulleh the opportunity to reflect on an impressive couple of years that have seen him go from collegiate star to global stage, successfully transitioning to the senior ranks. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/633466ad0264e999dd086651.jpg" alt="Joseph Fahnbulleh on his way to a 200m win at the Boris Hanzekovic Memorial in Zagreb" />
Joseph Fahnbulleh on his way to a 200m win at the Boris Hanzekovic Memorial in Zagreb (&copy; Zagreb Meeting)
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Fahnbulleh started his athletics journey as a cross country runner at Hopkins High School in Minnesota but is now a world and Olympic sprint finalist, one who made history for Liberia by becoming the nation&rsquo;s first athlete to reach the top eight at either the World Athletics Championships or the Olympic Games with his performances in Oregon and Tokyo.
&ldquo;After the Olympics, then having the NCAA season I had and going to the World Championships, it has been mad, but at the same time, I&rsquo;ve asked for it,&rdquo; says the three-time NCAA gold medallist. &ldquo;It has been a learning experience, I&rsquo;ve been taking it all in. Not really having any expectations on what I have been doing. Having a season where I can just reflect at the end of it and move on to the next with bigger goals.&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s certainly lots to reflect on, and a lot to look forward to. Then still a teenager, Fahnbulleh broke 20 seconds for 200m for the first time last year, storming to a 19.91 PB to win his first NCAA title in Eugene. That set him up for making his Olympic debut in Tokyo, where the 19-year-old ran 19.99 in the semifinals and then 19.98 in the final to finish fifth.
Under the guidance of coach Mike Holloway at the University of Florida, Fahnbulleh took that form through to 2022. It led him to a memorable sprint double on his return to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, where he won the 100m and retained his 200m title within the space of just 45 minutes. He ran national records in both races &ndash; 10.00 for 100m and 19.83 for 200m &shy;&ndash; again leaving fans mesmerised as the long-striding sprinter first chased down, and then breezed past, his rivals in the closing stages.
Next up was the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, where he won his heat, finished second in his semifinal in 19.92 and then finished fourth in the final in 19.84, just 0.04 behind his training partner Erriyon Knighton, who completed a US top three behind Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek.
&ldquo;People have different journeys,&rdquo; says Fahnbulleh, who turned pro after the World Championships, signing with ASICS. &ldquo;My first major international competition was the Olympics. Coach Holloway always says: &lsquo;act like you&rsquo;ve been there&rsquo;, so I really wasn&rsquo;t scared. I was just more excited to run with the best because you see Andre De Grasse, you see Noah Lyles. I watched Andre in high school four years ago and I was like, &lsquo;I want to be there&rsquo;. So, you work hard and you put in the daily grind.
&ldquo;That set me up and it gave me confidence going into the NCAA season, and the NCAA season gave me the confidence going to Worlds. It&rsquo;s a continuous build &ndash; each year you just get better.&rdquo; 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/63346561f168593a0f7945d4.jpg" alt="Joseph Fahnbulleh competes in the 200m semifinals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo" />
Joseph Fahnbulleh competes in the 200m semifinals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
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And Fahnbulleh has no doubt as to the people who have helped him as he grows. From his sixth grade teacher Miss Rossow who first encouraged him to try cross country, to his high school coach Nick Lovas who got him into sprints (&ldquo;I loved cross country, but I would sprint the last 800m of the race and they were like, &lsquo;you&rsquo;re in the wrong sport!&rsquo;&rdquo;) and now the Florida Gators team. From great family support, to being welcomed as an ASICS-sponsored athlete, Fahnbulleh hasn&rsquo;t done it alone.
&ldquo;Just being around greatness all the time, it only forces you to be great,&rdquo; explains Fahnbulleh, who says he has learned from the likes of multiple world and Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor, two-time world 110m hurdles winner Grant Holloway and two-time world indoor triple jump gold medallist Will Claye at Florida. &ldquo;Being under Coach Holloway coming out of high school, it was the best plan for me. My mom is a single mother and so with that, my high school coach was like a father figure to me, and I wanted a father figure going into college because I feel like that&rsquo;s how I grow. Coach Holloway, he has kids of his own, he treats his athletes like his kids, and it&rsquo;s a family.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s never a bad day with Coach Holloway or any of the staff. They push you and if you don&rsquo;t take the push as a constructive push, you&rsquo;re only going to fight them and when you fight them, you&rsquo;re not going to do well.&rdquo;
Coaching is also a path Fahnbulleh&nbsp;can see himself taking one day. &ldquo;I took educational sciences (at the University of Florida) because I wanted to learn how the brain works and in the future I want to be a coach as well,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;So finding out how people learn and getting comfortable with the different mindsets that people have when it comes to different scenarios. After I get that degree, I&rsquo;m going back to do sports marketing.&rdquo;
And the &lsquo;Sound Mind, Sound Body&rsquo; approach of ASICS also fits with the ideals of Fahnbulleh, who still enjoys going on slightly longer runs when training allows.
&ldquo;When I am alone and when I have down time, I do like to go for a run,&rdquo; says&nbsp;Fahnbulleh, who is also passionate about art and enjoys working with watercolour to create portraits. &ldquo;You find the rhythm of running and it feels good as a release.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/633466fb0405888f7058ded5.jpg" alt="Joseph Fahnbulleh is proudly sponsored by ASICS" />
Joseph Fahnbulleh is proudly sponsored by ASICS (&copy; ASICS)
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Fundamentally, it's clear why Fahnbulleh works as hard as he does. His on track goals help the sprinter to achieve what is most important to him off of it.
&ldquo;Growing up, it was just me and my mom,&rdquo; says Fahnbulleh, whose mother, Charlotte, is a nurse. &ldquo;She loves what she does but life as a nurse is tiring. That pushed me in high school to be like, &lsquo;all right mom, I&rsquo;m going to do well in my life so I can make sure that you are well in yours&rsquo;.&rdquo;
She is the reason Fahnbulleh represents Liberia. It&rsquo;s to represent her.
&ldquo;Competing for my mom was probably the best thing that I could do,&rdquo; he says.&nbsp;&ldquo;She had to flee the country (Liberia) when she was like 12. My uncle and my two aunts went to London and my mom went to the States to live with my grandmother. Since that has happened, I wanted to represent my mom the best way that I could and at the best level that I could. Competing for Liberia and always having the ability to be on the biggest stage is phenomenal.
&ldquo;If I can work hard now and in a few years I can make sure that she is good and she is relaxed, then I have fulfilled life.&rdquo;
One of the two necklaces Fahnbulleh always wears &ndash; a cross and chain &ndash; was given to him by his mother before the World Championships final. The other &ndash; made of beads &ndash; was made for him by a friend. The beads spell the word &ldquo;bullet&rdquo;.
&ldquo;It came from high school,&rdquo; he says, explaining the significance of 'bullet'.&nbsp;&ldquo;The end of my last name &ndash; they dropped the &lsquo;h&rsquo; from &lsquo;bulleh&rsquo; and added the &lsquo;t&rsquo;. I call myself that a little bit because I am like a bullet. My mom gave me this other one before the final at Worlds and so I wore it for good luck. Since then, I haven&rsquo;t taken it off.&rdquo;
And&nbsp;Fahnbulleh &ndash; Bullet by nickname &ndash; already has some key targets he hopes to hit in the future.
&ldquo;The next huge aims are, next year at Worlds &ndash; to make the podium,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve gone from fifth to fourth. Next year podium. No time goals really, we just chase execution.
&ldquo;Having a good support system around me, whether that be my coach, friends, my mom &ndash; make that stronger. And take the ASICS brand to new heights.
&ldquo;Those are my main goals right now. I&rsquo;m working. I&rsquo;m not at the level yet where on a bad day I run 19.6. I&rsquo;m going to be there, but I have to put in the work in order for me to be there.&rdquo;
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

It’s a now familiar sight: Joseph Fahnbulleh using his superb top-end speed to chase down his dreams on the hunt for sprint stardom.

'Bullet' Fahnbulleh targets the top

More than 1500 athletes from 145 teams are set to compete at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22 between 1-6 August.
Here we take a look at the women's and men's sprint events at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium. 
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 100m</h2>
Jamaica&rsquo;s Tina Clayton is among the eight athletes in Cali who will be defending the titles they claimed in Nairobi last year and given her performances this season, the 17-year-old looks in form to gain another gold. Clayton dipped below 11 seconds for the first time last month, breaking the Jamaican U20 record with her world U20-leading time of 10.96 &ndash; a mark that puts her fifth on the world U20 all-time list.
Clayton also formed part of Jamaica&rsquo;s world U20 record-breaking 4x100m quartet in Nairobi last year, alongside Serena Cole, Kerrica Hill and her twin sister Tia Clayton. Cole joins Tina in contesting the 100m in Cali and will be looking to join her compatriot on the podium having improved from 11.42 to 11.13 this year.
Also expected to be in the medal mix will be South Africa&rsquo;s 17-year-old Viwe Jingqi, who has progressed from 11.67 to 11.22 this season, and Nigeria&rsquo;s Tima Seikeseye Godbless, who reached the semifinals in Nairobi.
Shawnti Jackson is the daughter of 2005 world 400m hurdles champion Bershawn Jackson and the 17-year-old won the US U20 title in a wind-assisted 11.07 (2.7m/s) to secure her place on the team for Cali, where she&rsquo;ll be joined by her 16-year-old teammate Mia Brahe-Pedersen. Nia Wedderburn-Goodison recently won the European U18 title, running a&nbsp;11.39 PB. 
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 100m</h2>
The stand-out performer in the men&rsquo;s equivalent is expected to be Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, following his 9.94 world U20 record in the heats at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 a fortnight ago. The 19-year-old 100m victor and 200m silver medallist in Nairobi also boasts a 10.12 fifth-place finish from the Wanda Diamond League in Eugene back in May, further illustrating his fine credentials ahead of a title defence few would bet against Tebogo succeeding in.
His nearest challengers are likely to come in the form of 2021 silver medallist Benjamin Richardson and their fellow Nairobi finalist, Godson Oke Oghenebrume.
South Africa&rsquo;s 18-year-old Richardson &ndash; a member of the winning 4x100m relay team last year &ndash; has clocked a 10.08 lifetime best this season, whilst Oghenebrume of Nigeria, 19, was timed at 10.12 for a personal best in April.
Japan&rsquo;s Hiroki Yanagita, 19, has also been in top form with a 10.16 clocking this season, further pointing towards a fierce battle ahead for the podium.&nbsp; 
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 200m</h2>
Jamaica&rsquo;s 18-year-old Brianna Lyston is gunning for her first major championship medal in light of her notable progression this year, which has seen her improve from 23.18 to 22.53 in the 200m and 11.44 to 11.14 in the 100m. She leads the 200m entries with that PB, which she ran into a -2.2m/s headwind at the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Champs in April.
US pair Jayla Jamison and Mia Brahe-Pedersen will be eager to take some silverware off the back of their recent respective 22.93 and 22.98 personal bests. Jamison has progressed from 23.65 this summer and won the US U20 title, while Brahe-Pedersen was runner-up in Eugene to ensure her inclusion on the athletes to watch list. Another looking to make an impact will be South Africa&rsquo;s Viwe Jingqi, who has run 23.03 and competed at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships in the half lap event as well as being a member of the 4x100m squad. 
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 200m</h2>
Thailand&rsquo;s 16-year-old Puripol Boonson stormed into the spotlight in May, running 20.37 to win at the South East Asian Games &ndash; a time that put him fifth on the world U18 all-time list. There was even more to come and he improved to 20.19 at the Qosanov Memorial in Almaty the following month, becoming the third-fastest U18 200m sprinter in history behind only Erriyon Knighton and Usain Bolt. Despite being the youngest in an entry list featuring 70 athletes, he tops the lot, with South Africa&rsquo;s Benjamin Richardson his closest challenger on paper thanks to the 20.38 PB he ran earlier this month.
Third in the senior British Championships, 19-year-old Jeriel Quainoo has improved from 21.60 to 20.40 this summer, and the 2021 European U20 4x100m relay gold medallist will have his eye on a first individual major championships medal in Cali.
Other athletes to keep an eye on are Australia&rsquo;s Calab Law and Aidan Murphy, who both competed at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon &ndash; Law reaching the semifinals and Murphy running in the heats &ndash; and the experience gained from competing on the senior stage will no doubt aid their aspirations.
Letsile Tebogo of Botswana claimed 200m silver along with his 100m gold last year and also returns in this event.&nbsp; 
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 400m</h2>
The stage is set for a duel between the current finest one lap runners in Jamaica and USA, as Dejanea Oakley and Mekenze Kelley face off in the 400m event.
Oakley &shy;&ndash; who ran in the mixed 4x400m heats in Nairobi last year &ndash; has registered a 51.81 personal best this season, while her fellow 18-year-old Kelley has improved from 53.65 to 51.98 this summer, and a fierce battle is predicted for the closely-matched pair.
Canada&rsquo;s Ella Clayton was sixth in the 2021 edition of these championships but having progressed from 54.10 to 52.04 this season, the 19-year-old is a strong contender for a medal this time around.
Nairobi mixed 4x400m bronze medallist Priya Habbathanahalli Mohan of India has a best of 52.37 this campaign and the 19-year-old will be aiming to get into the medal mix following a fourth place finish in the individual event in 2021. 
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 400m&nbsp;</h2>
The pair of US runners look set to assert their dominance here, with breakthrough runner Steven McElroy expected to lead the way.
The 19-year-old US U20 champion has progressed from 47.86 to 44.93 this year, establishing his authority in the event, while his compatriot Ashton Schwartzman, 19, has enjoyed a similar eye-catching improvement in 2022 &ndash; clocking 45.16 after a 47.24 2021 best &ndash; and he finished runner-up at the US U20 Championships.
Another athlete to watch should be Botswana&rsquo;s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi. The 18-year-old 2021 4x100m gold medallist also has a 45.40 400m clocking to his name and will be determined to spoil the US gold medal hunt. Others to watch include Bahrain&rsquo;s Yusuf Ali Abbas, who won at the Arab U20 Championships in May, as well as Jamaican U20 champion Shaemar Uter, who helped his team to fourth place in the mixed 4x400m relay in Nairobi.
Nicola Sutton for World Athletics

World Athletics U20 Championships

A look at the women's and men's 100m, 200m and 400m

WU20 Cali 22 preview: sprints

On this day 70 years ago (26 July), Marjorie Jackson flew around the bend of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on her way to victory in the 200m. Having equalled the world record in the heats and broken it in the semifinals, Jackson now ran 23.7 to win the final by almost five metres.
The win completed an Olympic sprint double. Jackson had won the 100m with similar ease four days earlier, Australia&rsquo;s first ever women&rsquo;s Olympic gold medal in athletics. In between the two flat sprints, Shirley Strickland won the 80m hurdles. In winning the 200m, however, Jackson created a significant piece of Australian Olympic history. At the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, Edwin Flack had won the 800m and 1500m and now Australia&rsquo;s first women&rsquo;s gold medallist likewise completed a golden double.
Jackson could so easily have shared a third Olympic triumph in the 4x100m. Having set a world record in the heats, the Australians were heading for victory at the last changeover in the final. The hand-over apparently &lsquo;complete&rsquo;, the baton fell after striking the leg of either the incoming Winsome Cripps, or Jackson. Jackson regained it on the bounce, but the USA were away, heading to the gold medal. A few days later, Australia beat the US in another world record (4x110yd) at the traditional British Empire v USA dual match.
World records either side of the Olympic final, then, but no gold medal. It&rsquo;s a salutary tale that has been told and re-told in Australian athletics ever since.
But it is not the story of Jackson&rsquo;s success at the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games; neither should it detract from that success. The trajectory of Jackson&rsquo;s meteoric rise from promising junior to double Olympic champion and world record-holder, all before turning 21, is full of elements that, frankly, you couldn&rsquo;t make up.
Setback as an U20 champion? Check. Rise to wider fame by defeating the world&rsquo;s best athlete? Check. Small-town girl fanatically supported by the locals to the extent of constructing a cinder track where she could train under the headlights of her coach&rsquo;s car. Check that box, too. Returns from Helsinki having met the love of her life? First woman to be appointed as manager of an Australian Commonwealth Games team? Governor of the state of South Australia? Still going strong at 91? Tick, tick, tick, tick.
Jackson was born at Coffs Harbour on the north coast of New South Wales. Her family moved to Lithgow, in the Blue Mountains some 140km west of Sydney, soon after. For those heading to next year&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Championships, Lithgow is on the road and rail route to Bathurst. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/a7920fed-0ae7-4a99-bb7e-b23b69af983b.jpg" alt="80 Years of Women Athletics at Olympic Games - Marjorie Jackson - 1952" />
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Jackson showed evident talent as a junior. Her record (accurately) suggests that she is a well-grounded person, though she recalls some wise counsel from her father after she had won a state country title. Everyone had their own special talents, her dad said, and hers seemed to be running. It didn&rsquo;t make her better than others, but she should develop it.
Jackson&rsquo;s talents were soon more widely deployed. She won regularly in Sydney competition. But a stumble in the blocks (which she, wrongly, thought would lead to a recall), saw her miss out on an invitation to the final London 1948 Olympic trials.
Lithgow seethed with indignation. Perhaps this motivated supporters to turn up in numbers the following year when Jackson was invited to run against Dutch superstar Fanny Blankers-Koen. Apparently, Blankers-Koen and her husband-coach Jan Blankers were under the impression that her Australian tour would be a largely an exhibition. Shirley Strickland was not at top form and &ndash; who else was there, anyway.
Enter 17-year-old Jackson to cause a sensation at the Sydney Sports Ground on 5 February. The next day&rsquo;s Sunday Herald front page report, with photo, ran: &ldquo;Marjorie Jackson, 17-year-old Lithgow typist, defeating the Olympic champion, Fanny Blankers-Koen, in a 100-metres race at the Sydney Sports Ground yesterday afternoon.&rdquo;
A week later, Jackson again defeated Blankers-Koen, this time in the New South Wales 100 yards championship. A Melbourne sports paper published a three-part series on Jackson, who had quickly gathered nicknames - the Lithgow Flash or Lithgow Flier. &ldquo;Second child of a family of three girls,&rdquo; the introduction ran, &ldquo;a frolicsome lass, never still and ran everywhere she went.&rdquo;
Lithgow was as elated now as it had been despondent a year earlier. The Sunday Herald sports section reported: &ldquo;Twenty Lithgow miners caused laughter among the crowd &hellip; when they wildly cheered Marjorie Jackson after her 100 metres victory.&rdquo; Deeper down came mention that this celebration occurred at the Sports Ground beer booth.
The contingent caught the train back to Lithgow, arriving at 11pm to find the station thronged with people. Jackson was presented with a huge garland of flowers.
In the run-up to Helsinki, Jackson would have further reason to be grateful for local support. Australia had few cinders tracks. Sydney had one, but that necessitated a 300km round trip. There were cinders aplenty in Lithgow, however: Jackson&rsquo;s coach &ndash; Jim Monaghan, but to this day Mr Monaghan to Jackson &ndash; and the miners rolled out a straight section of cinders so that Jackson could train on the sort of surface she would find at the Olympics. Throughout winter, with Lithgow often enshrouded by fog and misty rain, Jackson ran along the track, starting in the pitch dark at one end, running towards the headlights of Monaghan&rsquo;s car at the other.
It paid off in Helsinki, when rain throughout much of the opening ceremony left the track damper and softer for the heats of the women&rsquo;s 100m two days later. &ldquo;Whacko! I&rsquo;m back in Lithgow,&rdquo; Jackson thought as she went out to race. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/3b7bb6c8-185a-4873-ac3d-c64fa3b50704.jpg" alt="Marjorie Jackson" />
Marjorie Jackson (&copy; Giancarlo Colombo)
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Jackson was one of the favourites for the Olympic sprints, but the Australian preparation for the Games had more obstacles than a 3000m steeplechase. The team spent over a month based in London and racing around Britain. They had very little support, the athletes&rsquo; daily allowance was 15 English shillings (equivalent to 75 pence now). Jackson recalls that transport to the track and lunch cost around 18 shillings for a net loss of three shillings a day.
The cinder tracks were harder, too. Many of the Australians &ndash; Jackson included &ndash; ran in spikes hand-made from kangaroo skin by Melbourne shoemaker, Hope Sweeney. The fixed spikes were suited to grass tracks, but too long for harder surfaces. &ldquo;After a couple of sessions our shins were so sore we could hardly walk,&rdquo; says Jackson. They persevered. Despite everything, Jackson impressed at every race she ran. A Belfast paper came up with a variation on her nickname. Noting she worked as a typist, the memorably titled Northern Whig and Belfast Post dubbed her &ldquo;The Typing Tornado&rdquo;.
Helsinki had suffered in the war years, though not as severely as London. The long daylight hours made sleep difficult for some, but Jackson says the Australian team was &ldquo;wonderful, like family.&rdquo; Like many athletes, she found the call room an unnerving experience &ndash; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a chatterbox,&rdquo; she says, &ldquo;but no-one is talking. I walked out on to the track nattering to myself: &lsquo;I&rsquo;m as good as they are&rsquo;.&rdquo;
She felt the pressure, too. &ldquo;I felt the whole of Australia was sitting on my back&rdquo; &ndash; but, really, she need not have been bothered. Jackson ran away from her competition, defeating South Africa&rsquo;s Daphne Hasenjager 11.5 to 11.8 (11.67 to 12.05 electric), Strickland and Cripps. In a post-race interview, Jackson sent a &lsquo;cheerio&rsquo; to &ldquo;Mum and Dad, all the family, Mr Monaghan and the people of Lithgow.&rdquo;
Jackson went on to complete the double four days later. She returned to a hero&rsquo;s welcome. Crowds lined the streets and over 20,000 were estimated to have turned out in Lithgow alone.
Jackson also returned with a budding interest in Peter Nelson, a member of the Olympic cycling team. Nelson lived in Adelaide but the romance blossomed by correspondence. They were married in 1953 and together until his early death from leukaemia in 1977. Jackson set up a research foundation in his memory and worked tirelessly to raise funds. As Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, she was South Australian state governor from 2001 to 2007, during which time she took part in the delivery of the Queen&rsquo;s Baton at the opening ceremony for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. Jackson, the penultimate runner, passed the baton to Helsinki teammate and Victorian governor, John Landy.
Athletically, Jackson retired after winning the sprint double at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. In her career, she won every individual gold medal &ndash; Olympics, Commonwealth, national and state level &ndash; that she contested.
&ldquo;I remember when I got back to Lithgow, Dad said to me: &lsquo;You&rsquo;re an Olympic champion now and kids will look up to you for the rest of your life&rsquo;.
&ldquo;Peter and I both tried to live by the Olympic ideals.&rdquo;
Len Johnson for World Athletics&nbsp;

The trajectory of Jackson’s meteoric rise from promising junior to double Olympic champion, all before turning 21, is full of elements that you couldn’t make up

Remembering Jackson's Olympic sprint double in Helsinki, 70 years on

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has donated her singlet from her winning 100m performance at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 to the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of World Athletics (MOWA)</a>. In a ceremony during the eighth evening of competition on Friday (22), Fraser-Pryce presented the singlet to World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In presenting the singlet, on which Fraser-Pryce has signed herself as the &lsquo;mommy rocket&rsquo;, the Jamaican sprinting ace said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really excited to join two other Jamaicans (Usain Bolt and Veronica Campbell-Brown) who have their memorabilia in the museum. I&rsquo;ve built a legacy that I hope inspires other women to believe in themselves and be relentless at pursuing their dreams.
&ldquo;As a now five-time world 100m champion, I&rsquo;m happy to share this moment in history for me and so many others with the Museum of World Athletics, where champions live on forever.&rdquo;
Coe, upon receiving Fraser-Pryce&rsquo;s singlet, said: &ldquo;I am delighted to accept the generous donation of the Oregon22 singlet from 10-time world and three-time Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce in Hayward Field. These championships have already seen her win her fifth world 100m title, and yesterday the 200m silver.
&ldquo;The World Athletics Heritage Collection and the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) are honoured to receive this item, which represents the illustrious career of one of the all-time greats of sprinting. We thank Shelly-Ann for her support of our Heritage programme, which celebrates and honours our sport&rsquo;s history - a history which she is now indelibly a part of.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/732989233?h=665b753060" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 Fraser-Pryce became a five-time World Championships gold medallist in the 100m on day three of this year&rsquo;s championships, then earned a silver medal in the 200m on day seven. In four Olympic Games, the diminutive sprinter has also collected two golds, a silver and a bronze in the 100m and 200m. For the high level of her performances and the length of her career, Fraser-Pryce is widely proclaimed the women&rsquo;s 100m &lsquo;GOAT&rsquo; &ndash; the greatest of all time.
As a student at Wolmer&rsquo;s High School for Girls, she won the 17-and-under 100m at &lsquo;Champs&rsquo;, the Jamaican High School Championships, in 2004. The next two years she finished second and fourth in the 19-and-under 100m, before enrolling at UTech, the University of Technology in Kingston, where she met UTech and MVP coach Stephen Francis.
As a first-year university student in 2007, Fraser-Pryce finished fifth in the Jamaican Championships, and was selected for the national relay team, earning a silver medal in the 4x100m at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan. From then on, Fraser-Pryce was on a rocket to greatness.
In 2008, she broke 11 seconds for the first time in the 100m when she finished second at her national championships, then won the first of her global titles with her victory at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Fraser-Pryce won her first World Championships 100m in 2009 and ran second leg on Jamaica&rsquo;s victorious 4x100m team, the first of four such titles she has won.&nbsp;
The fallow year of 2010, with no major international championship events, and 2011, when she finished fourth in the World Championships in Daegu and led off the silver medal-winning 4x100m team, were down years for Fraser-Pryce. But she came back with a vengeance in the Olympic year of 2012, winning the London Games 100m and earning silvers in the 200m and the 4x100m.
The World Championships of 2013, held in Moscow, may have been the pinnacle of Fraser-Pryce&rsquo;s astounding career. She won a sprint triple, with victories in the 100m, 200m and relay. To top off the year, she was named the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year.
In 2014, Fraser-Pryce won the World Indoor Championships 60m, one of her few forays into indoor athletics. Since then, she has maintained her form in the 100m with three more World Championships golds, and silver and bronze in the Olympics. In the 4x100m, she has helped Jamaica to wins in the World Championships of 2015 and 2019, and Olympic gold in 2021 and silver in 2016, with this year&rsquo;s World Championships 4x100m final yet to come.
Dave Johnson for World Athletics Heritage&nbsp;

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has donated her singlet from her winning 100m performance at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22