The young Caterine Ibarg&uuml;en cut a disconsolate figure as her heels dislodged the bar with her third and final attempt at 1.89m in the high jump qualifying round at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
The 20-year-old Colombian needed to clear a minimum of 1.92m to make it to the final. Instead, she finished joint last in qualifying group B &ndash; 30th overall &ndash; with 1.85m.
It was not the only painful Olympic baptism in the Greek capital. The 17-year-old Usain Bolt exited at the first-round stage of the men&rsquo;s 200m, suffering from a hamstring injury as he struggled across the line fifth in his heat in 21.05.
Twelve years later, in Rio de Janeiro, the Jamaican sprint phenomenon completed his third successive Olympic 100m-200m double and anchored his country&rsquo;s 4x100m team to victory.
Ibarg&uuml;en&rsquo;s own Olympic journey also turned to gold in Rio. The high jumper who had finished 30th in qualifying in Athens returned as a 32-year-old triple jump great, claiming a history-making title for Colombia.
Already a two-time world champion in the hop, step and jump &ndash; and beaten just once in her previous 36 competitions &ndash; Ibarg&uuml;en took the lead with a second-round effort of 15.03m. She proceeded to nail down the gold medal, her country&rsquo;s first in Olympic athletics, with a fourth-round jump of 15.17m. Venezuela&rsquo;s Yulimar Rojas took silver with 14.98m.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the biggest dream for me to achieve this,&rdquo; Ibarg&uuml;en declared. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy and very proud.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a7f3238d5643fd23f5b609b.jpg" alt="Caterine Ibarguen in action in Rio" />
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Caterine Ibarguen in action in Rio (&copy; Getty Images)
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It was quite some transformation. But Colombia&rsquo;s first Olympic athletics champion had long since shown the resilience required to make such a reinvention possible.
Ibarg&uuml;en was raised by her grandmother, Ayola Rivas, after her parents fled the armed conflict raging around her home town of Apartad&oacute; in north-west Colombia in the 1980s. Her father, William, settled in Venezuela; her mother, Francisca, moved to the port city of Turbo.
Her natural sporting prowess, initially as a volleyball player, earned her a place at the Villa Deportiva high-performance sports centre in Medell&iacute;n.
Her ability as a high jumper, however, was soon discovered. In 1999, aged 15, she won bronze at the South American Championships, held in the Colombian capital, Bogot&aacute;, clearing 1.75m.
She also took silver that year at the Area U20 Championships in Concepci&oacute;n, Chile, and competed at global level for the first time, placing 15th in qualifying with 1.73m at the inaugural World Youth (U18) Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, where the winning clearance was 1.89m.
Ibarg&uuml;en continued as a high jump specialist as she progressed into the senior ranks, following her Olympic debut in Athens with appearances at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki (23rd in qualifying with 1.85m), the 2006 World Indoor Championships in Moscow (17th in qualifying, 1.81m) and the 2009 World Championships in Berlin (28th in qualifying, 1.85m).
As early as 2001, though, she started to expand her jumps repertoire. As well as claiming high jump gold (1.77m) at the South American U20 Championships in Santa Fe, Argentina, she also earned long jump silver (5.87m), triple jump bronze (12.65m) and 4x100m silver.
In 2003, aged 19, Ibarg&uuml;en&rsquo;s spring and versatility took her to a high jump (1.80m) and triple jump (13.17m) double at the South American U20 Championships in Ecuador. That year, she also claimed long jump silver (6.04m) and triple jump bronze (13.07m) at the senior South American Championships in Venezuela, finishing fourth in the high jump with 1.80m.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a7f325ad5643fd23f5b609e.jpg" alt="Caterine Ibarguen on the Olympic podium in Rio" />
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Caterine Ibarguen on the Olympic podium in Rio (&copy; Getty Images)
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Between 2005 and 2009, Ibarg&uuml;en won four South American titles as a high jumper. The 1.93m she achieved at the 2005 championships in Cali stood as the Colombian record until 2019, when Mar&iacute;a Murillo jumped 1.94m.
The transition to triple jump specialist began at the end of 2008.
After failing to qualify for the Beijing Olympics, Ibarg&uuml;en considered quitting athletics before deciding to move to Puerto Rico to study nursing and train under the guidance of Ubaldo Duany, an 8.32m long jumper who finished seventh for Cuba at the 1989 World Indoor Championships.
Duany saw her as an athlete of greater potential in the triple jump and, after a last high jump appearance in the qualifying round at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, the switch was made.
&ldquo;We had to start from scratch,&rdquo; Ibarg&uuml;en recalled. &ldquo;We had to correct the major technical mistakes I was carrying. It was pretty hard for me but I always remained optimistic, thanks to the support of a great coach.&rdquo;
As a secondary option, Duany introduced his charge to the heptathlon, in which she showed her all-round prowess with an impressive PB of 5742 points. The big breakthrough, however, came in the triple jump in 2011.
Ibarg&uuml;en improved the Colombian record on nine occasions, and the South American mark on six. She captured Colombia&rsquo;s first World Championships field-event medal, claiming triple jump bronze in Daegu with 14.84m &ndash; behind Olha Saladukha of Ukraine (14.94m) and Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Olga Rypakova (14.89m). Olympic silver followed a year later in London, with a 14.80m jump, behind Rypakova (14.98m).
From 2013 to 2016, Ibarg&uuml;en reigned supreme in the women&rsquo;s triple jump. She won back-to-back world titles, in Moscow in 2013 (14.85m) and Beijing in 2015 (14.95m), racked up a winning streak of 34 competitions, then claimed that historic Olympic gold for her country in Rio in 2016.
Ibarg&uuml;en was beaten by the fast-rising Rojas at the 2017 World Championships in London, finishing runner-up to her South American rival, but she regained global dominance in 2018.
Unbeaten in her specialist event, she swept to the Diamond League and Continental Cup titles in both the long jump and triple jump, improved her national long jump record to 6.93m and earned the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year Award.
Rojas proceeded to establish herself as the greatest women&rsquo;s triple jumper of all time, but Ibarg&uuml;en still emerged from injury to land world bronze behind the Venezuelan in Doha in 2019 before concluding her glittering career with 10th place at the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve achieved more than I ever dreamed of,&rdquo; the retiring Colombian great reflected.
From Athens high jump disappointment to Rio triple jump gold, Ibarg&uuml;en had completed one of athletics&rsquo; great reinventions.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage

Remembering Caterine Ibarguen's Olympic triumph in 2016

Ibargüen’s leap from Athens setback to Rio gold

Our sport comes alive in major global championship moments. That is when athletics reaches its widest audience, captures the public imagination and creates memories that can bring new fans into the sport.
I see World Athletics&rsquo; role as threefold: to govern the sport, to stage major events that showcase it at its best, and to grow it. The World Athletics Ultimate Championship delivers against the second and third of those objectives.
Every four years, the outdoor athletics calendar has neither an Olympic Games nor a World Athletics Championships. Leaving that gap unfilled felt, in some ways, like an act of self-harm &ndash; as though tennis decided to go a year without staging a Grand Slam.
We felt we were missing an opportunity, so we set out to create a major global championship that would provide a fitting climax to the 2026 season.
Launching something new is exciting, but it is also daunting. The first edition is always the hardest: there is no track record and no delivery manual to take from the shelf. We are creating this event from scratch, and that is a huge undertaking, but there is enormous excitement around it.
Crucially, we do not want the Ultimate Championship to feel like a shortened version of the World Athletics Championships. It needs its own character, style, look and atmosphere, while retaining the meaning and jeopardy of a major global championship.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/69989ca7333a89b61a8aea4d.jpg" alt="Budapest's National Stadium" />
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Budapest's National Stadium (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Laszlo Zsigmond)
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Across three evenings in Budapest, there will be 28 finals and a record US$10 million prize fund. Individual track events up to and including the 800m will begin at the semifinal stage, while the 1500m, 5000m and relays will be straight finals. All field events will also be straight finals.
There are no preliminary rounds in which athletes can ease themselves into the competition. They will either begin with a semifinal or go directly into a final, so they will need to perform from the moment they enter the stadium. It will be fast-paced and unforgiving from the outset.
We are delighted to be returning to Budapest for the inaugural edition. The 2023 World Championships produced packed stands, memorable performances and an exceptional atmosphere. The athletes remember that experience, and the National Athletics Centre is a fitting venue in which to launch something new.
We are also working closely with some of the sport&rsquo;s highest-profile figures. Usain Bolt is our Ultimate Legend, while Mondo Duplantis, Tara Davis-Woodhall, Noah Lyles, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo are among the Ultimate Stars helping us shape and promote the event.
They are outstanding athletes with strong personalities and creative ideas. It is important that we listen properly to them and give them a meaningful role.
Mondo, for example, is not only preparing to compete but also composing and rehearsing the anthem for the Ultimate Championship. Athletes such as Mondo want to perform at the highest level, but they also recognise the opportunity they have to grow the sport and connect with new audiences. We have a generation of stars who have something to say and want the platform to say it.
The event has also been designed with fans in mind, both inside the stadium and watching around the world.
The infield will be transformed into a striking black competition arena, with only the active competition areas illuminated. There will be new broadcast graphics, while the mixed 4x100m relay will make its global senior track and field championship debut following its inclusion at the World Athletics Relays earlier this year.
The Ultimate Championship can also serve as an incubator for ideas that could eventually be introduced elsewhere in the sport, including at future World Championships or Olympic Games.
Some elements will work better than others, and we accept that. Experimentation is important. But this is not circus athletics. It is a bona fide global championship, featuring the leading athletes in the world and offering prize money that reflects the significance of the competition.
We understand that people may not fully grasp what the Ultimate Championship is until they see the first edition. That makes global reach particularly important.
More than 30 major broadcasters have already signed up to show the event live, and our focus is on making the Ultimate Championship available to as many people as possible around the world.
Our immediate priority is delivering an outstanding inaugural edition in September, but the Ultimate Championship is here to stay. We are already in discussions with potential host cities in Europe and beyond, and we expect to announce the host of the 2028 edition by the end of this year.
World Athletics is not a perfect organisation, but we are ambitious and determined to grow the sport. That means being prepared to introduce new ideas, take calculated risks and create events such as the Ultimate Championship.
When a major championship succeeds, there is nothing quite like it. It creates a special energy for the athletes, the spectators and everyone involved in delivering it. Our aim is to create that feeling again in Budapest this September &ndash; while giving the sport something genuinely new.

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

When a major championship succeeds, there is nothing quite like it

Ridgeon: Ultimate Championship can give athletics something genuinely new

Kristjan Čeh produced one of the finest discus series in European Championships history to successfully defend his title in Birmingham on Thursday (13), while Amy Hunt completed a memorable sprint double in front of the home crowd.
Those performances highlighted a busy two days of action at Alexander Stadium, where Matthew Hudson-Smith won a third European 400m crown on his home track, Emma Zapletalov&aacute; dominated the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles and Leo Neugebauer survived a fierce late challenge from fellow German Niklas Kaul to take the decathlon title.
Čeh was quick to make his mark in the final. The Slovenian opened with 70.83m, immediately breaking the championship record of 69.78m that Mykolas Alekna had set in Munich four years ago.
Čeh backed it up with 70.13m in round two before producing an even bigger throw in the third. His discus landed at 72.51m, extending his championship record by almost three metres from the mark that had stood at the start of the evening.
Such was Čeh's dominance that he surpassed 70 metres four times, adding 70.68m in the final round.
World record-holder Alekna threw 69.89m to secure silver, while Germany's Henrik Janssen produced a season's best of 69.53m for bronze ahead of three-time world champion Daniel St&aring;hl (68.22m).
"From my training, I knew that I was ready to throw very, very far, so I'm not surprised," said Ceh, the 2022 world champion.
"I would say this was the highest quality competition in the history of these championships. We had perfect conditions for the discus, a perfect circle and everybody just had great throws. And when you throw alongside these guys, it is like another boost."
<h2>Hunt completes sprint double</h2>
Amy Hunt added the European 200m crown to the 100m title she had won on the opening night.
The world 200m silver medallist attacked the bend and entered the straight battling with British teammate Dina Asher-Smith, but Ireland's Rhasidat Adeleke was also finishing strongly on the outside.
Hunt held on to win in 22.19, nine hundredths ahead of Adeleke, who took silver in a national record of 22.28. Asher-Smith was just one hundredth further back, earning bronze in 22.29.
It completed a superb individual sprint double for Hunt, who had won the 100m three days earlier in 11.00.
Fellow British sprinter Matthew Hudson-Smith had provided another special moment for the host nation by winning a record third European 400m title at the stadium he has regarded as home since childhood.
Starting in lane nine, the European record-holder committed from the outset and built a clear advantage before entering the home straight. His rivals closed slightly in the final metres, but Hudson-Smith had done enough to win convincingly in 44.17.
France's Muhammad Abdallah Kounta took silver in 44.40, with the Netherlands' Jonas Phijffers setting a national record of 44.41 for bronze.
World bronze medallist Emma Zapletalov&aacute; was an emphatic winner of the women's 400m hurdles, pulling away to win in 52.91. Britain's Emily Newnham finished strongly to take silver with a PB of 53.33, while Portugal's Fatoumata Binta Diallo claimed bronze in a national record of 53.55.
<h2>Neugebauer holds off Kaul in decathlon</h2>
World champion Leo Neugebauer held off a determined second-day charge from fellow German Niklas Kaul to win a gripping decathlon by just 38 points.
Neugebauer had led for much of the competition, building his advantage with a 7.82m long jump, a championship decathlon best of 17.13m in the shot put and another championship best of 54.31m in the discus.
But Kaul, renowned for his strength on day two, steadily closed the gap. His decisive move came in the javelin, where he threw 73.54m to Neugebauer&rsquo;s 60.10m, cutting the deficit to 154 points with only the 1500m remaining.
Kaul needed to finish roughly 24 seconds ahead of Neugebauer to take the title. He gave it everything, running 4:20.70, while an exhausted Neugebauer battled home in 4:38.36.
The 17.66-second gap was not quite enough. Neugebauer secured his first European title with 8611, Kaul taking silver with 8573. Sander Skotheim, the 2025 world indoor champion, completed the podium with 8433. It was the first decathlon the Norwegian had completed since setting a national record of 8909 in Gotzis last year.
<h2>English turns record into gold</h2>
Ireland&rsquo;s Mark English proved strongest when it mattered in the 800m, timing his kick to perfection to win his first European outdoor title in 1:45.26. Croatia's Marino Bloudek held on for silver in 1:45.62 and Spain's Mohamed Attaoui took bronze in 1:45.71.
English had made his intentions clear in the semifinals on Wednesday, running 1:43.49 to take 0.35 off a championship record set by Olaf Beyer back in 1978.
Elsewhere, Switzerland's Angelica Moser cleared 4.80m to retain the pole vault crown she won in Rome two years ago. Ten years after winning her first European title, and 14 years after winning her first continental medal, Germany&rsquo;s Gesa Felicitas Krause won her third European steeplechase title in 9:12.69.

European Athletics Championships

Kristjan Čeh produced one of the finest discus series in European Championships history to successfully defend his title

Čeh smashes championship record as Hunt completes European sprint double in Birmingham

Georgia Hunter Bell has finished on the podium at Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth level but previously worked in cyber security tech sales. The middle-distance runner reflects on her past life in the latest Side Track.
<h3>What was your past career and how did you get into it?</h3>
I used to work in cyber security tech sales and there&rsquo;s no direct line to it. It wasn&rsquo;t like I grew up thinking I wanted to work in cyber security tech sales when I was a kid! I went to the University of Birmingham, and did geography there then went to Berkeley in California for two years and did a masters out there. There was someone in my masters group who had just started working at Darktrace, which is a UK-based cyber security tech firm but had a San Francisco arm as well. I went for an interview, got the job and worked in that industry for seven years.
<h3>So were you US-based rather than UK-based?</h3>
I spent one year working and living in San Francisco, in the North Beach area. It was really cool and such a fun year for me. I had quit running and was actually very happy that I&rsquo;d finished running at that point. I was ready to be done with it, it hadn&rsquo;t been going that well, I&rsquo;d done it my whole life and I was ready for a fresh start. It felt like going to a new school but I was a working girl in San Francisco and had lots of friends, and absolutely loved it. After a year my visa expired and that&rsquo;s when I moved back to the UK working for the same company. That&rsquo;s when I started to really miss running, I was asking, 'is this my life now, did I have it better before?'
<h3>I imagine it was a pretty steep learning curve.</h3>
Almost immediately, you&rsquo;re going to big boardrooms to talk about cyber attacks and their impact on a business. So it&rsquo;s heavy and big already but I liked being thrown into it. The first year was a bit of a learning curve. The first year of sales is always hell as you&rsquo;re building a pipeline and also learning the product and the industry. It&rsquo;s only in years two and three that you start to see the impact and, by year four, I was the No.1 sales rep. But that first year I constantly worried I was going to get fired as I was not hitting my quota.
<h3>Was that work journey similar to the return to athletics from year one onwards?</h3>
Yeah, I think so. Experiencing what I did gave me some perspective with my running as well because the pressure in both is quite high, and I understand that running is a high-pressure job. With both, it&rsquo;s a case that you have to get on with it no matter the scenario and that does help with the running. So, it doesn&rsquo;t matter if a race goes wrong or you don&rsquo;t get into the position you want, you just have to find a way out of it.
<h3>What makes a good salesperson?</h3>
A lot of stuff, and again that&rsquo;s relatable to running. You need to put in the hours, you need a big pipeline of opportunities so that means constantly reaching out to companies, meeting companies, having lots of options to turn things into opportunities. You need to be very well prepared once you get in the room with a company, do your research on them, understand their weaknesses and how that impacts their business if they don&rsquo;t do this. We&rsquo;d plug in software, they&rsquo;d trial it for free and find all these problems. At that point, you&rsquo;d think it was an easy sell as seeing is believing but often they wouldn&rsquo;t have a budget for it. So, you need to work with the team to create a budget. You also have to be creative, persistent, make people your friends so people want to pick up the phone when you call. You are helping them solve a problem but you&rsquo;re getting a deal at the end of it. You were genuinely selling something they need. You could work for six months on a project and the person you&rsquo;re working with might get fired so you start all over again.
<h3>It must be a buzz when you pull off a big sale.</h3>
Oh yeah. I closed a very big deal with a big tech company in the UK which had taken a year and a half of work. Everyone in my organisation was across it in some way up to the CEO so there was quite a lot of pressure. When it did come off, that was very cool and also cool to get pay cheque as it&rsquo;s commission-based!
<h3>Is it similar to a race win?</h3>
It is like that. And again it&rsquo;s similar as you can go in with a strategy and hope it comes off but then the race goes differently but it still all comes together. So, it&rsquo;s about doing all the prep - that&rsquo;s why when I&rsquo;m racing I like to go in feeling really prepared. So for the Commonwealth Games final the other day, I met with [coaches] Jen [Meadows] and Trev [Painter] and spent nearly an hour going through scenarios that might happen and what I should do. So on the start line I felt very calm as I felt whatever way the race went I was ready for that and I wasn&rsquo;t going to be caught short in any way. The race didn&rsquo;t go as I expected but it was fine.
<h3>You were clearly enjoying the work but when did the running itch come back in?</h3>
The first year of the job I wasn&rsquo;t doing any kind of sport as there was a lot of schmoozing so drinks with clients which wasn&rsquo;t conducive to being an athlete. Back in London, I started to go for more runs. Then I got into duathlons - running and cycling - so I remember speaking to my boss saying this is what I&rsquo;m doing outside work so I won&rsquo;t be doing any evening events but I'm happy to do breakfasts and lunches, and I&rsquo;ll need to take time off to do races. So it was always on their radar and they were really supportive. But it changed at the World Indoors in Glasgow, I told them they could watch it on the BBC. That&rsquo;s when they really started to say, 'ok, she is actually really good'. And I think Steve Cram said on the commentary, as I came fourth, &lsquo;Georgia Bell must know that she&rsquo;s good enough to make the Olympics if she just quits her job and takes it seriously,&rsquo; and so that kind of did me a solid. So I spoke to them and asked to take a sabbatical with the plan to come back in September. I said, 'I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;ll make the Olympics but I need to try; I need this time off to go to prep camps and do the work'. They were very supportive. They said, 'absolutely, go for it'. They had a sweepstake at work of whether I&rsquo;d come back or not after I got bronze, and most people thought I wouldn&rsquo;t. Obviously after that the contract changed with Nike so I was able to make the decision to leave.
<h3>Do you ever wonder what might have happened if you&rsquo;d done it sooner?</h3>
Of course, you think what could have happened and what I could have achieved. I was with Trev when I was younger before I went to the US and he was confident he could make me into a world-class 800m runner. He wanted me to move to Manchester and I wanted to live the American dream. I came back to him and obviously I&rsquo;ve been running well but I feel it wouldn&rsquo;t have worked for me then. I wasn&rsquo;t mature enough plus I would not have met my husband!
<h3>Do you miss your old job and life at all?</h3>
The first year no, I look back and think how on earth was I doing that? Towards the end, I was training like a full-time athlete but working for a pre-IPO tech start-up company where it&rsquo;s sales so you can never be doing enough. So I really did feel like I was burning the candle at both ends. That first year I couldn&rsquo;t believe it when I could just wake up at nine, go for a run, go for lunch, go for physio and I just absolutely loved it. This past year I have started to miss elements of it - more just the stimulation probably for my brain. I&rsquo;ve missed that side of it. I&rsquo;ve missed some of the urgency even if it can be unhealthy and stress you out. But I do like the idea that there&rsquo;s a big project deadline and you have to do some critical thinking around it, and the buzz when that comes together. I really have to work to activate my brain now.
<h3>Might you go back to that after the track career?</h3>
I could see myself going back into that in the future. It&rsquo;s incredibly interesting. I&rsquo;ve had lots of good connections with my previous employers, I&rsquo;ve gone back to do talks or just to see them. I hope there&rsquo;d be a route back in. But who knows where running will go? In my mind it used to be just track and plan to do that through to LA and beyond but then there&rsquo;s the whole thing with the roads, and I love the running lifestyle so we&rsquo;ll see year by year.
<h3>Do you ever get a chance to reflect on your journey?</h3>
I do a bit, and I carry that perspective quite a lot when I race. I think that&rsquo;s one of the things that makes me quite a good competitor because I can see beyond the race in a way that lots of people I line up with can't. All they know is running and that's all they&rsquo;ve done whereas I&rsquo;ve worked a 9 to 5 job for seven years in an office and I think that means when I step up to race, I&rsquo;m going to take the moment with both hands and not leave anything out there, but I also know that if it goes terribly wrong, it&rsquo;s going to be OK. So it&rsquo;s a nice kind of freedom in racing which I think works really well.
<h3>What do your former work colleagues make of all your success?</h3>
After winning Commonwealth Games gold, I had a load of messages from people I used to work with saying, 'what the hell, I can&rsquo;t believe you&rsquo;re here'. Some came to the Commonwealth Games, some to the London Diamond League or the Diamond League in Zurich. I have quite a nice community.

Georgia Hunter Bell has finished on the podium at Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth level but previously worked in cyber security tech sales. The middle-distance runner reflects on her past life in the latest Side Track.

Side Track with Georgia Hunter Bell

With a focus on coaching, officiating and leadership opportunities, Athletics Kenya is working to close the gender gap by making greater inclusion of women a priority.
The initiative aligns with the World Athletics Gender Leadership Strategy, which sets a target for member federations to have a minimum of 40% female representation on their executive boards by 2029.
World Athletics has also set a target of at least 40% female representation among CECS Level 1 coaches by 2029, with an interim target of 35% by 2027.
&ldquo;When we look at what World Athletics is doing, we do not want to be left behind,&rdquo; said Athletics Kenya chief administrative officer Susan Kamau, who is also chair of athlete support personnel.
&ldquo;We also looked at the goal of creating an environment for women so that they can be fully represented in athletics. Looking long term, we expect that this will inspire many girls.&rdquo;
Athletics Kenya has already taken steps towards those targets. In October last year, the federation trained 44 women from its affiliated regions on a CECS Level 1 course delivered by the African Athletics Development Centre (AADC).
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a7dc5e11f50035f82dd4a90.jpg" alt="The Athletics Kenya coaching course" />
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The Athletics Kenya coaching course
</div>
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The programme was also open to affiliated institutions including the Kenya Defence Forces, National Police Service, Kenya Prisons, National Youth Service, Kenya Forest Service and Kenyan universities.
One of the participants was Jane Kiende, a teacher at DEB Kioru Primary and Junior School in Meru County, about 225km north-east of Nairobi. Kiende, who competed as a race walker in her younger days, is also in charge of sport and coaches at the school.
Through her work, she has seen the gender disparity in coaching first hand.
&ldquo;I looked at the field and saw more men than women. I thought, how can we fill these gaps in coaching?&rdquo; said Kiende. &ldquo;Therefore, I had that interest to know more about coaching.&rdquo;
Kiende also completed the World Athletics Gender Leadership online course in June.
The in-person World Athletics CECS Level 1 course covered areas including effective communication, mental skills, coaching philosophy, training principles, talent identification, athlete and coach welfare, athlete growth and development, and the planning of training and competitions.
Before the coaching programme, participants also completed mandatory online safeguarding training.
For Kiende, that training led to another opportunity. She was selected to serve as safeguarding officer and a coach for the Kenyan team at the African Championships in Accra, Ghana, in May.
&ldquo;I was able to interact with the athletes, understand them, know their challenges, strengths and weaknesses. I was able to exercise skills such as team spirit, good communication, openness and cooperation,&rdquo; said Kiende, who coaches several athletes and also works as a technical official.
&ldquo;It was an eye-opener,&rdquo; she added of her time in Accra. &ldquo;The experience improved my skills and gave me more knowledge. Now I understand the athletes very well.&rdquo;
<h2>Female coaches do matter</h2>
World 800m champion Lilian Odira is a strong supporter of the Athletics Kenya and World Athletics efforts to increase female representation in coaching.
Odira herself is coached by a woman, Jacinta Muraguri, and points to the importance of female coaches and mentors across the sport, including those working with athletes such as Agnes Ngetich and Audrey Werro.
&ldquo;I love being coached by a woman because she understands more about me as Odira, that I'm a mother just like she is,&rdquo; said Odira. &ldquo;She knows what I go through when it comes to sports. When I come to explain it to her, she understands more than maybe when I explain it to a male coach.&rdquo;
Muraguri welcomed the World Athletics target for greater female representation in coaching, adding that female coaches can offer particular insight into issues affecting women athletes, including reproductive health.
&ldquo;It is very encouraging and it is high time ladies came up because who will fill this 40% if we are not there?&rdquo; she asked.
Muraguri herself was a two-time national champion and has been coaching for several years.
<h2>Beyond coaching</h2>
Athletics Kenya, which has five women on its Executive Committee, is also pushing for greater gender balance in technical officiating, team management, physiotherapy, leadership, medical and safeguarding roles, as well as mentorship and training through the AADC.
&ldquo;That is one area that the Executive Committee has taken a bold step in, to say that we are going to include it in our budget when we are drawing the budgets at the beginning of the year,&rdquo; said Kamau.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a7dc6811f50035f82dd4a93.jpg" alt="Susan Kamau presents Jacqueline Wanjiru Muchira with her coaching certificate" />
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Susan Kamau presents Jacqueline Wanjiru Muchira with her coaching certificate
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Kamau also highlighted efforts to give women greater responsibility within Kenyan teams, with women taking on leadership and support roles at major championships.
&ldquo;This has really helped us because the athletes are supported through this transition, when they stop running,&rdquo; she said.
Kamau singled out retired athletes Milcah Chemos, Janeth Jepkosgei and Rose Tata Muia among the women continuing to make an impact in athletics.
Athletics Kenya has also embarked on the registration and validation of coaches, medical personnel and technical officials under the government-funded Enhanced Programme, working alongside the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) and the Ministry of Sports.
According to Kamau, there are currently 200 registered female coaches, with about 30 having been vetted and validated to a level that makes them eligible for selection as officials or coaches for senior national teams.
&ldquo;We are happy because we have seen women are not sitting back,&rdquo; she said.
Those who did not meet the required standard have been encouraged to repeat the process and undergo further assessment.
<h2>Looking to the future</h2>
Athletics Kenya also acknowledges the wider challenges facing women seeking to progress in the sport, including cultural stereotypes, family responsibilities, financial constraints and limited mentorship opportunities.
&ldquo;We are encouraging the women not to look at what the culture says about women. Do not sit back,&rdquo; said Kamau. &ldquo;We have administration, technical and coaching courses that you can take.&rdquo;
Odira agrees, adding that perceptions of female coaches also need to change.
&ldquo;We should change the narrative that it is only the male coaches who are capable of doing it. Female coaches have also done excellent work,&rdquo; she said.
&ldquo;We've changed the sport narrative. People back then thought that women could not do well in sports but now the narrative has changed. When you look at the Kenya team, it is now the women who are performing.&rdquo;
Rather than simply rushing to train more coaches this year, Athletics Kenya is monitoring and evaluating the progress of the 44 women who completed the programme last year.
For Kiende, the coaching journey continues with her athletes and at Athletics Kenya camps. She is also working to involve more sports teachers in her county and encourage more women to take up coaching.
Closing the gender gap will take time, but Athletics Kenya hopes that each new coach, official and leader will help create more opportunities for the women who follow.
Michelle Katami for World Athletics

With a focus on coaching, officiating and leadership opportunities, Athletics Kenya is working to close the gender gap by making greater inclusion of women a priority

How Athletics Kenya is working to close the gender gap

World Athletics is saddened to hear that Italy&rsquo;s 1960 Olympic 200m champion Livio Berruti died on Sunday (9) at the age of 87.
Berruti produced one of the defining performances of the Rome Olympic Games, equalling the world 200m record twice on 3 September 1960. He first clocked 20.5 in the semi-finals before matching that time in the final later that day. In doing so, Berruti became the first athlete from outside North America to win the Olympic men&rsquo;s 200m title.
Just 21 at the time and studying chemistry, Berruti&rsquo;s victory in front of a home crowd at Rome&rsquo;s Olympic Stadium made him one of the biggest sporting figures in Italy and delivered the country its first Olympic sprint title. He narrowly missed out on a second medal at those Games when Italy finished fourth in the 4x100m.
Born in Turin on 19 May 1939, Berruti discovered athletics while at school in 1955, having initially hoped to pursue tennis. He quickly emerged as one of Italy&rsquo;s leading sprinters and, at the inaugural Universiade in his home city in 1959, won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m. He later added another Universiade relay title in Tokyo in 1967.
Berruti was also a leading 100m runner. In 1960 he clocked 10.2, setting an Italian record and equalling the European record. He won the Italian 100m and 200m titles in each of the six seasons from 1957 to 1962, and added two further national 200m titles in 1965 and 1968.
He competed at three Olympic Games. Four years after his triumph in Rome, he returned to the 200m final at the Tokyo Games and finished fifth, while also helping Italy reach the 4x100m final. At his third Olympics in Mexico City in 1968 he reached the 200m quarter-finals and was again part of Italy&rsquo;s 4x100m team, which finished seventh.
His international career ultimately spanned more than a decade and included 41 appearances for Italy. Berruti retired from competitive athletics in 1969, completed his studies in chemistry and went on to work in public relations. He nevertheless remained closely connected to athletics and a revered figure within Italian sport.
In April 2024, ahead of the European Championships in Rome, and more than six decades after his Olympic triumph, Berruti met members of Italy&rsquo;s relay squad at the renovated Stadio dei Marmi, alongside the Olympic Stadium where his 1960 victory had made him a national sporting icon.

Livio Berruti, 1939 - 2026

1960 Olympic 200m champion Berruti dies

Bence Hal&aacute;sz produced the performance of his career to win his first major senior title at the European Championships in Birmingham on Tuesday (11), launching a world-leading Hungarian record of 84.25m to move to 10th on the world all-time list.
Miltiadis Tentoglou and Nadia Battocletti were also among the champions on the second day of action, both successfully defending their titles, while Romell Glave led a British one-two in the men&rsquo;s 100m.
But the standout performance came from Hal&aacute;sz, who had collected seven medals at senior global and continental championships before Birmingham without ever reaching the top step of the podium.
The Hungarian made his intentions clear from the outset, taking the lead with 80.96m in the opening round before improving to 81.84m with his third throw.
Already assured of a medal, he then produced a huge fifth-round effort. The hammer landed at 84.25m, adding more than a metre to his previous best and breaking the long-standing Hungarian record of 84.19m set by Adrian Annus in 2003.
It also elevated Hal&aacute;sz to 10th on the world all-time list.
Germany&rsquo;s world silver medallist Merlin Hummel responded with 81.30m later in the fifth round to secure silver, while Ukraine&rsquo;s Olympic bronze medallist Mykhaylo Kokhan also produced his best throw in that round, reaching 79.49m for bronze.
&ldquo;I was not expecting this kind of result,&rdquo; said Hal&aacute;sz. &ldquo;When I released the hammer, I was thinking, &lsquo;OK, this is a very good throw, maybe 83 metres.&rsquo; And then I was shocked when I saw the result. This is the best performance of my life.
&ldquo;The atmosphere here in Birmingham has come very close to matching what I felt at the 2023 World Championships on my home soil. I hope I will make Budapest happy again soon (at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship). It will be a big competition.&rdquo;
<h2>Tentoglou makes it four in a row</h2>
Tentoglou extended his dominance of the men&rsquo;s long jump by winning his fourth successive European title.
The two-time Olympic champion had to come from behind after Switzerland&rsquo;s Simon Ehammer took the lead with 8.29m in the second round.
Ehammer remained on top until round four, when Tentoglou produced his best jump of the night, sailing out to 8.44m (-1.1m/s) to take control of the competition.
That proved sufficient to earn Tentoglou another European crown, following his victories in Berlin in 2018, Munich in 2022 and Rome in 2024.
Ehammer&rsquo;s 8.29m (-2.7m/s) held up for silver, while Bulgaria&rsquo;s Bozhidar Saraboyukov saved his best until last, leaping 8.26m (-1.7m/s) in the sixth round to move into the bronze-medal position.
Battocletti also retained her title, using a powerful late kick to break clear of her rivals in the women&rsquo;s 5000m. The Italian remained patient during a tactical race before making her decisive move on the final lap.
Once she accelerated, the Olympic silver medallist quickly opened a gap and went on to win comfortably in 15:37.84. Spain&rsquo;s Marta Garcia took silver in 15:39.98, while Micol Majori ensured Italy claimed two places on the podium by finishing third in 15:40.65.
<h2>Glave leads British one-two</h2>
As on the opening night, the session ended with a 100m victory for the host nation.
This time Britain claimed both of the top two places as Romell Glave won the men&rsquo;s final in 10.09 (-0.4m/s), ahead of teammate Jeremiah Azu, who clocked 10.16.
Defending champion Marcell Jacobs had looked impressive in winning his semifinal earlier in the evening, but the 2021 Olympic champion pulled up injured during the final and was unable to challenge for a third successive European title.
Glave, meanwhile, powered through the second half of the race to secure the European crown in front of the home crowd.
The finest margin of the night came in the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles, where Nadine Visser edged Pia Skrzyszowska by just one thousandth of a second.
Neither athlete could be separated by the official rounded times, with both recording 12.67, but the photo finish gave the Dutch athlete the title. France&rsquo;s Laeticia Bapte completed the podium, taking bronze in 12.73.

Bence Halász produced the performance of his career to win his first major senior title at the European Championships

Halász wins European hammer title with world-leading 84.25m

Haruka Kitaguchi leapt to global attention in winning the javelin world title in 2023 before adding Olympic glory to her CV a year later. And we asked the Japanese athlete... What's your Ultimate?
Ultimate performance... My final throw at the 2023 World Championships.
Ultimate event (except your event)... Gymnastics.
Ultimate career goal... A memory that will remain in the minds of people all over the world.
Ultimate athlete... Michael Phelps.
Ultimate clash... Karsten Warholm vs Mondo Duplantis over the 100m. Outside of athletics, the women's basketball quarter-final between Japan and Belgium at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Ultimate memory... The World Championships in Budapest in 2023 - my last attempt.
Ultimate venue... The same venue!
Ultimate meal... Sanma (Pacific saury) sushi.
Ultimate night out/night in... Drinking with family, friends or alone.
Ultimate possession... Dream supporters.
Ultimate hidden talent... A flyswatter, and falling asleep the moment I get on a vehicle - as if I&rsquo;d passed out.
Ultimate day off... Sleep as long as possible and eat delicious foods.
Ultimate holiday destination... Go to countries and places I've never visited before then experience their history and culture.
Ultimate pre-competition song... Mr.Simple by Super Junior.
Ultimate movie(s)...&nbsp;Harry Potter and Now You See Me.

Haruka Kitaguchi

What's your Ultimate? Haruka Kitaguchi

Jakob Ingebrigtsen made a triumphant return to racing by successfully defending his 5000m title at the European Championships in Birmingham on Monday (10), while Amy Hunt delighted the home crowd by taking the 100m crown on the opening night of action.
Ingebrigtsen had not raced at all in 2026 following an achilles injury and surgery in February, but the two-time Olympic champion showed little sign of rust as he produced his trademark finishing kick to win in 13:15.29.
The Norwegian had also endured a disrupted 2025 season, with the World Championships in Tokyo &ndash; where he contested the 1500m and 5000m &ndash; his only outdoor competition of the year.
Despite that lengthy absence, he appeared content to bide his time in Birmingham. World 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier was prominent towards the front in the closing stages, with Germany&rsquo;s Florian Bremm also moving into contention.
Ingebrigtsen remained within striking distance and, after briefly finding himself boxed in approaching the home straight, found the space he needed and accelerated past his rivals to secure a fourth consecutive European 5000m title.
Bremm came through strongly to take silver in 13:15.60, while Etienne Daguinos won an all-French battle for bronze, clocking 13:16.09 to finish ahead of Gressier.
&ldquo;I doubted myself every day, and every minute leading up to the last lap,&rdquo; said Ingebrigtsen. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m always hoping. You can only do your best and only prepare as well as you think you can, and in the past couple of weeks I&rsquo;ve managed to do that. I&rsquo;ve been just on the limit of what I think my body can handle. Everything in the past three weeks has been pretty smooth; everything before that has been not so smooth. But I&rsquo;m very happy to be back here and to win again.&rdquo;
The victory extended Ingebrigtsen&rsquo;s remarkable record at the championships. He had completed the 1500m and 5000m double at each of the previous three editions &ndash; Berlin in 2018, Munich in 2022 and Rome in 2024 &ndash; and his latest triumph took his tally to seven European outdoor titles. It was also his 17th European gold medal across track and cross country.
Just 45 minutes after Ingebrigtsen&rsquo;s victory, Norway doubled their gold medal tally with a dramatic win in the mixed 4x400m.
Karsten Warholm got them off to a strong start with a 44.5 opening leg, but Lieke Klaver propelled the Netherlands into the lead on the second stage.
The Dutch maintained their advantage deep into the anchor leg, but Norway&rsquo;s Henriette Jaeger and Britain&rsquo;s Yemi Mary John began to close on Myrte van der Schoot around the final bend.
With all three teams battling for gold down the home straight, Jaeger proved strongest. She moved past John and Van der Schoot in the closing metres to bring Norway home in 3:09.62, breaking both the national record and championship record.
Great Britain took silver in 3:10.47, with the Netherlands securing bronze.
<h2>Hunt delivers home victory, Schilder and Fabbri dominate shot put</h2>
The evening then ended on a high for the hosts as Hunt held off a strong field to win the women&rsquo;s 100m.
The world 200m silver medallist had underlined her form by winning her semifinal in 10.99, but she was made to work hard for gold in the final.
Hunt trailed her faster-starting rivals through the opening stages, with Poland&rsquo;s Ewa Swoboda particularly prominent, but the Briton gathered momentum through the second half of the race.
She caught Swoboda in the closing metres and crossed the line in 11.00 to secure her first senior European title.
Swoboda was rewarded with silver in 11.02, while Belgium&rsquo;s Delphine Nkansa took bronze in 11.06.
The two shot put finals followed a similar pattern, with the defending champions producing commanding victories and leading their respective nations to gold-and-silver finishes.
World champion Jessica Schilder dominated the women&rsquo;s contest as the Netherlands repeated their one-two finish from Rome two years ago.
Schilder took control early and improved to 20.52m in the third round. None of her rivals came close to threatening her lead and all five of her valid throws would ultimately have been enough for victory.
She nevertheless saved her best for last, sending the shot out to 20.73m in the sixth round to complete a comprehensive title defence.
Her compatriot Jorinde van Klinken produced a PB of 19.64m to secure silver, while Germany&rsquo;s Olympic champion Yemisi Mabry took bronze with 19.50m, meaning the podium featured the same three women in the same order as in Rome.
Leonardo Fabbri was similarly dominant in the men&rsquo;s event.
The Italian moved ahead with 21.78m in the second round before extending his lead to 22.31m. That put him more than a metre clear of the rest of the field and proved comfortably sufficient for a second successive European title.
Zane Weir made it an Italian one-two with 21.12m, while Sweden&rsquo;s Wictor Petersson claimed bronze with 20.97m.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen made a triumphant return to racing by successfully defending his 5000m title at the European Championships in Birmingham

Ingebrigtsen makes golden return as Hunt triumphs in Birmingham

Five action-packed days of the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 have come to an end and based on competition ranking, it was the best ever edition of the global age-group event.
The 21st World U20 Championships, held at Eugene&rsquo;s Hayward Field from 5-9 August, featured six world U20 records, 11 championship records and 17 area U20 records.
A total of 1659 athletes from 137 countries participated. Of those, 42 countries won medals and 24 countries won gold medals.
Multiple medallists included USA&rsquo;s Tate Taylor, who won gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, and Jamaica&rsquo;s Shanoya Douglas, gold medallist in the 4x100m and silver medallist in the 100m and 200m.
<h2>Records set</h2>
6 world U20 records&nbsp;
Le'Ezra Brown (USA) in the men's 110m hurdles &ndash; 12.72 Isaac Beacroft (AUS) in the men's 5000m race walk &ndash; 18:40.37 USA in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m &ndash; 38.16 Italy in the mixed 4x100m &ndash; 41.21 Great Britain &amp; NI in the mixed 4x100m &ndash; 41.60 Australia in the mixed 4x100m &ndash; 41.64
11 championship records
Tate Taylor (USA) in the men's 200m &ndash; 19.83 Jayden Deleon (USA) in the men's 400m &ndash; 44.47 Emmanuel Kiprono (KEN) in the men's 3000m &ndash; 7:28.28 Le'Ezra Brown (USA) in the men's 110m hurdles &ndash; 12.72 Isaac Beacroft (AUS) in the men's 5000m race walk* &ndash; 18:40.37 Serena Di Fabio (ITA) in the women's 5000m race walk &ndash; 20:57.57 USA in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m &ndash; 38.16 USA in the mixed 4x400m &ndash; 3:15.31 Italy in the mixed 4x100m* &ndash; 41.21 Great Britain &amp; NI in the mixed 4x100m* &ndash; 41.60 Australia in the mixed 4x100m* &ndash; 41.64
5 championship combined events best performances
Liam Belo Da Silva (SWE) in the decathlon high jump &ndash; 2.15m Liam Belo Da Silva (SWE) in the decathlon discus &ndash; 51.67m Thea Brown (GBR) in the heptathlon 100m hurdles &ndash; 13.23 Zola Ndouma-Mona (FRA) in the heptathlon shot put &ndash; 14.72m Zal&aacute;n Zeemen (HUN) in the decathlon 110m hurdles &ndash; 13.70
17 area U20 records&nbsp;&nbsp;
111 national records
601 personal bests
<h2>Competition rankings</h2>
165,463 &ndash; Oregon 2026 164,878 &ndash; Cali 2022 164,612 &ndash; Bydgoszcz 2016 164,365 &ndash; Tampere 2018 163,387 &ndash; Oregon 2014 163,071 &ndash; Barcelona 2012 162,923 &ndash; Lima 2024 162,134 &ndash; Nairobi 2021 161,146 &ndash; Moncton 2010 160,509 &ndash; Bydgoszcz 2008
*disciplines held at the World U20 Championships for the first time in Oregon

World Athletics U20 Championships

Five action-packed days of the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 have come to an end and based on competition ranking, it was the best ever edition of the global age-group event.

World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 – by the numbers

The second phase of the Ultimate Fan Challenge has come to an end, and after reviewing hundreds of incredible submissions from fans around the world, we have selected five outstanding finalists - one representing each competition category.
From today until 14 August (23:59 CEST), fans will have the chance to decide who will become the Phase 2 winner and secure the final place in the Ultimate Fan Challenge Final in Budapest.
The winner will join the two finalists from Phase 1, who have already been announced, to compete for the title of Ultimate Fan during the Ultimate Championship in Budapest. As part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, the finalists will also have the opportunity to meet Usain Bolt and take part in the Ultimate Fan Challenge Final in front of thousands of fans at the stadium.
<h2>Meet the five finalists</h2>
Each finalist has been selected as the winner of one of the following categories:
&middot; Participation &amp; Embodiment Braulio (United States of America) - Forward
&middot; Presence &amp; Pilgrimage Pedro (United Kingdom) - Wheel To Racetrack
&middot; Lifestyle &amp; Culture Jarrell (United States of America) - The calm after the storm
&middot; Emotion &amp; Legacy Bruwer (South Africa) - The prestige cup
&middot; Community &amp; Sharing Kayla (France) - Beyond borders
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ultimateathleticschampionship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Discover all the finalist here and vote for your favourite</a>.
Every finalist has shown a unique passion for athletics and demonstrated what it truly means to be part of our global athletics community.
<h2>How to vote</h2>
Voting is simple.
Visit the official <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ultimateathleticschampionship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ultimate Championship Instagram account</a> between 10 August and 14 August (23:59 CEST) and watch the five finalist pieces of content.
To vote, simply like the post featuring your favourite finalist. The finalist whose post receives the most likes by the end of the voting period will be crowned the Phase 2 winner and earn a trip to Budapest for the Ultimate Championship.
Don't miss your chance to help decide who will become the final contestant in the race for the Ultimate Fan title!
<h2>Fan battle in Budapest</h2>
In Hungary, the three lucky trip winners will then have the opportunity to undertake a series of challenges in front of packed stands to prove they can be crowned &lsquo;The Ultimate Fan&rsquo;.
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is a new-for-2026 event bringing together Olympic champions, world champions and Diamond League final winners to fight it out to be crowned the ultimate champion. And you can be there too.
Vote now on the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ultimateathleticschampionship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ultimate Championship Instagram account</a>.

The second phase of the Ultimate Fan Challenge has come to an end, and after reviewing hundreds of incredible submissions from fans around the world, we have selected five outstanding finalists

Ultimate Fan Challenge phase 2 finalists revealed – now it's your turn to decide

As his lead leg hit the last flight in the 110m hurdles final at the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Ladji Doucour&eacute; could have been excused for suffering an unnerving case of d&eacute;j&agrave; vu.
In the Olympic final in Athens the year before, the young French medal hope had got shunted from second to eighth after crashing into the ultimate barrier, leaving Liu Xiang of China, a close rival from their junior days, a clear winner.
Doucour&eacute; had been the fastest all through the preliminaries in the Greek capital, setting French records in the opening round (13.18) and semi-finals (13.06).
For the 22-year-old, it was a different story when it came to the moment that mattered.
The Doucour&eacute; of 2005 was a smoother, steadier high hurdler than the 2004 version. Faster and stronger too.
A winter of all-round graft under the astute guidance of his long-time coach, Renaud Longu&egrave;vre, had paid tangible dividends with a first senior international title, the 2005 European indoor 60m hurdles crown in Madrid, and entry into the elite sub-13-second 110m hurdles club with a national record of 12.97 at the French Championships in Angers.
Liu closed rapidly on his inside on the run-in to the line in Helsinki but Doucour&eacute; held his form sufficiently to hang on for the world title. Only just, mind &ndash; by little more than the thickness of the right-foot spike he has kindly donated to the Museum of World Athletics as a reminder of a momentous achievement for Doucour&eacute; and for French athletics.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a79d82a296410e2d9f70dab.jpeg" alt="Ladji Doucour&eacute;'s spike from the 2005 world final" />
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Ladji Doucour&eacute;'s spike from the 2005 world final
</div>
</div>
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t believe I&rsquo;d won until I saw the replay on the giant screen,&rdquo; Doucour&eacute; confessed.
He had prevailed by a mere 0.01 from the low-leaning Liu, 13.07 to 13.08, with four-time world champion Allen Johnson of the US third in 13.10.
&ldquo;It was a brutal race, a real fight all the way to the line,&rdquo; Doucour&eacute; continued. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t sure that I&rsquo;d crossed the line first.
&ldquo;We are in an event where we could run the race over again and the same person wouldn&rsquo;t win it. I am not necessarily the best 110m hurdler but I was the best today.&rdquo;
An engagingly modest soul, raised by a Malian father and Senegalese mother in the southern Parisian suburb of Viry-Ch&acirc;tillon, Doucour&eacute; was so embarrassed at receiving an appearance fee after false-starting at the Paris Golden League meeting in 2004 he donated it to the children at his track club, Viry &Eacute;vry Nord Sud Essonne.
His victory in Helsinki made him the first French athlete to win a senior global 110m hurdles title since Guy Drut struck Olympic gold in Montreal in 1976. And there was more than an element of Gallic d&eacute;j&agrave; vu in Doucour&eacute; following in his celebrated compatriot&rsquo;s world-beating footsteps.
Drut won the French U20 decathlon title in 1968. Doucour&eacute; won it in 2001, the year he bagged European U20 decathlon gold in Grosseto, scoring 7747. Drut held the French junior record with 7565.
A 5.20m pole vaulter, Drut&rsquo;s all-round sporting ability took him to second place in a European heat of the 1976 Superstars television contest &ndash; behind the five-time Wimbledon tennis champion Bjorn Borg, who got the better of him in the deciding 600m steeplechase.
Historically, Doucour&eacute; went one better than Drut in claiming a second global outdoor gold medal in Helsinki.
The day after his hurdles triumph, on 13 August 2005, he ran the lead-off leg for the French quartet that held off Trinidad and Tobago by 0.02 to win the 4x100m in 38.08 &ndash; partnered by Ronald Pognon, Eddy De L&eacute;pine and Lueyi Dovy.
&ldquo;Before coming to Helsinki, I imagined winning two medals, maybe two bronzes,&rdquo; Doucour&eacute; confessed. &ldquo;To get two golds is a dream.&rdquo;
Doucour&eacute;&rsquo;s dream of becoming a professional footballer ended at the age of 13, when he broke his shin bone playing in the French schools&rsquo; championships. Three years later, in 1999, he had his first piece of track and field history, winning the first final contested at the inaugural World U18 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland: the 110m hurdles in 13.26.
At the 2000 World U20 Championships in Santiago, Chile, he edged Liu Xiang in the battle for bronze, 13.84 to 13.87, and won a silver medal alongside Pognon in the 4x100m.
Not until 2002, though, a year after his European U20 decathlon triumph, did the decision come to concentrate solely on the high hurdles.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a79d871296410e2d9f70dae.jpeg" alt="Ladji Doucour&eacute;, his former coach Renaud Longu&egrave;vre and World Athletics President Sebastian Coe" />
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Ladji Doucour&eacute;, Michael H Burke, and World Athletics President Sebastian Coe
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The guiding light in the switch was Longuevre, a former pole vaulter who initially started coaching the youthful Doucour&eacute; in that event. He subsequently encouraged his charge to explore the extent of his skills as a combined eventer before narrowing the focus to single discipline.
Injuries ultimately caught up with the dashing Doucour&eacute;. After the highs of Helsinki, he won just one further medal in the international arena: a second European indoor 60m hurdles gold in Turin in 2009.
That famous double in the Finnish capital, however, was enough to stir the patriot fervour of his coach, a technical advisor for the &Icirc;le-de-France region, who oversaw Doucour&eacute;&rsquo;s development at the National Institute of Sport and Physical Education.
&ldquo;I am proud to be part of the technical staff founded by General de Gaulle to promote French sport,&rdquo; Longuevre trumpeted. &ldquo;We are paid by the taxpayer so that, since the age of 15, guys like Ladji can benefit from exceptional support.
&ldquo;We know how to make champions. Thank you, France.&rdquo;
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage
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As his lead leg hit the last flight in the 110m hurdles final at the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Ladji Doucouré could have been excused for suffering an unnerving case of déjà vu

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