Opening Ceremony
We love a good round-up, and there's no better place for us to get our wrap on (spring roll, surely?) than from downtown Beijing, where we're holed up for the 2015 World Championships. Here's what we loved the most from Day 1.
Masters of opening ceremonies
Marquis Dendy might have been left only mildly impressed, but in our eyes, the opening ceremony was both bonkers and brilliant. The more abstract the better, as far as we're concerned, and the organisers behind the Beijing spectacle obviously see where we're coming from.
Apparently the theme was something to do with flying high with dreams, which explains the woman zipping around on the high wire. The whole thing was like the confused lovechild of Cirque Du Soleil and a full council meeting of the UN. Just to confirm, that is a GOOD thing.
Behind every great woman is a great man
HUSBAND OF THE YEAR đź’• @AshtonJEaton cheering on @btheiseneaton in the heptathlon! pic.twitter.com/DNRTgV1hjU
— SPIKES (@spikesmag) August 22, 2015
Ashton Eaton once more proved why he’s not just an incredible athlete, but also why he's the perfect life partner.
He might have a decathlon world title to defend in a few days’ time, but there was no way that the world record holder would not miss his wife Brianne Thiesen-Eaton's pursuit of the heptathlon title. Nor could he stay in his seat during the first four rounds of competition. Husband of the year for you right there!
Transfer request
There is no better childhood toy than the temporary tattoo, and it would seem even the adults want in on the act.
US heptathlete Erica Bougard brought some glitz to proceedings (along with us, obvs) with the golden transfers that wrapped round her biceps. Lynsey Sharp take note: black marker pen is SO last year.
Wait. What?
Someone call air traffic control and find out if any pigs have been spotted flying around the Beijing area. Kenya failed to produce a medal winner in the men’s marathon (they didn't even come remotely close), yet they provided TWO heat winners in the men’s 400m hurdles. Highly unusual behaviour.
Confusion first struck when last year's African Championships bronze medallist Nicholas Bett claimed victory in heat 1 in 48.37 (making him the fastest qualifier). In the following heat, people started checking if their water wasn't in fact rice wine, as Boniface Tumuti blitzed to the win in a PB 48.79. A chipper Tumuti even crowed to the media afterwards that he can win a medal and run 47.10. If he does, you can't say you weren't warned.
Ring the medal Gong!
Having a home hero to cheer will always elevate a championships, and on the opening day the Bird's Nest had that in the form of Lijiao Gong. The Chinese shot putter was ranked second in the world coming into the championships, and a little help from the partisan crowd was nearly just the thing to push her to gold.
The 26-year-old led after the first two rounds thanks to a 20.30m opener, and for a moment it looked like she was in business. But then German Christina Schwantiz clocked a 20.37m in round three that no one could better, Gong included. No matter: the crowd loved it (and we loved the crowd) and the silver medal will go very nicely indeed with the bronze she picked up in Moscow two years ago.