Jarrion Lawson mid flight during the long jump (© Getty Images)
It wouldn’t be as fun if we always knew the result. Day 2 of the IAAF World Championships proved just that. It’s time for the second instalment of the London Wrap.
A tale of two high jumps
Sometimes you just have one of those days when you wish the high jump mat would open up and swallow you whole. It was one such day for British heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who couldn’t bear to move from the pit after three failures at 1.86m in the high jump.
The 2015 European indoor champ notched just a 1.80m clearance, well short of her 1.98m PB and seriously scuppering her medal hopes. Credit to her for returning with solid showings in the shot put and 200m to just about retain touch with the leaders.
But sometimes you have one of those days when you never want the fun to end. Step forward Cuba’s Yorgelis Rodriguez. The feisty Cuban was in tears of joy after setting a lifetime best 1.92m. She promptly wiped them away to clear 1.95m. Cue more tears. It also sent the gathered Coccodrillos watching – Alberto Juantanera and Javier Sotomayor included – into fiesta mode. It’s a good mode to be in.
You’re not dreaming
The fun ain’t ending any time soon for Gina Luckenkemper. The 20-year-old was fastest overall in the women’s 100m heats, clocking 10.95 for a lifetime best and a spot in the semis.
“It was a dream to run sub-11 inside this stadium, at these championships,” the chuffed German said. “This just feels so, so good.”
You’d never have guessed from the look on her face.
Brassed on
Half-way through the evening session, the biggest surprise of the night looked to be the introductions afforded to the finalists in the field events.
In the discus, the big fellas gathered round the circle while a brass band from the British Army trumpeted in their direction. A weird touch, but a welcome one.
Best in class
Just over a year ago, Almaz Ayana had a go at her first ever track 10,000m. She clocked 30:07.00 – the fastest time in the world and the best debut over the distance in history. A month later she had another go, and 29:17.46 minutes later she was the Olympic champion and world record holder.
In London she laced up her spikes for a first competitive 25-lapper of the season and, true to form, 30:16.32 minutes later she was a world champion with the fastest time by any athlete all year.
Pushing on after a pedestrian first few KMs, the enigmatic Ethiopian demolished the field, winning over compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba by a stonking 46 seconds. It wasn’t a slugfest like the men’s 10k final the previous night; instead it was as dominant a display as you’re likely to see in any championship race anywhere.
Six round prize fight
Slugfest fans found their fix in the men’s long jump.
Jarrion Lawson, Ruswahl Samaai and Aleksandr Menkov were all over eight metres with their first round jumps. They were promptly joined by Luvo Manyonga in round two, who sailed out to 8.48m to stamp his authority on the competition. Lawson piled on the pressure with an 8.43m with his next jump, while six more men flew out over the 8-metre-marker.
Such supreme quality meant no one’s place on the podium was secure – Samaai hauled himself into bronze with a last round 8.32m, displacing Menkov; and while Lawson continued to record big marks, Manyonga just about held on.
It was bruising stuff, but as he and South African teammate Samaai embraced in prayer at the comp’s conclusion, you knew it was all in the right spirit.
He’s in front of you
The Brits love a hero as much as they revile a villain. It was pantomime stuff through the rounds of the men’s 100m every time the much-maligned Justin Gatlin took to the track. The 35-year-old had the last word in the matter, though, crossing the line in 9.92 in the final to pip American teammate Christian Coleman to gold.
In bronze, just 0.03 secs behind, was Usain Bolt. His place in history is already secure. In London, it was just one of those days.
