London Wrap III

Whoever said ‘it’s a marathon not a sprint’ clearly wasn’t talking about day three of the IAAF World Championships, which had loads of both. This is how it played out in and around the London Stadium.

Far not fat

The English translation of the Dutch word vetter is fatter. But it was more a matter further than fatter for Dutch heptathlete Anouk Vetter.

The European champ hurled the javelin out to a heptathlon championship best 58.41m to fly into the medal positions in the penultimate event late in the morning session, before going on to secure bronze later in the night.

Queen of the heptathlon

The evening session begun with a reallocation medal ceremony that saw British darling Jessica Ennis-Hill receive her rightful gold medal from Daegu 2011. Now retired, the three-time world champion’s crown has passed to an equally worthy queen.

Nafi Thiam was in cruise control over the two days of competition, barely having to ruffle her billowing braids as she confirmed her status as the world’s most dominant athlete.

“You’re never really sure if you’re going to produce something great,” the 22-year-old Belgian athlete said afterwards.

Now with the world title to go with her Olympic gold, a high-profile Gotzis win and status as the number three all-time performer, you get the feeling that there are greater things to come for the 22-year-old from Belgium. 

Like she meant it

What would you do, if you were running in the marathon at your home world championships? Hold back and race smart like coach says?

Of course you wouldn’t. You’d press the PB pace button, break from the lead group early and beckon the crowd lining the course to fill your ears with power, just like Aly Dixon did.

Though the Briton faded in the second half of the race, she played her part in what was a highly entertaining contest won in the end by Rose Chelimo. That Dixon had to be taken from the finish line in a wheelchair stands as testament to one of the gutsiest performances of the championships yet.

I can be your hero, baby 

So large are the crowds in the London Stadium this week, and so eager are they to get to their seats hours before the action begins, that the stewards had to let them in early ahead of today’s evening session.

With little else going on other than pole vault warm ups, mascot Hero took up the role of entertainer in chief. Doing the worm with infield compere Iwan Thomas and taking a bath in the steeplechase water jump shouldn’t be funny for sporting purists like this correspondent, but, somehow, the mute oversized hedgehog makes it work. Watch out Cooly.

Build me a podium

Until a few years ago Tomas Walsh was working 30-hour weeks in the construction trade. No wonder the the New Zealander is good with his hands.

The 25-year-old aptly built himself a stunning series in the shot put final – each of his six throws over 21m – to add the outdoor world title to his indoor gold from 2016.

Putty in your arms

Top marks to Stipe Zunic, who chased his final throw in the shot put down the segment before doing a soccer-style slide on the grass. Bronze for the Croat, and more points for being able to haul Walsh over his shoulder at the comp’s conclusion.

With respect to Tom, that takes some doing.

Stadium sing-song

A awesome night of athletics @IAAFWorldChamps #IAAFWorlds #SweetCaroline pic.twitter.com/WjLSTuj85Y

— Richard Blyth (@richardtsblyth) August 6, 2017

In a short moment of down-time before the final event of the night the stadium dee-jay decided to press play on Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline. No one’s entirely sure why, but frankly who cares: the whole stadium took to its feet to sway in unison in one of the more surreal moments of the championships so far.

Heads you win

And so to that final event of the night. As with the previous evening, most expected a Jamaican to prevail in the short sprints final but, as with the previous evening, there was an American on hand to upset that apple cart.

Former long jumper Tori Bowie didn’t look to be in contention in the women’s 100m until the final yards, when she defied the laws of physics with a five-yard lean to win gold ahead of the fast starting Marie-Josee Ta Lou.

“I had no idea [I’d won],” she said after the race. “All I knew is I left everything on the line.” It’s was her dip what won it.

You're a wizard, Devon

Devon Allen might have missed out on the 110m hurdles final by 0.003 seconds, but the US boy bossed his race introduction 👍.