Day three of the World Athletics Championships got started early Sunday with the men’s marathon at 6:15 a.m. where Ethiopians Tamirat Tola and Mosinet Geremew earned gold and silver, while Bashir Abdi of Belgium grabbed the bronze medal.
The race was strategic throughout but ended with Tola crossing the line with a world championship record of 2:05:36.
Former Duck Galen Rupp stuck with the lead pack of runners through 30km but faded back as the pace picked up towards the end of the race. Rupp finished in 19th as the top American with a season-best time of 2:09:36.
A second clean sweep for the United States, but this time in the men’s shot put final.
World record holder Ryan Crouser captured his first world championship by throwing for a championship record 22.94 meters, while Joe Kovacs threw for a season best of 22.89 meters to earn silver and Josh Awotunde tossed a personal best of 22.29 meters.
“This is such a special night, being part of the USA sweep in the shot put at the first World Championships on home soil,” Crouser said. “This is something I’ll never forget, probably the proudest moment of my shot putting career.”
In round one of the men’s 400 meter hurdles, Americans Michael Norman, Champion Allison and Michael Cherry all advanced by taking first place in each of their respective heats.
The Jamaican women swept the 100 meter dash final with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce getting gold, Sherika Jackson snagging silver and Elaine Thompson-Herah getting the bronze.
In the women’s hammer throw final, Americans Brooke Andersen and Janee’ Kassanavoid took home their first world championship medals by taking gold and bronze while Canadian Camryn Rogers took the silver medal.
“It hasn’t really quite set in yet. I was looking out across the field and I thought to myself, I’m a world champion,” Andersen said. “I’m just very fortunate to have the competition I did have.”
Another former Duck, Canadian Jillian Weir, earned fifth place on her last throw that landed 72.41 meters away from her and emphatically celebrated with Rogers when she clinched the silver medal.
“Huge hug. It was a really awesome moment,” Rogers said. “Just being so proud to represent Canada and to be doing it side-by-side as teammates and friends.”
The women’s pole vault final was the second final of the day where the United States held two of the three podium spots.
Katie Negoette earned her first world championship title in the pole vault by clearing 4.85 meters on her first attempt and fellow American Sandi Morris brought the silver medal home — surpassing 4.85 meters on her second attempt.
Australian Nina Kennedy cleared 4.80 meters, earning her bronze.
In the men’s 10,000 meter final, Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda proved why he is the world record holder in the event, taking home gold by outlasting Kenyan Stanley Waithaka Mburu (silver) and his fellow countryman Jacob Kiplimo (bronze) in a blistering final lap.
Also in the mix was American Grant Fisher who hung with the top group the whole race and finished just a step behind Kiplimo in fourth place. This equals the highest an American has ever finished in this event at the World Championships, tying Rupp who placed fourth in 2013.
“I’m happy with fourth, it’s the highest I’ve ever been but it keeps you wanting more so, hopefully I can carry that close to my heart,” Fisher said.
In the first round of the women’s 400 meters, Americans Lynna Irby and Talitha Diggs advanced to the semifinals on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m.
The men’s 110 meter hurdle finals was eventful even before it began.
Prior to the race, world No. 1 Hansle Parchment suffered a hamstring injury while warming up. Then, world No. 2 and former Duck Devon Allen was disqualified from the finals after a review showed that he jumped off the blocks 0.001 before the other competitors.
After multiple protests Allen was forced to exit the track.
“One-one-thousandth is pretty close to the limit,” Allen said. “If I’m one-one-thousandth slower then everybody is happy, everyone’s saying ‘Hey, great race’,”
Despite the distractions, Americans Grant Holloway and Trey Cunningham brought the gold and silver home while Spaniard Asier Martinez got the bronze.
Cunningham described the race as “the false start fiasco.”
With only the long jump, javelin throw and 800 meters left to go, American Anna Hall sits in third place with 3991 points, trailing Anouk Vetter of the Netherlands and Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium.
Pac12 champion Kemba Nelson was unable to advance to 100 meter finals after finishing sixth in what was a heat loaded with talent. Three of the top 13 ranked competitors in the women’s 100 meters competed in this heat.
Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen out of Norway comfortably made it through to the 1500 meter finals, as did previous world champion Timothy Cheruiyot from Kenya.
The Ducks’ last chance in the men’s 1500 meter was crushed after American Johnny Gregorek finished in eighth place in the first heat of the semifinals. Though American Joshua Thompson gave the stars and stripes a glimmer of hope by qualifying for Tuesday’s final at 7:30 p.m.
In the men’s discus throw, Sam Mattis was the only American to qualify for the final on Monday.
Day three ended up being a very dominant day for the United States as three separate podiums were occupied by two Americans as well as a second clean sweep of these championships.
Day four begins with the women’s side of the marathon at 6:15 a.m and concludes with the women’s 1500 meter final at 7:50 p.m.
