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Report: World Athletics Championships 2013

From the perils of being a female athlete to the birth of new legends

The women are off to a hot start, the Jamaicans prove their speed at the 100 metres final, and legends are born, all on day two of the World Athletics Championship. 

Brittney Reese of the U.S. competes during the women's long jump final
Brittney Reese of the U.S. competes during the women's long jump final Reuters/Dominic Ebenbichler
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  • It’s tough being a woman marathon runner. The ladies set off at 2pm for their trot around the city on day one of competition. It was 34 degrees celsius in the shade in the Luzhniki Stadium as they began. On day two of the games, the men started their 20km walk from the stadium at 5pm and it was 32 degrees celsius. Logic anyone?
04:23

Audio report - Day 2 at the World Athletics Championships

Paul Myers in Moscow
  • Walkers run on their lap of honour. Aleksandr Ivanov clinched gold in the 20 kilometre walk to send the home crowds wild. It was Russia ’s first medal of the games and it was the shiniest of all of them. Ivanov, a callow lad of 20, had a huge slice of fortune about two kilometres from the end. He was overtaken by Erick Barrondo from Guatemala but in trying to edge past the young Russian, Barrondo committed his third foot fault. So he was turfed out. Ivanov was sufficiently clear of the Chinese Olympic champion Ding Chen to cruise home in one hour 20 minutes and 58 seconds. He was cloaked in a Russian flag and hot-footed it off for his celebration jog.
  • They’re fast in Jamaica. Half of the eight contestants in the men’s 100 metres final were from the island. Two from the United States, one Frenchman and a Briton were among those running. Usain Bolt led the group over the finishing line in 9.77 seconds – the fastest time of the season. Justin Gatlin from the United States was second and Nesta Carter, a Jamaican, was third.

  • Ashton Eaton is in a golden patch. The American won the heptathlon at the world indoor championships in Istanbul last year. He then went on to claim gold in the decathlon at the Olympics in London. He’s now put world championship gold in his cabinet. Michael Schrader, who claimed silver, said he was happy with second place. “I told Ashton he’s unbeateable,” said the 26-year-old German. “It’s impossible to win gold at the moment so, yeah, silver, it's perfect for me.”
  • You’ve got to ride your luck. Brittney Reese came into the world championships as the long jumper par excellence. Since winning her first world championship in Berlin in 2009, she hasn’t lost when she competes in the big championships. So far there’s been Olympic gold, two world indoor titles and on day two she won her third world outdoors title. But it was close. She only qualified for the final in last place with a jump of 6 metres 57 centimetres . “That wasn’t the Brittney Reese that I know,” she said of her first round meltdown. She went home, had a steely look into her inner self and wrenched out the truant warrior. The 26-year-old returned for the final and entered the record books as the first winner of three consecutive titles with a leap of 7 metres 1 centimetre. Blessing Okagbare from Nigeria was second with a jump of 6 metres 99 centimetres. Thus legends are born.

 

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