By Sevket F. ERBAY in Budapest
WOMEN’S POLE VAULT
Olympic champion Katie Moon retained her World title with a shared one. In the highly-entertaining final, the American vaulter was challenged by Australia’s Nina Kennedy, who broke her own national record twice en route to her 4.90 effort. 26-year-old Kennedy led over Moon by jumping first, but the American equalled her best immediately. After three failures, Kennedy and Moon agreed to share the gold and celebrated together. Finland’s European champion Wilma Murto cleared every height at first try until 4.80, then failed to reach 4.85 metres. However, Murto became the first Finnish woman to climb on a World Championships podium since Mikaela Ingberg’s javelin bronze in 1995.
MEN’S 1500 METRES
Hot favourite and fresh European record holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen failed to capitalise his very much desired title in 1500 metres. While Ingebrigtsen lost his second consecutive final to a Brit, Olympic bronze medallist Josh Kerr was the man of the race this time. Edinburgh-born Kerr got under 3:30 for the third time in his career as he defeated Ingebrigtsen with a stellar fight in the final stretch. Norway may have lost the title but put in their “second man” on the podium. 25-year-old Narve Nordas, who had won nothing previously on the international scene except for a European Cross team medal, made a brilliant finish by overcoming three athletes in the medal battle.
WOMEN’S 400 METRES
In the injury-plagued women’s 400 metres title went to the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino. Two-time Olympic medallist Paulino arrived in Budapest by dipping under 49 seconds, then proved her great form by progressing to the final with 49.90 and 49.54 efforts. The Dominican favourite started the final on lane 7 as she accelerated well to clear ahead of her rivals. She covered the final quarter of the race in 13.4 seconds to clock a 48.76 Dominican record and 11th fastest mark on the all-time list. Talented sprinter Natalia Kaczmarek became the first Pole (male or female) to win a 400 metres individual medal by coming inch-close to her PB. Polish athlete clocked 49.57 while she was challenged hardly by Barbadian Sada Williams, who took her second consecutive bronze with a gap of only 0.03 seconds. The rest of the field, including Ireland’s medal hopeful Rhasidat Adeleke and fast-rising Dutch Lieke Klaver all finished over 50 seconds.
MEN’S 400M HURDLES
The king of high hurdling is back. After his turmoil season, Norwegian world record holder Karsten Warholm regained his title in 400m hurdles with a stunning display. The powerful Norwegian, dragged into disqualification speculations after his semi-final win over his hurdle clearance, gave everything on the pitch. He drove very fast into the first bend and flowed beautifully over the hurdles as one of his main rivals Alison dos Santos experienced some problems with the rhythm. Warholm entered the last two hurdles slightly ahead of Rai Benjamin then produced a 13.28-second last hundred in the track, which eventually gave him an astonishing time: 46.89! British Virgin Island’s Kyron McMaster secured his place on the podium, this time by 47.34, just ahead of Olympic silver medallist Rai Benjamin who clocked 47.56. Sadly, injury-returned Alison dos Santos, the defending champion, left the field heartbroken after a 48.10 finish – nearly 0.7 seconds off his semi-final mark.
