By Şevket F. ERBAY / Paris
The athletics competition saw its second world record on day five at the Paris 2024. Armand Duplantis secured his second Olympic gold with an unassailable margin of 30 centimetres and became just the second vaulter to retain the title in history, joining Bob Richards. The Swede has cleared all of his attempts, including 6.10 – an Olympic record. At the conclusion of the track events, all the eyes in the stadium turned to him to witness a world record. Mondo didn’t reach 6.25 bar in his first two attempts but soared over it in the last one. The successful effort in 6.25 became his ninth world record in four years.
Former World champion Sam Kendricks from the United States got his second Olympic medal after the Rio 2016 bronze. Kendricks, who wasn’t able to compete in Tokyo because of his positive COVID-19 test, cleared 5.95 metres on the first attempt. Emmanouil Karalis of Greece cleared all his attempts on the first try until 5.95 metres. He tried the Greek record at 5.95 and 6.00 metres but all failed.
World silver medallist Ernest John Obiena finished fourth in the final after failing to capitalise 5.95 metres as Turkey’s rising star Ersu Şaşma concluded the contest with fifth – best-ever jumping result for his country.
In the women’s 5000 metres, world record holder Beatrice Chebet clocked 14:28.56 to beat Faith Kipyegon in the final stretch. Chebet, double World cross-country champion, entered the final lap in very tight contention, and she managed to clear among great rivals such as Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan, who was able to claim bronze in her first leg of unprecedented distance treble. Kipyegon was briefly disqualified from the result list after clashing with Ethiopian rival Gudaf Tsegay but reinstated for silver after a successful appeal from the Kenyan delegation.
Keely Hodgkinson brought the first athletics gold to Great Britain in the 800 metres. As the fastest athlete of the season, Hodgkinson completed a tactical masterpiece to sustain all rivals in her back and clocked 1:56.72 to a very clear win. World Indoor champion Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia made a late surge in the race from the outside but was not able to catch Hodgkinson. Duguma lowered her personal best mark to 1:57.15 ahead of pre-event favorite Mary Moraa of Kenya, who came in third.
The other final in the session was in women’s discus. Tokyo 2020 champion Valarie Allman successfully defended her title with a strong 69.50 release in the fourth round. Chinese Bin Feng, previously defeated Allman in her home soil for the world title, claimed silver after a tie-breaker against all-time great Sandra Elkasevic (nee, Perkovic), both marked 67.51 in the final. But the Croatian giant had four fouls and 64.25 when Bing recorded second best in 67.13 metres.
