First Tokyo witnessed the spectacular. Then came a divine act of Faith.
In the women’s 400m, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran one of the fastest times in history, easing down, to raise the question of whether one of the oldest – and most controversial – track and field records might fall this week.
Shortly afterwards another standout female of her generation, Faith Kipyegon, underlined her status by speeding to a historic fourth 1500m title with such grace and distance that it took the breath away.
Both women have long stood tall in the athletics pantheon. What they do in the coming days could reinforce their case to be considered as the greatest female athlete of all time.
McLaughlin-Levrone, of course, already holds numerous gold medals and world records in the 400m hurdles. But now, suddenly, she has the 400m gold and possibly even the world record of 47.60sec set by Marita Koch in 1985 in her sights too.
The American showed that by running 48.29sec in her semi-final on Tuesday – smashing her personal best by nearly half a second – and then promising to run faster in the final on Thursday. “This race definitely gives me confidence for the final,” she said. “I didn’t expect to run this fast today. And I still have more to show.”
That sounds ominous for Koch, who has long been alleged to be part of East Germany’s state-sponsored doping programme, in books and newspaper articles. When asked about it by the BBC in 2014, she replied: “I don’t have to prove anything to myself. I have a clear conscience. I can only repeat myself … I never tested positive, I never did anything which I should not have done at that time.”
Koch did acknowledge the fact that the record would ultimately be overtaken, though, saying that “at some point, that time will come”. It could even be on Thursday .
However, McLaughlin-Levrone will not have things completely her own way given that the Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and the former world champion Salwa Eid Naser are running well.
They will be joined in the final by Britain’s Amber Anning, who ran 49.38sec to qualify automatically. “I’m in such great shape,” she insisted.
Paulino is even more confident, promising: “God and I will make history here.”
The 31-year-old Kipyegon has already done that. On Tuesday she matched Hicham El Guerrouj as the only other athlete in history to amass four world 1500m titles.
With 300m to go Kipyegon, who broke her own world record this year, looked under threat from the Australian Jessica Hull. But then she applied the afterburners and the race was put to bed long before she crossed the line in 3min 52.15sec.
Hull, who had promised she would give it her all and try to win gold, faded badly but clung on for bronze. Another Kenyan, Dorcus Ewoi, took silver. Now Kipyegon has a 5,000m clash of the titans to look forward to against the 10,000m world champion, Beatrice Chebet.
“Being able to defend my title and to win a fourth gold feels really special,” said Kipyegon, who held four fingers up as she crossed the line. “This sport drives me. I need to push myself in order to be the best.”
It was another bad night for Britain with Matt Hudson-Smith, the Olympic and world silver medallist, going out of the men’s 400m at the semi‑final stage, along with Charlie Dobson and Sam Reardon. Reardon pointed to a long break outside the stadium as a factor in finishing last.
“After the first 50m I just felt the tightening of my hamstring and pain,” he said. “You warm up to get yourself ready, and when you’re delayed for that long outside in the stadium, in the elements cooling down every second. It’s not really helpful.”
To make matters worse, World Athletics also reprimanded the British team after Jeremiah Azu wore a headband with “100% Jesus” on it during the semi-final of the 100m. The marketing of religious and political slogans is banned during competition by the governing body’s rules.
“We are aware of the headband, and as he may compete in the relay we will remind the team ahead of competition of our regulations and of consequences,” World Athletics said in a statement.
It also emerged that a group of leading athletes will consider legal action if they are not paid by the end of the September for racing in Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track. Multiple athletes are still waiting on prize money after competing in the first three rounds, before the cancellation of the planned final event in Los Angeles. Johnson did not respond when approached for comment.
here was gold for New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr in the men’s high jump and for the American Cordell Tinch in the 110m hurdles, while there was better news for Britain in the men’s 800m as Ben Pattison and Max Burgin looked comfortable in qualifying for Thursday’s semi-finals.
Burgin, who won his heat in 1:44.73, appeared untroubled until just after he gave an interview to the BBC and then threw up – something he often does after races. “Standard fare for me,” he said later, smiling.
