Seriously, what another dramatic day in Doha. A brilliant pole vault final, a last gasp winning throw in the women’s javelin, a championship record from Donavan Brazier and then an edgy Noah Lyles had to battle from behind to win his 200 metres title.
The more the latter final is replayed, the more it seems like Gemili’s early lead may have just spooked Lyles a little and he had to react. Nobody saw that coming. Gemili couldn’t hang on for his first global medal, but we should all bookmark this moment and prepare to look back after Tokyo 2020 or Oregon in 2021. This could be a defining moment for Gemili after years of injuries.
That’s all from me today. Until tomorrow.
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Here is Sean Ingle’s report from another lively day in Doha.
Here is a sobering read from Sean Ingle on Alberto Salazar’s four year ban and the fallout for UK Athletics and Mo Farah.
Andre De Grasse 🇨🇦 only lost to athletes at these championships that only focused on one event.
— Anson Henry (@ansonhenry) October 1, 2019
The double is dead for some.
But not him. #100m🥉 #200m🥈 #WorldAthleticsChamps #Doha2019 @De6rasse @CBCOlympics
Noah Lyles used to spend his time sketching his own superheroes. Today he became one. At 22 years old, he takes home gold in Doha and makes his mark as the future of running. #HereToCreate pic.twitter.com/62dHP53pSC
— adidas (@adidas) October 1, 2019
Michael Johnson on the BBC thought that Gemili did a far better job than he gave himself credit for:
I don’t think his perspective right now is really clear on the race and what he would have had to do to get among the medals. I think that he felt like, ‘Well, I’m in really good shape, I’m finally healthy and I’m starting to come back so that means that I feel like I should get a medal because I did everything I needed to do and I’m healthy and I’m back.’
But, at the end of the day, when you look at the times, he ran 20.03. He matched his season best. His personal best is 19.97. So, for him to say, ‘I didn’t even get under 20 seconds?’ Well, he’s only been slightly under 20 seconds before so he would have had to run a personal best. Quinonez won in 19.98, his personal best is 19.97.
I think that when he goes back and looks at this, he’ll think: ‘I was really close.’ Those guys just ran really really well in comparison to him, his personal best and his capabilities, and he’ll see in that race that his form didn’t really fall apart at the end.
A heartbroken Adam Gemili was close to tears in his BBC interview:
I’m just gutted. I just had it. I had it. I gave it everything. I lost all my bounce at the end. I had nothing left. All my form went out the window and I ran like such an amateur. Ah, I can’t believe that I came so close. This was such a good opportunity. I’ve been running so well through the heats. My body feels good and I just let it go when I had it and I’m so sorry.
People always say ‘don’t apologise’ but I just feel like I have let so many people down. There’s so many people that have believed in me and sent me such nice messages over the past few days. The team that I’ve worked with have done so well. The last few years, I’ve been plagued by injuries and my performances have shown it. And I’ve got back to where I should be and to not be able to break 20 seconds is so disappointing and heartbreaking. I had the medal and it slipped out of my hands.
I have to take the positives, I guess, from being written off pretty much, labeled a ‘relay runner’ or whatever. It just shows that you just need that tight-knit group of people around you and you can achieve whatever you wanna achieve. For me, that hasn’t happened today but it has relit something inside of me. Tokyo next year, it’s winnable.
I’ll have to go away and reset. I have a couple of days until the heats. I’m fit and healthy. Hopefully I’ll be in the team and there will be a bit of redemption just like 2017. This is such a bad interview because I’m just gutted.
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That was tough. Gemili flitted out of the blocks and was actually leading until about 120 metres. For once, Lyles did not look as comfortable as in previous races, but he remained calm and pulled through into the lead. With a medal in his sights, Gemili’s form began to fall apart in the final 40 metres and he watched as both De Grasse and Quinonez pass him. That was definitely not what anyone was expecting.
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Noah Lyles wins the men's 200m world title with a time of 19.82 seconds!
De Grasse takes silver in 19.95, Quinonez 19.98. Gemili, who was in second for much of the race, pipped at the end. He takes 4th.
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It’s time for the men’s 200 metres final. Noah Lyles of the United States has run far faster than the rest of the world today with a world leading time of 19.50. We’ll see if the likes of Andre De Grasse and Ramil Guliyev can stay with him, and if Adam Gemili can secure a surprising medal. But first, it’s time for the lights show...
In the women’s javelin, Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia snatches a stunning gold medal with a winning throw of 66.56 on her final attempt. Shiying Liu and Huihui Lyu of China settle for silver and bronze. Lyu had won 12 successive meets coming into Doha, but you have to perform when it truly matters.
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🥇2018 European Champs
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) October 1, 2019
🥈2019 World Champs
And a reminder that Armand Duplantis is still only 19!#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/ltVNWg4jYU
Sam Kendricks wins the pole vault world title. 19 year-old Armand Duplantis fails to clear 5.97, handing Kendricks the win with one fewer foul. As the pair hug and then exhaustedly collapse onto the mat, bronze medalist Piotr Lisek joins them before they all backflip in unison. Lovely stuff.
Donavan Brazier destroys the field to win in 1:42.34 with a championship record and a national record. That was a tough, tough race, with Wesley Vazquez taking the lead and trying to win the race from the front. But as the Puerto Rican tied up, Brazier roared through the final 200 metres. Amel Tuka takes second place in 1:43.47, over a second slower. Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich takes third.
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It’s time for the men’s 800m final. Donavan Brazier of the United States starts as favourite and Kenya’s Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich as the world leader. However, this is a pretty open race.
Sam Kendricks clears 5.97 at the final attempt! His teammate Cole Walsh sprints back onto the runway to hug and yell at the world leader some more. If his cheerleading continues, Walsh may just deserve a fraction of Kendrick’s winnings for his help.
Breathtaking scenes in the men’s pole vault as Duplantis clears 5.97 at the final try. He just brushed the bar on his way down. It shook, but it stays. Huge. This child is 19 years old. The favourite Sam Kendricks is down to his final jump.
Elaine Thompson has withdrawn from the 200m. So that's no Shaunae Miller-Uibo, no Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, no Dafne Schippers, no Marie-Josee Ta Lou, no Blessing Okagbare and now no Thompson.
— Ben Bloom (@benbloomsport) October 1, 2019
If you own a house, I reckon it's safe to stick it on Dina Asher-Smith winning gold.
That was easy and brilliant from Dina Asher-Smith. She absolute destroyed the field from the beginning, tearing around the bend to establish her lead in the first 100m and then relaxing to the end. Her time of 22.16 was .30 faster than the rest of the field and it looks like there is much more to come. Then she even helped Anthonique Strachan, who seems to have badly hurt her knee, off the track.
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Dina Asher-Smith eases into the final, winning her semi-final in 22.16.
It’s time for Dina Asher-Smith. The 100 metres silver medalist is on the track for the third 200 metres semi-final. There aren’t many threats in her race. She just has to keep her head.
Back in the, men’s pole vault final, the drama continues. Sam Kendricks of the United States turns the tables on his foes by immediately clearing 5.92. Duplantis of Sweden fouls twice, Poland’s Lisek fouls once and then passes for the next height. On his final attempt at 5.92, 19 year-old Duplantis clears. Phew.
In the second women’s 200m semi-final, USA’s Brittany Brown takes the win in 22.46. Tyina Gaither of the Bahamas snatches the second automatic spot in 22.57.
Meanwhile in the men’s pole vault, Sam Kendricks barely survived 5.87m, clearing it at the final attempt. His countryman Cole Walsh, who departed at 5.70, began screaming at him in excitement. Kendricks cracks a smile, and perhaps he just relaxed. Onto 5.92.
Anglerne Annelus wins the first 200 metres semi-final with a time of 22.49. Not exactly a stunning time, but it’s enough. A good run from Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland too, who missed the 100m final by a thousandth of a second.
The women’s 200 metres sprinters are on the tracks. Britain’s Jodie Williams has had a great year and she is in with a chance of making a global final. Let’s see what she looks like under world championships pressure.
Elaine Thompson has withdrawn from the women’s 200m semi-finals. Thompson has been struggling with her achilles and hasn’t been able to give her best at this event. More opportunities for the rest of the field...
Some drama in the men’s pole vault at last. After clean cards for all three of them, Duplantis, Lisek and favourite Kendricks all fail to clear their first attempts at 5.80. 19 year-old Duplantis of Sweden clears at his second attempt. The pressure is now firmly on the other two.
We have our three men’s pole vault medalists, and all three haven’t missed a single jump yet. Now, let’s see who wins.
Armand Duplantis, Piotr Lisek and Sam Kendricks clear 5.80m first time in the pole vault final. Thiago Braz and Raphael Holzdeppe exit after three failures at that height #WorldAthleticsChamps
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) October 1, 2019
The gun they use to call back false starts is TERRIFYING #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/3Ek1N3RDL6
— Travis Miller (@TravisMillerFlo) October 1, 2019
Well, that was dramatic. Stephenie Ann Mcpherson wins the third semi-final in 50.70. Both Shakima Wimbley and Galefele Moroko failed to finish the race, with the latter taken off the track in a wheelchair. Sprinting for 400 metres is tough! A solid run from Britain’s Emily Diamond, who recorded a 51.62 season best.
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There is some more British interest in the final women’s 400 metres semi-final. Emily Diamond will be running from lane two. Tough ask for her to make the final, but you never know...
Shaunae Miller-Uibo stamps her mark on the competition with an easy 49.66 to win the second 400 metres semi-final. Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson streamed through the opening 300 metres, but the favourite ran her own race and breezed past in the final 100m. Jackson was also passed by the talented young American Wadeline Jonathas on the line, who secured a personal best of 50.07 after starting the year having run no faster than 52.8.
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In the women’s 400m semi-finals, Salwa Eid Naser makes a very clear statement by tearing through the field in 49.79 seconds. Only one other sprinter, defending champion Phyllis Francis (50.22), finished under 51 seconds. A tough, tough race for Britain’s Laviai Nielsen, who finished last in 52.94.
The pole vaulters are now up to 5.70. Sam Kendricks just flew high over the bar, a terrifying sight for his rivals. Thiago Braz also seems to have recovered from his first round mishap. But 15 centimetres is a big progression and only six men passed at the first opportunity.
We begin with the men’s pole vault final. Sam Kendricks is the favourite and the vaulters are starting at 5.55m. That is fairly low by their extremely high standards, but not for Olympic champion Thiago Braz who fails at the first jump. That may prove costly.
Please do also check out Sean Ingle’s complete report from last night.
Terrifying.
Impressive and – for some – slightly scary stat of the day: @SelemonBarega 🇪🇹 is the first athlete born in the 21st century to win a #WorldAthleticsChamps medal. pic.twitter.com/PMeP91twPL
— IAAF (@iaaforg) October 1, 2019
10,000m world champ Sifan Hassan, who is coached by Alberto Salazar, says she is "shocked" by his ban. Points out USADA investigation took place before she joined NOP. Says she has a "clean conscience" and will race in 1500m later this week
— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) October 1, 2019
Of course, the big news today comes off the track. Alberto Salazar, former coach of Mo Farah who oversaw Sifan Hassan’s 10,000m win earlier this week, has been banned for four years for doping offences.
Hello! Welcome to day 5 of the athletics world championships in Doha, where we will have four finals this evening. We begin with the men’s pole vault final, and Sam Kendricks of the United States will look to dominate the field after his monstrous best of 6.06 this year. In the women’s javelin final, China’s Lyu Huihui has won her last 12 competitions and will be looking for one more.
On the track, the women will only be contesting semi-finals. Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas is the heavy favourite to win the women’s 400 metres but Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser will be hoping to make a statement as they prepare for a final showdown. Of course, the women’s 200 metres semi-finals will include the woman of the moment Dina Asher-Smith. In a field that is slightly weaker than expected, there is no doubt that she is the gold medal favourite.
Day 5 will conclude with two men’s finals on the tracks. In the 800 metres, Donavan Brazier of the United States will be the man to beat. And then we will conclude with the men’s 200 metres final. With a world lead of 19.50 seconds, Noah Lyles of the United States has been miles ahead of the field this year. Andre De Grasse, Ramil Guliyev and co. will be looking to rein him in. Can Adam Gemili spring a surprise and land an unexpected first individual world medal? Time will tell.
As always, please do send any questions/abuse to me at @tumcarayol or tumaini.carayol@theguardian.com.
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