Here’s Sean Ingle’s report from Doha.
In the mixed 4x400, the United States beat Jamaica and Bahrain to claim the gold medal. Allyson Felix claimed her 12th world gold medal to surpass Usain Bolt’s haul. Martyn Rooney attempted to flash home for Team GB & NI to win bronze, but they lost out. He has a conspiracy theory on the Bahrain team crossing the line when passing the baton so one to watch.
Can this event survive? It was fun but is that enough?
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Asher-Smith speaks! “I’ve worked so hard for this and hopefully I’ll go onto bigger things. I thought ‘this is your time to go’ and I came away with a PB and national record. I’d have loved to win today but Shelly-Anne is an absolute legend and I’m happy. For me it’s always been to stay focused and keep my eye on the prize. I’ve done 100m at a world champs before so it was a new experience for me at this level and I couldn’t have done it without my coaching team.”
She has the 200m to start tomorrow so she’ll be straight off to bed now hoping to go one better!
Silver for Dina Asher-Smith, a personal best AND a new national record. Superstar.
— Rebecca Myers (@rebeccacmyers) September 29, 2019
Her time was 10.83. Fraser-Pryce won it in 10.71.
That was sensational from Fraser-Pryce, who wins this for the fourth time. It was never in doubt from the start really but Asher-Smith did superbly to power through and finish very strongly to come second.
Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce takes gold in the women's 100m!
And Dina Asher-Smith takes silver after a superb run! Ta Lou earns bronze.
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Daniels, Ta Lou, Thompson, Fraser-Price, Asher-Smith, Ahoure, Smith. Those are your contenders and they’re set ..
The atmosphere, such as it could ever be, has been whipped up for this. The lights are out, with a spotlight on each competitor as they are announced. Schippers has a groin problem, we’re told, so she will concentrate on the 200m and skip this.
Crowds as women’s 100m finalists come out onto track. Man... pic.twitter.com/0YN7GCED7S
— Natalie Pirks (@Natpirks) September 29, 2019
And in video form. Sorry for so many of these but it’s important.
To illustrate Denise Lewis's point this is the 'crowd' 15 minutes before the headline act starts, the women's 100m final. Many fans have gone home. There is a lack interest here for athletics. You have to feel for the elite athletes involved given the lack of atmosphere pic.twitter.com/FbAyMrac3R
— Rob Maul (@Rob_Maul) September 29, 2019
We are just 10 minutes away from the women's 100m final, one of the blue ribband events of these world athletics championships, and I reckon there's no more than 3,000 people in the stadium. And that's being generous. Desperately disappointing.
— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) September 29, 2019
I know this is a running theme but it’s a *vital* one. This should be a blue riband event. It’s been ruined, sacrificed, and for what? You can draw your own conclusions, and athletics is obviously not the only sport to have gone this way. But it’s appalling really.
Now we await Dina Asher-Smith in the women’s 100m final – it’s under 10 minutes away ...
Christian Taylor wins men's triple jump gold!
Yes, he takes it from Claye and Hugues Fabrice Zango, from Burkina Faso, who does superbly to finish with the bronze right at the end. It was never in a lot of doubt and he’s now won four of these.
Christian Taylor leads the way in the triple jump but just 23cm separate the top three, with Will Claye and Pedro Pablo Pichardo pushing hard; it’s going to be very tight here.
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The crowds tonight in the Khalifa stadium are noticeably worse than last night’s. The atmosphere is very flat. The mixed 4x400m relay is about to start and there are barely any claps or cheers. So disappointing.
— Natalie Pirks (@Natpirks) September 29, 2019
It’s just inexcusable.
Anzhelika Sidorova wins gold in the women's pole vault!
She had one to win it at 4.95 and the neutral athlete does it in style! Morris is second but what a performance that is!
Love the mixed 4x400m relay. Brilliant race and Allyson Felix wins her 12th world championship title as US take gold - the American now has one more than Usain Bolt. Britain finished a narrow fourth after a minor mix up with the baton on the final leg.
— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) September 29, 2019
So the remarkable Felix gets her gold. Great Britain were never quite in contention there, the final Bahraini athlete, Abbas, doing a very good job of holding Rooney off in the last 200m.
United States win gold in the mixed 4x400m!
Jamaica second, Bahrain third and GB, led home by Martyn Rooney, have to settle for fourth. The winning time is 3:09.34.
Poland finish fifth, Belgium sixth, India seventh.
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Felix and company are lining up for the mixed 4x400m final. We have Belgium, Great Britain, Jamaica, US, Brazil, Poland, India and Bahrain in the mix.
Stefanidi is confirmed as bronze medalist in the pole vault. We will have a new world champion – Morris or Sidorova ...
The men’s triple jump final is underway too, now. We will keep you posted ...
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Always love the worlds @JohnBrewin_, especially when Asher-Smith, Gemilli & Hughes all running well, but I feel for the athletes. The temperatures are really on the limit and the sparse crowd is an embarrassment really. I was lucky enough to be at 2012 & 2017. This is a joke.
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) September 29, 2019
Kyle Langford speaks: “I was quicker than anyone in the front straight and people are cutting in each other, the Kenyan cut me up three times and the Moroccan as well. They ruin the racing, you want to keep it clean, it’s so shovey. I should have kept myself out of that danger perhaps. We’ll see what happens, emotions are high right now.”
It was definitely a bit physical in there and at one point he almost fell. He wonders if this gives him a claim to a place in the final, but doesn’t sound overly optimistic.
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Back in the pole vault, Morris *nearly* gets over 4.95 at the first attempt but looks happy enough. She’ll have two more attempts. Sidorova can’t make it either so it’s getting tense ...
The third semi of the men’s 800m sees Kyle Langford in the mix, but he can do no better than a slightly scrappy fifth. Tuka is first, Hoppel second, and only those two go through.
Allyson Felix is in the US team for the mixed 4x400m relay. She is going to win gold – her 12th world title and her first since having a baby.
Morris now goes clear at 4.90 and is *ecstatic* with that – she’s right in the driving seat now!
Here is Bradshaw – she’s going for a lifetime best at 4.90 and here is her moment of truth ... but she can’t quite make it and that’s going to be fourth place for her. She’s been really brave tonight and can count herself unlucky.
Jamie Webb now takes part in an 800m semi. He’ll probably need a PB, if he doesn’t make it into the top two, but might he have a chance? In the event he is well beaten; it’s a front two of Brazier and Arop, with Webb ending right at the back.
Now Stefanidi makes it over and Bradshaw will have to get her third one right in a few minutes ... but no, she’s passed, she’s going to have a crack at 4.90 instead.
And she’ll stay there, at best, after not quite clearing it again. But there’ll be one more try ...
Sandi Morris, visibly and audibly delighted, is the first to clear 4.85m. Newman can’t get near it and nor, really, can Bengtsson on the pole she borrowed after hers broke. Then Sidorova joins Morris out at the front; Bradshaw remains in third.
Now heat one of the men’s 800m semis. Elliot Giles of Great Britain is among the contenders. He starts well and hangs firmly on the tail of the leaders but can’t force his way through a crowd of runners on the last corner and finishes fifth. The guaranteed qualifiers are (1) Vazquez and (2) Rotich.
Defending champion Stefanidi doesn’t make it over either so there really is all to play for at the moment.
Now here’s Bradshaw aiming for 4.85, which would be a new lifetime outdoor best ... but she never really catches it and can’t get over first time.
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Nasty moment for Bengtsson there, whose pole snaps as she tries the vault. She flies into the padding and is lucky to avoid injury. But she gets up, tries again ... and clears it! That’s a very impressive job.
Newman, the Canadian, matches Bradshaw by clearing 4.80, but she failed earlier at 4.50 so stays below the third-placed Briton. Suhr, the American, doesn’t clear it and is out!
The best of the best will compete in the women’s 100m final a little later on, then. It should be an absolute belter!
Fraser-Pryce, with her multicoloured hair, absolutely destroys it in 10.82. Murielle Ahoure is second, Schippers third and quick enough to qualify for the final. Imani-Lara Lansiquot, the Briton, comes seventh.
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Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, three times a world title winner, leads the names about to compete in the third 100m semi-final. Dafne Schippers is here too. I wonder what the athletes think of what should be such an exulted stage being reduced to this, in front of such a sparse crowd. Do they worry about it or feel demeaned, or are they just in the zone? I think you just get on with it and run, ultimately, but what a shame.
Off they go and Asher-Smith cruises through in 10.87! She’ll compete in the final; she was well clear of the competition there and looks in superb nick to do some massive damage here.
Denise Lewis, the former Olympic gold medallist and BBC commentator, has joined the chorus of those criticising the decision to stage the World Championships in Doha, calling the attendances "shocking" and accusing the IAAF of “letting athletes down massively”.
The event, which usually takes place in August, has been beset with tiny attendances and complaints of excessive heat and humidity by numerous athletes, including the world decathlon champion Kevin Mayer, who said it was a “disaster” to come to Qatar.
Lewis has now waded into the row that has overshadowed these championships, saying the event was even worse than she expected. “We waited until October to have stands like this – empty. It’s shocking,” she said. “I don’t think it’s right. Our governing body has let our athletes down, massively. I didn’t expect it to be this bad. The athletes deserve people, an energy and an atmosphere to thrive on.”
The Guardian broke the story last week that only 50,000 tickets had been sold for the 10 days of competition – and that thousands of migrant workers with free tickets would be bused in to help fill the stadium. And even though some of the stands have been blanked out and the capacity of the Khalifa International Stadium reduced from 40,000 to 24,000, it has often been barely half full.
The IAAF has also been accused of treating some of its stars as guinea pigs by making marathon runners and race walkers compete in 31C heat and high humidity.
And on Sunday evening Adam Gemili also expressed his frustration, saying that even the sparsely attended British championships in Birmingham was better. “It’s a weird world champs,” he said. “It’s very strange. It makes the British Champs look quite good! You do notice it.”
Gemili shrugged when asked whether the IAAF had made the right decision. “It’s not in our hands. We have no say. We get told to turn up and run and that’s what we do. It makes no difference to us. Hopefully Goldie Sayers can get on the commission. She does great stuff and is passionate about track and field. If she gets selected things will start happening.”
There also looked to be no more than 1,000 spectators watching on Sunday night when Dina Asher-Smith won a silver medal, leading the BBC's Steve Cram to say: "The sad thing for me is that it was in front of a pretty empty stadium. This must be the least amount of people I've ever seen at a major championship."
Sean Ingle
Next in the women’s 100m heat two we see Dina Asher-Smith. She should do well here ...
In the pole vote Holly Bradshow clears 4.80 and is now bang in medal contention!
I’d say the crowd were going wild here but, as yesterday, vast swathes of the stadium are unoccupied. It’s not on, at all, and does such a massive disservice to this event.
Neita says: “I’m gonna have to just wait and see [if I reach the final]. I haven’t had enough time to process it yet. I came here with no other vision than to get to the final so fingers crossed ...”
Marie-Josee Ta Lou, the Ivorian, comes through to win in 10.87, with Thompson second at 11.00 and Neita down in fourth after recording 11.18
Now for the women’s 100m semi-final, heat one. Can Great Britain’s Daryll Neita produce something? It’ll be tough: she’s up against the Olympic champion Elaine Thompson, among others, and only the top two guaranteed to go through ...
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Angelica Bengtsson goes close on 4.80, but still Morris remains the only woman to clear it. That’s until Anzhelika Sidorova, the Russian in neutral colours, who goes over and in some style.
There were eight women tied for gold in the pole vault, as nobody had cleared 4.80. America’s Sandy Morris, who lost the Olympics on a count-back, attempts it and clears! She makes a hell of a racket after making it over. She almost screamed the bar off she was so loud as she landed on the mat.
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The TV camera work has been quite clever tonight, making sure that shots of the crowd are close-ups. That’s been a big story, the lack of crowd at this event.
4.70m has cut down the field in the pole vault, with four athletes losing their place after failing at that height. Angelica Bengtsson of Sweden almost made it five but cleared the third and final attempt.
Holly Bradshaw goes for 4.80 and goes out the side. It was untidy, she went too early off the bar. Luckily for her, it’s proving a tough height for the rest of the field.
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At least that second gun sound has stopped. What was all that about? Few gremlins in the system.
The final heat of the 200m goes and it’s Noah Lyles, perhaps the next star of this event, goes, greeting the crowd with an enigmatic point and pout. He’s dyed his hair silver. He looks to his right, thinking he has the race run and is beaten by Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago.
That’s a misjudgement and means he could be in a semi-final that will be loaded with talent. Watch out for that draw when it is decided.
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The sixth heat of the 200m sees Andre de Grasse, bronze in the 100m, go for Canada, and jog home, pretty much to win it with plenty in hand. Munyai of South Africa is in second.
Sandy Morris, the Olympic silver at pole vault, make a confident clearing of 4.70. Canada’s Alysha Newman makes it over the bar, but is down in eighth after a fault on that lower height of 4.50.
Miguel Francis speaks: “I didn’t know it was so close, it’s about getting into the next round. It should be really interesting.”
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Miguel Francis for Team GB goes in the next 200m heat, the fifth of seven and his upright, relaxed style made sure he stays out of trouble. He had it won, but slowed up to let Aaron Brown of Canada win. That may cost him a good lane in the semi-finals.
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Kelly Bradshaw clears that 4.70 height in the pole vault as does Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi of Greece. Both looked comfortable though Stefanidi was the clearer. America’s Silva looked to have cleared the bar on 4.70 only for the bar to fall. She was given the white flag, the benefit of the doubt as it fell after she had left the mat.
The fourth heat of the men’s 200m goes with Kenny Bednarek, the 20-year-old from America looking the most likely to before his hamstring goes in the last 40. Kyle Greaux wins the heat, speeding away as Bednarek falters.
Yancarlos Martinez comes, with Renier Mena behind in third.
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The women’s pole vault is under way and Britain’s Holly Bradshaw has cleared the opening height of 4.50, as have the rest of the field, save for America’s Yarisley Silva. 4.70 is the next height, one that is a tough ask for much of the field. Belarus’ Irina Zhuk gets that cleared to equal her national record.
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The third heat of the 200m sees Jamaica’s Yohan Blake come behind Alex Quinonez from Ecuador who blazed away to win that one. Blake, who bows only to Usain Bolt in 200m times, did not look like he was too likely to relive his glory days.
Another factor in athletes’ fatigue may relate to this type of organisation chaos.
Chaotic organisation with athletes buses
— PJ Vazel (@pjvazel) September 28, 2019
Retaj hotel: 18:40 never came. Organiser: it left 10min ago as nobody was there!
Stadium after last event: 5 buses in a row for Ezdan Hotel, none for any other hotel. After 30min in 40d heat we had to convince driver to change direction pic.twitter.com/F3FBcMAt0Z
Zharnel Hughes comes through in second, and behind Xie, to go through. Again, there was that rogue second gunshot. That’s a mystery. Hughes did look to be tying up a little at the end there, and Xie came through stronger.
“Tonight was just about qualifying. I’ll get treatment and I will be fine. Once I get some rest I will be fine. I didn’t get any sleep because of anti-doping.”
He had to be up at 8am having got to sleep at 4am.
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The next heat has an empty lane 2 where Christian Coleman was supposed to be. Zharnel Hughes carries the British flag here, having finished sixth in the 100m last night and been somewhat disappointed by that.
Adam Gemili speaks: “I have been working a lot of mine psychology. This one was mental. I’ll take myself through the rounds and I will see what happens. This was a bit of redemption for yesterday. There was a little bit of fire and wanting to prove.”
Gemili wins in 20.06 and looks imperious, particularly off the bend. Guliyev was second to take the second qualifying place into the next round. There was some confusion there as there appeared to be two starters’ guns, indicating a false start, but the runners kept going.
Gemili ran his fastest time of the season. All good for him.
We begin with the 200m men’s heats and Britain’s Adam Gemili, who was disappointed in not reaching the 100m final is set to go. He goes in the first heat in lane 7.
Other news from this event, there will be no Christian Coleman. He’s been scratched but will remain eligible for the relays.
His manager told Reuters: “He is sore from yesterday and didn’t leave the stadium until after 1am. Couldn’t take the strain today.”
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Preamble
Last night was all about the 100m men, with Christian Coleman speeding to victory in 9.76 and then having to mount a defence of his reputation after getting away with missing three drugs tests. That’s the way of athletics these days, right?
Tonight, it’s the women’s turn in the blue-riband sprint event. British interest will be on Dina Asher-Smith who made short work of the heats. She will have Marie-Josee Ta Lou and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to beat, though.
Two finals in the field, too, with the men’s triple jump and the women’s pole vault to come and some intriguing heats. Here’s the order of events in UK time.
- 18.05pm | Men’s 200m Heats
- 18.40pm | Women’s Pole Vault Final
- 19.20pm | Women’s 100m Semi-Final
- 19.45pm | Men’s Triple Jump Final
- 19.55pm | Men’s 800m Semi-Final
- 20.35pm | Mixed 4x400m Relay Final
- 21.20pm | Women’s 100m Final
- 21.30pm | Women’s 20km Race Walk Final
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