What happened at worlds: Day Nine

Joe Kovacs set a championship record on his final throw of the shot put competition, which he won by one centimeter. Photo by Getty Images for IAAF

At most world championship track meets, having a runner complete a historic double in the 10,000 meters and 1,500 meters, breaking the championship record in the latter event by nearly seven seconds would be the day’s highlight.

Not at the 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Sifan Hassan dominated the 1,500 meters on Saturday night, and then she mounted a vigorous defense of her association with the Nike Oregon Project and its banned coach, Alberto Salazar. But that was really, in some ways, only the second most interesting event.

The top honors went to the shot put, in which American Joe Kovacs — who had considered retiring from the sport — won the gold on his final throw by one centimeter, 22.91 meters (75 feet, 1 3/4 inches) to Tomas Walsh’s throw of 22.90. And then, as Kovacs waited to see if his last throw would hold up, American Ryan Crouser threw an identical 22.90, which gave him the silver medal because his second-farthest throw was longer than Walsh’s.

Nate Mann wrote about the shot put and Sifan for DyeStat, and Brett Taylor recorded mixed-zone interviews with Kovacs and Hassan. Alex Castle focused on Hassan and covered the shot put from the perspective of Crouser, an Oregon native, for the Oregonian.

The final road event of the championships — the men’s marathon — started on Saturday night, too, under much less difficult conditions than the women’s marathon on the first night. Brooklynn Loiselle was there for SOJC Track as Ethiopian runners finished first and second, and as Ethiopian fans and event volunteers celebrated at the finish line.

 

 

Lori Shontz

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