Surprise finishes on the track Tuesday highlighted Day 5 of the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene.
Jake Wightman of Great Britain passed favorite and Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway to win the men’s 1,500 meters as his father called the race. Geoff Wightman is serving as one of the stadium announcers at Hayward Field during the world championships.
In the men’s 400-meter hurdles final, favorite Karsten Warholm faded on the home stretch, while Brazil’s Alison dos Santos won the race in 46.29 seconds. American Rai Benjamin crossed second for the silver and the United States’ Trevor Bassitt was third. Afterward, dos Santos said next up on the agenda for him were some pizza and soda.
In other event finals Tuesday, Australia’s Eleanor Patterson won the gold medal in the women’s high jump, with Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh taking the silver. Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh set a world championships record in winning the men’s discus.
In case you missed it, check out James Crepea’s story about Ukrainian athletes competing at the world championships amid war and an uncertain future.
Also on Tuesday at Oregon22:
• U.S. sprinters Erriyon Knighton, Noah Lyles won their respective semifinals in the men’s 200 meters and now are set to renew their rivalry in the final.
• Former Oregon Ducks star Jenna Prandini missed out on advancing to the final in the women’s 200, while Jamaicans Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce joined the United States’ Tamara Clark as the winners of the three heats. American Abby Steiner also qualified for the final.
• Team USA’s Sydney McLaughlin, Shamier Little, Dalilah Muhammad and Britton Wilson advanced to the semifinals in the women’s 400 hurdles.
• The United States upped its medal haul to 18, easily keeping the Americans at No. 1 in the medals table.
LOOKING AHEAD
Some things to watch Wednesday at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene:
Women’s 5,000-meter heats: After finishing fourth in the women’s 10,000 meters, Olympic 10k and 5k champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands will be back for the 5,000. So will the United States’ Karissa Schweizer, who finished ninth in Saturday’s 10,000. Also watch for Elise Cranny, who won the 5,000 at the U.S. championships and trains with Schweizer on the Portland-based Bowerman Track Club, as well as American Emily Infeld. Schweizer and Infeld are in heat 1, which starts at 4:25 p.m. (TV on USA), while Hassan and Cranny are in heat 2 at 4:51 p.m. (TV on USA).
Brazier begins title defense: Reigning 800-meter world champion Donavan Brazier, who trains in Portland with Union Athletics Club, begins his title defense with the 800 heats at 5:20 p.m. (TV on USA). Brazier, who earned a wild-card entry into the world championships as a 2019 gold medalist, has been slowed by injury this season but was healthy enough to win his heat last month at the USA championships before opting out of running in the semifinals.
Allman chases discus gold: The United States’ Valarie Allman is looking to add a world championships gold medal to the Olympic gold she won last year in Tokyo. Allman had the longest throw in qualifying, followed by the Netherlands’ Jorinde van Klinken and Cuba’s Yaime Perez. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. (TV on USA).
Women’s steeplechase final: Americans Courtney Frerichs, Emma Coburn and Courtney Wayment will mix it up with favorites Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan and Winfred Mutile Yavi of Bahrain. Frerichs, who trains with the Bowerman Track Club, is the American record-holder and one of just four runners in the 15-woman field to have ever broken 9 minutes in the event. The final is set for 7:45 p.m. (TV on USA).
— Joel Odom; jodom@oregonian.com
