By A Correspondent
Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra of India easily added the World title to his bulging collection as another edition of the World Athletics championships wound to a close at the National Athletics Centre at Budapest on Sunday.
Chopra nailed the gold with his second throw after a foul in the opening attempt and that measured 88.17m which proved to be sufficient eventually to take the top spot.
It was only the second gold for Asia in these championships following Japanese javelin thrower Haruka Kitaguch’s success in the women’s section. Before the curtain came down on another glorious day of action, Winfred Yavi of Bahrain added one more gold to Asia, winning the women’s 3000m steeplechase from a bunch of fancied Kenyans.
The men’s javelin also produced a silver for Pakistan, its first ever, as Arshad Nadeem, who had finished fifth in the last edition, came up with a throw of 87.82m in the third round to threat Indian supremacy. That silver, coupled with Filipino pole vaulter John Obiena’s made it two second places for Asia.
It was also an evening that witnessed thrilling finishes in the women’s 800m where Kenyan Mary Moraa won, holding off Briton Keely Hodkinson creeping towards the finish through a narrow gap on the inside, and the women’s 4x400m relay where Femke Bol gave the Netherlands a gold out of nothing, as it were, edging Jamaican Stacey Ann-Williams at the finish.
There was one more close finish that had the spectators at the edge of their seats as Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen, smarting under his unexpected loss in the 1500m, inched his way ahead of Spaniard Mohammed Katir through the final 50 metres to win his second title in succession in the men’s 5000m.
Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who has had an outstanding season, held her nerves in a tight contest to unseat defending champion Eleanor Patterson of Australia with a clearance of 2.01m, a season best. Patterson claimed the silver and her team-mate Nicola Olyslagers the bronze.
Neeraj Chopra was the favourite for the javelin title though Pakistani Nadeem, on the comeback after surgeries, was in good form. As it turned out Nadeem was the only one to get close to the Indian.
With defending champion Anderson Peters failing to make it through to the final, apparently because of an injury-ridden preparation, the other man in form and tipped to do well was Czech Yakub Vadlejch. He finished with the bronze with a below-par 86.67m. He had the world lead with 89.51m at Turku, Finland, in June.
Three Indians in top eight
What was encouraging from India’s perspective was two of its throwers, Kishore Kumar Jena, with a personal best 84.77m, and D. P. Manu, with an 84.14m, his second best, finished fifth and sixth respectively. Overall, this was the first time for India that three of its contestants were among the top eight in a global championships. They later said that Chopra had constantly encouraged them through the competition.
Chopra remained modest as he always is. This was a title he was looking for. Last time he had come second best to Peters. This time he had the expectations of the millions back home, but he was not hundred per cent fit and limited his competitions for the season.
Chopra admitted that he was weighed down a bit by the expectations and his status as the Olympic champion apart from his desire to take the world title to add to his gold medals in the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Asian championships.
“This was great. After the Olympic gold, I really wanted to win the World Championships,” the 25-year-old Indian champion said. “I just wanted to throw farther. This is brilliant for the national team, but it was my dream to win gold at the World Championships.
“This has been a great championships for India, and I am proud to bring another title to my country. I wanted to throw more than 90 metres tonight, but it needs all parts of the puzzle to be there. I couldn’t put it all together this evening. Maybe next time.”
No matter how much he tried, Chopra could not extend his lead at the top. He came up with a series of 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m and 83.98m even as Nadeem looked capable of forging ahead but managed only much less.
It was an Indo-Pak contest that the Sub-Continent was waiting for and in the end both camps were happy. Chopra had his first World title while Nadeem and his country had their first ever medal.
Yavi clocks PB
In the women’s 3000m steeplechase final, Yavi kept close to world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, the winner in the 2019 edition, before speeding ahead at the “bell”. Beatrice Chepkoech chased her through the backstraight and up to the home bend, but the Bahraini’s finishing pace proved too much for the senior Chepkoech.
The other Chepkoech in the Kenyan team, Jackline, the 2022 Commonwealth Games winner, might have been fancied to take the title in Budapest but ended up in ninth place in 9:14.72.
Yavi clocked a world-leading 8:54.29, also a personal best, Beatrice Chepkoech 8:58.98 and another Kenyan, Faith Cherotich 9:00.69 for third.
India’s Parul Chaudhary bettered the national record while coming 11th in 9:15.31.
“It was a fast race, but I did not realise it was that fast. I knew I would have the power on the last lap. It was perfect,” said Yavi.
“After finishing fourth at the past two World Championships, the gold medal gives me additional motivation to train hard,” said Beatrice Chepkoech.
Ingebrigtsen defends 5000m title
Ingebrigtsen’s narrow victory over Katir in the 5000m was another hard-fought one in which the outcome remained in suspense through the last 50 metres.
As Ingebrigtsen would say later, it was only from about half-way down the home straight that he started seeing his chance to push through for the gold, his second in as many editions.
“To win another world title is great, but I was very tired,” said Ingebrigtsen. “I tried to save my energy to win at the end because that was the only way tonight. I knew that if my tactics were better than my competitors, I would have a chance to win. And that is what happened.
“This title means a lot to me after losing again in the 1500m. I haven’t been at my best, but I had the motivation and I had great support,” said the Norwegian.
.” I gave it all that I had today,” Katir said. “But Jakob is Jakob, he is the best in the world nowadays. In the 1500m I could not get him, but in the 5000m I was close to beating him.”
Despite high expectations, the Indian 4x400m relay team could finish no better than the fifth, but it clocked a sub-three-minute yet again, 2:59.71.
USA topped the medal table with a total of 29 including 12 gold medals. Canada followed with 4-2-0-6, Spain 4-1-0-5, Jamaica 3-5-4-12, Kenya 3-3-4-10.
There were 73 national records set in the nine-day championships. Countries from all the six Areas won gold medals with Asia taking three compared to the five it had last year.
Neeraj Chopra won India’s first gold medal. Others to win first gold for their countries were Hugues Fabrice Zango from Burkina Faso in men’s triple jump and Ivana Vuleta of Serbia in women’s long jump.
Photo 1 Credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/nofdKbyqsnHzmzs69
Photo 2 Credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/Lh85g7rRXKJFayUn7
Photo 3 Credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/pZzoHNNMVLK7Z3JA8
