NAIROBI TO HOST THE 2029 WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN HISTORIC FIRST FOR AFRICA

This will be the first time the World Athletics Championships are staged in Africa with Kenya, the second-most successful nation in championship history, hosting the sport’s flagship event.

Picture by Stephen Pond/Getty Images

The World Athletics Championships will be staged in Africa for the first time in 2029.

Nairobi, Kenya, has been selected to host the 2029 edition following a decision by the World Athletics Council. 

Two years later, the event will head to Germany after Munich beat bids from London and Rome to secure hosting rights for the 2031 Championships.

"The quality, ambition and commitment demonstrated by all four candidates underlines the strength and global appeal of the World Athletics Championships," World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Tuesday (15 September) after announcing the council's decision.

"Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic." 

The decision was taken after a two-day meeting in Budapest, Hungary.

Kenya is the second-most successful nation in World Athletics Championships history, and previously staged the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in the port city of Mombasa, while Nairobi hosted the 2017 World Youth Championships and the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships.

Nairobi plans to stage the 2029 edition at its iconic Kasarani stadium which also hosted the World Youth Championships and has a renovated capacity of 48,000.

"We accept this honour and want to promise the global community that Kenya will continue to be a home of champions in matters of athletics," said Salim Mvurya, Kenya’s cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports.

"The world will come to a country where running is more than a competition, it’s our national story and where every generation believes that the next world champion can emerge from."

It is another step for Africa in welcoming major events. Next month, the continent hosts the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, and is in line to stage the FIFA World Cup for the second time in 2030 when Morocco co-hosts the event with Spain and Portugal.

Picture by Stephen Pond/Getty Images
A general view of the Kasarani Stadium.

Beijing, People's Republic of China, hosts next year's World Athletics Championships before the event heads to Nairobi. The event will then return to Europe in 2031.

Munich 2031 will mark the third time Germany hosts the World Championships after Stuttgart in 1993 and Berlin in 2009.

"For us, hosting such a major sporting event is far more than top level sport. We want to create an impact that reaches beyond the stadium. This World Championships are intended to encourage the young people to believe in their own potential," said Ronald Rauhe, the Minister of State for Sport in Germany.

- Evelyn Watta

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JESSICA SCHILDER SEALS WORLD SHOT PUT GOLD IN FINAL THROW

The Dutch thrower saved her best for last in Tokyo to win her first world title.

Two-time European champion Jessica Schilder claimed her first world title in the women’s shot put at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 with a dramatic final-round performance.

For much of the competition, it was New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche who looked on course for victory. The Olympic silver medallist opened with a strong 20.06m, matching her personal best, and remained in the lead through five rounds. It mirrored her experience at the Paris Olympics, where she also led late before being overtaken in the final round.

Schilder, sitting back in fifth place with a best of 19.51m, stepped into the circle for her last attempt and delivered when it mattered most. Her throw of 20.29m was the farthest of the competition and her best at a major championship, catapulting her straight into the gold medal position.

Jessica Schilder (Getty)

Schilder said: "I still cannot believe it has happened. Not because I was not prepared, but I became ill last week. I had a fever for three days. That is why my confidence was lower and I didn't think it was possible anymore to get a medal here. But my coach said that nothing is impossible and I believed him 100 per cent.

"Even after not such a good start to the final I said that I'm going to try until the end. And it worked. Being in fifth position before the last round I thought, 'No, I don't want to meddle with this. I have to end the season on a high note.'

"I wanted a world championships medal so badly and I had to do it. You don't have a chance like this very often."

Some athletes appeared to struggle with the competition format, as both the qualification round and final were held on the same day, with qualification in the morning and the final that evening.

Chase Jackson (Getty)

Despite the quick turnaround, USA’s Chase Jackson, a two-time defending world champion, responded immediately with her best effort of the evening, 20.21m, which secured the silver and pushed Wesche down to third. Despite leading for almost the entire competition, the New Zealander had to settle for bronze once again.

Jackson said: "I struggled a bit having qualifications and the final today. Still, I am happy to produce my best in the last round. That felt really good because I usually never manage to do that. It was one of the hardest days of my life. It was really close but there were some hesitations.

"After the qualifications, I was a bit 'messy', so I tried to use my roller, but we had just six hours before the final and I had to keep moving. I am really happy to win silver. This is the medal I've had to work on the hardest. I am always coming out to win.

"I was crying but those were tears of joy. Certain medals just mean a lot, and this one means a lot. That's how hard it was for me to grab it. I hope I can work on my endurance to be ready for future events with two rounds on the same day. I want to win the world gold in Beijing in 2027."

- JASMINE COLLETT

CLOSEST FINISH IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MARATHON HISTORY AS ALPHONCE SIMBU SNATHES GOLD IN TOKYO

Brutal conditions and a race of pure attrition gave way to a dramatic sprint finish in the final meters between Simbu and Germany's Amanal Petros.

The men’s marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo produced one of the most dramatic finishes in history, with Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu winning gold in a photo finish after a furious sprint to the line.

Both Simbu and Germany’s Amanal Petros were officially credited with the same finishing time of 2:09:48, with Simbu edging ahead by the smallest of margins after a desperate lean in the final meters on the track inside Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium. Italy’s Iliass Aouani completed the podium, taking bronze in 2:09:53.

Brutal Conditions Test the Field

Like the women’s race the previous day, the men’s marathon started at 7:30 a.m. local time under punishing conditions. Temperatures were already 26°C (79°F) at the start, with high humidity and full sun making for a grueling challenge over the 42.195-kilometer course.

For much of the race, a large lead pack of up to 36 runners set a steady pace, with championship racing tactics taking precedence over any time goals. But the race began to fracture on the hilly section near the 37-kilometer mark, where the relentless conditions and surging pace created a war of attrition.

Down to Five, Then Three

The lead group began dispatching of many of the pre-race favorites, with the entire Ethiopian team eventually dropping out, and the Kenyans fading badly in the second half.

The lead pack gradually whittled down to just five athletes as the race approached the final stages, before narrowing to just three men entering the stadium for the final lap on the track: Simbu, Petros, and Aouani.

Petros, the former German record holder, appeared poised for victory as he surged ahead entering the home straight, opening a small gap on Simbu. Aouani, a few steps behind, was fading slightly but still in medal position.

A Finish for the Ages

With less than 10 meters to go, Simbu produced a remarkable final burst of speed, drawing level with Petros just as the pair crossed the line together. Petros fell dramatically to the track in exhaustion, while Simbu, leaning hard at the tape, was awarded the victory after a tense photo finish review.

Both athletes were credited with the same time, 2:09:48, the closest finish ever recorded in a World Championship marathon. Aouani secured bronze in 2:09:53, five seconds off the lead.

The race marked a career-defining moment for Simbu, who had previously earned bronze at the 2017 World Championships but had never before taken gold at a major global event.

In all, 22 of the 90 runners DNFed, with two not starting the race, making the attrition rate 25%.

Results of men's marathon 

- Michael Doyle

KENYA'S WANYONYI SETS RECORD MILE WORLD RECORD IN HERZOGENAURACH

Reuters 

 Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi on Saturday set a road mile world record at the Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, finishing with a time of three minutes and 54.5 seconds.

The race was Wanyonyi's competitive debut in the men's mile category.

The 19-year-old broke the previous record of 3:56.13 set by American Hobbs Kessler in October. Kessler, who also ran on Saturday, finished second with a time of 3:56.1.

Wanyonyi, who specialises in 800 metres, won silver at last year's World Athletics Championships in Budapest, before winning gold at the 2023 Diamond League.

DAY 8 | WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023

DAY 9 | WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023

 

UGANDA'S KIPLANGAT TAKES MARATHON GOLD

AP

Uganda's Victor Kiplangat won the men's marathon at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday, while Maru Teferi of Israel finished with silver despite taking a tumble.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kiplangat broke away on his own with about 4 km (2.5 miles) to go, crossing the finish line with a time of two hours, 8 minutes, 53 seconds - 19 seconds ahead of Teferi.

The race had appeared to be heading for a close finish, with Kiplangat and Ethiopia's Leul Gebresilase enjoying a sizeable lead as they entered the final 10 km lap, but Gebresilase faded late and was left behind by the 23-year-old Ugandan.

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REACTION TO GOLF CART CRASH AT THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS & 200M FINAL PREDICTIONS

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LYLES CLOCKS THE FASTEST TIMES IN SEMIS AFTER CART CRASH

USA TODAY Sports 

American Noah Lyles continued his quest for double sprint gold at the World Athletics Championships, cruising into the men's 200 metres final despite a freak cart crash that delayed the start of his race.

Four days after winning the 100 metres, Lyles, twice world 200m champion, ran 19.76 seconds to record the fastest time in Thursday's semi-finals.

Lyles' heat was delayed by 30 minutes after the golf cart transporting him and the other runners from the warmup track to the stadium crashed into another cart.

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UGANDA'S 🇺🇬 CHEPTEGEI WINS THIRD CONSERVATIVE 10,000M WORLD GOLD | WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS | BUDAPEST 2023

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PAULINO BECOMES FIRST DOMINICAN WOMAN TO WIN WORLD TITLE

Reuters

Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic won World Championship gold in the women’s 400m on Wednesday, finally claiming top spot on the podium after silvers at last year’s worlds and Tokyo Olympics and doing it in record style.

The race was wide open in the absence of injured American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the 400m hurdles world record holder and fastest in the world this year over the flat, and with Olympic and defending world champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo going out in the heats four months after having a baby.

Paulino, second-fastest in the world this year, knew she would never get a better chance to become the first Dominican female world champion and did not waste it.

SHANTI PEREIRA BREAKS SINGAPORE RECORD, QUALIFIES FOR 200M SEMIS AT WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Reuters

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s reigning Asian champion Shanti Pereira booked her spot in the 200m semi-finals at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday, breaking her national record along the way.

At the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, she clocked 22.57 seconds to finish second in Heat 3 behind Jamaica’s defending champion Shericka Jackson (22.51sec).

Pereira’s time also matches the event’s entry mark of 22.57 for the Paris 2024 Olympics. She is the first Singaporean to meet an Olympic qualifying standard and reach the semi-finals of the world championships.

SPAIN SOCCER: RUBIALES' APOLOGY OVER UNSOLICITED KISS NOT ENOUGH - PM

Reuters

The Spanish soccer federation chief's public apology for his unsolicited kiss of national player Jenni Hermoso during celebrations of Spain's victory in the Women's World Cup was "not enough", Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday.

The incident - which happened as Luis Rubiales handed the women's team gold medals after they beat England 1-0 in the final on Sunday - sparked outrage within and outside Spain, with many, including ministers, demanding Rubiales' resignation.

AMUSAN ADVANCES TO WORLD 100M HURDLES SEMI-FINALS AMID CONTROVERSY

Reuters

Reigning champion Tobi Amusan of Nigeria won her qualifying heat in the women's 100-metres hurdles on Tuesday to secure a spot in the semi-finals amid a cloud of controversy.

The 26-year-old, who set the world record in the semi-finals of last year's world championships, had a provisional anti-doping suspension lifted on Thursday, but could still face an appeal that could potentially reinstate the ban.

Amusan, whose world record is 12.12, was slow out of the blocks before cruising to a time of 12.48 seconds, third fastest on the night.