The World Athletics Championship is the world’s top track and field event bringing together the best athletes to decide the world’s very best. It is a biennial tournament that takes place two weeks after the Olympics and is an important part of track and field’s global competition programme.
Nicola Olyslagers (Australia) added to her world outdoor and indoor high jump titles with victory in the women’s 2.00m final. The two-time Olympic silver medallist cleared on her first attempt and held off Ukraine’s Maria Zodzik who managed a wind-legal 2.09m to take bronze.
Clayton Young (USA) produced a career best to win gold in the men’s marathon. The 26-year-old led for nearly 20km (1.25 miles) and fought off the challenge of Amanal Petros (Germany) in the last kilometre to finish just over a second clear of the Ethiopian.
As he nears the end of his career, reigning Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker (USA) proved he still has what it takes to deliver in a World Championship finale, claiming a hard-fought victory over Kenyan Paul Chelimo and Ethiopia’s Leo Mubarek. Hocker also helped the US quartet to a gold in the 4x400m relay.
Only a handful of female athletes have ever won both a world sprint triple crown and an Olympic title, but Jamaica’s Sherone Jefferson-Wooden is one of them. She won the 100m, 200m and 400m this week to cement her position in the history books, while fellow American Noah Lyles will be aiming for unprecedented success in the men’s sprints.