Last year I turned into a track and field fan. It was the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, held at legendary Hayward Field, which did it. The athletes were like superheroes, with performances so far away from what any “normal” athlete could do that it felt almost surreal.
It’s a good thing that the sport’s governing body decided to change that. It established the World Athletics Championship as an event that takes place every two years, and it’s become a more-or-less parallel to the Olympics.
In fact, some of the fastest and most exciting performances at the Worlds haven’t even been seen at the Olympics. American athletes have broken the most world records in the history of the competition, but it’s not just the Americans that are doing it; Jamaica and Great Britain have also set a lot of them.
So this year, we’re in the middle of another great edition of the World Athletics Championships. This time, the event is taking place in Tokyo, Japan, from September 13 to 21.
The first day saw a strong British showing, led by the brilliant Keely Hodgkinson in the 800m, where she secured second place. We also had Josh Kerr delivering a jaw-dropping performance in the 1500m final, forcing Norwegian favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen into second place with a storming finish.
Meanwhile, there were some impressive displays from the jumpers and throwers. JuVaughn Harrison won silver in the men’s high jump after clearing 2.36 meters, while Briton Katarina Johnson-Thompson sealed a brilliant victory in the women’s heptathlon with a series of solid jumps and a superb 5000m.