Day two of the IAAF World Championships produced few surprises in the qualifying rounds with popular former champions failing it to make it past the qualifying stage at the Khalifa International Stadium yesterday.
World record holder in pole vault Renaud Lavillenie failed to make it to the final along while reigning Olympic champion in discuss throw Christoph Harting also saw his medal hopes crashing in Doha.
The men’s 800 meters has been thrown wide open after Nijel Amos of Botswana, the fastest in the world this year, withdrew unexpectedly.
The mixed relay 4 x 400 m heats created quite a buzz around the stadium and in the end USA won with a world record time of 3:12.42 in this relatively new event to advance to today’s final along with Jamaica, Bahrain and Great Britain.
Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in action with South Africa's Tebogo Mamathu during the women’s 100 metres heats.
Also making it to the final were Poland, Brazil and India. In pole vault, Lavillenie search for an outdoor world title end here yesterday as the world record holder crashed out of the pole vault qualifiers after failing to clear the qualifying file.
The 33-year-old, who has won medals in five consecutive world championships, cleared 5.60 meters but failed in his three attempts at 5.70 meters, short of the 5.75 meters needed to qualify for the final.
Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba reacts after finishing second in the Men’s 400m Hurdles semi-finals.
The height they’re looking for to get a spot in the final is 4.75m, with the bar currently 5cm below that and all the names you’d expect to be in the mix remaining, well, in the mix.
Defending champion Sam Kendricks, Olympic champ Thiago Braz, brother of world record holder Valentin Lavillenie, European champion Mondo Duplantis, and two-time 2019 six-metre jumper Piotr Lise along with Cole Walsh qualified for the final.
Women’s Marathon podium winners, gold medallist Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, silver winner Rose Chelimo (Brunei) and bronze medallist Namibia’s Helalia Johannes.
European champion Duplantis needed all three attempts at 5.75m, making it at last to secure a place in the final.
At the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, Raphael Holzdeppe made it at the third attempt to secure his spot triggering boisterous celebrations from Germany’s 2013 world champion.
Qatar's Abubaker Haydar Abdalla in action during the Men's 800m heats.
In Men’s discuss throw, World number one Daniel Stahl was way ahead of his competitors in the qualifiers while hurling the iron to a distance of 67.88m to underline his favourite status.
Jamaica’s Fredrick Dacres also reached the final. The 25-year-old, who is also the Commonwealth and Pan American games champion, booked his place with a throw of 65.44m.
Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey celebrates with the national flag.
This is well off his season’s best throw of 70.78 metres, the second best in the world this year behind Stahl who has a season’s best mark of 71.68 metres.
It was the end of the World Championships road for Harting who finished down in 14th with 63.08m. 2015 world champion Piotr Małachowski also misses out on the final; his best of 62.20m sees him finish in 17th overall.
The men’s 800 meters has been thrown wide open after Nijel Amos of Botswana, the fastest in the world this year, withdrew unexpectedly.
In July, Amos ran the fastest time of anyone since 2012, but he then struggled with injury problems before returning to action last month. The Botswanan said on Instagram he had a tight Achilles tendon. In his absence, Kenya’s Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir was fastest in 1 minute 45.16, while Diamond League winner Donovan Brazier of theUnited States won his heat in 1:46.04.
France's Orlann Ombissa-Dzangue (third left) and Jamaica's Elaine Thompson (fourth left) lead the way in the Women’s 100m heats. Pictures: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula
“I know messing around has gotten me into trouble in the past, so I was like, ‘If you get first you’re in the next round no matter what event it is,’” Brazier said.
In the women’s 800 metres, Haliham Nakaayi of Uganda headed the qualifying charts with a time of 1.59.35 to nail a spot in the final. The United States will have three of the eight runners in the women’s 800 meters final tomorrow after Ajee Wilson, Raevyn Rogers and Ce’Aira Brown all qualified from the semi-finals.
Rababe Arafi of Morocco, who is more often seen racing the 1500m, also qualified for the final. The 800 takes place without 2017 champion Caster Semenya, who’s been barred for refusing demands to medically reduce her natural testosterone level.
