WC 2016--the Verdict

Should such a prestigious meet as the World Championships be judged as to its place in history?
Or should we believe that ANY World Championships is worth its weight --in Gold, Silver, and Bronze?
For the purposes of this blog--with its main emphasis on Records and Marks--such a verdict is expected, if not welcomed.
And MY verdict is---Guilty!!
(With extenuating circumstances!)

The first night's events--both PV's--was a soaring--pun intended!--success!
Two events--Two Meet Records.
Who could ask for more?
That was already 2 MORE Meet Records than was produced in the previous--2014--edition!
And what a show it was!

With 3 sixteen foot Women, the competition was expected to be of the highest levels--and it was.
At 14-7.25, Diamara Planell Cruz set the National Record of Puerto Rico!
Then, at 15-5, it was New Zealand's teenage sensation Eliza McCartney's turn to break a National Record.
Then came Switzerland's Nicole Buchler, whose clearance at 15-9 broke her own NR.
It also moved her from 16th A-T World, tied with 1 other, to 12th, also tied with 1 other!
Then, at 16-0.75, Sandi Morris wasn't able to match her performance at USATF, while Jenn Suhr cleared!
In doing so, she tied her own Age 34 record!
For a moment, it was thought that Suhr would try for a WR of 16-6-50.
But she apparently felt a tightness in her calf, and ended the competition as the Gold medal winner!

On the Men's side, with Shawn Barber in one of his lesser moments, it was left to Renaud Lavillenie to make that event worth watching!
And he did, first making the MR height of 19-9, and then trying 3 times at 20-2.75!
For Lavillenie--a showman--he drew attention just by sitting and waiting to jump---for 2 hours!

To top off this first day, the livestream was EXCELLENT--with every vault shown, plus all the between-vault movements of the athletes!
I'll have LOTS more to say about the coverage of the meet---by livestreams, webcasts, or by NBC--in my  "Best & Worst" post coming in the next few days!

Normally, I'd have TWO posts to detail this meet.
But what happened the final 3 days CAN be fully covered in a single post!
If this blog were about thrilling COMPETITIONS---and not Records & Marks--then it would need a second post!

Both 60's produced great races--and good results!
Asefa Powell's TWO 6.44's--in both heats and semis--portended a break in his seeming inability to win Championship finals!
But young Trayvon Bromell had something to say about that!
Once again, Powell was left behind, while Bromell steamed ahead to a Gold in 6.47, his PR.!!

Those 6.44's were Jamaica National Records, as well as breaking his own Age 33 record!
Powell is now 5th A-T World!
Ramon Gittens broke the Barbados National Record twice also--first with his semi time of 6.53, then with his final of 6.51.
Kim Collins's 6.49 broke his own Age 39 record.
Bingtian Su's 6.50 broke his own National Record of China!

Bromell's 6.47 put him on my A-T lists!
He's 11th A-T US, tied with 3 others, and 17th A-T World, tied with 7 others!!
Pushed OFF the World list were some big names, INCLUDING both Burrell's, father and son--aka Leroy and Cameron!
Mike Rodgers was also 86'ed!!
Leroy's 6.48 was from 1991, while Cameron's was from this year!

The Women's 60 produced a small shock--as Dafne Schippers was beaten by Barbara Pierre, 7.02 to 7.04.
Michelle Lee Ahye nabbed the Trinidad & Tobago National Record with her heat time of 7.09.
Elaine Thompson's 7.04 in the semis made her 24th A-T World, tied with 6 others!
Tori Bowie's semi of 7.11 makes her 17th A-T US, tied with 3 others!

The Women's SP welcomed back the (almost) invincible Valerie Adams--with a BRONZE medal!
Winning the comp with her final throw--Michelle Carter (the original Shot Diva!!) threw the ball out to an American Record of 66-3.75!!
Moving from 2nd to 1st on the A-T US list, she still falls more than a foot short of the World list!

In 2nd was Hungary's Anita Marton, whose 63-5 measures up to her National Record, breaking her own mark!

While Adams couldn't produce for New Zealand, Thomas Walsh did!
He broke his own National Record with his winning throw of 71-5.50!
He's now 16th A-T World!

Another American to win with her final effort was the Mistress of Heart Failure--Brittney Reese!
Known as either the fouler of foulers--or the greatest come-through performer of All-Time--Reese certainly was the latter in Portland!!
In a fierce competition with Ivana Spanovic and Leslie Ugen, she finally put it away with her leap of 23-8.25.

Ugen tied the National Record of Great Britain, now co-held by Katarina Johnson-Thompson--at 22-9!

Spanovic had a jump measured at 23-2.50--which broke her own National Record of Serbia!
It also moves her from 23rd A-T World, tied with 2 others, to 10th!!
Reese missed her PR by a half inch, but got the Age 29 record!

The Multi's--or rather, the Eaton Extravaganza!!--were followed by an adoring crowd of Eaton worshipers!
Husband and Wife both won--Ashton the Heptathlon, and Brianne Thiesen-Eaton the Pentathlon--making the sold-out Oregon-centric crowd happy!

After smashing the 3rd hurdle in the 2nd day's 60H, and ending much slower than normal, Ashton's chances at a WR were gone!
Not helping was his decision to move from 5.10 in the PV all the way to 5.50--where he missed his 3 tries!

Eaton's score of 6470 got him just the Age 28 record!
Curtis Beach ran 2:29.04 for his 1000, but missed a medal by 8 points!
Kurt Felix  got the Grenada National Record with his 5986 point total!

Ashton's Better Half squeaked past Anastasiya Mukhnyuk's 4847  total with a 2:09.99 in her 800, scoring 4881 points for Gold, also breaking her own National Record of Canada!
For Mukhnyuk, it makes her 13th A-T World!
Alina Fodorova's 4770 misses the World list by 5 points!
But Barbara Nwaba's 4661 score moves her from 13th to 6th on the A-T US list!

Besides the NR, Thiesen-Eaton is now ranked 8th A-T World, and she gets the Age 27 record!

Two American youngsters shone in their respective events!
Keturah Orji--a last minute addition to the TJ field, despite competing at NCAA's instead of USATF--took a VERY close 4th in a VERY close competiton!
In fact, her 46-4.25 first round LED the field!!
But eventual winner--20 year old Yolimar Rojas of Venezuela--made her only fair jump a winner--measuring 47-3.50!
Orji improved to an INdoor PR of 46.4.75, but missed medaling by ONE centimeter!!
She remains 4th A-T US!
She'd turned 20 just 2 weeks earlier!

The other young phenom is soon to turn Professional!
Vashti Cunningham, still a High School student, admitted in an interview she WILL go the Pro route---soon!!
Negotiations are ongoing, and the official announcement will come shortly!

That said, her (probably!) final competition as an amateur was a good one, that being maybe the understatement of the century!!
For this 18 year old beat 36 year old Ruth Beitia and ALMOST (Tomorrow!!!) 30 year old Kamila Licwinko in a thrilling 4-woman battle!
Four women had made 6-5--or 1.96--but all 4 failed at 1.99--or 6-6.25, which would have tied Cunningham's HSR!!
Cunningham was given the win, as she had the only clean card in her 4 jumps!
All the others had missed at least once at the lower heights!

(Tell me, do you think her selling price went WAY up with her GOLD Medal??)

The 60H races were good ones!
The Men's race saw two Frenchmen--Pascal Martinot-Legarde and Dimitri Bascou--lose to Jamaican Omar McLeod's National Record of 7.41.
Bascou had run a 7.41 earlier this season!
It's not how fast you run, but WHEN you do it!!

McLeod's time makes him 13th A-T World, tied with 4 others.

The Women's race was an all-US race--of sorts!
Tiffany Porter, once US, now British, took the Bronze behind the one-two of Nia Ali and Brianna Rollins!
Kendra Harrison, the 3rd American, whomped a hurdle or two, and didn't medal!
But Andrea Ivancevic of Croatia broke her own National Record with her 7.91.

Marquis Dendy won with his leap of 27-1.25 prevailing for Gold!
In second was Australia's Fabrice LaPierre, whose 27-0.75 is the new National Record!
It also got him the Age 32 record!
Rushwal Samaai got the South Africa National Record with his 26-10 effort!
Jeff Henderson took 4th!

Boris Berian tore through 400 in the 49's, then held on to win the 800 in 1:45.83.
This moves him from 7th to 3rd on the A-T US list!

After Lynsey Sharp failed to make it into the final (!!), it was left to Ajee Wilson to conquer the relatively weak field!
Tell that to INdoor rookie Francine Niyonsaba!!
After a slow first 400, Niyonsaba rushed into a 5 meter lead, with Wilson calmly sitting in 3rd.
Late to respond, Ajee's steady kick wasn't enough, as her 2:00.27 lost to the Burundian's 2:00.01.
In fourth was Laura Roesler!

Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain ran a National Record time of 51.45--nipping her own mark--to win the 400.
The Men's race was taken by Pavel Maslak, after Vernon Norwood was DQ'ed  in his semi!
Times were slow!

The Relays were both taken by the United States--in non-record times!
In the Men's race, The Bahamas team--which included the Ancient One--37 year old Chris Brown--ran 3:04.75 in a far back 2nd to move from 15th World to 8th!
Trinidad and Tobago timed 3:05.51 for Bronze, moving them from 14th to 10th World, tied with 1 other!
The US Women's team had it easy after Jamaican Patricia Hall fell on the first leg, thus DNF'ing her team!

The 4 distance races had big names, but small efforts!
The Men's 1500 became Wanamaker Mile II, for all intents.
For it wasn't an African, but Nick Willis who finally broke open the stuck-in-cement-paced race!
Sprinting into the lead with over 400 to go, only Arch-rival Matthew Centrowitz gave serious chase, sticking to Willis's shoulder until the final straight, where he handed Willis yet another loss!
Ayanleh Souleiman finished dead last!!

The Women's race had some young Ethiopians--and by Brit announcer Peter Matthews's pronouncement-- Brenda MARTIN-ez as the main contestants!
When Dawit Seyaum tore into the lead after a 2:12 first 800, MarTEEnez (sic!) was slow to follow, and in the end, just didn't have her usual finish!

The Men's 3000 didn't have Dejen Gebremeskel, as I'd predicted---didn't know he'd scratched!--but it did have 18 year old wunderkind Yomif Kejelcha!
And Ryan Hill--despite the best finish of them all---just missed getting Kejelcha, nabbing the Silver.
The pace was a WALK for the first K--around 2:52, or SLOWER than the Women would open a 14:30ish 5000 with!!--and ended with a 2:22 final 1000.
So they start at 8:36 pace, and end at 7:06 pace!
Hurrah!
YAWN!!

Another yawner saw the women sit-and-knit for a K, waiting for Genzebe Dibaba to do her thing.
When she finally moved---from last to first--and move ahead by 30 meters, NO ONE followed!!
I mean, they were "running" at COOL DOWN pace!!
Why didn't Meseret Defar, who had run a solo 8:30 in Boston this year--or Shannon Rowbury, with her 3:56.29 US Record creds--go with her??
Sure, it's GENZEBE we're talking about, but after CRAWLING the first K, surely both of those studs should have had enough left to at least stick with Dibaba for a few more laps!!
They just SURRENDERED!!

Here's another measure of just how poor---relatively speaking--this Championship meet was!
Left over from the twentieth century--now 17 years minimum to the rear!!--are FIVE Women's Meet Records, and SEVEN from the Men's side!!
That is NOT including the respective 200's, which events are no longer held in this meet!!

Well, folks, lots more is coming your way---and soon!
I'll have my Athlete of the Year picks--for World, US, Collegiate, and HS--posted next.
That will include other awards--like Performance and Meet of the Year!

Then, following that, I'll have my "Best and Worst" post for the INdoor season!

And following THAT, I'll put up my OUTdoor Preview, which will include an unusual number of VERY early season Top quality marks already in!!
These 3 posts should be up in the next 2 to 3 days!!

See you VERY soon!!