Manic Depression

No, I'm not referring to the Jimi Hendrix song (though I stole the title!), but after what happened in London in the past 2 days, it has left me in that state!!
Depressed by the tragic DQ of Colleen Quigley, and the humiliating treatment of Isaac Makwala.
Manic with excitement at the successes of Karsten Warholm and Salwa Naser!
But overall, as Jimi sang so long ago---Manic depression is a frustrating mess!!

Thankfully, while thrown into a quagmire of hesitant confusion, my love for T&F survives--albeit with massive migraines attached!
And I have THIS---my blog---to carry me through!
To THIS, then---and to YOU!---I dedicate this post!!

For this report, I'm returning to the old format--events in chronological order!!
(With the Women's 400 Final up last, I can thus work through my depression about Quigley to the mania of Naser's emergence!)

So let's start with some NON-WC news---from several days ago!!

Brandon Miller ran 1:49.87 at the AAU meet, crushing his own Frosh Class record by almost a full second!!
Gabe Oladipo--best known for his 215-3 DT, whipped the Shot out 73-8.75, making him 8th A-T HS!!
At the Sir Walter Miles (run on a track!), Amanda Eccleston beat Stephanie Garcia, 4:31.72 to 4:31.87.
In the Men's race, young Drew Hunter beat Craig Engels, 3:57.32 to 3:57.67!!
Now on to London!

Respect your elders!
That lesson was learned again when 36 year old Barbora Spotakova won the JT with her 2nd round chuck of 219-0!!
Lingwei Li's 217-4 in Round 3 came the closest, and misses my World DDD by just 6 inches!!
Co-favorite Sara Kolak was off a bit, as her 213-1 best took 4th!
Huihui Lyu was the Bronze winner with her 214-1.

The Women's 200 heats started the ball of emotions rolling, especially when Tori Bowie was a DNS, as was Michelle Lee Ahye!
For Bowie, rumors were about an injury, but without confirmation!
For Ahye, the "food poisoning" reports were being mentioned---which later turned into the story on the virus which cut down Makwala!!
As for the Heats, they were fairly predictable--
Dafne Schippers took the 1st in 22.63.
Kim Duncan's 22.74 beat Mujinga Kambundji's 22.86 in the 2nd.
Deajah Stevens (22.90) and Shaunae Miller-Uibo (22.69) took 3 & 4.
Brit gal Dina Asher-Smith won Number 5 in 22.73, while Marie Josee Ta Lou won the 6th in 22.78.
Rebekka Haase took the final Heat in 22.99.

Sam Kendricks may be the new "face" of the Men's PV--as he beat the INdoor WR holder, Renaud Lavillenie, with dispatch!
Clearing his 1st five heights (beginning at 18-0.50, through 19-3.75), he was ahead of the 19-3.75's of Lavillenie and Piotr Lisek via fewer misses!

Earlier, Mondo Duplantis went over 18-0.50, but couldn't clear 18-6.25!
Of course, how many 17 year old HS'ers do you know who have EVER cleared even 18-0.50, let alone at a WC's??
One veteran--Raphael Holzdeppe--in fact, was an NH!!
Shawn Barber went out at 18-10.25.
Continuing the successes of Chinese Field eventers, Changrui Xue broke his own National Record when he cleared 19-1.
Lavillenie missed his tries at 19-6.25, while Kendricks made it on his final attempt!
He tried once at 19-8.50, then went to celebrate!!

The Women's 400H Semi's produced some drama--especially when the "Shamier Little Syndrome" emerged yet again!
Zuzana Hejnova's 54.59 beat Kori Carter's 54.92 in Semi one, while Little's 55.76 gave her 4th--and a non-Q.
She's fine for 7 or 8 hurdles, then just falls apart!

Ristananna Tracey beat Lea Sprunger in Semi 2, 54.79 to 54.82.
Delilah Muhammad edged Sage Watson--55.00 to 55.05--in the 3rd!
It was a bit cold for sprinter-types, thus the slower times!

The Women's SP Qualifying saw only Dani Bunch eliminated from the "elites" roster!
Lijiao Gong led the Q's with her 62-3, edging Michelle Carter's 62-1.
Over 61, and in, were Anita Marton and Raven Saunders!!

The Men's 3000SC Final front group hit 1000 meters in a sluggish 2:51.81---about 8:35 pace!!
Getting antsy, Evan Jager meandered to the front, hitting 2000 in 5:35.46--still too slow!
But when he tried to break away, he had the company of Consesius Kipruto, Soufiane ElBakkali, and Mihiedine Makhissi.
Over the last water jump, all cleared cleanly, with Jager looking to finish things off, winning his 1st Gold!
But as the last hurdle came into view, Jager's sprint wasn't there, and after clearing it, he couldn't respond!
Kipruto ran the last K in 2:44, his winning time being 8:14.12.
ElBakkali took the Silver in 8:14.49, while Jager was despairing crossing the line in "only" Bronze position--time of 8:15.53!
He barely beat Mekhissi's 8:15.80!
Stan Kebenai was 5th, but 6 seconds back.
Getnet Wale finished in 9th, with Super Vet Ezekiel Kemboi in 11th!
Jairus Birech--one of the favorites--came home in 12th!!

Blame it on the weather, or blame it on the athletes, but these WC 800's have been SLOW!!!
The Men's Final was no different, as they hit 400 in a pedestrian 50.78!!
This opened up the race to ANYone!!
Still bunched at 600, and around the final bend, the Frenchman--Pierre Ambroise Bosse--came up with the best kick, his 1:44.67 beating Adam Kszczot's 1:44.95.

It almost became an all-European Podium, but Great Britain's Kyle Langford's sprint came up just short of beating Kipyegon Bett's 1:45.21!
Langford--who had surprised in the Semi's (See my earlier post!)--ran 1:45.25!
He's just 21.
Nijel Amos and Mo Aman followed in respective times of 1:45.83 and 1:46.06!
Brandon McBride, who was the 400 leader, was 8th in 1:47.09!

The 400 was fairly anticlimactic.
WR holder Wayde Van Niekerk was the overwhelming favorite, and demonstrated his superiority by being far ahead entering the final straight!
He was thus able to slam on the brakes with 20 meters to go, stopping at the line in 43.98--a full 0.95 seconds off his WR!!
Steven Gardiner used some of his 43.89 Semi speed to claim Silver in 44.41--over Abdelelah Haroun's 44.48!
Baboloki Thebe was 4th in 44.66, while Nathon Allen came next in 44.88.
Fred Kerley--one of the pre-meet hopes, finished 7th in 45.03!

Then there was Mr Isaac Makwala!!
He was a DNS.
Why?
Because London Security forcibly (!!!) kept him from entering the track, stopping him just inside the stadium gate!!
Apparently, he had been struck with a bad virus--a contagious one--and had to be taken to a quarantined area!!
I'm not sure if this was by order of the London people, or the IAAF---whose President happens to be British Legend Sebastian Coe!!
Whoever gave the orders, it was humiliating and destructive and UGLY!!
(I'll have more on Makwala later in this report!!)

Then this 16th edition of the prestigious World Championships of Track and Field went from bad to worse--from the burning frying pan into the raging fire!!
Enter the Women's First Heat of the 3000 Meter Steeplechase!!

Jogging through the first 2400 meters, the urgency to finish Top 3 (Auto Q's!) turned everyone into Warriors, Swords (elbows!) unsheathed, Determination in the Belly naked for all to witness!!
On the final curve, the model-beautiful (She really DOES some modeling!!) Colleen Quigley was among a quintet of Q-hopes!
Coming off the water pit cleanly, she was on the "rail"---which (and this is important!!) was NOT a rail, but a strip of white tape planted on the track--on or over which no one was to pass!!
But, with Purity Kirui and others keeping her inside, she touched the tape just after stepping from the water!
Then, with someone immediately on her right--almost touching!--she stepped on the tape again--but this time, it was on the curve heading to the final straight!
THAT was the "offence" that ultimately got her DQ'ed!!

There was absolutely ZERO advantage gotten from this "rule-breaker"!
In fact, many said that if the tape had been a metal curbing, she might have hurt herself--and found herself stepping OVER it---not ON it!!
This is the same STUPID rule that got Ezekiel Kemboi DQ'ed in Rio last year!!
It should NOT have been enforced then, and it should NOT have been enforced against the INNOCENT Ms Quigley!!

For many minutes, I sat staring into space--thinking my lifelong love affair with this incredible sport had DIED!!
I was ready to quit watching it, following it, and reporting on it!!
I remain OUTRAGED!!

And then I found out that it was USATF who said NYET to even filing an official protest!!
They said they'd watched the video, saw she'd "broken the rule"--and concluded it was useless to protest it!!
NO, YOU FUCKING BUREAUCRATIC INCOMPETENT ASSHOLES---you BACK your athletes 100%---You do NOT crawl into your COWARDLY corner and HIDE!!!
EVERYONE connected to USATF must be FIRED!!!
POST HASTE!!!!

Gesa Krause took that Heat in 9:39.86!
Colleen Quigley finished in THIRD---Qualifying for the Final!!
IF she remains BANNED, that Final itself should be CANCELLED!!!

I can't even go on with this FARCE!!!
The Usual Suspects all Q'ed, although Sofia Assefa---not showing her past abilities this year--was a non-Q.

Russian (And i'm so very thrilled & happy to say that!!) Darya Klishina led the LJ Qualifiers with her leap of 21-10.25.
Quanesha Burks, Sha'keela Saunders, Shara Proctor, and Christobel Nettey didn't move on!

The Q rounds for the Men's HT went mostly by the book, with the 3 Americans joining Krisztian Pars and Sergey Litvinov (also of Russia!) on the sidelines for the Final!
Wojciech Nowicki's 252-1 led the way, one inch ahead of heavy favorite Pawel Fajdek!

The Men's 5000 Heats made Mo Farah's quest for another double a real possibility!
He finished 0.11 seconds behind Yomif Kejelcha's Heat One winner of 13:30.07.
Syracuse's Justyn Knight (He's actually Canadian!!) Q'ed in 4th with his 13:30.27.
Not making it through were Albert Rop and Eric Jenkins, whose kick wasn't all there when needed!
Seventeen year old (Born January 20, 2000, according to Ethiopian "records"!!) Selemon Baraga led Heat 2 in 13:21.50!

Oh, Raven, WHY can't you locate Miss Consistency??
Opening the final with a foul, she "improved" to 45-1.50 in Round 2.
If you recall--before erupting into the spinner who soared to the HSR's (INdoors, then OUTdoors!) during the 2013-2014 seasons--she WAS a SP'er whose PR was in the 45 foot range!!
Then--suddenly--she hit 52.3, then 53-8, and so on, and was on her way to fame & glory!!

But she remained wildly inconsistent---improving by a FOOT or more at a time, or hardly able to get the ball past her HS measurements!!
And that is what made her 3rd effort---where she needed an 18 meter throw--of 58-7.25 (17.86) such a "frustrating mess"!!

Anyway, Lijiao Gong---the year's most consistent thrower--hit her standard form, her 65-5 in Round 5 being the ultimate winner!
Anita Marton's 63-11 in the last Round took Silver, as Come-Through-Artist Michelle Carter didn't--hitting her best in the penultimate Round--62-9.50!
Danniel Thomas-Dodd (Was she recently married??) of Jamaica was 4th, with her 62-0.50!

The Men's 200 Semi's turned this still-WR & MR-less WC's into---into I-have-no-idea!!!
The battle to allow Isaac Makwala into the 200--even into the freaking stadium!!!--was finally "won"---if you want to call what happened next a "victory"!!
He was "allowed" to run a SOLO 200--in the pouring rain on a flooded track!!--to see if he could run 20.53, the time needed to "Q"" for the Semi's!!

I believe it was Angela Tenorio who had to run a certain time in the 2014 World Juniors to Q for the 100.
All alone (with brief interference from the Men's 10000 winner's victory lap!!  Does this get any more ludicrous??!!), Tenorio ran much faster than needed---and if I recall correctly, won the Silver medal!!!!
Also--in Rio last year--the American Women's 4X100 Relay squad had to run a solo time trial---out of Lane ONE!!--to Q for THAT final!!!
So Makwala's sorry position--while also ridiculous--wasn't unique!
And, like Ms Tenorio and the US Relayists, he was more than successful!
He blasted a 20.20---then went immediately into a rapid series of push-ups on the soaked track!!
Take THAT, you insane fuck-ups---take THAT and stick it up your ass!!!

Then came the Semi's---hours after the earlier "heat"!
And Makwala again raised his middle finger to the 'crats--speeding a 20.14 behind Isaiah Young's 20.12.
(BTW, this was the ONLY race throughout the entire meet so far that had an illegal wind--2.1!)
Jereem Richards matched Makwala's time in taking Semi Two!
Ramil Guliyev took Semi 3 in 20.17, with Ameer Webb 2nd in 20.22.
Appearing not quite the guy whose chances at a 200--400 double seemed a lead-pipe cinch a few days ago--Wayde Van Niekerk took 3rd in 20.28!

Non-Q's included Yohan Blake, Akani Simbine, Chris Lemaitre, and Oregon's Kyree King!

The Men's 400H Final came next!
All summer, Norway's Karsten Warholm has been running fast, breaking National Records (in both the 400 and 400H!!), and consistently winning!
So it was no great shock when he came off the curve with his exuberant enthusiasm shining brightly well in front of men much older than his 21 years!!
One of those men was uber Vet Kerron Clement!
But Clement couldn't find that upper gear shift, and finished in the Bronze position!
Warholm's 48.35 held off Yasmani Copello's 48.49, with Clement timing 48.52.
TJ Holmes, the other American, took 5th in 49.00!

The 6th day's competition ended with the Women's 400 Final!!
Would Allyson Felix beat her Rio conquerer, Shaunae Miller-Uibo--or would SMU (But then just Ms Miller!!) again win by DIVING over the line??
No one else was even considered when it came to pre-meet discussion---or betting!!

But sometimes---as John Lennon (a most famous British legend!!) once sang---"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans!".
John, meet Kalwa Naser of Bahrain!!

As I detailed in my earlier post, she's 19, and has progressed from 52.74 to 51.39 to 50.88 her first 3 years in the sport!
BTW, that 50.88 was in taking 3rd in a Semi in the Rio Olympic Games at Age 18!!!
Now 19, she improved to 50.57 in the Heats, then again to 50.08 in the Semi--BEATING Ms Felix!!!
Yet few gave her ANY chance of upsetting the apple cart on this rainy cold day!!

On the backstraight, SMU was ahead, but Felix was running her now-common 2nd 100 blaster, catching up to her "main rival".
Meanwhile, Naser had started slowly, and was far back with 270 to go!
But she was moving slowly up---while no one's eyes were focused on her---except maybe just mine!!

Around the curve they went, with Felix now caught up.
Naser had reached 4th position at the top of the straight, and was steadily inching forward!
Then--most suddenly--Shaunae came to almost a full stop---apparently hurt--maybe cramping from the cold weather and fast start!
She didn't fall, but she was barely moving, struggling to just finish!!

Felix would win???
NO!!
With all eyes (and NBC commentary!) on Felix and/or SMU, former Duck Phyllis Francis made TrackTown ecstatic, crossing the line first in a tiny (0.02 seconds) PR of 49.92!
(She remains 19th A-T US!)
Naser--again in the style of Emily Infeld beating Molly Huddle for the Bronze in Beijing's 2015 WC's!!--passed Felix at the line--her new Bahraini National Record of 50.06 prevailing over Felix's 50.08.
Miller-Uibo somehow held on for 4th--time of 50.49!
Three Jamaicans--Shericka Jackson, Stephanie McPherson, and Novlene Williams-Mills--finished 5th, 6th, and 8th, respectively!!

And thus--respectfully!--I submit this quite emotion-laden report!!
See you--I think!!!--in a day or two!!