WORLDS DAILY: Worth The Wait (Day 7)

Well, my loyal readers, by the time you wake up to this newsletter in your inbox, I’ll be in Eugene finally getting to experience the magic of #WCHOREGON22 in-person. I’m currently writing this on a plane, however, where I am: a) annoyed my flight got delayed two hours and b) grateful the in-flight Wi-Fi was strong enough to more or less stream Peacock.

We got to see some beautiful delayed gratification in the women’s steeplechase final, where Norah Jeruto, who has credibly been the world’s best steeplechaser for the better part of three years, finally got to claim a global gold medal after missing the Tokyo Olympics. (For those of you who don’t closely follow World Athletics rule implementation, the Kenyan-born Jeruto transferred her allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2019 but due to competition blackout rules, wasn’t eligible to represent her adopted country internationally until this year)

Jeruto showed some serious BDE during the race as she went straight to the lead and refused to relinquish it for more than a step or two. Rivals including Winfred Yavi, Mekides Abede, and Werkuha Getachew tried to pass her multiple times, but she held each challenge off and really sealed the deal by flying over the final water jump without even touching the barrier. Ultimately, she crossed the line in a new personal best and championship record of 8:53.02, dragging three other athletes to national records as well.

In the women’s discus final, Bin Feng of China got out to an early lead with a 69.12m throw in the first round and didn’t give it up to veterans Sandra Perkovic of Croatia and Valarie Allman, the U.S. Olympic champion in the event. The eventual silver and bronze medalists didn’t take advantage of the early rounds as strongly, and a slight change in the wind direction meant conditions weren’t as favorable in the final throws of the competition. It was probably a bit of a letdown for Allman, who’s been on fire all year, and Perkovic, who’s a 4-time global champ, but both women were gracious and seemed in good spirits on their victory lap.

All in all, it was a bit of a tough day for Americans - although perhaps yesterday’s show seemed more disappointing because of how well Team USA has been doing up to this point. Zero of the four Americans in the men’s 800m advanced, including reigning champ Donavan Brazier who told reporters he’s still banged up and having Achilles surgery next week. The highest finish of the three Americans in the steeple final was Courtney Frerichs in 6th, although Emma Coburn deserves serious credit for trying to stick with a hot early pace. And javelin world leader Maggie Malone didn’t advance out of the qualifying round, leaving veteran Kara Winger the only U.S. representative in that event final.

The one bright spot was in the women’s 400m hurdles, where 4 of the 8 lanes in the final will be filled by Americans. Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney McLaughlin looked like their usual dominant selves, but Tokyo bronze medalist Femke Bol of the Netherlands has never looked better, so a U.S. 1-2 for the third championship in a row cannot be taken for granted.

Caribbean track fans had plenty to cheer for in the 400m semifinals, as both Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas and Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic broke 50 seconds in the women’s heats, and ol’ reliable Kirani James of Grenada looked as good as ever winning his semi.

Today, we get our first glimpse at our women’s 800m and men’s 5000m runners as they run their qualifying rounds, and we’ll also get two of the best races of the entire week in the men’s and women’s 200m finals. These two deserve their own previews, so I unpacked them both in our MUST-WATCH EVENT section below.

CITIUS MAG Live continues to entertain and delight, with guests like the legendary Michael Johnson weighing in on the sprinters of today and Oregon favorite Ashton Eaton giving sage advice on the post-retirement world for athletes. You can watch all the action live every afternoon and get the replays on YouTube whenever you want.

The lineup for Thursday is rumored to include Keira D’Amato, Courtney Wayment, Rai Benjamin and Trevor Bassitt and will start around 3 pm PST.

SCHEDULE AND TV DETAILS FOR DAY 7 (all times EST):

8:05pm Men’s Javelin Throw Qualification8:10pm Women’s 800m Heats9:10pm Men’s 5000m Heats9:20pm Men’s Triple Jump Qualification10:00pm Men’s 800m Semi-Final10:35pm Women’s 200m Final10:50pm Men’s 200m Final

All the action airs live on the USA Network and on Peacock starting at 8pm EST.

Full timetable and live results | Full streaming details

MUST-WATCH EVENTS OF THE DAY: 200 METER FINALS (Presented by Hayward Magic)

I couldn’t decide on just one must-watch event, so surprise! You get two. The men’s and women’s 200m finals are both tonight and both stand to be the best races of the year.

Men’s 200m final:

Noah Lyles ran 19.63 in the semifinals. Erriyon Knighton ran 19.77 one heat later. The second matchup between these two titans of the 200m is shaping up to be just as thrilling as the first, where Lyles just beat out Knighton at USAs in the final steps. All reports indicate that that loss lit a fire under the 18-year-old and that he’s on a mission to turn the tables at Worlds, but based on how Lyles has been running - his first 100m in the semis, which is not traditionally a strength of his, looked phenomenal - it’s going to be a real battle.

Let’s just take a second to step back and appreciate how great this rivalry is for track and field - it’s thrilling, genuine, and puts performance at the forefront while still allowing athletes’ personalities to shine. When we talk about making the sport exciting and accessible for a broader audience, stories like these basically sell themselves.

What to watch for: If Lyles is even with Knighton coming off the turn, it’s over. If the gap is large, it’ll be close.

What to tell your friends: This could be the start to of one of the biggest rivalries of the next two Olympic cycles, and one that could easily end with Bolt’s record being broken.

What about another sweep: It’s less likely than in the 100m, but not impossible with three Americans in the 8-man final. Interestingly, one of the men most likely to play spoiler is Joe Fahnbulleh, the Florida Gator who actually grew up in Minnesota but competes internationally for Liberia.

Women’s 200m final:

The 2019 World champion. The 2021 Olympic champion. The NCAA record holder. The 2022 100m world champion. And the 2022 world leader.

Those are five different women. It’s unusually rare to see so much talent and so many credentials all packed into one race, but that’s what we’re getting in the women’s 200m final. When the reigning Olympic gold medalist has to make the final on time, you know the field is stacked. If there’s any favorite, it’s Shericka Jackson, the 100m silver medalist and Jamaican champ who ran a wind-legal 21.67 in her semi. Her 100m speed and 400m strength match up beautifully at this distance. But I wouldn’t count out either of her two Jamaican teammates, and if there’s one thing Abby Steiner has shown us all year, it’s that she can step up and perform on any stage.

The other person we can’t forget is reigning world champ Dina Asher-Smith. The Brit is often banged up with injuries, but when she’s healthy she’s a world-beater, and based on how she’s run at these champs so far, she’s healthy and then some.

What to watch for: This will likely be more of an evenly-paced race throughout compared to the men, as none of the women entered are particularly late finishers. If Jackson gets a lead coming off the turn, she’ll probably hold it.

What to tell your friends: America vs. Jamaica. The best rivalry in track and field has one of its biggest clashes yet.

Tamara Clark watch: With all the attention that Steiner has (rightfully) received, few are paying attention to Tamara Clark, who finished 2nd in the 200m and 5th in the 100m at USAs. She looked so strong in her semi that a medal is not out of the question.

MUST-WATCH ATHLETE OF THE DAY: ATHING MU (Presented by Hayward Magic)

After 6 days of waiting, we finally get the Athing Show! The U.S. and Olympic champ hits the track in the first round of the women’s 800m this evening, and while we don’t expect much more than a safe qualifier, it is just so fun to watch the 20-year-old phenom run.

The 800m is shaping up to be a stiff challenge for Mu after she cruised to an astonishingly-easy Olympic win, with Tokyo silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain in fine form and Kenya’s Mary Moraa rising through the ranks. Plus, Mu will get some challenge from her own teammates as Raevyn Rogers and Ajee’ Wilson are both medal threats in their own right. The first round will mostly be a competition among the heavy favorites to see who can advance while doing the least work, however.

What to watch for: Just enjoy watching someone who was born to run do it really, really well.

What to tell your friends: Remember when a 19-year-old won gold in Tokyo after her freshman year of college? We sure do! She’s back for another gold this weekend.

Don’t miss the mixed zone: Mu is a super-entertaining and engaging interview, so if she stops by the reporters after her race, make sure you take a peek.

TWEET OF THE DAY: A proud father

Eugene locals know Geoff Wightman’s voice well as the in-stadium announcer for Hayward Field, but many fans found out for the first time two days ago that his son is Jake Wightman, the surprise winner of the 1500m gold on Tuesday. This video of a father calling his son’s victory is priceless.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Elise Cranny is all smiles after making the final of the women’s 5000m.

Photo captured by: Justin Britton

The GOAT and her game face in full flight in the women’s 400m hurdles.

Photo captured by: Johnny Zhang

FOLLOW ALONG WITH CITIUS MAG:

CITIUS MAG LIVE AT WORLDS: Every day of the World Championships, we will invite athletes, coaches and fellow media members to kick back for fun interviews with Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and ESPN SportsCenter host John Anderson. Today’s show will air live at 4pm EST with a whole new group of entertaining guests.

CHAMPS CHATS ON THE CITIUS MAG PODCAST DAILY: The CITIUS MAG team of Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber Jasmine Todd, and Katelyn Hutchison unpack all of the day’s biggest surprises and offer up their insights and analysis from being at Hayward Field and interviewing athletes each day.

DAILY MORNING RUNS: If you’re in Eugene, catch some miles with The CITIUS MAG team in partnership with Garmin and Tracksmith Running. We’ll have giveaways, coffee and treats for people in town. On most days, we are meeting at Washburne Park (East 21st Ave & Agate Street) and go for some easy miles. We aim to start these runs at 8:30 am each day.

Tracksmith is a presenting sponsor of CITIUS MAG’s coverage of the World Championships. CITIUS MAG Newsletter readers get a special offer only during the World Championships. Visit Tracksmith.com and use code WORLDS at checkout for 20% off. That’s for all readers - whether you’re new to Tracksmith, or if you’re like me and already have a whole wardrobe in your closet. New customers who spend $150 or more can receive a free Van Cortlandt Singlet in Navy. Go to Tracksmith.com/vcpromo to add your singlet to your cart. When your total cart from other items has reached or exceeded $150, the price will reduce to $0 in cart.

In addition to our content, Tracksmith partnered with Puma to produce a six-episode podcast series with Pushkin Industries as best-selling author and Revisionist History podcast host Malcolm Gladwell explores the story of the 1960s San Jose State Track and Field team that excelled on the track but also led the protest at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. “Legacy of Speed” features conversations with athletes, journalists, coaches, and documentarians who made it happen. Listen to Legacy of Speed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your shows. Get tickets to his live show in Eugene here.

Hayward Magic has a lot slated for the World Championships with Demitra Carter returning with her mini mic for Tiny Talks on the track, Real Talks interviews with Tiara Williams, always-entertaining content from the 2 Black Runners Podcast, and a few other surprises throughout the week. Tap into Hayward Magic's coverage of the action in Eugene. Follow them on Instagram: @HaywardMagic.

Garmin brings together music, training, and data. Let the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music become your new favorite running partner. All you have to do is run; this GPS-running smartwatch does the rest. It gets to know you and your body better, mile after mile and song after song. Get one for yourself here.

Thanks for reading! If you liked WORLDS DAILY, don’t forget to tell a friend or two to subscribe. Let’s share in the excitement of the World Athletics Championships.

You can follow David Melly on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to follow CITIUS MAG on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to make sure you don’t miss one minute of the action!