Athletics
CHRISTIAN TAYLOR CLAIMS HISTORIC 100TH GOLD FOR US MEN
When Christian Taylor cut the sand 17.86 metres from where he had taken off on his fourth attempt in the triple jump final, he did more than deprive his teammate and career-long rival Will Claye of another – yet another, Claye might add – major gold medal.
Taylor would increase his best to 17.92m in the next round, but in taking a lead he would never relinquish he also took the honour of winning the 100th gold medal for USA men since the inaugural IAAF World Championships in Helsinki in 1983 (where, ironically, another great US triple jumper, Willie Banks, was upstaged by Zdzislaw Hoffman of Poland in the triple jump).
“USA track and field has a strong history in the sport and strong presence,” said Taylor. “Wearing the uniform, there’s a level of respect that we get from our competitors but also a lot of pride that we take when wearing it.
“To win the 100th gold medal by a US man, how can I not be proud? It’s really the icing on the cake and adds to the phenomenal competition that I got to be a part of. To have that as part of my story, really I’m proud of it.”
Statistics from Mark Butler, editor of the official statistics handbook for the championships, tell us the USA men’s tally stood at 98 at the start of this World Championships. Christian Coleman made it 99 with his win the 100m on day two and then Taylor brought it up to 100 the following day.
In the same time, and with fewer competitive opportunities, US women have won 58 gold medals, 57 plus DeAnna Price in the hammer, and the USA has now won the first gold medal in mixed competition in the mixed 4x400m.
Taylor has made a solid contribution to that tally, of course. His win here took his personal gold medal tally to four, so he has contributed his fair share.
“Looking back, Angelo Taylor (three World Championships gold medals in the 4x400m) and Dwight Phillips (four world long jump titles) inspired me,” said Taylor.
“They were
both from Atlanta, like me. Dwight is a jumper, while Angelo has the Taylor
surname. What they did on the grand stage was phenomenal and really
inspirational.”
Carl Lewis, the man who started the US gold rush with his win in the 100m in Helsinki is the major single contributor with eight gold medals, five individual and three relay: the 100m, long jump and 4x100m in Helsinki, the same treble in Rome four years later, and the 100m and the relay in Tokyo in 1991.
LaShawn Merritt and Michael Johnson have also contributed eight apiece. Merritt’s record is 4x400m in 2005, 2007, 400m and 4x400m in 2009, 4x400m in 2011, 400m and 4x400m in 2013 and 4x400m again in 2015.
Johnson, who has
the most individual medals with six, won the 200m in Tokyo in 1991, the 400m
and 4x400m in 1993, the 200m, 400m and 4x400m in 1995, and the 400m in 1997 and
1999.
One of the most memorable gold medal competitions involved Carl Lewis, but was one he did not win.
In the long jump in Tokyo in 1991 Lewis was upstaged by Mike Powell, who not only pinched the gold medal from under King Carl’s nose, but also beat him to breaking Bob Beamon’s legendary world record.
Lewis got within centimetres of Beamon’s 8.90m with one of his early attempts. He pulled his track suit back on and sat down on the infield beyond the end of the pit, focused solely on the world record.
If that’s the case, Lewis forgot about the competition – perhaps an understandable mistake for a man who rarely been beaten and given the fact no man had ever jumped beyond 8.80m and lost.
Powell until then was such a mercurial competitor, too. Like Beamon, his approach to the event was simple: run down fast, jump as far as you can.
This night it
served him well, he exploded out to 8.95m. The record and the gold medal was
his.
There are many other memorable moments, too, some for an individual moment of brilliance, others for a sustained career of performance at the highest level, still others for the sheer unexpectedness of it.
Among the latter would definitely be the win by Mark Plaatjes in the marathon in Stuttgart in 1993. South African-born, Plaatjes had become a US citizen only the previous year. He came past long-time leader Lucketz Swartbooi of Namibia in the final kilometre to take the gold.
“I felt terrible passing Lucketz,” he said. “He did so much work and was brave to take the race out and destroy the field.”
Two of the greatest hurdlers ever – Greg Foster and Allen Johnson – are prime examples of sustained brilliance. Foster won the 110m hurdles at the first three championships, a reign of eight years; Johnson matched that longevity, winning in 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2003.
For sustained brilliance within a single event what about super decathletes Dan O’Brien and Ashton Eaton. O’Brien won three in the trot in 1991, 1993 and 1995; Ashton won two ‘only’ but who can forget his stunning 45.00 400m to close day one on his way to a world record victory in Beijing in 2015.
The rate of medal winning has slowed in recent times – 10 in Osaka in 2007, six in Berlin in 2009 and Daegu in 2011, four in 2013 and 2015, three in London in 2017 and two, so far, in Doha – in part due to many international rivals spending their formative senior years within the US collegiate system, in part due to the increasing globalisation of athletics.
It may take another 36 years for US men to win their next 100 gold medals, but following the first 100 has been quite a ride.
Len Johnson for the IAAF
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has officially set the ball rolling for the selection of Team Nigeria’s athletics contingent to the 2026 Commonwealth Games, announcing June 20 to 22 as the dates for the national trials in Lagos.
The three-day championship, scheduled for the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Sports Complex, will serve as the sole selection event for athletes seeking to represent Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
In a statement released by the federation, the AFN emphasised that participation in the trials is compulsory for all athletes aspiring to make Team Nigeria, making the competition a critical stage in the country’s preparations for the Games.
The event is expected to attract the nation’s leading track and field stars, alongside a new generation of emerging talents eager to secure a place on the national team.
A total of 32 events for men and women will be contested during the championships, offering athletes opportunities to demonstrate their readiness for international competition.
However, the federation announced that participation in the men’s and women’s 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres events will be limited to athletes who have attained the prescribed qualifying standards. All other track and field events will remain open to eligible competitors.
According to the AFN, the arrangement is designed to ensure that only athletes who have demonstrated the required level of performance compete in the sprint events while maintaining broad participation across other disciplines.
Athletes are expected to arrive in Lagos on June 19, with departures scheduled for June 23.
To support athletes in their quest for qualification, the federation announced that accommodation will be provided to competitors who have achieved the stipulated qualifying marks during the qualification period. The list of eligible athletes is expected to be published in the coming days.
The trials are expected to produce intense competition as athletes battle for limited places on Team Nigeria. With the country traditionally regarded as one of Africa’s leading athletics nations, selection is likely to be fiercely contested across several events.
AFN President, Chief Tonobok Okowa, described the trials as a major milestone in Nigeria’s build-up to Glasgow 2026 and called on athletics enthusiasts and stakeholders to support the athletes throughout the championship.
Okowa expressed confidence that the event would help identify the country’s strongest athletes and provide selectors with the best possible team for the Commonwealth Games.
He also commended the leadership of the National Sports Commission for its continued support of the federation, noting that the backing has strengthened efforts to develop athletics and enhance elite athletes’ performance.
With the countdown to the Commonwealth Games gathering momentum, attention will now shift to Lagos, where athletes will compete for the opportunity to wear Nigeria’s green-and-white colours on one of the biggest stages in international sport.
For hopefuls targeting Glasgow 2026, the message from the AFN is clear: the journey to the Commonwealth Games begins at the YABATECH Sports Complex this month.
The Akwa Ibom State Government’s sustained investment in sports development under Governor Umo Eno is beginning to produce significant results, with athletes from the state returning from the African Senior Athletics Championship in Ghana with medals and qualifications for future international competitions.
This was disclosed on Monday by the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Paul Bassey, during a reception held at his office for athletes from the state who represented Nigeria at the continental championship staged in Ghana from May 10 to 17.
The athletes delivered impressive performances for Team Nigeria, winning gold medals in relay events and reinforcing the growing reputation of Akwa Ibom as one of the country’s emerging hubs for athletics excellence.
Speaking during the reception, Bassey praised the athletes for making both the state and Nigeria proud, attributing their achievements to the deliberate sports development policies introduced by Governor Eno’s administration.
According to him, the establishment of a stand-alone Ministry of Sports by the governor reflects the administration’s determination to give sports-focused attention and create opportunities for athletes to thrive at both national and international levels.
“Akwa Ibom is proud of you. You did not just qualify to represent the country; you went there and won gold medals,” Bassey said.
“Sports have always thrived in the state, but the renewed intentionality of His Excellency inspires us greatly. That is why he established a stand-alone Ministry of Sports to ensure focused attention on the sector. We sincerely appreciate his unwavering support.”
The commissioner assured the athletes and their coaches that the government would continue to honour and support them despite the political activities leading up to next year’s elections.
He added that the administration remains committed to projecting Akwa Ibom athletes to greater heights on the global sporting stage.
Head Coach of the state Athletics Association, Dan Umoette, also commended the state government and the Ministry of Sports for their consistent support, saying the encouragement has motivated athletes to pursue excellence and podium finishes.
Umoette revealed that three Akwa Ibom athletes were part of the Nigerian relay quartet that won gold in the 4×400 metres event at the championship.
One of the athletes, Comfort James, Nigeria’s women’s 800 metres record holder, described the government’s public backing as a major morale booster.
“We have not enjoyed opportunities like this before, where the entire government and the Ministry of Sports openly support us,” she said.
“It has boosted our morale and helped us stand out. We hope to do even more in future competitions because we know we are not limited.”
Among the Akwa Ibom athletes who represented Nigeria at the championship were Esther Okon and Jacinta Lawrence, who won gold in the women’s 4×400 metres relay final.
Ezekiel Eno Asuquo and Victor Sampson also claimed gold medals in the mixed 4×400 metres relay event.
Other members of the contingent included Comfort James in the women’s 800 metres and Clergy Edet in the women’s high jump competition.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Sports present at the reception included Permanent Secretary Mrs Rosemary Ubia, Director of Sports Mrs Brigid Otton, Director of Organising Mrs Margaret Ekpo, and Director of Coaching and Technical Unit Mrs Kate Ekuta.
Also present were coaches Kenti Christopher and Janet Ba.
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The London Marathon broke the record for the highest number of finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 participants completing the course to surpass the mark of 59,226 at last year’s New York City event.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe shattered the world record to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, followed by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who also breached the two-hour barrier on Sunday.
“To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record,” said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events.
In the women’s race, three women ran under two hours and 16 minutes in a single race for the first time ever, as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended her title by shattering her own women ‘s-only world record
-Reuters
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