BELGRADE, Serbia — A sweep of the top two places in the women’s pole vault paced Team USATF to eight medals during the evening session at the World Athletics Indoor Championships at Stark Arena. The U.S. is dominating the medal table with 15 total and is almost 100 points ahead of the next nearest nation on the scoring table with 133 points.
Reigning World Indoor champion Sandi Morris (Mableton, Georgia/USATF Arkansas) passed on the opening height, but came in at 4.45/14-7.25 and easily cleared her first bar. At 4.60/15-1 she missed on her initial attempt, then sailed over on try number two. Olympic champion Katie Nageotte (Powder Springs, Georgia/USATF New York) also opened at 4.45/14-7.25 and went over on her first try, as she did at the next height. At 4.70/15-5, Morris and Nageotte were the only jumpers to clear at the first time of asking, setting up the grapple for gold between the two Americans. Those two and Tina Sutej of Slovenia were the only vaulters to go on to 4.75/15-7, and all three were clear first time. The trio missed their first two attempts at 4.80/15-9 before Morris went over third time. That was the clutch clearance as it guaranteed the second gold in a row for Morris after Nageotte missed her third attempt and settled for silver. It was the second time the U.S. won two medals in this event at the World Indoors, repeating the 1-2 sweep from 2016 when Morris took silver behind Jenn Suhr.
Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy was behind Christian Coleman (Lexington, Kentucky/USATF Kentucky) and Marvin Bracy (Jacksonville, Florida/USATF Florida) from the blocks, with Coleman getting the best of the starts. Coleman looked to be in position to defend his title in the final three meters, but he and Jacobs dived at the line and it was the Italian who was awarded the gold by .003 seconds as both men finished in 6.41, with Bracy taking bronze in a lifetime best 6.44. Both Americans were easy winners in their semifinal sections, running a pair of 6.51s.
World indoor and outdoor record holder and two-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser (Redmond, Oregon/USATF Oregon) responded to two-time winner Tom Walsh of New Zealand with a championship record 22.44/73-7.5 on his opening throw. Walsh had hit a season best 22.29/73-1.75 on the throw before Crouser. In the fourth round, Brazil’s Darlan Romani threw down the gauntlet with a 22.53m/73-11 meet record and lifetime indoor best to push Crouser back to second, a position he has not been familiar with over an undefeated last two seasons. Crouser’s lengthy undefeated streak came to an end with a silver in his first World Indoor Championships after he was unable to improve on his final two throws. Josh Awotunde (Columbia, South Carolina/USATF New Jersey) threw 20.74m/68-0.5 in round one and upped that to 21.41m/70-3 in the second round. The third stanza brought yet another improvement, this time to 21.70m/71-2.5 to move into fourth place. His final attempt was over 22m but was ruled a foul that Awotunde promptly protested. The protest was denied and he finished fifth.
NCAA Division II Ashland University standout Trevor Bassitt (Elida, Ohio/USATF Ohio) ran an inspired final lap and just missed gold, outleaned at the line by Jereem Richards of Trinidad. Richards was first past the 200m mark and Bassitt moved on him in the third 100m, then tried again in the final 50m and ate up ground all the way but his 45.05 lifetime best wasn’t enough against the 45.00 Championships record for Richards. Marqueze Washington(Fayetteville, Arkansas/USATF Arkansas) was sixth in 46.85 from the dreaded lane one.
Gabbi Cunningham (Holly Springs, North Carolina/USATF North Carolina) was out of the blocks very well in the final and was in the lead through the first 30m, claiming bronze in 7.87. She had advanced to the final as the last time qualifier with an 8.00 in the semis. Alaysha Johnson (Fort Lauderdale, Florida/USATF Florida) finished fifth in her semifinal in 8.02 and did not advance.
Bryce Hoppel (Lawrence, Kansas/USATF Missouri Valley), who was fourth atthe 2019 World Outdoor Championships, and Isaiah Harris (Lewiston, Maine/USATF Pacific Northwest) started off near the back of the pack through a very quick first 400m, with Canada’s Marco Arop pulling the field by the halfway point in 50.50. Hoppel and Harris tried to move up in the third lap to no avail, but over the final circuit Hoppel pushed the pedal down and moved into bronze medal position. Hoppel held on to clock 1:46.51 and secure third, with Harris seventh in 1:47.00 as Arop faded to last.
Josette Norris (Tenafly, New Jersey/USATF New England) was fourth behind three Ethiopians, including world record holder Gudaf Tsegay, through three laps and went past the 800m mark in a very quick 2:09.81. Hitting 1,000 in 2:42.42 Norris kept contact with the third-place runner but she was dropped over the final laps and finished fifth in 4:04.71. Heather MacLean (Brighton, Massachusetts/USATF New England) was sixth in 4:06.38. Tsegay shattered the meet record with a 3:57.19 and her country swept the medals.
Steven Bastien (Ann Arbor, Michigan/USATF Michigan) appeared to be laboring during the middle of the final event, but he found a second wind and went back to the lead in the final 100m and won the 1,000m in a superb 2:37.89 to score a huge personal best of 6074 and place sixth.
• Women’s Pole Vault, Sandi Morris, 4.80m/15-9
• Women’s Shot Put, Chase Ealey, 20.21m/66-3.75 • Women’s 3,000m, Elinor Purrier St. Pierre, 8:42.04 • Women’s 60m, Mikiah Brisco, 6.99 • Women’s Pole Vault, Katie Nageotte, 4.75m/15-7 • Men’s 400m, Trevor Bassitt, 45.05 • Men’s Shot Put, Ryan Crouser, 22.44m/73-7.5 • Men’s 60m, Christian Coleman, 6.41
• Men’s Triple Jump, Donald Scott, 17.21m/56-5.75 • Pentathlon, Kendell Williams, 4680 points • Women’s 60m, Marybeth Sant Price, 7.04 • Men’s Long Jump, Marquis Dendy, 8.27m/27-1.75 • Men’s 800m, Bryce Hoppel, 1:46.51 • Women’s 60m hurdles, Gabbi Cunningham, 7.87 • Men’s 60m, Marvin Bracy, 6.44