USA's Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone takes the baton from
Shamier Little en route to winning the Olympic
4x400 relay title in 3:15.27 (World Athletics photo)
SAINT-DENIS, France--After the Canadian coaching staff's decision to not run Washington State alum Jasneet Nijjar on a leg of the women's 4 x 400 meter relay final, there were no athletes with Washington ties competing on the final night of the Olympic track and field extravaganza at the Stade de France.
As a fan, there was just too much good stuff to process. In fact, I'd go to say that every final Saturday night had a highlight:
In the men's 800, Emmanuel Wanyonyi led from start to finish and held off the late charge of Edmonton native and reigning world champion Marco Arop of Canada, winning in 1:41.19 to 1:41.20. Djamal Sedjati of Algeria, who came into the meet undefeated, was third in 1:41.50, just ahead of American Bryce Hoppel, who set an American record of 1:41.67.
The race was the first time that four men had broken 1:42 and that seven men had broken 1:43.
In the women's 100 hurdles, US Olympic Trials winner Masai Russell won in a photo finish over France's Cyrena Samba-Mayela 12.33 to 12.34. Defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico was third in 12.36.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen redeemed himself after the disappointment of finishing off the podium in the 1500, as the Norwegian won the 5000 in 13:13.66 after a slow opening 2000 meters.
Ronald Kwemoi of Kenya was second was second in 13:15.04, while Grant Fisher earned a second bronze medal in third in 13:15.13.
With his third place finish, Fisher, who left the Bowerman Track Club in Eugene to train with his high school coach, became the first American to earn career medals in both the 5000 and 10000 at the Olympics.
Faith Kipyegon of Kenya won her third Olympic title, winning the 1500 in an Olympic record 3:51.29, well clear of Oregon alum Jessica Hull of Australia, who finished in 3:52.56. Great Britain's Georgia Bell, a former Cal-Berkeley standout who took several years off from the sport after leaving Cal, was third in a a national record 3:52.61.
For American fans, you have to be encouraged by the men's high jump results, as Hamish Kerr of New Zealand won a jump-off against the USA's Shelby McEwen after both cleared 7-8.75 (2.36m).
Both jumpers had the same number of total jumps and misses after going out at 7-9.75 (2.38m). After getting a fourth attempt at 7-9.75, they lowered the bar for one attempt at 7-8.75, which both missed.
After McEwen missed his attempt, Kerr ended the competition by clearing 7-8 (2.34m).
McEwen can take solace in that his mark of 7-8.75 is the highest clearance by an American since the turn of the century.
Mutaz Barshim of Qatar earned his fourth career Olympic medal in third with a best of 7-8 (2.34m).
The only event of Saturday night's session devoid of drama was the women's javelin, won by Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi, whose first round throw of 215-10 (65.80m) put the field away.
Jo-Ane Van Dyk of South Africa was second at 209=9 (63.93m), while Czechia’s Nikola Ogrodnikova was third at 208-11 (63.68m).
The penultimate track race of the Olympic program saw a stirring battle between the USA with 400 hurdles champion Rai Benjamin on the carry against Botswana's 200 meter champ Latsile Tebogo in the men's 4 x 400 relay.
Botswana had the lead through the first two legs, before Bryce Deadmon of Team USA took the lead on the third leg with a 43.54 split set up by second leg Vernon Norwood's 43.26.
Benjamin took the baton on the final leg with about a three step lead over Tebogo, with Tebogo stalking him. As they came off the turn, Tebogo, not used to running 400 meters, made a late charge, but fell short, with the Americans winning in an Olympic record 2:54.43 to Botswana's 2:54.53.
Great Britain was third in a European record 2:55.83.
Team USA put 400 hurdles champ Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone on second leg to break open the women's 4 x 400 relay, splitting 47.71 before handing the baton to 200 meter champ Gabby Thomas.
The Americans ran away, winning its eighth consecutive Olympic title, setting a new national record with their 3:15.27, 1/10th of a second off the world record of 3:15.17 set by the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
The Netherlands, with Femke Bol on the anchor, were second in a national record 3:19.50, and Great Britain was third at a national record 3:19.72, as the top five teams all set national records.
Sunday morning, 2022 world champion Tamirat Tola, who was a late replacement on the Ethiopian squad, won the marathon in an Olympic record of 2:06:26 in brutal heat and humidity over a course of hugely demanding hills, with Belgium’s Bashir Abdi earning silver in 2:06:47.
Kenya’s Benson Kipruto, fastest in the world this year after winning the Tokyo marathon in 2:02:16, marked his Olympic debut with bronze in 2:07:00.
BYU alums Conner Mantz and Clayton Young finished inside the top ten, placing eighth and ninth respectively, in 2:08:12, and 2:08:44.
Appropriately, forty years after the first time it was added to the women's Olympic program, the marathon ends the Olympic track and field program Sunday morning at 8 am Paris time (11 pm Saturday night Pacific time).
The marathon start list and results for the Olympic track and field competition is available on the World Athletics microsite, which is available here.
Sunday's women's marathon will be shown live on USA Network starting at 11 pm Saturday night Pacific and streamed on the NBCOlympics.com site or Peaco*cktv.com ($).
In Canada, Olympic action will be shown on CBC and streamed on CBC.ca.
NOTE: World Athletics contributed to this report.
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