Wightman wins surprise 1,500m gold, Kerley out in 200m sprint

EUGENE, United States, July 19 (Xinhua) — The fifth day of the World Athletics Championships produced several surprises here on Tuesday, as Jake Wightman of Britain powered to the men’s 1,500m title with a world leading time while some favorites suffered upsets.

Wightman clocked a winning time of three minutes and 29.23 seconds, outperforming several favorites of the event.

The new face on the podium even shocked the timing system to an error. Right after Wightman crossed the finish line, the screen on the live stream mistook the 28-year-old for his compatriot Josh Kerr, who won the Tokyo Olympic bronze and finished fifth in Tuesday’s race.

Olympic gold medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway led the final lap until the last 200 meters, taking the silver with three minutes and 29.47 seconds. Spain’s Mohamed Katir was 0.43 seconds behind Ingebrigtsen.

Reigning world champion Timothy Cheruiyot from Kenya was left in sixth place in 3:30.69.

Surprises continued into the men’s 400m hurdles, where defending champion and Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Karsten Warholm only placed seventh. 22-year-old Alison Dos Santos of Brazil took the gold with a championship record 46.29 seconds.

Another shock came earlier as Fred Kerley, the newly-crowned men’s 100m champion, was wiped out after he finished sixth in his heat in the 200m semifinals.

Kerley’s fellow American sprinters took three out of the eight final spots with Noah Lyles leading the semis with 19.62 seconds.

China’s Xie Zhenye ended his journey in the individual event with 20.41 seconds.

The women’s 200m semifinals was a different story as the Jamaicans swept the track with Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah dashing into the final, and the Americans still have the potential to shatter the Jamaican trio as Tamara Clark and Abby Steiner were also on the final list.

In the women’s high jump, the indoor worlds silver medalist Eleanor Patterson of Australia held off her rival Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine, clearing the bar at 2.02 meters at her first attempt for the gold.

Mahuchikh, the world indoor title holder, had to pocket another silver after Doha at the same height with an extra jump. Italy’s Elena Vallortigara claimed the bronze with 2.00 meters.

The evening witnessed another championship record in the men’s discus throw, where the gold went to Slovenian Kristjan Ceh with 71.13 meters.

The women’s 400 hurdles world record holder Sydney Mclaughlin from the United States eased into the semifinals with 53.95 seconds. China’s Mo Jiadie failed to progress.