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Images from the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday.
Sweden's world record holder Armand Duplantis claimed his second consecutive world pole vault title on Saturday, but did not have a seventh world record in him on a steamy night in Budapest.
The Olympic champion cleared 6.10 metres for gold and then - in what turned into the "Mondo show" - missed at three attempts to clear 6.23, which would have been world record number seven for the remarkable 23-year-old.
"I'm really happy about all these consecutive golds. I don't know where this one ranks but I'm happy to keep winning," Duplantis said.
"This was maybe the craziest atmosphere I've ever competed in so it meant a lot to be able to turn on a pole vault show for them. It almost felt like I was in the Stockholm stadium there were so many Swedish supporters here. It's heart-warming and gets you fired up."
Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines won silver with a jump of 6.00m.
Three days after American Katie Moon and Australia's Nina Kennedy decided to share the women's pole vault gold, there was a tie for bronze between Kurtis Marschall of Australia and Christopher Nilsen of the U.S., who both posted 5.95m.
Duplantis has won 12 of 13 competitions this season, and has cleared 6.00m in a remarkable 50 different events. His most recent world record was 6.22 set in France in February.
His three record attempts enthralled the National Athletics Centre crowd, who clapped in time during his run-ups.
"I try not to set limits and barriers on myself and once I started to realise a world record was possible I tried not to see it as a record just as another height I can achieve," Duplantis said.
"But today never really felt like a world record competition. It was more a pure competition and that's how it can be. It was great fun. I'd spent a lot of energy by the time it got up to 6.23 metres."
The Swede's third attempt was the closest, with his body just grazing the bar, which clung tantalisingly to the standards before wobbling and falling.
US take double gold in sprint relays
The United States won both 4x100 metres relays at the World Championships on Saturday as their individual superstars Noah Lyles and Sha'Carrie Richardson ran anchor legs to complete triple medal weeks.
Lyles added the relay gold to his sprint double while Richardson had already claimed 100m gold and bronze in the 200m.
"It's sensational, amazing. You can't do better. It's out of control," Lyles said.
"I love team USA because everybody is coming here thinking 'I'm going to win'. We're able to put that into a team effort and then we're unstoppable."
It was a glorious end to the night for the sport's superpower after the earlier disappointment of seeing their highly-favoured 4x400m women's team disqualified following a baton failure in the semi-finals.
Despite their rich depth, the US men had not won an Olympic final since 2000 and had just one gold from the last seven World Championships amid a series of fumbles and disqualifications.
But they were almost faultless on Saturday as Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Brandon Carnes and Lyles won in 37.38.
"We all know we're fast," said Lyles.
"We don't have to worry about whether we're going to win. It's just about getting the stick around and trusting each other. It's fun to do this."
Olympic champions Italy, with Tokyo individual gold medallist Lamont Marcell Jacobs on the second leg, took silver with 37.62. Jamaica finished strongly to edge out Britain for bronze in 37.76.
Richardson and Gabby Thomas were added to the women's team alongside Tamari Davis and Twanisha Terry and the foursome were superb in running a championship record time of 41.03 seconds.
"Dreams like this come true," Richardson said. "I'm just glad that I was able to be here for my first world championship and to do the things I've been working on all season."
The much-anticipated last-leg showdown between Richardson and Jamaica's 200m champion Shericka Jackson turned into a non-event as the American collected the baton a metre clear and was never challenged.
Jamaica took silver in 41.21 while Britain claimed bronze with 41.97.
The victory edged the US further ahead in their great women's sprint relay rivalry with Jamaica, having now won six to Jamaica’s four of the last 10 World Championships.
Baton mishaps are common in the shorter relay, less so in the 4x400, but the U.S. women paid a heavy price for theirs on Saturday.
They had won seven of the last eight World Championships and the last seven Olympic golds but were trailing an impressive British team after three legs when Alexis Holmes initially failed to collect the baton from Quanera Hayes.
By the time Holmes eventually got hold of it she appeared to have gone beyond the "blue box" while Hayes had stepped off the track and though Holmes recovered to finish second behind Britain in the heat, the U.S. were disqualified.
Jamaica and Canada were the fastest into Sunday's final.
The similarly dominant US men, who have won eight of the last nine world titles and four of the last five Olympics, also progressed in a heat where India ran an Asian record 2:59.05 - the first time they have cracked three minutes.
Jamaica, perennial global silver medallists in recent years, won the second heat but they are likely to need another mishap to see anything but a US victory on Sunday, the last night of the championships.
US women disqualified from 4x400m relay after baton fail
The United States women's 4x400 metres relay team, who have won seven of the last eight World Championships and the last seven Olympic golds, were disqualified from Saturday's semi-finals after a botched baton changeover.
The US were trailing Britain after three legs when Alexis Holmes initially failed to collect the baton from Quanera Hayes and by the time she got hold of it she appeared to have gone beyond the "blue box".
The US recovered to finish second behind the British in the heat but were marked as disqualified. They are likely to appeal.
Jamaica and Canada were the fastest into Sunday's final.
The similarly dominant US men, who have won eight of the last nine world titles and four of the last five Olympics, also had a stutter as they were pushed all the way in the first heat, however by India.
Justin Robinson brought them home in 2:58.47 but only after fighting off a final bend challenge by Rajesh Ramesh that helped his team to an Asian record 2:59.05 -- the first time they have cracked three minutes.
Britain snatched the third automatic place from Botswana by eight thousandths of a second but the Africans went through comfortably as their fastest loser time was quicker than the winners of the second semi.
Jamaica, perennial global silver medallists in recent years, won the second heat in 2:59.82, with fast-finishing France and Italy following them through. Fifth-placed Belgium, bronze medallists in the last two worlds, did not make it.
Canada's Arop goes from back to front to take 800m gold
Canada's Marco Arop foxed his rivals with a radical change of tactics and then poured on the pace to win a brilliant 800 metres World Championship gold on Saturday.
Normally a front runner, he kept his huge frame out of the picture, right at the back, through the first lap and, while the rest of the field were wondering, swept straight to the front at the bell and surged clear.
Arop, the bronze medallist last year, kept his foot down to win comfortably in 1:44.24.
Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi took silver in 1:44.53 while 21-year-old Ben Pattison continued Britain's great middle distance form at the championships as he held off Spain's Adrian Ben to claim a surprise bronze in 1:44.83.
"This means everything to me. I'm so glad to finally be able to do this on the world stage," said Arop, who was born in Sudan and forced by the civil war to flee with his family of eight when he was two years old.
"After bronze in Eugene I just concentrated on making progress, step by step, each year trying to become better than I was the year before. Now it's going to be hard to beat a gold medal - I'll just have to repeat it, I guess."
Addressing his change of tactics, he added: "I don't want to be known as the guy who can only run one way. I tried to be patient tonight and put myself in a position where I could attack. I knew it was going to be a tactical race.
"I was up late last night figuring different ways to win. One scenario was to kick from behind in the way I did. I guess it was worth staying up late."
It was an impressive performance by Pattison, who belied his lack of top-level experience by clinging on determinedly to the inside of the inside lane and finding enough acceleration coming off the final bend to stay clear of the chasing pack.
"Before the race my coach told me I could race to win or race for a medal. I said I wanted to win," said Pattison, who was the second-slowest coming into the nine-man final field.
"I don't care if I come fourth or eighth, no-one remembers that. Top three is what it's all about and I've just managed that
"One of the last people I saw today before I got on the bus was (new 1500m champion and fellow Briton) Josh Kerr. Before I could even say well done to him, he said well done to me.
"This is just crazy, that a great champion like him comes to me like that. This whole experience is really insane."
American Ealey wins shot put gold again, Gong claims eighth successive medal
American Chase Ealey successfully defended her women's shot put crown at the World Athletics Championships on Saturday, winning her second successive gold medal while China's Gong Lijiao won a record eighth straight individual medal.
Ealey, who was competing with a new technique, produced her season-best throw in her fifth attempt to win the gold with a 20.43 metres effort while Canada's Sarah Mitton took the silver with 20.08.
Gong, the 2017 and 2019 world champion who is competing at her ninth consecutive global championships, was chasing her eighth successive medal and she clinched bronze after producing a throw of 19.69, pipping Portugal's Auriol Dongmo on countback.
"It's even more satisfying than last year because this year I've struggled to get my technique sorted and get everything right. So for it to come together at the right time is perfect," Ealey said.
"I've been training really well and I was really confident. I was early in the series so I wanted to set a good mark and set the pace. I think I did that.
"I risked this gold because I changed my technique to get better for Paris and the Olympics. That was what the change was for. So hopefully in the future I will have more consistent throws like tonight."
Ealey had earlier complained about having the qualification round and the final on the same day, but she quickly became the hot favourite when she laid down an early marker with a 20.35 metre throw on her first attempt.
The 29-year-old soon became the only woman to breach the 20-metre mark multiple times in the final.
"I started crying with my mum," she added. "I ran to her and she started crying so I started crying. And now my face is a mess!"
Gong was initially pushed down to fourth when Dongmo matched her best mark, but the Chinese 34-year-old produced a 19.67 effort in her next attempt to ensure another podium.
The bronze was Gong's fourth at the world championships to go with two golds and two silvers, making her the only athlete to win eight consecutive individual medals.
She was previously tied with Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi, who won seven medals -- four golds and three silvers -- in the 3,000 metres steeplechase between 2003 and 2015.
Ealey's compatriot Maggie Ewen came to Budapest as the world leader and was a strong favourite for a medal having finished in the top two in eight of her last nine competitions, but she could only manage 19.51 for sixth.
Kenya's Kipyegon becomes first woman to claim 1500-5000 double at worlds
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon became the first woman ever to complete a 1,500-5,000 metres double at the World Championships after she raced to victory over the longer distance on Saturday.
Four days after she won the 1,500 metres, the two-time Olympic gold medallist surged away from Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan down the home straight to cross in 14 minutes 53.88 seconds for another glorious finish.
Kipyegon's two golds from Budapest cap a remarkable season in which she broke three world records - in the 1,500m, mile and 5,000m.
"This has been an amazing year for me. Making history today, winning two gold medals in a championships is what I was dreaming for this season," the 29-year-old said.
"I have been patient waiting to be able to break world records and win double golds.
"But my dream just came true, it is amazing. I have been pushing myself to the limits and I will continue to push myself in the future."
Hassan, bronze medallist in the 1,500, upgraded to silver with 14:54.11. The 30-year-old endured a gruelling triple challenge in Budapest, opening the worlds with a heartbreaking fall just 20 metres from the finish line in the 10,000m.
"These championships have taught me a lot. It has given me more confidence because I moved to the marathon this year and for two years I've hardly done any speed work at all," said Hassan, who won the London marathon in April in her debut at the distance.
"How I was able to sprint at the end I don't know. I really felt amazing on the last lap and it was only in the last 20 metres I couldn't hold on. Faith was stronger than me today."
Beatrice Chebet of Kenya won the bronze in 14:54.33.
Kipyegon has credited her five-year-old daughter Alyne for giving her inspiration.
"My daughter gives me amazing support, she always tells me I can do it," she said. "I believed in myself. I have been consistent, focused on the finish line and on writing history.
"The race was not easy. It was an tactical one but I am mentally stable and have managed to push myself."
Canada's LePage captures first world decathlon title
Canada's Pierce LePage captured his first world decathlon gold medal on Saturday, denying team mate and Olympic champion Damian Warner the one title missing from his illustrious resume.
LePage, the silver medallist at last year's worlds, began the day in second place but took the lead in the 110 metres hurdles, the first event of the day, and did not budge from that spot to finish with 8,909 points.
"I have done so many decathlons with Damian," LePage said. "We are always supporting each other. It is nice to share this podium with him."
Warner, who won world silver in 2015 and bronze in 2013 and 2019, finished with 8,804 points, while Lindon Victor of Grenada won the bronze on 8,756.
"Am I happy? If you'd have asked me prior to the world championships about taking silver, I'd probably have said no," Warner added. "But if somebody goes out, scores 8,900 points and beats me, I shake their hand.
"Pierce was better and I'm very happy for him. But I'm very proud of myself, too. I wanted to get the gold, but it makes it a little bit better to have another Canadian winning it.
"Pierce is a great guy and it will be great to stand on the podium with him and our 'honorary Canadian, Lindon Victor."
World record holder Kevin Mayer of France withdrew after the first two events with an Achilles injury suffered two week ago.
LePage served notice when he started Saturday's events with a personal-best 13.77 seconds in the hurdles, and then built on his lead with second-best results in the discus (50.98 metres) and pole vault (season's best 5.20).
"I had a couple of close calls. First, when I landed in the pit during long jump, I twisted my shoulder. It was rough. Then I got cramp at 1.99 metres during the high jump. This morning I pulled my hamstring before the hurdles," LePage said.
"But it is decathlon, we're used to a lot of injuries, you get through it. I feel like I've not been sleeping for the past three days and I will celebrate this gold with a good sleep."
Warner made up ground with his sixth-best finish in javelin - one spot ahead of his rival - but LePage had a 184-point lead heading into the final event, the 1,500m. LePage crossed 12 seconds behind Warner but the gold was already well in hand.
Warner led through four events at last year's worlds in Eugene before pulling up with a hamstring injury in the 400m.
"This silver motivates me a lot. Decathlon has its ups and downs and it feels great to finish with more than 8,800 points," said Warner. "This result puts me into a good position going into next year."
