Brits Josh Kerr and Molly Caudery win 2024 World Indoor titles in front of home crowd on Super Saturday
Grant Holloway extended his decade of unbeaten runs while Karsten Warholm lost his and new mum Elle St Pierre claimed gold a year after giving birth in a night of breathless competition at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
Athletics
The new British World Indoor gold medallists rode the crest of the wave of reverberations from the crowd at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow on Saturday (2 March), as Josh Kerr was roared to the men's 3,000m gold and Molly Caudery to the women's pole vault title.
"It's unbelievable" said Caudery, who won with a clearance of 4.80m, beating New Zealand's Eliza McCartney, a bronze medallist from Rio 2016, on countback. "It hasn't quite sunk in yet. It was such a special moment all of my friends and family are there, it was a home crowd, the nation was watching, it's just a dream."
The pair beat Olympic and two-time world champion Katie Moon who claimed bronze (4.75m).
Also dreaming was Kerr, the 2023 men's 1500m world outdoor champion who was taking on the longer distance in front of a home crowd.
"That was a moment I'll remember the rest of my career," said Kerr, who admitted he'd 'stolen' a Scottish flag from a girl in the crowd to celebrate, which he was going to make sure he returned "as she has loads of signatures on it".
"It was a really hard decision to run here, in an Olympic year, in March and try and come here and win a world title, but you can't let those opportunities go, especially with a crowd like this."
Kerr finished in 7:42.98 ahead of the American, Yared Nuguse who secured a personal best time of 7:43.59 and defending champion, and Olympic gold medallist in 10,000m Selemon Barega of Ethiopia (7:43.64).
Karsten Warholm dethroned but Grant Holloway continues his reign
Shocks echoed around the arena in the men's 400m as Karsten Warholm was beaten for the first time ever at the distance indoors. He was beaten to gold by the fast-charging Alexander Doom.
The Norwegian's streak, that began in 2013, was curtailed by the Belgian in a national record of 45.25 to the Norwegian's 45.34, with Jamaica's Rusheen McDonald rounding out the podium in a personal best time of 45.65. Portugal's João Coelho secured fourth place with a national record of 45.86.
“It’s amazing," said Doom. "I never expected this because we didn’t really have this in our sights. Usually I am just focused on the 4x400m but I loved running individually.
“To beat Karsten Warholm today is really amazing. He’s an Olympic champion and has won almost everything there is. Not many people have beaten him.
Warholm, who was racing in his first indoor event of the season, was magnanimous in defeat: "The Belgian guy, he was coming up on the side, and he was stronger, you know? He did a great, great race. And, to be honest, I think I did a fair race myself.
"I think it was quite good, but just missed that little bit, and that's how it is," said Warholm, who is also a three-time world champion outdoors at the 400m hurdles.
Grant Holloway, meanwhile, was able to continue his own 10-year streak in 60m hurdles and did so in style by equalling the championship record of 7.29s. The exuberant Lorenzo Ndele Simonelli of Italy was second with a nation's best time of 7.43 with Just Kwaou-Mathey of France in third (7.47).
The women's 3,000m was won by American Elle St Pierre who crossed the line first with arms raised aloft in a championship record of 8:20.87. Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist in the 5000m, claimed second (8:21.13) and Beatrice Chepkoech bagged a Kenyan national record time for third (8:22.68).
Meanwhile, Hugues Fabrice Zango made more history for his nation, Burkina Faso, by claiming a first world indoor medal – a gold at that – after leaping 17.53m in the triple jump. He surpassed a strong opening effort by Algeria’s Yasser Mohammed Triki of 17.35, to add the indoor title to the outdoor gold he won in Budapest last year. Tiago Pereira of Portugal won bronze (17.08).