World Indoor Champs Men: Coleman Scares World Record

by Phil Minshull

Before the World Indoor Championships, Christian Coleman had talked openly about the frustrations of his previous trip to Britain for last summer’s World Championships. That had ended with a pair of silver medals from the 100 and 4×1.

This time, it was clear from the semis that he wasn’t going to settle for second-best in the 60.

After claiming his place in the final with a hugely impressive 6.45 semi earlier on the third evening of the champs, Coleman fulfilled all the premeet expectations when he flew down the center of the Birmingham Arena before stopping the clock in 6.37.

Going through a few of the stats, it was a meet record, taking 0.05 from Maurice Greene’s mark at Maebashi in ’99, and an equaling of his low-altitude World Record.

The Tennessee alum had graded his 6.34 altitude-assisted WR-run at the USATF Indoor (T&FN, February) as “a B overall” and might feel the same after a slightly sluggish 0.151 reaction to the gun here, but his pickup was outstanding and five strides into the race he had propelled into a clear lead and never was going to be headed.

He held off the surging Bingtian Su, who challenged hard in the middle of the race before Coleman pulled away again, with the Chinese sprinter improving his own Asian Record to 6.42 and Coleman’s teammate Ronnie Baker taking 3rd in 6.44.

Reflected the winner, “I don’t think I can ever get used to this kind of feeling. You work so hard and put so much emphasis into running and you’ll never get tired of the feeling of winning.

“I didn’t come here to chase a World Record, but I knew I’d put in a lot of work and executed it through practice. When I’ve put things together during the meets special things have happened but I’m excited for the outdoor season. I won’t put a limit on myself; we’ll just see what happens.

“I have a good chance to lead the sport in the post-Bolt era but like I’ve told so many others, loads of guys have the talent.”


— WIC Men’s Results —

60: 1. Christian Coleman (US) 6.37 =lo-alt WR, AR (=lo-alt WR, AR Coleman ’18) (x, =2 W, A); 2. Bingtian Su (Chn) 6.42 NR (=5, =10 W); 3. Ronnie Baker (US) 6.44; 4. Zhenye Xie (Chn) 6.52 PR; 5. Hassan Taftian (Irn) 6.53; 6. Ján Volko (Svk) 6.59; 7. Sean Safo-Antwi (Gha) 6.60; 8. Emre Zafer Barnes (Tur) 6.64.

400: 1. Pavel Maslák (CzR) 45.47 (21.5/24.0); 2. Michael Cherry (US) 45.84 (21.7/24.1); 3. Deon Lendore (Tri) 46.37; 4. Aldrich Bailey (US) 46.44; … dq[lane]—[1] Óscar Husillos (Spa) [44.92], [2] Luguelín Santos (DR).

800: 1. Adam Kszczot (Pol) 1:47.47 (25.06); 2. Drew Windle (US) 1:47.99 (24.9); 3. Saul Ordóñez (Spa) 1:48.01 (25.5); 4. Elliot Giles (GB) 1:48.22; 5. Álvaro de Arriba (Spa) 1:48.51; 6. Mostafa Smaili (Mor) 1:48.75. Heats: II–dq: Donavan Brazier (US).

1500: 1. Samuel Tefera (Eth) 3:58.19 (25.9); 2. Marcin Lewandowski (Pol) 3:58.39 (25.8); 3. Abdelaati Iguider (Mor) 3:58.43 (26.1); 4. Aman Wote (Eth) 3:58.64 (26.0); 5. Ben Blankenship (US) 3:58.89 (26.1); 6. Jake Wightman (GB) 3:58.91 (26.3); 7. Craig Engels (US) 3:58.92 (25.8); 8. Chris O’Hare (GB) 4:00.65.

3000: 1. Yomif Kejelcha (Eth) 8:14.41 (26.82); 2. Selemon Barega (Eth) 8:15.59 (27.8); 3. Bethwel Birgen (Ken) 8:15.70 (27.7); 4. Hagos Gebrhiwet (Eth) 8:15.76; 5. Adel Mechaal (Spa) 8:16.13; 6. Youness Essalhi (Mor) 8:16.63; 7. Davis Kiplangat (Ken) 8:18.03; 8. Clemens Bleistein (Ger) 8:18.24; … dq—Shadrack Kipchirchir (US). Heats: II–dq: Paul Chelimo (US).

60H: 1. Andy Pozzi (GB) 7.46; 2. Jarret Eaton (US) 7.47; 3. Aurel Manga (Fra) 7.54; 4. Aries Merritt (US) 7.56; 5. Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (Fra) 7.68; 6. Gabriel Constantino (Bra) 7.71; 7. Roger V. Iribarne (Cub) 7.77; … fs—Milan Trajkovic (Cyp).

4 x 400: 1. Poland 3:01.77 WR (old WR 3:02.13 United States ’14) (Karol Zalewski 45.73, Rafał Omelko 45.17, Łukasz Krawczuk 45.87, Jakub Krzewina 45.00);

2. United States 3:01.97 (3W, 2 A) (Fred Kerley 44.85, Michael Cherry 45.34, Aldrich Bailey 46.11, Vernon Norwood 45.68);

3. Belgium 3:02.51 NR (9W #3 nation) (Dylan Borlée 46.40, Jonathan Borlée 45.42, Jonathan Sacoor 45.83, Kevin Borlée 44.86); 4. Trinidad 3:02.52 NR (=10W, #4 nation) (Deon Lendore 46.57, Jereem Richards 45.02, Asa Guevara 45.66, Lalonde Gordon 45.27); 5. Czech Republic 3:04.87 (Pavel Maslák 45.52); 6. Great Britain 3:05.08 (Lee Thompson 45.71).

HJ: 1. Danil Lysenko (Rus) 7-8¾ (2.36) (7-2½, 7-4½, 7-6, 7-7¾, 7-8¾ [3]); 2. Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qat) 7-7¾ (2.33) (7-2½, 7-4½, 7-6, 7-7¾, 7-8¾ [xxx]); 3. Mateusz Przybylko (Ger) 7-6 (2.29) (7-2½ [2], 7-4½ [3], 7-6 [2], 7-7¾ [xxx]);

4. Erik Kynard (US) 7-6 (7-2½, 7-4½, 7-6 [3], 7-7¾ [xxx]); 5. Sylwester Bednarek (Pol) 7-4½ (2.25); 6. tie, Maksim Nedasekau (Blr), Donald Thomas (Bah) & Yu Wang (Chn) 7-2½ (2.20).

PV: 1. Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 19-4¼ (5.90) (18-8¼, 19-2¼, 19-4¼ [2], 19-8¼ [xxx]); 2. Sam Kendricks (US) 19-2¼ (5.85) (17-10½, 18-4½, 18-8¼, 19-¼ [xp], 19-2¼, 19-4¼ [xxp], 19-6¼ [x]); 3. Piotr Lisek (Pol) 19-2¼ (18-4½ [2], 19-¼ [xp], 19-2¼, 19-4¼ [xxx]);

4. Kurtis Marschall (Aus) 19-¼ (5.80) PR; 5. tie, Raphael Holzdeppe (Ger) & Emmanouíl Karalís (Gre) 19-¼ NJR (=2, =5 WJ); =7. Mondo Duplantis (Swe)18-8¼ (5.70);… =13. Scott Houston (US) 18-4½.

LJ: 1. Juan Miguel Echevarría (Cub) 27-9¼ (8.46) PR (WL) (7, x W) (26-10½, 27-2, f, 27-5¼, 27-9¼, 25-9½); 2. Luvo Manyonga (SA) 27-8¼ (8.44) NR (=9, x W) (f, f, 27-4, 27-8¼ WL, f, f); 3. Marquis Dendy (US) 27-7½ (8.42) PR (AL) (=13, x W; 6, x A) (26-0, 26-3¾, f, 25-9½, 27-7½, 26-10);

4. Jarrion Lawson (US) 26-8½ (8.14); 5. Yuhao Shi (Chn) 26-7¾ (8.12); 6. Ruswahl Samaai (SA) 26-5 (8.05) ; 7. Radek Juška (CzR) 26-2¾ (7.99); 8. Eusebio Cáceres (Spa) 25-11½ (7.91).

TJ: 1. Will Claye (US) 57-2¼ (17.43) (WL) (55-5, 55-3¾, 55-0, 57-2¼, 56-11¼, 56-9½); 2. Almir dos Santos (Bra) 57-1½ (17.41) PR (54-9½, 56-6, 55-8¼, f, 57-1½, f); 3. Nelson Évora (Por) 57-1 (17.40) NR (56-2¾, f, 57-1, 56-7¼, f, 54-10);

4. Alexis Copello (Aze) 56-4 (17.17); 5. Chris Carter (US) 56-3¼ (17.15); 6. Fabrice Zango Hugues (Bur) 56-1¾ (17.11); 7. Yaming Zhu (Chn) 55-4¼ (16.87) PR; 8. Bin Dong (Chn) 55-3 (16.84).

SP: 1. Tom Walsh (NZ) 73-2½ (22.31) NR, MR (WL) (4, 4 W) (72-7¼, f, 72-7¼, f, f, 73-2½); 2. David Storl (Ger) 70-4¼ (21.44) (69-4¼, 69-4¾, 69-2, 70-4¼, f, 69-6); 3. Tomáš Staněk (CzR) 70-4¼ (21.44) (66-6½, 69-3½, f, 70-4¼, f, 66-6);

4. Darlan Romani (Bra) 70-1½ (21.37) NR; 5. Mesud Pezer (Bos) 69-4¾ (21.15) NR; 6. Darrell Hill (US) 69-1¼ (21.06) PR; 7. Ryan Whiting (US) 69-0 (21.03); 8. Konrad Bukowiecki (Pol) 68-10½ (20.99); 9. Tim Nedow (Can) 68-3¾ (20.82). (best-ever mark-for-place: 8, =9)

Hept: 1. Kevin Mayer (Fra) 6348 (WL) (6.85, 24-9¼/7.55, 51-5/15.67, 6-7½/2.02 [3536–1], 7.83, 16-4¾/5.00, 2:39.64 [2812]);

2. Damian Warner (Can) 6343 NR (6.74, 24-3/7.39, 48-10¾/14.90, 6-7½/2.02 [3491–2], 7.67, 16-¾/4.90, 2:37.12 [2852]);

3. Maicel Uibo (Est) 6265 PR (7.20, 24-3¾/7.41, 46-11/14.30, 7-1½/2.17 [3436–3], 8.19, 17-4½/5.30, 2:38.51 [2829]);

4. Kai Kazmirek (Ger) 6238 PR (7.15, 25-2½/7.68, 47-9/14.55, 6-8¾/2.05 [3422–4], 7.95, 17-¾/5.20, 2:42.15 [2816]); 5. Eelco Sintnicolaas (Hol) 5997; 6. Zach Ziemek (US) 5941; 7. Ruben Gado (Fra) 5927; 8. Dominik Distelberger (Aut) 5908.

 


The only other American man to have a gold medal hung around his neck in Birmingham—the last time Team USA men won so few titles was ’99—was triple jumper Will Claye (click here for sidebar).

Claye, still only 26, regained the world indoor crown six years after his previous triumph in İstanbul.

After languishing in 6th place after three stanzas, Claye bounded out to 57-2¼ (17.43) in the fourth round for his longest indoor effort since he jumped 58-1 (17.70) en route to his last WIC win.

It was sufficient for victory this time but the Florida alum had a few anxious moments when new Brazilian talent Almir dos Santos, a narrow favorite coming in, PRed with 57-1½ (17.41) a few jumps later in the same round.

However, neither Claye, dos Santos nor Portugal’s former WC/OG champion Nelson Évora, who led at the halfway point with a 57-1 (17.40), could improve in the final two rounds and that remained the order of medals.

Coleman couldn’t deliver a WR in Birmingham but one did come by way of the Polish quartet in the 4×4.

In the last track event of the meet, an inspired Jakub Krzewina overtook Vernon Norwood 20m from the line and helped Poland to a 3:01.77 WR in the process as they sliced 0.46 off the former official WR from the U.S. team that won at the ’14 WIC (it was also better than the unratified 3:01.96 that a U.S. quartet ran in ’06).

To lift a line from the IAAF report: “It was an astonishing performance that nobody had seen coming.”

For much off the race, it looked as though Team USA was well on its way to its seventh successive set of 4×4 golds, especially after Fred Kerley’s impressive opener of 44.85, the fastest first leg ever run indoors.

A 45.73 by Karol Zalewski left the Poles well in arrears, but Rafał Omelko’s 45.17 made up a little bit of ground on Michael Cherry’s 45.34.

Then Łukasz Krawczuk turned a 45.87 that gained even more ground on Aldrich Bailey’s 46.11.

Norwood still had a 5m advantage going into the last lap but Krzewina—a 400 semifinalist here, but who hasn’t broken 46 indoors or out since ’15—reeled in the slowing American off the final bend to spark jubilant celebrations.

Partial compensation for the Americans came via their time of 3:01.97, the third fastest ever.

Cuba has a new teenage LJ star in EchevarríaKIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT

In terms of pure climactic excitement, the 4×4 was the tops but the LJ was a close second.

Cuban teenager Juan Miguel Echevarría uncorked a world-leading 27-9¼ (8.46) in the fifth round for gold but behind him there was just 4cm separating the medalists with South Africa’s ’17 WC winner Luvo Manyonga taking the silver with an African Record 27-8¼ (8.44) in the third round while Marquis Dendy PRed with 27-7½ (8.42) also with his penultimate attempt, to get the bronze with the longest distance ever for that place at a WIC.

Walsh claimed a meet recordKEVIN MORRIS/PHOTORUN

Another meet record came from New Zealand’s Tom Walsh, who defended his shot title from two years ago in Portland with a massive heave of 73-2½ (22.31) on the very last attempt of the competition, having already won gold with two earlier efforts over the 72-foot barrier.

The World Indoor has a habit of bringing new names such as Echevarría to the fore, at least from an international perspective, so also take a bow Drew Windle.

Windle (click here for sidebar), whose collegiate experience came at Div. II Ashland, PRed in his heat with 1:45.52 to get through to the final as a non-automatic qualifier with a clocking that moved him to No. 3 on the all-time U.S. list.

In the final, he accelerated hard off the final bend and came through from 4th to 2nd over the final 30m to take the silver in 1:47.99 as Poland’s superb tactician Adam Kszczot went through the gears to power away from the rest of the field on the last lap before winning in 1:47.47.

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