EUGENE, Oregon – Hammer throwers Brooke Andersen and Janee’ Kassanavoid extended America’s roll on home turf, taking gold and bronze medals at the world championships a day after the US sweep in the men’s 100 meters.
Andersen, a 26-year-old from California, won the gold medal with a throw of 259 feet, 1/2 inches (78.96 meters) that beat Canada’s Camryn Rogers by more than 11 feet (3.3 meters).
“I was looking out across the field and I thought to myself, `I´m a world champion,´” Andersen said according to AP.
Kassanavoid took bronze to give the US women’s throwers three medals over the first three days of the meet.
Chase Ealey became the first female American to win the world title in shot put.
Sweeping the men’s race were Fred Kerley, Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell. It was the second 1-2-3 finish in the 100 at worlds for the Americans. Carl Lewis led the other in 1991.
Andersen is the second straight US world champion in hammer throw. DeAnna Price won in 2019 in Qatar.
Cheptegei retains world 10,000 title
In the men’s 10,000, world-record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Kenya defended his world title in 27:27.43.
Stanley Mburu took silver after stumbling and falling to the track early in the first lap of the race.
Last year in Tokyo Cheptegei kept his powder dry until the bell, only to be outkicked by Selemon Barega.
Cheptegei started upping the ante with over a kilometre to go, throwing in laps of 64 and 63 seconds to stretch a group of eight as they hit the bell.
He then continued to press and though there was a mad scramble behind him that had the healthy Hayward Field crowd roaring in appreciation, he was strong enough to hold the field off and come home in 27:27.43 minutes.
Kenya´s Stanley Mburu, who took a heavy fall on the first lap, recovered well to finish second in 27:27.90. Jacob Kiplimo, 21, who was third in Tokyo, claimed another bronze for Uganda in 27:27.97.
“I knew that if I get into the last fight, I can control it and I could speed it up,” Cheptegei said, still only 25 but who made his world championship debut back in 2015.
“I did not aim to run really fast because of the heat, the sun was very strong, but I was able to get stronger and keep it faster and faster,” Cheptegei added according to Reuters.
Fast-finishing Grant Fisher just ran out of track in his bid to win a first medal in the event for the United States, finishing fourth, with Ethiopia’s Olympic champion Barega unable to repeat his Tokyo fireworks as he ended up fifth.
Cheptegei, who also took a silver in the event in 2017 and who won Olympic gold over 5,000m last year, will now attempt the elusive double when going again over 5,000 later in the week in Eugene.
“It was very emotional for me to come back to the USA where I started my international career in 2014 (winning the world junior 10,000m title in Eugene),” he said. “Now, I want to continue my dominancy in the long distance running and I hope I will manage it.”
Shot putter Ealey earns 1st US gold
Shot putter Chase Ealey’s red, white and blue nails along with her matching makeup paired well with this: Team USA’s first gold medal at the world championships.
Not a bad early birthday present, either. Ealey, who turns 28 in four days, ended up winning the event on her first attempt at Hayward Field.
Her opening toss went 67 feet, 2¾ inches (20.49 meters) and dethroned two-time defending world champion Gong Lijiao of China.
By a matter of minutes, Ealey earned the honour of first American gold at the inaugural world championships.
“I haven´t quite absorbed the information that it´s happened,” said Ealey, who became Team USA’s first world outdoor champion in the women’s shot put. “It just feels really good.”
To remind herself to relax and breathe at big meets, Ealey glances at her forearm.
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