World Athletics Championships in Doha - Day 8

Clicca qui per la versione italiana I thought I had good days at the stadium, but this beats them all. Sorry for the final disappointment on the Corniche. But let's proceed orderly. Afternoon at Souq Waqif (which if this were a tourist blog I would say it is a must-visit): you meet so many team members, from Italians to Americans. Arriving at the stadium more than an hour before (I was thinking of exploring the surroundings) there is a crowd never seen before: we understand that it is not a day like any other, if for us it is Tamberi's day (and I have the my usual half-shave) a fortiori for them is Barshim's day.

This time there is really queue at the entrances, both at those for families, and at those for single men, a little less at that for single women. I fear having to give up eating (although I am not so hungry), instead the queue ends up quickly and I have time: I arrive at my seat around 8pm (start is at 8.05). I measured that the route to get to the seat is 1.7 km, and yesterday was even longer. This time the stadium is almost completely full, perhaps only my block is a little less. Bernard Lagat, who talks about his preparation for the Olympic marathon, sits next to me. In front of me I have a family with two children: the older watches the races, the younger (no more than 3 years od) cartoons on a tablet.

They start with the semifinals of the 1500, both fought and with very tight closes. Then comes the presentation of high jump finalists: after Barshim, Tamberi is the most applauded, not only by the group of Italians at the end of the first bend, but also by the Qatariis and the Kenyans of the bend. After the presentation, however, they continue with warm-up: the race will start 15 minutes late. Barshim clears 2.19 by a wide margin, and so far almost everyone does, though he most of all. But then he does the same at 2.24, then at 2.27, then at 2.30. Meanwhile Tamberi easily clears 2.19 (celebrating as if he had done at least 2.30), then 2.24 (without celebration), at 2.27 he needs the second attempt. At 2.30, after the first miss he goes directly to 2.33: he isn't very far from clearing them, especially on first attempt, but he doesn't. He ends up eighth.

A 2.33 Barshim flies very high twice, but then he brings down the bar first with his calves and then with his heel. Meanwhile, Nedasekau, after còearing three heights on second, clears them on first. At the third Barshim puts things right: they remain in 4, there are also the two Russians. Barshim flies clearly above 2.35 (but the Russians do too), then above 2.37 (and remains alone). He looks in a world record shape, but he stops and celebrates.

Meanwhile the heats of 4X100 had taken place, first women's, then men's. Italian girls come sixth, therefore out, but not far from the fourth and fifth. Given the time of the winners, it is clear that even Italy's one must be good: in fact, 42.90! For the first time below 43. We will then discover that Brazil has been disqualified and therefore we are in the final. Among men, Italy is in the "iron" heat, with USA, Great Britain; Jamaica and Brazil: we arrive fourth, ahead of Jamaica and not far from the USA. The result does not appear on the screen, so I have to look at the website to find out that we have made the Italian record: 38.11. A dubious change of the US is shown several times, but you cannot see enough from my position to judge. I think it's done: it's science fiction that in the second heat 5 make less than 38.11. Instead in the second they all come close and, looking at the time of the winner, I understand that it may have happened. In fact in 6 fell below 38: with 37.91 one is out of the final!

It was also held in the final of the women's discus, which aroused little interest, also because, among the countries that relied on this race, only Germany was represented in the public, and the best German came 8th. The Cubans Perez and Caballero pass each other several times, then the former wins. Johnson-Thompson's victory ceremony os held, and the anthem is sung: the British are always the most numerous. At Kaul's victory ceremony, the German anthem is also heard a little (on this occasion I discover that the family in front of me is also German) and I sing it too: after all, I haven't had the chance to sing the Italian anthem at a world athletics championship for 16 years and I have to vent in some way.

Another expected race was the women's 400hs final, with the duel Muhammad-McLaughlin. We immediately see that they are of another category: Muhammad arrives on the final straight in the lead, then McLaughlin approaches, but remains behind. Time 52.16: world record!

After 3000st won at the photofinish by Kipruto of Kenia, to Lagat's delight, they close with the 400. Gardiner and James start fast, but only the former holds until the end and closes at 43.48: a better time than in London, where there were so many expectations.
Surprisingly, the Colombian Zambrano comes back to silver: another country before us in the medal table.

I have about an hour to get to the Corniche and, seeing the traffic, I understand that it will not be easy. I first take the 32 (this time full, especially of Kenyans) then a taxi, which leaves me in the area around 11.20pm. As I approach the competition area, I see few people and I take it for granted that the race has been postponed, like the women's one. Instead, I find that it started regularly: I simply hadn't arrived at the race course (the road is closed much before).

I struggle to find a place near the finish: I find it near an Australian with the "official" tag, to whom her teammates bring snacks from the VIP area. Compared to the women's race, the group remains bigger for longer. After the first attempt of a Chinese, the Japanese Yamanishi takes off: he seems on his way for a lone ride, but towards the 11th kilometer he loses a few seconds, but it is a temporary crisis, then he will continue to gain until the finish.

Stano is in the group of pursuers and appears to be in good condition. His coaches make their way to give advice ro him, but around the 12th km they tell him to slow down. I immediately understand why: he has the second warning. He doesn't listen to them and he gets a two minute penalty, and yet he didn't seem to be walking worse than the others, especially the Turkish seemed to me definitely worse: another medal chance is fading, for a moment I also think of leaving.

From the 15th km, with lapped walkers, you don't understand anything anymore, so much that in the end the fourth place will be awarded to a German whom nobody had noticed and I still have some doubts that he arrived really fourth.

Tomorrow I leave again immediately after the marathon, we will hear from hom

World Athletics Championships in Doha - Day 7

Even today I arrive late, having to do the usual double tour. From when I get off the taxi it takes me 22-23 minutes to get to my place, and as the crow flies there will be no and 200 meters. For the first time I also find 3-4 people queuing at checks (the entrances for organized groups are separate). This time I am equipped with water and Gatorade, but at the controls the guard insists that I also take the bottle of water offered by them.

In my sector there are few people, also because it is one of the few not occupied by organized groups (I would call them "appearing", but some of them will prove to be more passionate than paying spectators), but in the evening it will fill up enough. Next to it is a closed block, occupied only by locals, judging by their appearances, and with many children: it must be what they call the "family block". In my line a Frenchman, then a couple with a flag that I don't recognize and only when they unbend it all I discover that it is Scotland. In the area you can see Estonians (it is always a day of multiple events), Swedes and a group of Norwegians (but without helmets with horns).

I lost the 110hs of the decathlon and there are no more track races for over 5 hours: strange program. I arrive just in time to see the first jump by Rojas (foul), while the other group is already in the third round. As always, I don't see much of triple, being on the other side and with the metric bar covering the landing, on the other hand however, being the only race, almost all the jumps are shown on the screen. I see that Cestonaro's second jump of the Cestonaro is not bad, but it is not enough and the third also looks good, but it is a foul (and not by little). the qualification remains 15 cm away.
The decathlon resumes with discus: before each race of multiple events they show the point value of some results and of the world's best. The two Williams throw one after the other, and only at the third throw I realize that they are not the same. After the first group, I make the first break: at the bar I meet two Chinese athletes, and I discover that one is the silver medallist of silver of the 50 km race walk.I also see Cestonaro: I congratulate her, she makes a face, she doesn't seem very satisfied, and that's good.

The decathlon is a very open race, although Mayer is still the favourite. In the second group of the disc one of the favourites, Victor of Grenada, leaves the scene with 3 fouls, like in London (he will show up in pole vault, but will make a zero also there). We get to the PV that, thanks to the formula of offset groups, begins when the disk is not yet finished. Strange to see it together with the other events, it usually takes place alone (and in London nobody saw a part of it). It starts immediately with 3 misses of one Williams at 4.50, then Mayer, surprisingly, enters the race at 4.60. Time starts when he is still putting on his shirt, he discusses with officials, but must accept. the miss. On the second attempt it is clear why he entered the race so early: he is not well. He tries the run-up twice, but doesn't make it and has to quit. At the first successful jump, of a German, at 4.70 there is a roar: it took 6 jumps (counting even the one not made by Mayer) to see a successful one! At the end of pole vault there will be 4 athletes in 24 points and behind them, Kaul, with javelin still available.

"Single" races resume with the qualifications of men's shot put. Due to the combination with the javelin of multiple events (there is even a section where their sectors intersect) the two groups take place separately. I start to think about when to go to eat: even if the program is less dense, it's not sure that there will be a break, it depends on the duration of PV (in the end there will be one of about twenty minutes). However, too much time would be lost to go to the fan zone: at least half an hour just to go back and forth. Actually I can't wait to get out of the stadium for another reason: cold. Behind me I have a cold wind, at times surely over 2 m/s, which makes me regret not having brought not only my jacket, but also a scarf and a cap. I even wonder if I will go on till the end, like I was at a ski race. I point it out with a tweet and for a while they seem to have listened to me: the wind is decreasing. But then it resumes. I go out after the first shot put group, and Doha's natural temperature had never seemed so pleasant.

Fabbri is the last to throw in the first group. At the second throw he gives the illusion of having passed the qualifying line (20.90), instead he had remained behind: 20.75. Good, but probably not enough: I am convinced that there will also be more than 12 to go beyond 20.90 (I would have put the qualification at least 30 cm further). At the end of the group he is ninth: the qualification seems impossible, but after seeing Lingua in London you never know. After the first round of group B it will already be 13th, but it will close so, beyond all expectations. Before resuming the track races, the stadium has been filled for at least 3/4, never happened. Then, slowly, it will be emptied, especially after 400. For 1500 the African fans get wild: in addition to the usual Ethiopian sector, the first half of the second bend is occupied by Kenyans, and there is also a large group of Somalis, who incite their athlete, who will close in 3'40 ". Where do you find a WCH with so many African fans? Sure, one could simply do them in Africa, but then would all the teams show up? The heats of men's 1500 men's are much more tightly fought than the women's ones: the first and third end with a "wild bunch" of 6-7 people in a few hundreths.

We start with the finals: the women's shot put starts: we understand little, since they are on the other side, everything is decided by few centimeters (at some point there will be only 50 cm between the 2nd and the 9th), the landing area is covered by the photographers and even on the screen they don't always catch the moment when the tool lands. Gong takes the lead at the first throw and keeps it until the end, but behind here there are many reversals. Jamaica wins silver: it is their second in throws.

For track events they will always do the presentation with light games, even in the decathlon's, where the finalists are 17. Incredible race of women's 400: we immediately see that Naser and Miller have another pace, the Bahraini athlete always seems not to make efforts and enters the final straight in the lead. Then the Miller comeback, and I also have the impression that she overtakes her, but from how Naser is shown on the screen I understand that it is not so. I look at the time: 48.14! Suddenly Koch's record no longer seems unbeatable. It ends with the epilogue of multiple events. In the heptathlon, Johnson-Thomson is in the lead on a subdued Thiam and also wins 800 with a great time for a heptatlete. In decathlon you get to 1500 with Warner, Uibo and Kaul very close, but the latter is the strongest in the 1500. Warner and Uibo start in the lead, Kaul starts from the back, but in the second lap he overtakes them and at the third he takes them off. Uibo holds second place in both the 1500 and the general classification (silver as his wife, Shanue Miller), Warner is caught, but keeps the bronze.

At the exit, I try to go to the opposite side of the usual, but I don't save time. I see boys playing soccer in the fields of the complex (at 1 am). Tomorrow Tamberi awaits me.