World Athletics Championships in Doha - Day 4

Clicca qui per la versione italiana I linger with the blog even more than yesterday and I arrive when the qualifications of women's javelin are already in the third round, just in time for the first heat of 200. I had a moment of panic at the security check, when I was asked to completely empty my backpack: I have 2000 things in it and I was terrified of leaving some. It had never happened to me in so many years: even here, the other times, they passed on X-rays, but this time they had none. At the entrance, I find the Juventus fan volunteer I had met Saturday

I'm still close to the finish line, just two rows below, compared to yesterday. Next to me a couple of British, a few rows below, the Jamaican fans. The first bend is fuller than usual, as there is the final of the women's high jump, while the straight opposite is almost empty, but in the evening at least the first half will fill up enough. We see so many people with traditional dress, I will then discover that many are students (all boys).

They start with the women's 200 heats, and the first poor show of the Italians: Hooper remains in the race until the beginning of the straight, then collapses. In 400 you hear the cheer for the home athlete, who will close almost 100 meters behind, in 1'06 ". The "neighbor" Naser, who enters the final straight with a huge advantage, is also chered. She almost walks for the last 80 meters and closes at 50.74. Impressive! Better not to mention Chigbolu: she too it seems to be in the race until the final straight, then collapses.

Also today the program is not very dense: just before 6 pm there are 5 minutes with no races. Then the javelin group B begins: luckily the scoreboard immediately gives the overall ranking and doesn't make us do calculations. The first ones do all badly, so much so as to suggest that conditions are worse than in Group A, but then 6 per group will pass.

At 7 pm there is a break of about an hour: it was one of the days when two sessions were originally planned, but then they realized that the break would have been too short. I can therefore visit the commercial area. There is a section for every continent, with a traditional game: for South America there is the bag run, the European one (of Polish origin, they say) I had never heard. Participation is not much, especially in games which required movement, given the heat: it is greater in precision games.

I wonder if there is a merchandising shop: there is an Asics shop that sells t-shirts with the logo of the WCHs, which, however, is always smaller than the brand's one. My favorite, with the mascot (a hawk) is only for children. At the information desk I ask about the daily program, since yesterday I saw someone who had it, but they tell me they didn't receive it. In almost all food stands, to know the menu you need to get very close, they often show it on a tablet. Most make burgers, some Indian dishes, there is also one of pizza and one of pasta. I go to one of the most crowded, frequented by Americans: in the queue behind me there is Nageotte, with one who looks like Morris, but then when her badge turns round I discover she is Ahbe of Canada, also a pole vaulter, eliminated in qualifications.

I'm late and I miss the first heat of 110hs, which means missing the only Italian that will pass his round, as Perini will disappoint too. The evening program continues with the final of women's high jump: another great race, with 3 over 2 meters and the world junior record of Mahuchikh at 2.04, after which she will retire and leave the victory to Lasistkene, who had cleared them before her. In the breaks the athletes are forced to cover their legs: tonight they have exaggerated a bit with the air conditioning, I too regret not having long pants and maybe even a jacket. The other fied event of the evening is the men's discus, where I miss Stahl's first two throws, including the decisive one: a very tight competition, with the Austrian's bronze (don't let me write his name) whom I remembered from the world youth championships in Bressanone. After his last throw, Stahl starts off towards the center of the field and then takes a victory lap at a faster pace than usual, jumping a hurdle of the 400.

People continue to arrive until 9 pm, in my block and even more in the opposite straight. For the 5000 the Ethiopian bend has been formed again, while the Kenyans are fewer this time, and they will be heard especially in women's 3000st. Tonight the public participation is really felt, especially in the 5000, the cool stadium of the beginnings is only a memory (apart from the physical climate, as I said). At a certain point it seems that the Ethiopians can be fooled, with the gold that goes to Norway, then J. Ingebritsen collapses and defends the 5th place by diving at the finish line.

Nice also the other track events: in women's 3000st Chepkoech starts a solitary race, like a meeting, but without pacemakers. She does not keep the monster pace of the first km throughout the race, she seems to be struggling 3 laps from the end, but she still wins quite clearly. Without Italians, I rejoice in the bronze of my "fellow citizen" Krause (I remain very attached to Frankfurt, where I lived), a medal that will not allow her to win the title of sportswoman the year of Hesse, simply because they have already assigned it . Then there are the women's 800 (although everyone has already said it, I too will say that after a long time they return to being really women's), fought, with the surprising Ugandan victory.

They close with 400hs, where they will do the presentation again with the light games, and even bigger writings than in the 100 meters. We hear the support for Samba, who will at least get a bronze. If the winner's time, after what was seen in the season, can be disappointing, the time of the runner-ups is exceptional: with 48.28 you get seventh!

At the exit I take a bus that I do not know where it leads, together with a group of Swedes, who don't either, but are convident that will take to the city centre, where it will be easier to find a taxi. I get off when I see we are in the centre, even if many don't, and get a taxi which will take me to an hotel with the same name as mine, but then he will correct