Mattia Furlani is one of the rising stars of global athletics. The 21-year-old has already won world long jump titles indoors and outdoors and he became an Olympic medallist in Paris.
The Italian sat down to reveal his ultimate clash, night out and much more.
Ultimate performance&hellip; Paris 2024 with the Olympic medal.
Ultimate event&hellip; The pole vault, I get so excited when they jump to crazy heights.
Ultimate career ambition&hellip; The European or even world record.
Ultimate athlete&hellip; Grant Holloway &ndash; he is extraordinary, truly an absurd talent.
Ultimate clash&hellip; The challenge with the Bulgarian (Bozhidar Sar&acirc;boyukov) in Metz (where they both jumped 8.39m) was absurd.
Ultimate memory&hellip; The gold medal in Tokyo, an unrepeatable journey.
Ultimate venue&hellip; Florence is one of my favourite places &ndash; it&rsquo;s just too beautiful.
Ultimate meal&hellip; The unbeatable pizza.
Ultimate night out/in&hellip; Nightclub with my friends.
Ultimate talent&hellip; I&rsquo;m a very good gamer.
Ultimate day off&hellip; With the family, perhaps with a good lunch.
Ultimate holiday destination&hellip; At the seaside maybe if it's summer, or on the go-kart track.
Ultimate pre-competition song&hellip; Heaven and Hell by Kanye West.
Ultimate movie&hellip; Inception.
Ultimate possession&hellip; My watch collection.

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

At the age of 21, Mattia Furlani is already a world champion indoors and out as well as an Olympic medallist. This week the Italian answers the Ultimate questions.

What's your Ultimate? Mattia Furlani

As the athletes prepared to get to their marks for the 800m at the conclusion of the 1986 Goodwill Games heptathlon, Moscow&rsquo;s Lenin Central Stadium was bathed in early-evening sunshine. &ldquo;The moment has come,&rdquo; pronounced commentator Leandra Reilly. &ldquo;A moment in the sun for Jackie Joyner. The 7000-point barrier, that&rsquo;s never been achieved, is assuredly within her grasp.&rdquo;
When Joyner was born, in March 1962, her parents named her Jacqueline after the wife of the US President, John F Kennedy. &ldquo;Someday this girl will be the First Lady of something,&rdquo; her grandmother ventured to suggest. After six of the seven events in the Goodwill Games heptathlon, held across 6-7 July in 1986, Jacqueline Joyner was poised to become the first lady to achieve the landmark tally of 7000 points.
With 6184 points already to her name, the 24-year-old Joyner &ndash; raised in East St Louis, Illinois, and by then a recent history graduate from UCLA &ndash; needed to complete two laps of the Lenin Stadium in 2:20.51 to secure her place in track and field history.
Blessed with an 800m personal best of 2:09.32, that would appear to be little more than a toddle for the East St Louis girl. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re trying to make it so Jackie only has to walk the 800m to get the record,&rdquo; her coach and husband Bobby Kersee had joked on the eve of the competition. As the stadium announcer informed the crowd, Joyner only needed 2:24.56 to eclipse the world record score of 6867 (or 6946 on the scoring tables that came into effect from 1985) held by one of her trailing rivals, Sabine Paetz of East Germany.
Roared home by 25,000 Muscovites, Joyner crossed the line in 2:10.02 to smash the world record by more than 200 points with a momentous tally of 7148. &ldquo;Jackie has set four PBs out of seven events and, in doing so, has set a standard that will not be reached by another woman for a long, long time,&rdquo; proclaimed Leandra Reilly in her prescient television summary.
Forty years later, no other woman has come within 100 points of the tally Joyner-Kersee, as she became known thereafter, achieved in making a historic name for herself in Moscow in 1986.
Of course, JJK herself improved her world record to 7158 at the US Olympic Festival in Houston just a month later, then to 7215 at the US Olympic Trials in Indianapolis in July 1988 and 7291 at the Olympic Games in Seoul in September that year. Only four other women have followed her across the 7000-point threshold: Swede Carolina Kluft and Anna Hall of the US, both with 7032, plus Belgian Nafi Thiam (7013) and Russia&rsquo;s Larisa Nikitina (7007).
Nikitina was one of the nominal rivals reduced to also-ran status by the trailblazing Joyner in what was then the Soviet capital, finishing eighth with 6285. Sibylle Thielle of East Germany finished a whopping 513 points down in second place (6635) with Soviet Natalya Shubenkova third (6621) and the now former world record-holder Paetz a distant fourth (6456).
Joyner began the competition in storming fashion, speeding to a personal best of 12.85 in the 100m hurdles, just 0.06 shy of Stephanie Hightower&rsquo;s US record, and followed up with a best ever high jump clearance of 1.88m. A 14.76m shot was less than she hoped for but she finished the opening day with the flourish of a 23.00 200m, 0.24 inside her wind-assisted PB, to notch a record first-day score of 4151.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a4d0075737582fb4c7f5943.jpg" alt="Photo finish of the heptathlon 200m at the 1986 Goodwill Games" />
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Photo finish of the heptathlon 200m at the 1986 Goodwill Games
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&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very close to where I wanted to be,&rdquo; said Joyner, &ldquo;especially with the hurdles going well and coming back with a good 200m after the shot. I&rsquo;m looking forward to tomorrow &ndash; 7000 points is my goal; that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m going for.&rdquo; She got off to another flying start on day two with a world heptathlon best of 7.01m in the long jump, conserving vital energy with just the one attempt before doing likewise in the javelin, throwing a lifetime best of 49.86m.
After pushing hard in the 800m to break through the 7000-point barrier, Joyner was asked if she felt good. &ldquo;Yeah, it feels marvellous,&rdquo; she replied. &ldquo;It even hurts too. &ldquo;I knew everything depended on the long jump. I know I&rsquo;m the US record-holder [with 7.24m, at the time] but I tried not to put pressure on myself. When 7m popped up, I was very happy.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had some disappointments. In 1984, at the Olympics, I had a hamstring pull and finished second when I felt I could have won. But after all this work and concentration, I finally put it all together.&rdquo;
Joyner missed out to Australia&rsquo;s Glynis Nunn by a tantalising five points in Los Angeles, her elder brother Al taking a fourth-round pass en route to victory in the triple jump to root for her in the 800m. But in Seoul in 1988 she claimed double Olympic gold, winning the heptathlon with her fourth world record and the long jump with 7.40m, a Games record.
Heptathlon gold in Barcelona in 1992 plus long jump bronzes there and in Atlanta in 1996 added up to six Olympic medals in all for Joyner-Kersee, who also won two heptathlon world titles (in 1987 and 1993) and two world long jump crowns (in 1987 and 1993).
The 40th anniversary of her milestone performance in Moscow happens to fall six months after the 25th anniversary of a barrier-breaking feat in the men&rsquo;s combined events world.
It was in the 2001 edition of the hallowed Hypo Meeting in G&ouml;tzis, Austria, that Roman &Scaron;ebrle racked up the first 9000-point decathlon score. The 26-year-old from the Czech Republic set outright PBs in four events (8.11m in the long jump, 47.92m in the discus, 70.16m in the javelin, 4:21.98 in the 1500m) and equalled another (10.64 in the 100m) to finish with 9026 points.
It survived as a world record for eleven years and only three other men have since followed him into 9000-point territory: France&rsquo;s Kevin Mayer (9126), Ashton Eaton of the US (9045) and Canada&rsquo;s Damian Warner (9018).
Four decades on from Moscow, Joyner-Kersee&rsquo;s 7000-point breakthrough remains one of the defining frontier moments in combined events history.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage
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Remembering the moment when Jackie Joyner-Kersee became the first heptathlete to surpass 7000 points

Joyner-Kersee’s 7000-point breakthrough

Richard Omaya Atuya and Ruth Gitonga Mwihaki claimed victory at the Grossglockner Mountain Run in Austria, leading Kenyan podium sweeps at the eighth race of the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup on Sunday (5).
The 13.3km course, featuring 1300 metres of ascent, took runners through a constantly changing landscape. Leaving Heiligenblut behind, athletes climbed through forests and waterfalls before emerging into alpine meadows and the high mountain terrain overlooking the glacier. The final kilometres led towards the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-H&ouml;he and the race's most famous feature: the legendary 522 steps that provide a fittingly brutal conclusion to one of Austria's classic mountain races.
The men's race took shape early on. By the time the athletes reached the Leiter Waterfall, around six kilometres into the course, Atuya had opened a gap of around 50 metres on the rest of the field.
Behind him, a small chasing group formed, with the remainder of the contenders still within sight as the race climbed through the forests above Heiligenblut before emerging into the alpine meadows and the higher slopes overlooking the Pasterze Glacier.
Atuya never looked in danger and continued to increase his advantage on the climb to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-H&ouml;he, eventually taking victory in 1:10:20. Ephantus Njeri followed in second in 1:12:33, while Elijah Kamau Kariuki completed the Kenyan top three in 1:14:26.
The battle behind the podium remained close throughout the race. Italy&rsquo;s Tiziano Moia delivered one of the strongest finishes of the day, moving up from around sixth position at the start of the final climb to claim fourth place in 1:14:38, just 12 seconds behind Kariuki. Germany&rsquo;s Lukas Ehrle continued his encouraging return from injury with fifth place in 1:14:50.
The women's race remained closely contested through the opening kilometres. A leading group stayed together through the forests above Heiligenblut and was still largely intact as the athletes passed the Leiter Waterfall.
It was on the climb towards Margaritzenstausee and the Sandersee that the race began to stretch out. By the time the athletes reached the high alpine terrain overlooking the Pasterze Glacier, the gaps between the leading runners had largely been established and would remain unchanged through to the finish.
Gitonga gradually moved clear to secure victory in 1:22:29, confirming her strong form as the World Cup season reaches its halfway stage. Jedidah Sang followed in second in 1:23:26, while Gloria Chebet completed the Kenyan podium in 1:24:34.
The European challenge was led by athletes from Great Britain and Italy. While Kirsty Skye Dickson and Ellen Crombie secured fifth and sixth places respectively for Great Britain, Italy placed three athletes inside the top 10 through Benedetta Broggi, Arianna Dentis and Arianna Del Pino.
H&eacute;ctor Rubio (WMRA) for World Athletics
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Richard Omaya Atuya and Ruth Gitonga Mwihaki claimed victory at the Grossglockner Mountain Run in Austria, leading Kenyan podium sweeps at the eighth race of the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup

Atuya and Gitonga lead Kenyan podium sweeps at Grossglockner Mountain Run

The World Athletics U20 Championships is a major milestone in the careers of many rising athletes. With one month to go until Oregon hosts the global age-group event for the second time, we highlight some of the stars who competed at the 2014 edition and have gone on to secure success on the senior stage.
The World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26, taking place at Eugene&rsquo;s Hayward Field from 5-9 August, is where the next generation could start to follow in their footsteps. 
<h2>Dina Asher-Smith</h2>
Oregon is where Dina Asher-Smith won her first global title, the British sprinter clinching the 100m crown in 11.23.
Prior to that, she claimed 4x100m bronze as a 17-year-old at the senior World Championships in Moscow in 2013 and she went on to become an individual world champion, getting the 200m title in Doha in 2019.
The 2014 World U20 Championships was the first outdoor global track and field World Athletics Series event to be held in the USA and when global athletics returned to Oregon for the senior World Championships in 2022, Asher-Smith claimed another medal &ndash; 200m bronze.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a4aace925455bb746f2f11a.jpg" alt="Dina Asher-Smith at the 2014 World U20 Championships" />
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Dina Asher-Smith at the 2014 World U20 Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
<h2>Joshua Cheptegei</h2>
Joshua Cheptegei became the first global champion to be crowned at Hayward Field as the men&rsquo;s 10,000m was the first final held during the 2014 World U20 Championships and the Ugandan athlete claimed a convincing win in 28:32.86.
Like Asher-Smith, Cheptegei also returned to Oregon for the 2022 World Championships and he won another 10,000m title &ndash; the second of his three senior world crowns. He has also become a two-time Olympic champion, winning the 5000m in 2021 and the 10,000m in 2024, and is the world record-holder over both distances. 
<h2>Matthew Denny</h2>
Australia&rsquo;s Matthew Denny lined up in Oregon as a two-time global medallist, one year on from his discus gold and hammer bronze at the World U18 Championships in Donetsk. The then 18-year-old also contested both events at the World U20 Championships, his performances highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the discus.
He made his senior World Championships debut in 2019 and has finished in the top six in the discus at the past four editions &ndash; placing sixth in Oregon in 2022. Since then he has become an Olympic bronze medallist and sits second on the world all-time list with the Oceanian record of 74.78m he threw in Ramona last year.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a4aacfd25455bb746f2f11d.jpg" alt="Matthew Denny in discus action in Eugene" />
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Matthew Denny in discus action in Eugene (&copy; Getty Images)
<h2>Shamier Little</h2>
The US team topped the medal table at the 2014 World U20 Championships on home soil, claiming 11 titles. Shamier Little was among the winners as she completed a 400m hurdles title treble at Hayward Field that summer &ndash; her world U20 gold following the NCAA title and US U20 title she claimed on the same track.
She also formed part of USA&rsquo;s gold medal-winning 4x400m team at the World U20 Championships and went on to win the next two NCAA titles and two of her three senior US titles in Oregon. She finished fourth at the World Championships there in 2022 and claimed silver medals either side of that &ndash; in Beijing as a 20-year-old in 2015 and in Budapest in 2023. 
<h2>Yulimar Rojas</h2>
Venezuelan triple jump star Yulimar Rojas might not have made it on to the podium in Oregon 12 years ago, but she has secured significant success since.
The then 18-year-old finished 11th in the long jump and also contested the triple jump at the World U20 Championships but has gone on to become a four-time world triple jump champion, an Olympic gold medallist and the world record-holder, soaring 15.74m to win the third of her world indoor titles in Belgrade in 2022.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a4aad1325455bb746f2f120.jpg" alt="Yulimar Rojas at the World U20 Championships in Eugene" />
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Yulimar Rojas at the World U20 Championships in Eugene (&copy; Getty Images)
<h2>Woo Sanghyeok</h2>
Korea&rsquo;s Woo Sanghyeok was already a global champion by the time he got to Oregon &ndash; as a 17-year-old he won the world U18 high jump title with a PB clearance of 2.20m in Donetsk. He achieved another PB on the global stage at the World U20 Championships, clearing 2.24m to clinch bronze.
After clearing a national record of 2.36m in the February of 2022 and winning the first of his two world indoor titles in the March, Woo made the podium again in Oregon later that year, claiming World Championships silver. He repeated that feat at last year&rsquo;s World Championships in Tokyo. 
Other senior global medallists who started out by making the world U20 podium in Eugene in 2014 include Sweden&rsquo;s Andreas Almgren (800m bronze), USA&rsquo;s Trayvon Bromell (100m silver), Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yomif Kejelcha (5000m gold), Japan&rsquo;s Yoshihide Kiryu (100m bronze), Croatia&rsquo;s Sara Kolak (javelin bronze), Cuba&rsquo;s L&aacute;zaro Mart&iacute;nez (triple jump gold), New Zealand&rsquo;s Eliza McCartney (pole vault bronze), Cuba&rsquo;s Liadagmis Povea (triple jump silver), USA&rsquo;s Valarie Sion (discus silver) and the Netherlands&rsquo; Nadine Visser (100m hurdles and heptathlon bronze).
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World Athletics U20 Championships

With one month to go until the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26, we highlight some of the stars who competed at the 2014 edition

Oregon reflections – the world U20 class of 2014

World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that world-renowned Jamaican sprint coach Stephen Francis died on Saturday (4) at the age of 64.
Francis dedicated his life to the development of athletics in Jamaica, helping to guide stars such as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell and Shericka Jackson to multiple Olympic and world medals.
After earning a BSC in management studies from the University of the West Indies and an MBA in finance from the University of Michigan, Francis decided to go into full-time coaching and co-founded the MVP (Maximising Velocity &amp; Power) Track &amp; Field Club in 1999.
Based in Kingston, the club&rsquo;s aim was to prove that Jamaican athletes, with Jamaican coaches, Jamaican facilities and Jamaican management, could be the best in the world.
Francis &ndash; the MVP Track &amp; Field Club&rsquo;s Technical Director &ndash; was known as a master for identifying talent. As well as 13-time global gold medallist Fraser-Pryce, two-time world 200m champion Jackson and former 100m world record-holder Powell, the MVP Track &amp; Field Club has coached numerous other global medallists such as Elaine Thompson-Herah, Michael Frater, Sherone Simpson, Kishane Thompson and Tina and Tia Clayton.
Francis was awarded the Order of Jamaica in 2017 in recognition of his work.
&ldquo;Stephen was a visionary coach, mentor and leader whose unwavering commitment to excellence transformed the landscape of athletics in Jamaica and inspired generations of athletes,&rdquo; said the MVP Track &amp; Field Club in a statement. &ldquo;His exceptional ability to develop talent, combined with his relentless pursuit of excellence and deep belief in the potential of those he coached, helped shape the careers of Olympic and World Championship medal winners, world record-breakers, and numerous other athletes, while establishing a standard of coaching that earned worldwide respect.&rdquo;
MVP Track &amp; Field Club President Bruce James said: &ldquo;Stephen Francis changed the trajectory of Jamaican athletics for the better. He proved that Jamaican athletes, guided by Jamaican coaches, supported by Jamaican management, and training in Jamaica, could become the very best in the world.
&ldquo;His vision, uncompromising pursuit of excellence, and belief in the potential of our athletes transformed not only countless individual careers, but also the standing of Jamaican athletics on the global stage. His legacy will endure for generations.&rdquo;
Fraser-Pryce was also among those to pay tribute to&nbsp;Francis.&nbsp;&ldquo;Today, Jamaica has lost more than one of its greatest athletics coaches. We have lost a visionary, a mentor, and a man whose influence transcended the track,&rdquo; reads part of a statement shared on Instagram.
&ldquo;He was not only my coach but a steady source of guidance during some of the most defining moments of my career. Coach Francis helped shaped an era that forever changed Jamaican athletics. Through his leadership, countless athletes rose to world and Olympic success, inspiring generations of young Jamaicans to believe that greatness could be achieved on Jamaican soil.
&ldquo;His legacy is etched into every medal won, every record broken, and every young Jamaican athlete who dares to dream.&rdquo;
World Athletics

Stephen Francis, 1962-2026

World-renowned Jamaican coach Francis dies

Meeting records by Jamal Britt, Masai Russell and Nikki Hiltz were among the highlights as fierce battles and breakthroughs lit up the Prefontaine Classic, this season&rsquo;s ninth Wanda Diamond League meeting, in Eugene, USA, on Saturday (4).
The competition closed with mile wins by Hiltz and Cameron Myers, while teenager Tate Taylor won the 200m on his Diamond League debut and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden took top spot in a stacked 100m. Tara Davis-Woodhall won a competitive long jump contest and Leonardo Fabbri launched a world lead in the shot put.
USA&rsquo;s Britt continued his fantastic run of form in the 110m hurdles by breaking the meeting record with a PB of 12.86 (1.8m/s) &ndash; a performance that moves him to fifth on the world all-time list.
With a strong finish, he passed recent world record-breaker Ja'Kobe Tharp &ndash; who sits top of that all-time list with the 12.75 he clocked during the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field last month &ndash; to win by 0.05.
It is Britt&rsquo;s fourth race under 13 seconds this season and it improves on the PB of 12.89 he set to win at the Diamond League meeting in Paris. He becomes the third athlete in history to ever dip under 12.90 more than once. Tharp, meanwhile, achieved the third-fastest time of his career behind his two NCAA races last month.
USA&rsquo;s Olympic champion Russell also impressed as she matched the meeting record to win the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.24 (0.8m/s) &ndash; the fifth-fastest time of her career.
She beat Nigeria&rsquo;s Tobi Amusan by a tenth of a second &ndash; Amusan back on the track on which she set her world record of 12.12 in 2022, a mark that Russell was just 0.02 shy of in Xiamen in May. Former world record-holder Kendra Harrison, who set the Eugene meeting record in 2016, was also in action and finished eighth in 12.66.
Kayinsola Ajayi won the non-Diamond League 100m, three weeks on from his NCAA title victory on the same track. This time the 21-year-old clocked 9.84 (0.1m/s) to equal his own Nigerian record, getting a great start and maintaining his advantage to beat Jamaica&rsquo;s world champion Oblique Seville who clocked 9.89.
Tate Taylor also continued his winning ways at Hayward Field &ndash; the venue that will host the World U20 Championships in August. The 18-year-old won a 100m and 200m double at the US U20 Championships last month and followed that with a statement 200m win against strong senior opposition on his Diamond League debut &ndash; improving his PB to 19.75 (-0.9m/s) to move to third on the world U20 all-time list.
Botswana&rsquo;s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo finished fast but he couldn&rsquo;t catch Taylor and had to settle for second place in 19.93. Makanakaishe Charamba was third in 20.11.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a49a1723221b7b435bf7ab2.jpg" alt="Tate Taylor wins the 200m in Eugene" />
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Tate Taylor wins the 200m in Eugene (&copy; Diamond League AG <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> LLogan Hannigan-Downs)
Triple world champion Jefferson-Wooden retained her Prefontaine Classic 100m crown, beating 2023 world champion Sha'Carri Richardson by just 0.01 in 10.78 (0.0m/s). World leader Adaejah Hodge was another 0.01 back in third.
Collen Kebinatshipi narrowly beat Rai Benjamin in a 400m clash between reigning world champions &ndash; Botswana&rsquo;s world 400m gold medallist Kebinatshipi clocking 44.00 to edge USA&rsquo;s 400m hurdles star Benjamin by 0.11, the latter, running from lane nine, clocking a PB for the flat one-lap event.&nbsp;
<h2>Mile wins for Hiltz and Myers</h2>
USA&rsquo;s two-time world indoor medallist Nikki Hiltz kicked to victory in the mile, winning in a world-leading meeting record of 4:17.49 as Faith Kipyegon was beaten in either a 1500m or mile race for the first time in more than five years.
Hiltz held off world silver medallist Dorcus Ewoi, who clocked a PB of 4:17.62 for second place, while world record-holder and multiple global gold medallist Kipyegon was third in 4:17.80. Kipyegon later explained how she had been dealing with a hamstring injury since the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai, where she won the promotional 5000m in 14:24.14.
Australia&rsquo;s Cameron Myers ran an Oceanian record of 3:46.06 to win the Bowerman Mile, judging his race to perfection to finish clear ahead of Yared Nuguse (3:46.61) and Ethan Strand (3:46.97) as the top seven all dipped under 3:48.
A fierce 800m fight between the world champion and the Olympic champion was won by Kenya&rsquo;s Lilian Odira as she overpowered Great Britain&rsquo;s Keely Hodgkinson in the closing stages &ndash; 1:56.19 to 1:56.73. Olympic champion Hodgkinson &ndash; who was racing with cut knees and strapping following a fall the day before she flew to the US &ndash; held back as the race got off to a fast start and then she moved to the fore. But Odira was waiting for her moment to strike and the world champion kicked past her rival down the home straight to clinch her first Diamond League victory.
Kenya&rsquo;s world champion Faith Cherotich strode to a clear win in the 3000m steeplechase, moving away from Bahrain&rsquo;s Olympic champion Winfred Yavi in the closing stages to triumph in 8:51.74. Yavi was second in 8:52.84, while Marwa Bouzayani was third in a Tunisian record of 8:54.32. Doris Lemngole also dipped under nine minutes, running a PB of 8:57.89 &ndash; the best ever time for fourth place.
The women&rsquo;s two miles was won by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Aleshign Baweke in 9:20.02.
<h2>Fabbri throws 22.74m</h2>
Italy&rsquo;s Leonardo Fabbri had the shot put won with his opening throw. The two-time world medallist, who threw 22.50m in February, improved to 22.74m in Eugene and his rivals had no response. He eventually won by 58 centimetres ahead of Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell who threw 22.16m, also in the first round.
The women&rsquo;s shot put was also won with an opening throw, USA&rsquo;s two-time world gold medallist Chase Jackson managing 20.56m from her first attempt to win ahead of world champion and world leader Jessica Schilder (20.11m).
Lithuania&rsquo;s world discus record-holder Mykolas Alekna opened his Diamond League campaign after injury with a win, throwing 71.06m in the fifth round to beat 2022 world champion Kristjan Čeh with 69.94m.
China&rsquo;s world bronze medallist Zhang Jiale, who threw a world U20 record of 77.24m last year, improved her PB to 77.94m to win the hammer &ndash; that mark moving the 19-year-old to 10th on the world all-time list. Canada&rsquo;s Olympic and two-time world champion Camryn Rogers led the contest until that final-round effort by Zhang and finished second with her opening attempt of 77.81m.
The top two in the women&rsquo;s long jump were separated by a single centimetre. Larissa Iapichino added one centimetre to the Italian record held by her mother, Fiona May, since 1998 &ndash; jumping 7.12m (1.8m/s) in the first round. But USA&rsquo;s Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall responded with 7.13m (0.8m/s) in the next round and that clinched her the win. Monae' Nichols also surpassed seven metres with a wind-aided 7.05m (3.0m/s) for third place.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a49a1993221b7b435bf7ab5.jpg" alt="Tara Davis-Woodhall in long jump action in Eugene" />
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Tara Davis-Woodhall in long jump action in Eugene (&copy; Diamond League AG <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,CiAgICA8c3ZnIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyIgd2lkdGg9IjE2IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjE2IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNDgwIDM2MCI+CiAgICAgIDxnIHRyYW5zZm9ybT0idHJhbnNsYXRlKDAsMzYwKSBzY2FsZSgwLjEsLTAuMSkiIGZpbGw9IiNCMkIyQjIiPgogICAgICAgIDxwYXRoIGQ9Ik0xOTA1IDMxODIgYy0xMjYgLTQ0IC0xODcgLTEwMCAtMjUzIC0yMzMgbC00NyAtOTQgLTM1MCAtNSBjLTMyNiAtNQogICAgICAgIC0zNTQgLTYgLTQwMSAtMjYgLTE0NyAtNjAgLTI0NiAtMTgwIC0yNzQgLTMzMSAtMTQgLTc2IC0xNCAtMTY1OSAwIC0xNzM0IDMxCiAgICAgICAgLTE2NyAxNzMgLTMxMyAzMzggLTM0OCAzNyAtOCA0NzYgLTExIDE0OTAgLTExIDE1NDMgMCAxNDgwIC0yIDE1ODggNTAgMTA0IDUxCiAgICAgICAgMjAwIDE4MSAyMjQgMzA1IDggNDMgMTAgMzAwIDggOTEwIGwtMyA4NTAgLTIzIDU2IGMtNDcgMTEyIC0xNDEgMjA2IC0yNTIgMjUyCiAgICAgICAgLTUyIDIxIC03MiAyMiAtNDA1IDI3IGwtMzUwIDUgLTQ2IDk1IGMtNTQgMTEyIC0xMDYgMTY2IC0yMDcgMjEzIGwtNjcgMzIKICAgICAgICAtNDYwIDIgYy00MTYgMyAtNDY1IDEgLTUxMCAtMTV6IG05NzIgLTIzNyBjMTggLTEzIDUyIC02OCA5MyAtMTUwIDQyIC04MyA3NQogICAgICAgIC0xMzcgOTMgLTE1MCAyNyAtMTkgNDcgLTIwIDQxNSAtMjUgNDM4IC02IDQyNyAtNCA0ODcgLTg5IGwzMCAtNDMgMyAtODM2IGMyCiAgICAgICAgLTYxMCAwIC04NDggLTggLTg3NiAtMTcgLTU2IC01NCAtMTAyIC0xMDQgLTEyNSAtNDIgLTIxIC01MSAtMjEgLTE0ODggLTIxCiAgICAgICAgbC0xNDQ1IDAgLTQ0IDIzIGMtMjkgMTYgLTU0IDQwIC03NCA3MiBsLTMwIDQ4IDAgODUxIGMwIDg0NCAwIDg1MSAyMSA4OTEgMTEKICAgICAgICAyMiA0MCA1NCA2MyA3MCBsNDMgMzAgMzg4IDUgYzM2OSA1IDM5MCA2IDQxNyAyNSAxOCAxMyA1MCA2NCA4OCAxNDEgMzMgNjcgNjcKICAgICAgICAxMjkgNzUgMTM5IDM2IDQzIDUzIDQ1IDUxMiA0MiA0MjIgLTIgNDM4IC0zIDQ2NSAtMjJ6Ii8+CiAgICAgICAgPHBhdGggZD0iTTIzMDAgMjQ1MSBjLTM4MiAtNTQgLTY3MSAtMzYzIC02OTcgLTc0NiAtMjEgLTMxOCAxNjEgLTYyNyA0NTIKICAgICAgICAtNzY2IDEyNiAtNjAgMTg5IC03NCAzNTAgLTc0IDExOSAwIDE1MSA0IDIxNSAyMyAyNzYgODcgNDgwIDI5NiA1NTYgNTcyIDI1CiAgICAgICAgOTAgMjYgMjk5IDEgMzkwIC03OCAyODggLTMwMCA1MDkgLTU4OSA1ODQgLTcxIDE4IC0yMTYgMjcgLTI4OCAxN3ogbTI3MCAtMjQ5CiAgICAgICAgYzE5NyAtNjggMzM0IC0yMTQgMzg1IC00MDcgNzQgLTI4NyAtMTA0IC01OTkgLTM5MCAtNjg0IC0xMDEgLTMwIC0yNjcgLTI3CiAgICAgICAgLTM2MCA3IC0xNzQgNjQgLTMyNyAyNDAgLTM2NCA0MjAgLTYyIDMwNSAxMzUgNjA4IDQzOSA2NzcgODIgMTkgMjE1IDEyIDI5MAogICAgICAgIC0xM3oiLz4KICAgICAgPC9nPgogICAgPC9zdmc+CiAgICA=" alt="photographer icon" /> Logan Hannigan-Downs)
<h2>Meeting record for Katzberg</h2>
A series of non-Diamond League contests kicked off the Prefontaine Classic on Friday (3) as the meeting was held over two days to coincide with Fourth of July celebrations.
The first day&rsquo;s action was headlined by Ethan Katzberg&rsquo;s hammer win as Canada&rsquo;s Olympic and two-time world champion threw a meeting record of 83.33m in the second round, achieving the fourth-best winning mark of his career. All four of his valid throws in Eugene surpassed 80 metres. Rudy Winkler was second with 81.12m.
USA&rsquo;s Sandi Morris won the pole vault (4.85m), while Valarie Sion won the discus (68.64m).
Brandon Miller won the 800m ahead of Cooper Lutkenhaus, 1:43.68 to 1:44.82, while Parker Wolfe clinched two-mile victory (8:10.13).
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/diamond-league/calendar-results/7214024/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>
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Meeting records by Jamal Britt, Masai Russell and Nikki Hiltz were among the highlights as fierce battles and breakthroughs lit up the Prefontaine Classic, this season’s ninth Wanda Diamond League meeting, in Eugene, USA, on Saturday (4).

Records fall as top-class clashes light up Eugene

The future participation of the Russian and Belarusian Member Federations in athletics and various competition decisions were among the key topics discussed during the 241st World Athletics Council Meeting held via video conference on 1-2 July.
A number of options were outlined to Council regarding potential updates to the sanctions originally imposed on Russia and Belarus following Russia&rsquo;s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022.
The Council reaffirmed the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/world-athletics-council-sanctions-russia-and-belarus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decision it made in March 2022</a>, revisited in <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/council-meeting-march-2023-russia-belarus-female-eligibility" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023</a> and <a href="https://worldathletics.org/hosting/news/bahamas-botswana-brazil-to-host-world-athletics-series-events" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2025</a> and discussed again in March 2026 to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials and supporting personnel from international competition.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: "The Council and the Working Group on the status of Russians/Belarusians in International Competitions &amp; Events have been consequential and methodical in reviewing the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus and in identifying a conditional pathway back into international competition. We presented options for the Council to consider on this matter, however, the original decision remains on the sanctions that protect the integrity and fairness of our competitions, with no tangible movement towards peace negotiations having materialised."
In its deliberations, the Council was cognisant of the wider impact of the conflict on Ukraine athletics, for example, the ability to hold domestic competitions regularly, impacting on their ability to achieve qualification standards and/or earn ranking points, the numbers of Ukrainian athletes who are able to compete, and the severely compromised athletics infrastructure within Ukraine, coaches and support personnel. The dedicated fund that World Athletics established in 2022 to support Ukraine is helping ameliorate some of that impact, but there is no doubt the ability of Ukraine and its athletes to train and compete remains severely compromised.
<h2>Competition decisions</h2>
A series of competition decisions were made, including the approval of the timetable for the World Athletics Road Running Championships Yangzhou 27:
Sunday 28 March 2027
6:10am women&rsquo;s 5km 6:35am men&rsquo;s 5km 7:00am women&rsquo;s half marathon 7:20am men&rsquo;s half marathon
The Council approved the proposal to re-introduce the U20 5000m race walk as a world record event with immediate effect. Following a review of the all-time performances, the inaugural world record standards will be 18:50.00 for men and 20:30.00 for women.
Delegate appointments for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and the World Athletics Road Running Championships Yangzhou 27 were also confirmed.
Other decisions made by the Council included the appointment of three additional members to the Nationality Review Panel for a four-year mandate starting from 1 August 2026, and the approval of an 18-month plan for the Coaches&rsquo; Commission.
The Coaches&rsquo; Commission plan focuses on strengthening elite-level coaching and high-performance environments across World Athletics, in alignment with the World Plan for Athletics 2022-2030 and the Pioneering Change strategy. The plan aims to ensure that coaches&rsquo; voices are effectively represented in World Athletics decision-making, and to provide expert advice to Council on professional standards, ethics, safeguarding, gender equity and innovation within elite coaching.
World Athletics

The future participation of the Russian and Belarusian Member Federations in athletics and various competition decisions were among the key topics discussed during the 241st World Athletics Council Meeting held via video conference on 1-2 July

Decisions made at 241st World Athletics Council Meeting

Donna Raynor has dedicated decades of her life to leadership and service in athletics. She is a former president of the Bermuda National Athletics Association and is now a World Athletics Council Member. Through her work with World Athletics&rsquo; Gender Leadership Taskforce and as Chair of the NACAC Gender Leadership Committee, she continues to advocate for greater representation of women in sport.
Raynor recently reflected on the experiences that have shaped her journey, the barriers she has had to overcome, and why supporting the next generation of women leaders in athletics matters now more than ever. 
You have spent decades in athletics administration and leadership. What first inspired you to pursue a career in this space?
"I have been involved in athletics since the age of 14. After earning a track scholarship, returning to Bermuda and representing the country in competition, I became increasingly aware that our athletics programme was beginning to decline. Determined to contribute to its revival, I chose to become involved from an administrative standpoint. I subsequently ran for the position of President and served in that role for 12 years, during which I worked to restore and strengthen the programme. Having stepped down, I felt a strong desire to contribute at the international level and therefore pursued a position on the World Athletics Council, following my service on NACAC committees and World Athletics commissions." 
Looking back on your journey, which experiences or moments shaped you most as a leader?
"Building a strong team, cultivating meaningful relationships within my community &ndash; particularly with the media &ndash; earning the respect of those around me, and supporting Bermudian athletes in achieving their goals are all matters of deep importance to me. These principles play a significant role in shaping my leadership and informing the manner in which I serve others." 
What barriers did you encounter as a woman rising through sports governance, and how did you overcome them?
"As a woman, I often felt that I had to work much harder to earn respect, be taken seriously, and prove myself. I put myself forward for several board positions, including our national organising committee, and I was never afraid to share my opinions during meetings. I also submitted ideas and led committees to demonstrate that I had a great deal to contribute and that I was knowledgeable. There were times when I had to make a deliberate effort to ensure that my voice was heard. I faced similar challenges in my professional life, so I brought that same determination into sport &ndash; pushing hard to make sure my voice was heard, respected and valued." 
Was there a defining moment when you realised your voice and influence could help create opportunities and change for other women in sport?
"Fortunately, most of my team has been women, and throughout my career I have made it a priority to help women develop their skills because I have always believed that is important. As I mentioned earlier, women often have to give more than 100% to prove themselves. Having held leadership roles in both my professional life and athletics, and having faced many challenges myself, I wanted to make the path easier for other women by sharing my experiences and how I overcame those obstacles." 
What qualities or perspectives do you believe women uniquely bring to leadership and decision-making in athletics and sport more broadly?
"I believe women bring strong organisation, critical thinking, commitment and a strong work ethic to leadership. Because women often have to work harder to earn respect, we learn to show up consistently, be well prepared and understand the issues thoroughly. We know we may be judged more closely, so we make sure we are ready and informed." 
World Athletics has taken significant steps toward advancing gender equality in recent years. As a Council Member, how important is diverse representation at leadership level in driving meaningful change?
"Diversity is essential in an international body that makes decisions for our sport. It is important to hear a range of perspectives shaped by different experiences, including those of women, smaller countries and different cultures. As we often say, one size does not fit all, so major decisions affecting athletics worldwide must include all of those voices." 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/69de579f1365d1cae8014c4b.jpg" alt="council" />
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Donna Raynor on the World Athletics Council
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Mentorship has become an important part of the conversation around gender equality in sport. Why do you believe mentoring women and young girls in athletics is especially important right now?
"Mentoring women and girls in sport is especially important because leadership needs a range of perspectives at the table. We must help women be ready not just to take a seat in boardrooms, but to influence decisions and make their voices heard. Many women hesitate to pursue these roles because they doubt themselves, so mentorship is essential in showing them what is possible, creating a path forward and helping them overcome barriers others have already faced. It also provides vital support through difficult moments, especially for women balancing multiple responsibilities. Seeing other women who have succeeded and broken through those barriers makes those opportunities feel real and achievable." 
Why is mentorship particularly valuable for women aspiring to leadership positions in sport?
"Mentorship is especially valuable because many women doubt themselves and need consistent encouragement to believe that leadership is possible, even though the path is not easy. It helps build confidence, but for it to be effective, the support must be ongoing and the mentor must be available and maintain strong communication." 
Have you had a mentor &ndash; male or female &ndash; who had an impact on your own career and leadership journey?
All of my mentors have been men, which is one reason I feel strongly about mentoring women and sharing experiences that can help them progress. I am grateful for my male mentors because they understood leadership, had mastered it, and taught me how to pursue it. Their belief in me helped strengthen my own confidence, pushed me to step forward and speak up, and made them true advocates for me when opportunities arose. They made sure my name was put forward and that I was ready when those opportunities came. As I said earlier, as a woman you have to be more than 100% prepared." 
What advice would you give to young women who aspire to lead in athletics or the wider sporting world?
"My advice is simple: never doubt yourself and never give up. Be prepared &ndash; indeed, overprepared &ndash; because some people may expect you to fail. When you are unsure, do not hesitate to ask for support. I have seen many women step back when competing against men for leadership roles, but I always remind those I mentor that there are only two outcomes: success or a lesson. If you fail, learn from it and come back stronger. If you succeed, be ready for the opportunity and the scrutiny that may come with it. The road will not be easy, but stay true to what you know and do not let anyone discourage you." 
Following the launch of World Athletics' mentorship campaign earlier this year, why would you encourage global stakeholders to pledge their time and expertise to mentor women and girls across all areas of the sport?
"It is important that we continue to mentor women and girls, because gender equality matters and women bring valuable perspectives and energy to the table. The world has moved forward in leaps and bounds, and we must ensure that progress continues. When we reflect on what was achieved in the last World Athletics election (achieving gender equality at the global leadership level of the World Athletics Council &ndash; the first Olympic sport to do so), we should be determined not to lose that momentum. In my role on the Council, I value the discussions we have and appreciate seeing women stand up for what they believe in, bringing strong voices to the table. We need to keep moving in that direction, and the best way to do so is by mentoring women so they are prepared for these positions. Our goal should be to have strong women at the table, not women who are there simply to fulfil a quota." 
Finally, when people reflect on your contribution to athletics years from now, what do you hope they say about your impact and legacy?
"My hope is that I will be remembered as a positive influence on the sport of athletics. I hope to be recognised for contributing to the growth of the sport within my country, fostering strong and constructive relationships, and making a meaningful impact on both female and male athletes. Many of the athletes who competed during my tenure as President continue to reach out to me for guidance and support, which I consider deeply meaningful. Ultimately, I hope to be regarded as a strong and effective leader who helped athletes achieve their goals, both during their competitive careers and in their lives beyond athletics.
"As Chair of the NACAC Gender Leadership Committee, I hope to be recognised as someone who has encouraged women in our region &ndash; and, ideally, around the world &ndash; to pursue opportunities with confidence and present themselves with purpose. I have worked to support women aspiring to serve as administrators, coaches and officials by helping them prepare thoroughly for these roles. I have taken the time to discuss opportunities with them, assist in their professional preparation, and provide guidance throughout the process. Equally as important, I hope they know that even after achieving these positions, they can continue to seek my support without hesitation.
"I have reached goals many only dream of &ndash; becoming President of my Member Federation and serving as a World Athletics Council Member &ndash; and in doing so, I&rsquo;ve proven that it can be done. Now, I want to inspire others by sharing my journey, showing them that no dream is too big and no goal is beyond reach."
&nbsp;
World Athletics is calling on Member Federations, Area Associations, coaches, technical officials, administrators, athletes and partners worldwide to commit their time, resources and support to mentor young girls and women in athletics as a commitment to help close the gender gap.
Learn more on the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/women-in-athletics/news/international-womens-day-2026-mentoring-pledge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women in Athletics website</a>

Donna Raynor has dedicated decades of her life to leadership and service in athletics.

Donna Raynor on leadership, mentorship and gender equality in athletics

Four track and field athletes have been named on the Refugee Olympic Team that will compete at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Clement Niyomuhoza, Florence Masumbe, Nyataba Gatloth and Rachid Rochene will be part of the first Refugee Olympic Team to compete at a Youth Olympic Games, with the athletes set to race over 200m and 800m in Senegal later this year.
Niyomuhoza, who is hosted by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, will compete in the boys&rsquo; 800m, while Nyataba Gatloth, also hosted by the NOC of Kenya, will contest the girls&rsquo; 800m.
Masumbe and Rochene, both hosted by the NOC of Uganda, will compete in the girls&rsquo; and boys&rsquo; 200m respectively.
The team was presented by Yiech Pur Biel, Chef de Mission of the Refugee Olympic Team for Dakar 2026, during the recent 146th IOC Session.
&ldquo;These young people have an opportunity to be great ambassadors and represent the millions of young refugees across the world,&rdquo; said Biel. &ldquo;I really believe that Dakar will be a life-changing moment for them, but also for refugees watching them worldwide.&rdquo;
Biel knows that pathway well. Originally from South Sudan, he spent much of his youth in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya before going on to compete in the 800m for the first Refugee Olympic Team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. He has since been elected as an IOC Member, become a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, and sits on the Board of the Olympic Refuge Foundation.
&ldquo;It has been 10 years since I competed at the Rio Olympic Games as a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team,&rdquo; Biel added. &ldquo;Since then, sport has truly changed my life. Sport has opened doors for me, and it has also allowed me to change the lives of other refugees &ndash; to be a role model for them and hopefully leave a legacy of inspiring others.&rdquo;
The Dakar 2026 Refugee Olympic Team will be made up of athletes based in Africa and hosted by the NOCs of Kenya and Uganda. Alongside the four track and field athletes, two other team members &ndash; one in judo and one in taekwondo &ndash; will also compete in Dakar.
A number of the athletes were selected following trials in Kenya and Uganda. In Uganda, where almost two million asylum seekers and refugees are hosted, athletes were selected from Game Connect, an Olympic Refuge Foundation-funded community programme. Their progression marks the first time the ORF&rsquo;s community work has been directly linked to elite pathways through its Refugee Athlete Support programme, which is funded through Olympic Solidarity.
World Athletics announced earlier this year that, following the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review in Geneva, it had pledged to continue providing competition opportunities, training support, media training and safeguarding provisions for refugee athletes, with a focus on the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships Beijing 27.
Since its creation in 2016, the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team has developed into the world&rsquo;s only year-round full-time refugee team programme. The team made its first competitive appearance as part of the Refugee Olympic Team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and has competed at most World Athletics Series events since. Its U20 team was formed as a pilot in 2022, and the programme has since expanded from Kenya into Uganda in collaboration with the Olympic Refuge Foundation, the National Olympic Committee of Uganda, Uganda Athletics and UNHCR.
The Olympic Refuge Foundation and Olympic Solidarity will continue to support the selected athletes in the build-up to Dakar 2026. They will take part in a training camp in Kaptagat, Kenya, alongside Kenya-based refugee athletes aiming to compete as part of the LA28 Refugee Olympic Team.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will bring together young athletes from around the world across three host zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.

Four track and field athletes have been named on the Refugee Olympic Team that will compete at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Refugee athletes set for historic Youth Olympic Games in Dakar

It was 1 August 1972, a month after Dave Wottle had stunned himself and the global track and field community by equalling the world 800m record at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene. On the eve of a two-day pre-Olympic international meet in Oslo, however, the 21-year-old Bowling Green State University history student appeared to be on a very different trajectory.
Filing his despatch for The New York Times, Neil Amdur put it starkly: &ldquo;The honeymoon is still on for Dave Wottle, but his hopes for an Olympic gold medal may be over.&rdquo;
Interviewed in his second-floor dormitory at the local university housing the USA track and field team, Wottle told the man from The New York Times that he had been unable to train properly for three weeks because of chronic tendonitis in his left knee. The 21-year-old Bowling Green State University history student had withdrawn from the 3000m at the Bislett Stadium meet, the opening date on his pre-Olympic European schedule. He was seriously contemplating withdrawing from the 1500m in Munich and was gravely concerned about his prospects of being fit for the 800m.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m down psychologically, because I&rsquo;ve missed so many workouts,&rdquo; Wottle confessed. &ldquo;Unless I get in a few good workouts and races between now and the Olympics, I&rsquo;ll go into the races in Munich thinking I&rsquo;m out of shape and can&rsquo;t stick with the pace.&rdquo;
Prophetic words, given what was to unfold on the opening lap of the miraculous 800m final in the Olympiastadion just four weeks later, on Saturday 2 September.
On that opening day in August, however, a week ahead of his 22nd birthday, the stricken Wottle was at a low ebb. &ldquo;I am kind of down now,&rdquo; he conceded. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think my chances are that good, I feel my body getting out of shape and I can&rsquo;t do anything about it.&rdquo;
Memories were quickly fading of Wottle&rsquo;s sensational world record-equalling victory in his secondary event in the trials at Hayward Field exactly one month earlier. He only entered the 800m as a sharpener for the 1500m, having scraped the qualifying time by 0.2 with a winning PB of 1:47.5 at the AAU Championships in Seattle, and his sole aim was to &ldquo;hypnotise&rdquo; himself on the back of Jim Ryun, whose world record-breaking deeds as a teenager inspired him to take up track, and see what happened.
What transpired was Ryun searing through 200m in 25.2, 400m in 52.2 and 600m in 1:17.7 (with a vital 25.5 split) before Wottle catapulted past the 1500m, mile and 880 yards world record-holder off the final bend to finish some five metres clear of the field in 1:44.3, matching the global mark jointly held by the New Zealand icon Peter Snell and Australia&rsquo;s Ralph Doubell. The 13,000-strong crowd were as stunned as Ryun, who faded to fourth in 1:45.2 &ndash; overtaken by Rick Wohlhuter (a distant second in 1:45.0) and Ken Swenson (third in 1:45.1) &ndash; and indeed as the winner himself, who jogged casually back round the track seemingly in a daze.
Wearing what was to become his trademark cream-coloured golf cap, Wottle the Throttle had eclipsed the one-time Wichita Wunderkind. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t even know what the world record was for 800m,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I never thought I could run that fast over two laps. I&rsquo;m not a half miler. I&rsquo;m a miler.&rdquo;
Winner of the Dream Mile ahead of a struggling Ryun at the International Freedom Games in Philadelphia in May, Wottle subsequently secured his Olympic place at 1500m as runner-up to the 1968 silver medallist. Then he married his girlfriend, Jan, taking his bride with him to Europe on honeymoon for the build-up and duration of the Munich Games.
As well as battling tendonitis, he had to contend with the ire of the US team&rsquo;s head coach. On the day of Wottle&rsquo;s wedding, six days after the trials, Bill Bowerman boomed: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s traded gold medal for a wife.&rdquo;
A further tirade was to come from the legendary Oregon coach and co-founder of Nike when the US team made it to Munich, which Wottle happily managed to do. Running on the fumes of a 13-15-mile weekly training regime (drastically down from his customary 70-75), he tested himself over 800m in Stockholm on 14 August. His time was a modest 1:48.7 (behind Wohlhuter&rsquo;s 1:48.2) but he was back on a competitive track &ndash; in a singlet he has kindly donated to the Museum of World Athletics, marking a significant step in his unlikely Munich success story.
He also tested his endurance with a 14:25 trial over 5000m at the US squad&rsquo;s Bavarian training base on 18 August. Not that Bowerman was impressed.
&ldquo;Dave Wottle is having a nice honeymoon, but he&rsquo;ll be lucky to get past the first round of the 800m,&rdquo; the head coach told the press, upon arrival in Munich. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want anyone to get the idea that I&rsquo;m a prude; I&rsquo;m as interested in sex as anybody,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;But the most important thing we&rsquo;re doing here is competing in the Olympic Games. We should remember that.&rdquo;
The rest is track and field history. Wottle got past the first round of the 800m, and the semi-final &ndash; just, sneaking through on the inside to qualify after being boxed in fourth at the head of the home straight.
Then, after being 15 metres adrift of the field after 200m and still last at the bell, he managed to work his way through from fourth off the last bend in the final to snatch victory from the Soviet favourite Yevgeny Arzhanov &ndash; unbeaten in three years &ndash; with his final stride. A week later he was unable to make up the last ground in his 1500m semi-final, but the golf-capped crusader had his gold medal and his place in the history books.
&ldquo;I went out so slow, I was thinking, 'You&rsquo;re going to go home in disgrace,&rdquo; Wottle recalled of his two-lap tour de force in later years. &ldquo;All I wanted to do was get back to the pack and make it respectable. At the start of the home straight I was going all out for the bronze medal. I didn&rsquo;t realise I was going for the gold medal until three metres from the line...
&ldquo;There I was, a little hick from Canton, Ohio &ndash; a 4:20 miler in high school &ndash; and I managed to win an Olympic gold medal.&rdquo;
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage
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Remember Dave Wottle's world 800m record, his Olympic triumph, and an eventful two months inbetween

Wottle’s turbulent road from record run to Olympic triumph

The fields for the Prefontaine Classic are packed with star quality as global podium rematches and clashes between some of the all-time best look set to light up Hayward Field on Friday and Saturday (3-4).
US aces Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Ja'Kobe Tharp, Masai Russell and Tara Davis-Woodhall will be joined in Eugene by the likes of global gold medallists Faith Kipyegon, Letsile Tebogo, Collen Kebinatshipi and Keely Hodgkinson when the Wanda Diamond League hits Eugene for its ninth stop of the season.
The Diamond League action takes place on Saturday, when triple world champion Jefferson-Wooden will defend her 100m title against a field of fellow major medallists.
The 25-year-old clocked 10.75 to win at Hayward Field last year before completing a 100m, 200m and 4x100m title treble at the World Championships in Tokyo. The 10.61 she ran in Tokyo makes her the fourth-fastest sprinter of all time and she has not been beaten over 100m since the Olympic final in Paris in 2024, when she got bronze behind Julien Alfred and Sha'Carri Richardson.
Richardson, the 2023 world champion and 2024 winner at the Prefontaine Classic, is among Jefferson-Wooden&rsquo;s rivals in Eugene, where athletes will contest 100m heats before the final. Both Richardson and Jefferson-Wooden have dipped under 10.90 already this season, as have two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson, world 100m silver medallist Tina Clayton and world leader Adaejah Hodge. Adding further strength to the fields are Dina Asher-Smith, Tia Clayton, Shawnti Jackson, Favour Ofili and Amy Hunt.
Botswana&rsquo;s Olympic champion Tebogo will seek back-to-back wins in the 200m following his Diamond League victory in Oslo. This time his competition includes world bronze medallist Bryan Levell, Olympic finalist Makanakaishe Charamba and Jos&eacute; Figueroa, who recently ran a Puerto Rican record of 19.87, as well as Tate Taylor, the recent US U20 100m and 200m champion at Hayward Field.
The men&rsquo;s 100m is not a Diamond League event but it pits the top two in the world so far this year &ndash; Jamaica&rsquo;s world champion Oblique Seville and NCAA champion Kanyinsola Ajayi &ndash; against two-time Olympic and world 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek.
<h2>Tharp and Russell head top-class hurdles clashes</h2>
Ja'Kobe Tharp returns to the scene of his 110m hurdles world record. The US 20-year-old clocked 12.75 during the heats at the NCAA Championships, taking 0.05 off the world record set by Aries Merritt in 2012, and now prepares for the second Diamond League of his career. After finishing third in Monaco last year behind Trey Cunningham and Cordell Tinch, Tharp will again face Tinch &ndash; now lining up as the world champion &ndash; as well as Jamal Britt, who won the Paris Diamond League in 12.89, and world silver medallist Orlando Bennett.
USA&rsquo;s Olympic champion Masai Russell edged closer to the world 100m hurdles record at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, her 12.14 just two hundredths of a second off the 12.12 set by Nigeria&rsquo;s Tobi Amusan in Oregon in 2022. The two meet again in Eugene, as part of a field in which all nine athletes have PBs of 12.37 or faster &ndash; that being the time achieved by world 60m hurdles record-holder Devynne Charlton when finishing third behind Russell and Amusan in Xiamen. They line up alongside former world record-holder Keni Harrison, two-time world champion Danielle Williams, world bronze medallist Grace Stark and last year&rsquo;s Diamond League champion Ackera Nugent.
The men&rsquo;s 400m brings together two reigning world champions &ndash; Botswana&rsquo;s Collen Kebinatshipi and USA&rsquo;s 400m hurdles star Rai Benjamin &ndash; against Khaleb McRae, Jacory Patterson and Michael Norman, who won his world title in Eugene in 2022.&nbsp;Kebinatshipi ran 43.54 to win the Diamond League in Paris, just 0.01 off the PB he set when winning his world title.
<h2>Kipyegon back on world record track</h2>
Like Tharp, Kenya&rsquo;s Faith Kipyegon also returns to the track on which she set a world record. The five-time world and three-time Olympic champion set the most recent of her world records &ndash; 3:48.68 for 1500m &ndash; during last year&rsquo;s Prefontaine Classic and she returns to contest the mile, the event in which she has held the world record of 4:07.64 since 2023.
The event brings together all the 1500m medallists from the last World Championships and Olympic Games &ndash; Dorcus Ewoi and Jess Hull, who joined Kipyegon on the podium in Tokyo, plus Great Britain&rsquo;s Georgia Hunter Bell, who got Olympic bronze behind Kipyegon and Hull in Paris and went on to clinch world 800m silver in Tokyo between Lilian Odira and Keely Hodgkinson.
Odira and Hodgkinson are also in action in Eugene and they go head-to-head over two laps &ndash; world champion against Olympic champion. Both are on the hunt for their first Diamond League wins of the season, Hodgkinson after having finished second to Audrey Werro in a national record of 1:54.33 in Stockholm.
Four of the six fastest women of all time clash in the 3000m steeplechase. Bahrain&rsquo;s Olympic champion Winfred Yavi, who sits second on that all-time list with her 9:44.39 from 2024, renews her rivalry with world champion Faith Cherotich, Tokyo Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai and Norah Jeruto, the world champion in Eugene in 2022. Emma Coburn, the 2017 champion, makes it four world gold medallists in the field.
The two-mile race features Ethiopia&rsquo;s two-time world U20 cross-country champion Marta Alemayo and her compatriots Hirut Meshesha and Aleshign Baweke.
The men&rsquo;s Bowerman Mile closes the programme on Saturday and stars USA&rsquo;s Olympic 1500m and world 5000m champion Cole Hocker against Diamond League 1500m champion Niels Laros, back to defend his title. Laros won last year ahead of Yared Nuguse, Azeddine Habz, Hocker, Reynold Cheruiyot, Cameron Myers and Timothy Cheruiyot, and they all clash again.
<h2>Big shots in the field</h2>
The women&rsquo;s shot put hosts another gathering of global champions as Dutch world champion Jessica Schilder takes on Olympic champion Yemisi Mabry, two-time world gold medallist Chase Jackson and two-time world indoor champion Sarah Mitton. Schilder leads the way so far this season with the 21.09m Diamond League record she set in Shanghai.
The men&rsquo;s shot put brings together the leading seven athletes on the season top list, two-time world champion Joe Kovacs currently at the head of that list after his 22.58m to win in Rabat. Two-time world medallist Leonardo Fabbri has thrown 22.50m this season, while Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell sits just behind them on 22.44m. Also in action are Tom Walsh, Jordan Geist, Roger Steen and Chuk Enekwechi.
USA&rsquo;s Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall soared a PB of 7.20m in LA last month and heads a long jump field featuring Alexis Brown and Alyssa Jones, who have also surpassed seven metres this season, plus two-time Diamond League champion Larissa Iapichino and two-time world champion Malaika Mihambo.
The world record-holders star in both the men&rsquo;s discus and the women&rsquo;s hammer. Mykolas Alekna, who improved his world discus record to 75.56m in Ramona last year, opens his Diamond League campaign after injury against 2022 world champion Kristjan Čeh, who won in Shanghai, and three-time world champion Daniel Stahl, the victor in Stockholm, plus Olympic champion Roj&eacute; Stona and bronze medallist Matthew Denny.
In the non-Diamond League hammer, Anita Włodarczyk competes in a field led by Olympic and world champion Camryn Rogers &ndash; a line-up that stars the athletes to have claimed the last four Olympic titles and last seven world titles. World leader Rogers, who threw 81.13m in April, and Włodarczyk are joined by Brooke Andersen and DeAnna Price. This is another event that brings together all the medallists from Tokyo and Paris, as world medallists Zhao Jie and Zhang Jiale are entered, along with Annette Echikunwoke, who got Olympic bronze between Rogers and Zhao.
The men&rsquo;s hammer, starring Olympic and world champion Ethan Katzberg, kicks off the non-Diamond League action on Friday. World leader Valarie Sion, the world and two-time Olympic champion, goes in the discus, while the pole vault features twin sisters Hana and Amanda Moll, who have respectively cleared 4.88m and 4.84m this year, plus three-time world champion Katie Moon.&nbsp;
USA&rsquo;s 17-year-old world indoor champion Cooper Lutkenhaus ran 1:42.08 to win in Oslo and will be on the hunt for his third outdoor 800m win in a row after also clinching victory in Stockholm, while double Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher races the two mile event.
&nbsp;

Global podium rematches and clashes between some of the all-time best look set to light up Hayward Field

Global champions and world record-holders star across stacked fields for Eugene

The World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 (WU20 Oregon 26) has unveiled the medals set to be awarded to the world&rsquo;s brightest rising stars this August at <a href="https://hayward.uoregon.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hayward Field at the University of Oregon</a>.
Designed to be symbolic of Oregon's natural beauty and rich track and field history, the medals take the shape of the WU20 Oregon 26 event logo, which features geometric Oregon trees and wings, which come together to represent the traditional track &amp; field winged foot symbol. The symbol of wings carries a double meaning in the state of Oregon, as the state motto of &ldquo;She flies with her own wings&rdquo; was officially adopted by the state legislature in 1987.
The medal details go as far as the ribbon attached. Gold medals are bound by a blue ribbon, symbolizing Oregon&rsquo;s plentiful waters and streams; silver medals include a red and orange ribbon inspired by the state&rsquo;s vibrant sunrises and sunsets; and the ribbons on bronze medals will don the iconic green that defines the region&rsquo;s landscape.
&ldquo;The intention for the design of this year&rsquo;s medals was to be reflective of what the great state of Oregon is known for, while also capturing the energetic spirit of the U20 athletes and audience&rdquo; said Oregon 26 Chief Marketing Officer Karen Ramming. &ldquo;The shapes, color tones, and textures bring that symbolism to life in a vibrant way. We are proud of what our creative team has designed.&rdquo;
In addition to their medals, athletes who reach the podium will also receive a set of honorary pins in the same medal design to share with those who made it count the most by supporting them in their journeys. The pins serve as a reminder that behind every medal moment are coaches, family members, friends, and teammates who helped to make the dream a reality.
The World Athletics U20 Championships will welcome more than 1,700 athletes from more than 135 countries to Hayward Field from August 5-9, 2026. This marks the 21st edition of the World Athletics U20 Championships and the second time the Championships have been held in Oregon.
Tickets are selling fast. Don&rsquo;t miss your chance to see some of the world&rsquo;s top U20 stars as they make their mark on the world stage in Oregon. <a href="https://am.ticketmaster.com/haywardtrackandfield/buy?id=NDk5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get your tickets now</a>.

The World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 (WU20 Oregon 26) has unveiled the medals set to be awarded to the world’s brightest rising stars this August at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.

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