Devynne Charlton Lowers World Record Again In 60 Hurdles; Bryce Hoppel, Tara Davis-Woodhall Win First Gold Medals; U.S. Relays Teams Both Earn Silver

By David Woods for DyeStat

Kim Spir PHOTOS

INTERVIEWS

GLASGOW, Scotland – Devynne Charlton ran to another world record, Femke Bol to another gold medal, Geordie Beamish to a shocking upset. And Mondo Duplantis, if not vintage Mondo, vaulted to a fifth global gold medal.

But as athletes from other continents took turns winning Sunday, an overriding theme of the World Athletics Indoor Championships was the unrelenting excellence of Team USA. Now is when track and field really matters, in an Olympic year, and this was auspicious.

Americans led in golds (six) and total medals (20). In 19 editions of this championship, no country had ever won so many medals on foreign soil. Only higher figure was the 24 by the United States at Portland, Ore., in 2016.

Granted, not all of the world’s best gathered in Glasgow, but neither did all of the Americans’ best. There were no Sha’Carri Richardson, Sydney McLauglin-Levrone, Athing Mu, Gabby Thomas, Fred Kerley, Erriyon Knighton or Rai Benjamin, for instance.

Instead, the Americans featured eight first-time individual world medalists, such as long jumper Monae Nichols. She was third at the USATF Indoor Championships . . . and second in the world.

“I still can’t believe I’m here at my first world championship, never mind a medal,” she said.

Two Americans who had been on previous podiums, long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall and 800-meter runner Bryce Hoppel, won their first gold medals. Another American, 31-year-old Sam Kendricks, nearly did the unthinkable – beat Mondo.

Through 19 feet, 4.25 inches (5.90m), Kendricks had a clean sheet and was in first place. Duplantis had to make 19-2.50 (5.85m) on a third attempt to stay in the medals, and he overtook Kendricks with a clearance of 19-6.25 (5.95m).

Duplantis, again on a third attempt, made 19-10.25 (6.05m) for the winning bar. He had no good attempts at what would have been a world record of 20-5.75 (6.24m).

“This was the hardest I have ever worked,” Duplantis said. “It seems to be that way when I am against Sam. He is such a tough competitor, he brings out the best in me."

This was Kendricks’ third silver medal, adding to those from 2018 and 2016 and tying the most medals ever won at indoor Worlds by a pole vaulter.

“Jumping against Mondo is challenging, and today we almost had him,” he said. “The one thing you have to do in order to beat Mondo is, you have to make him jump. You’ve got to challenge him, make him make decisions in the field of play.

“It’s our responsibility to challenge him every day. And he was challenged, he was breathless and he didn’t jump the world record, I think, because we challenged him.”

Emmanouil Karalis of Greece was third at 19-2.50 (5.85) and Chris Nilsen fourth at 18-10.50 (5.75m).

Charlton, 28, of the Bahamas, upgraded her 2022 silver by racing to a world record of 7.65 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. That broke the mark of 7.67 she set Feb. 11 at New York and tied Feb. 16 by Tia Jones.

Jones didn’t race here because of an injury from stumbling down the banked oval at USATF Indoor Championships.

The championship record had been 7.70 by former Kentucky hurdler Keni Harrison in 2018. Masai Russell, who trains with Charlton at Kentucky, was out of the medals in fourth in 7.81.

“I have not changed my technique much, just a few tweaks,” Charlton said. “But I have been working hard off the track, making sure my mental health is good and working with a sports psychologist.”

Charlton is the only non-European to break the world record in the 60-meter hurdles since ratification began in 1966. She became the first athlete out of Purdue to win a global gold since Ray Ewry did so in the standing high and long jumps at the 1908 London Olympics.

Bol held off the United States’ Alexis Holmes to deliver gold to the Netherlands in the 4x400 relay, 3:25.07 to 3:25.34. It was a rematch of last August’s Worlds at Budapest, Hungary, where Bol stumbled and fell as Holmes drew alongside in the mixed 4x400 relay.

Bol anchored in 50.54, slower than her world record Saturday of 49.17. It was also her fifth 400 in three days.

Tired? Oh yes.

“If I was alone on the track, I would probably not have enough power, but I just did it for these girls,” Bol said.

Belgium won the men’s 4x400 relay, also anchored by the individual champion, Alexander Doom. On the third leg, the Americans unexpectedly inserted 60-meter silver medalist Noah Lyles, who preserved the lead but didn’t give anchor Christopher Bailey the cushion needed.

The margin – 3:02.54 to 3:02.60 – was the closest ever at an indoor Worlds.

In perhaps the upset of the weekend, New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish went from to fifth to first in the closing 60 meters to snatch gold in the 1,500 in 3:36.54. Americans Cole Hocker and Hobbs Kessler took silver and bronze in 3:36.69 and 3:36.72, respectively. (See related story on DyeStat.com.)

It was the fourth medal by the Kiwis, who tied for third in the standings behind the United States and Netherlands (five).

“I think it was the best-ever World Championships for New Zealand before I stepped on the track,” Beamish said.

In the long jump, Davis-Woodhall secured gold with a distance of 23-2.50 (7.07m). She had four jumps longer than Nichols’ best of 22-5.75 (6.85m).

Davis-Woodhall became the first American female competitor to produce multiple 7-meter jumps in the same series since Brittney Reese achieved the feat when she captured the gold medal at the 2016 World Indoor Championships in Portland. Davis-Woodhall and Reese are two of the eight women to have multiple 7-meter efforts in the same meet in global indoor history.

“This medal is for my all-time hero, my grandmother,” Davis-Woodhall said. “She has come a long, long way to get to the top. She had her own business and now she is retired and happily enjoying my success.”

In an 800 meters featuring the usual bumping, Hoppel stayed out of trouble and was as tactically sound as he was indomitable at the finish. After 2022 bronze, he surged to victory in 1:44.92.

He ran the fastest time in the world this year, fifth-fastest in U.S. history, and became the third American to win this championship. (Others were David Krummenacker in 2003 and Boris Berrian in 2016.)

“It feels unreal. It’s so special to have that moment,” Hoppel said.

There many such moments for the Americans, who completed their medal haul with 11 in one day.

For the first time since the inaugural indoor Worlds in 1987 at Indianapolis, the Kenyan men did not win a medal. The women took just one. 

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007