IAAF President Sebastian Coe has described the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 as the best in history in terms of the quality and depth of performances produced by the athletes of more than 200 nations.
Speaking after the final evening session on Sunday (6), Coe noted that six championship records had been set, 43 countries had won medals, and athletes from 68 different nations had achieved at least one top-eight placing. There have been 21 area records – double the number from 2017 – and 86 national records have been broken, underlining the global reach of the sport.
“For those who follow our sport closely, you will know that we rank our championships on the performances of the athletes,” Coe said. “It is how we, the athletes and the coaches measure our success.
“The world’s athletes have put on the best show in the history of the IAAF World Athletics Championships, according to the competition performance rankings which are used as an objective measure of the quality of international competition.
“These performances are incredible but credit must also go to the facilities and conditions provided by the host country. Doha has created conditions on the field of play and in the warm up that are unsurpassed.
“We are proud of the fact we reach more countries than any other sport,” added Coe. “Just look at the breadth and depth – 43 countries on the medals table and 86 national records set. We want our athletes to experience different cultures and different conditions. It’s what makes our sport so accessible.”
Dahlan Al Hamad, Vice President of the local organising committee, was delighted to see Qatar’s dreams become reality.
“Our dream started in 1997 when we organised the first meeting in this stadium,” he said. “After that, we kept hosting many meets until 2000 when we organised the Grand Prix Final. We continued our journey in 2010 when we organised the World Indoor Championships in the nearby Aspire Dome. We also organised the Diamond League meeting here and it was really good.
“We are thrilled we have been able to expand. There are generations here who are hungry to have this kind of sporting event here. Qatar is a nation of more than 100 communities. They have been able to celebrate their athletes from all around the world.”
TOP RANKED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Based on the IAAF competition performance rankings, used to rank the quality of competitions, the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 tops the list of all World Championships to date.
Taking the best five results and athletes from the best 24 events (before tonight’s finals), the top five editions are:
1. 2019, Doha – 195,869
2. 2015, Beijing – 194,547
3. 2017, London – 193,426
4. 2013, Moscow – 192,664
5. 2009, Berlin – 191,168
Based on the average scores of all track and field results, the top five editions are:
1. 2019, Doha – 1024.75
2. 2017, London – 1012.84
3. 1999, Seville – 1007.98
4. 2015, Beijing – 1004.78
5. 2009, Berlin – 1004.55
There have been many outstanding performances over the 10 days of competition with unprecedented depth in many of the finals. Based on the IAAF scoring tables, the top five men’s and women’s performances are:
MEN
22.91m Joe Kovacs (USA) shot put – 1295pts
22.90m Tom Walsh (NZL) shot put – 1294pts
22.90m Ryan Crouser (USA) shot put – 1294pts
9.76 Christian Coleman (USA) 100m – 1291pts
43.48 Steven Gardiner (BAH) 400m – 1289pts
WOMEN
7.30m Malaika Mihambo (GER) long jump – 1288pts
48.14 Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) 400m – 1281pts
48.37 Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) 400m – 1272pts
3:51.95 Sifan Hassan (NED) 1500m – 1271pts
6981 Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR) heptathlon – 1269pts
The championships have not just been about record-breaking performances, though. This edition will also be remembered for its close finishes, surprise winners, moments of fair play, and the arrival of the next generation of athletics stars.
USA’s 200m winner Noah Lyles and Germany’s decathlon victor Niklas Kaul became the youngest ever world champions in their respective events. Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh twice broke the world U20 record on her way to the silver medal in the high jump. She was one of several athletes born in or after the year 2000 who earned medals, along with Ethiopian duo Selemon Barega and Lemecha Girma and Bahrain’s Musa Isah.
The innovations – including light shows, new camera angles and increased engagement with athletes – have helped the sport reach a younger audience around the world.
IAAF
Be the first to comment