Josh Kerr was carried to the world title by a storm of enthusiasm. When he took the lead with a lap and a half to go on the 200 meter long track at the Glasgow Arena and attacked the best in the world, the Scots were on their feet, exhausting themselves with their fellow countryman from Edinburgh until, like him, they ran out of breath.
And when the tall athlete with a mighty start defeated the 10,000 meter Olympic champion Selemon Barega and his compatriot Getnet Wale, the two Ethiopians who had played with the field in 14 of the 15 rounds, there was also disbelief in the room: Should Kerr do what? Last year, at the World Championships in Budapest, could you also pull off a surprise at home, at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow? Or is a surprise perhaps not a surprise if it succeeds the second time?
Effort to cheer
Kerr, the world champion over 1500 meters, the conqueror of the great Jakob Ingebrigtsen, also became indoor world champion over 3000 meters on Saturday evening (7:42.98 minutes). On his long lap of honor, he demanded a further effort of cheering and encouragement from his audience with sweeping arm movements and loud shouts. “I had never experienced such a loud stadium,” he said as he left the track, wrapped in the Scottish flag, the white St. Andrew’s cross on a light blue background: “I think I used up more energy celebrating on the lap of honor than in the race.” Kerr has lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for nine years, since he moved to America at the age of seventeen.
A touch of Super Saturday wafted through the arena when almost half an hour later, New Zealand’s Eliza McCartney jumped 4.90 meters twice in the pole vault. Breathless tension suddenly turned into another cheer. Now Molly Caudery, a Brit from Cornwell, was also world champion. It took one less failed attempt to reach the height of 4.80 meters that both of them jumped. Scottish flags were waved and the Union Jack was in high demand.
Nobody was faster than him: Josh Kerr : Image: Reuters
The 23-year-old Caudery could hardly contain herself with happiness. During the competition, she burst into tears when Frenchwoman Margot Chevrier fell in front of her eyes and probably broke her ankle. “The secret to success?” she said: “Not being injured.” Three years ago she almost severed her thumb in an accident during strength training; it took three operations to save him.
Super-Saturday
Nobody wanted to blame Laura Muir, who was slated for the third title of the evening. Five years ago, at the European Indoor Championships at the same location, the Scot, who lived in Glasgow and studied veterinary medicine, confidently won the 1,500 and 3,000 meter titles. Now, runner-up at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she was way back in the 3000 meter race and was just busy closing the gaps that opened up in front of her.
She came fifth, while American Elle St Pierre beat world record holders Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, fastest in the world over 5000 meters, and Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya, fastest steeplechase in the world, in the American record time of 8:20.87 minutes.
Super Saturday has been the benchmark for atmosphere since heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill, long jumper Greg Rutherford and 10,000 meter runner Mo Farah won gold medals in three quarters of an hour at the 2012 Summer Games in London and sent their home crowd into ecstasy. The Olympic Stadium, filled with 80,000 visitors, literally shook that evening. Glasgow has capacity for 5,000 visitors and there’s a lid on it.
Michael Reinsch, Berlin Published/Updated: Recommendations: 6 Michael Reinsch, Berlin Published/Updated: Recommendations: 18 Michael Reinsch, Glasgow Published/Updated: Recommendations: 2
The icing on the cake was Femke Bol and her training partner Lieke Klaver. They secured a Dutch double victory over 400 meters, while world hurdles champion Bol improved the indoor world record for the third time in 49.17 seconds. When asked whether she, after all, European champion on the stadium circuit with and without hurdles, would perhaps prefer the flat race at the Olympic Games this year, the eloquent athlete was monosyllabic: “No.”
Julien Alfred from the Caribbean island state of St. Lucia won the women’s 60 meter sprint in 6.98 seconds ahead of Poland’s Ewa Swoboda. The British star Dina Asher-Smith from London skipped the home game in Scotland in favor of her Olympic preparation.
