The ‘Viking’ is invincible in the low fences if he is at his best and this was demonstrated in the past Olympic Games and in three of the last four World Cups. He only failed last year in Eugene weighed down by a muscle injury in June that was key for him to bite the dust against the Brazilian Alison dos Santos.
He was far from his best marks, but he was relentless and offered light and spectacle to brighten up the night for the spectators and perhaps raise the morale of a Spanish fans depressed by the continuous blows they have received this Wednesday.
Returning to the fences, Warholm did not come out as strong as usual and let the American Rai Benjamin dominate the test. to emerge in the second part of the test and prevail with 46.89 ahead of McMaster (47.34, from the Virgin Islands) and the North American with 47.56, while Dos Santos was fifth with 48.10.
There was also a show in the female pole vault, with the Australian Nina Kennedy and the American Katie Moon (formerly Nageotte), sharing the gold with 4.90, something that the Italian Tamberi and the Qatari Barshim have already put into practice in height in the past Games. Bad practice, because there should be only one winner in the contests. The Finnish Wilma Murto was bronze with 4.80.
And to end the finals, the Dominican Marileidy Paulino improved Eugene’s silver with a clear victory in 400 meters sprint with a national record (48.76), followed by the Polish Natalia Kaczmarek in a sensational straight (49.57) by Sada Williams, from Barbados (49.60).
lousy afternoon
If in the morning only Jaël Bestué passed the round to get into the 200 meter semifinals with an unknown Jaime Guerra eliminated in length and with the 800m female trio also KO, the afternoon thing was even worse as there was no joy with the exception of Mario García Romo’s sixth place in the 1,500m final.
Very bad luck, yes, for the also Catalan María Vicente. After being left out of the long jump final by two centimeters, this Wednesday he has fallen in the triple by zero centimeters qualification. With 14.13 she was thirteenth, tied with the Americans Franklin and Moore but with the worst second jump. And there was no condescension from the judges as happened with the Polish Ewa Swoboda in the final of 100 (nine came out).
The three participants in the 3,000 meter hurdles series said goodbye to Budapestalthough in his defense it is necessary to admit the harshness of the format with three series and with a prize only for the first five of each one.
The youngest Marta Serrano had options until the second thousand, from which she lost ground until she finished eighth with 9:31.82. At only 20 years old and with a 9:26.35 as the best time, the daughter and pupil of the emblematic Antonio Serrano should make a very positive reading. It is that she has a huge future!
The ex-Barcelona Carolina Robles carried out a similar race, enduring in a second group until the forces held her to also finish eighth with 9:34.41. AND the one who was closest was a brave Irene Sánchez-Escribanowho went with the leading quartet and was fifth with a 10-meter advantage in the penultimate step due to penalty… but she sank spectacularly and finished ninth with 9:31.97.
Finally, the Barcelona Laura Redondo was not comfortable in the hammer throw qualification with an insufficient best attempt of 66.95 meters when she has thrown 71.01 this year and holds the Spanish record with 72 meters ‘dive’. She with 71.26 she would have been a finalist.