Daily Times

EUGENE: Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir and Pedro Pichardo of Portugal added world titles to their respective Olympic crowns on Saturday, but there was injury heartbreak for Canada’s Damian Warner in the decathlon.Two other gold medallists from last year’s Tokyo Games had a mixed bag, Indian Neeraj Chopra having to content himself with silver in the men’s javelin, but Dutch runner SifanHassan leaving Eugene medal-less after finishing sixth in the women’s 5,000m.The 4x100m relays saw the US women beat a loaded Jamaican team featuring individual sprint champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, to win gold, but a Canada team anchored by Olympic 200m champion Andre de Grasse beat the favoured US men’s team into silver.

Korir produced a trademark kick from 200 metres out to win the men’s 800m in 1min 43.71sec, well ahead of Algerian DjamelSedjati with silver and Canada’s Marco Arop bronze.Pichardo was imperious in the triple jump, all but tying up competition when he went out to 17.95 metres on his first attempt.In the absence of American multiple global medal winner Christian Taylor, world and Olympic bronze medallistHuguesFabriceZango of Burkina Faso claimed silver 40cm off Pichardo, while China’s Zhu Yaming took bronze.

Warner, also a winner in Tokyo, was in full control of the decathlon after four of the first day’s five events, but he pulled up injured in the 400m.He was left lying on the track clutching his left hamstring.Puerto Rico’s Ayden Owens-Delermew is now installed as the overnight leader, with the second day of action comprising the 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500m.

There was also no mercy shown in the women’s 5000m, where Ethiopia’s GudafTsegay surged down the home straight to win in 14:46.29 ahead of Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet and another Ethiopian, DawitSeyaum.Olympic champion Hassan could only finish sixth, meaning she will depart Oregon not having made the podium in either the 5,000 or 10,000m.Hassan produced a stunning 1,500m-10,000m double at the 2019 world championships in Doha before winning 5,000m and 10,000m gold and 1,500m bronze at last year’s Olympics in Tokyo.