The evening was already heavy under the cloudy sky of Budapest, Friday August 25th. Yulimar Rojas and Haruka Kitaguchi made it suffocating. The two women won their competition – the first in the triple jump and the second in the javelin – on their sixth and final attempt. A breathtaking final, where the best performers in the world of the year set the record straight, one year before the Paris Olympic Games.
This is called “having a job”. Yulimar Rojas may be a three-time triple jump world champion and undefeated in the major championship since 2017, but the slender Venezuelan has long struggled. Not so much against her opponents, easily outclassed despite a good 15m jump recorded by the Ukrainian Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, but against herself. Bitten board, aborted race, wavering supports, the 27-year-old young woman seemed disoriented for a long time, her questioning gaze turned towards her coach, in the stands.
Accustomed to fast entry competitions, the reigning Olympic champion this time made the suspense last. Narrowly entering the top 8 with a jump to 14.26m, necessary to obtain three additional jumps, Yulimar Rojas bit his next two jumps. With her back to the wall for her sixth and final try, she then jumped to 15.08m to settle the contest and take first place. Here she is now quadruple world champion (2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023), ahead of Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, the first Ukrainian medalist of these championships, and ahead of the Cuban Leyanis Pérez Hernandez (14.96 m).
The scenario repeated itself a few meters away, on the javelin throwing area. The Japanese Haruka Kitaguchi, world best performer of the season (67.04 m) had a long air hole, struggling with her machine, before planting it at 66.73 m on her last try. This burst of pride gave him a first world title, a year after his bronze medal in Eugene (United States). She is ahead of Colombian Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado (65.47m, national record) and Australian Mackenzie Little (63.38m).
Jackson panics the stopwatch
On the 200 meters, however, the suspense did not last long. In Budapest, the Jamaican Shericka Jackson retained the world gold after a controlled race from start to finish. Already a silver medalist on the straight line in these world championships, the former 400-meter runner quickly killed all competition, to focus her attention on the stopwatch. In her sights: the world record of the American Florence Griffith-Joyner (21 s 34), 35 years old.
The Jamaican came close to the feat, posting a time of 21 s 41 on Friday evening, 7 hundredths from “Flo Jo”. A victorious outcome that nevertheless left her sulky, her eyes fixed on the giant screen displaying her time. She is ahead of the Americans Gabby Thomas (21 s 81) and Sha’Carri Richardson (21 s 92), already crowned in the 100 meters in Budapest.
The French torchbearers qualified for the 4 × 100 m final
It was close, but the French were invited to the high mass of the world sprint. The four French torchbearers (Méba-Mickaël Zézé, Pablo Mateo, Ryan Zézé and Mouhamadou Fall) qualified on time (37 s 98) for the 4 × 100 m final, after finishing fourth in a tough semi-final, which included Jamaica and the United States. This time allowed them to sign the sixth best overall time and validate their qualification. “ In the final, we will take a lot more risks, we have nothing to lose or a lot to gain. We are going to have fun and try to bring something back to the France team.confided Mouhamadou Fall at the microphone of France Télévisions.
For women, on the other hand, it’s an end of the road. Les Bleues finished seventh and last in their series, despite a time of 43 s 12. Insufficient to reach the final, where the Jamaicans (41 s 70) will be the favorites.
It does not pass either for Rénelle Lamote over 800 m. The only Frenchwoman entered in the semi-finals, the Montpellier woman was locked in a tactical race, starting on a very slow basis, and then accused the burst of speed of her competitors in the final straight. On arrival, the triple silver medalist at the European Championships finished only sixth in her semi-final (2 min 1 s 25), won by the Briton Jemma Reekie ahead of the American Raevyn Rogers.
Finally, it is a historic first, two French women will join the world high jump final, Sunday August 27th. Solène Gicquel and Nawal Meniker each cleared a bar at 1.89m, synonymous with the top 12. While no athlete passed 1.94m, synonymous with direct qualification, eight athletes cleared 1.92m, including Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Games, and Australian Eleanor Patterson, reigning world champion.
France are still on the hunt for a medal, while reigning decathlon world champion Kevin Mayer retired earlier in the day after two events with left Achilles tendon pain.