World Athletic Championships.

[Jim44]

Great performances for gold by Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thomson.

[ekhibee]

Great performances for gold by Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thomson.

Totally agree. Hardly anybody there to watch though.

[Hiber-nation]

3 Scots into the 1,500m men's final. Some achievement!

[Sir David Gray]

Totally agree. Hardly anybody there to watch though.

It's an absolute farce having the championships in Qatar.

I'm all for spreading major events to different countries rather than just having them in the usual western European nations, USA and Australia etc but there needs to be an appetite for them.

Holding the football world cup in Brazil and even South Africa was good as the people there embraced it, same with the rugby world cup in Japan.

Holding the athletics championships in Qatar feels like a huge error and nothing more than a financial decision for the IAAF.

Apart from anything else, holding a championships in a country where you need to start the marathon event at midnight due to the extreme heat cannot be right. Even at midnight it was still around 30 degrees.

We have all this to look forward to in 2022 with the football world cup!

Anyway well done to Dina Asher Smith and Katarina Johnson Thompson, brilliant achievements.

[Danderhall Hibs]

It's an absolute farce having the championships in Qatar.

I'm all for spreading major events to different countries rather than just having them in the usual western European nations, USA and Australia etc but there needs to be an appetite for them.

Holding the football world cup in Brazil and even South Africa was good as the people there embraced it, same with the rugby world cup in Japan.

Holding the athletics championships in Qatar feels like a huge error and nothing more than a financial decision for the IAAF.

Apart from anything else, holding a championships in a country where you need to start the marathon event at midnight due to the extreme heat cannot be right. Even at midnight it was still around 30 degrees.

We have all this to look forward to in 2022 with the football world cup!

Anyway well done to Dina Asher Smith and Katarina Johnson Thompson, brilliant achievements.

:agree:

And a word cup final in the same week as Christmas.

[Pretty Boy]

Looking forward to seeing Laura Muir tonight, shame for her that she isn't 100% fit but I reckon she can grab a medal if she gets a bit luck in running.

Think Callum Hawkins will give a good account of himself in the marathon as well but it's a stretch to see him getting on the podium.

I agree with the poster above re the host country. The mens 100m final, pretty much the flagship event at an athletics championship, was played out in front of a stadium less than 25% full. The women's marathon descended into farce and the men's 50K walk went the same way. The requirement to hold the championships so late in the season has also seen a lot of athletes complaining it has thrown off their preparation for next season, an Olympic year. If this is an insight into what the World Cup will be like then it's going to be a damp squib.

[Speedy]

Looking forward to seeing Laura Muir tonight, shame for her that she isn't 100% fit but I reckon she can grab a medal if she gets a bit luck in running.

Think Callum Hawkins will give a good account of himself in the marathon as well but it's a stretch to see him getting on the podium.

I agree with the poster above re the host country. The mens 100m final, pretty much the flagship event at an athletics championship, was played out in front of a stadium less than 25% full. The women's marathon descended into farce and the men's 50K walk went the same way. The requirement to hold the championships so late in the season has also seen a lot of athletes complaining it has thrown off their preparation for next season, an Olympic year. If this is an insight into what the World Cup will be like then it's going to be a damp squib.

It was good watching Bashim in the high jump but in general you're right.

[ekhibee]

Laura Muir clearly wasn't 100% fit but still ran a really fast time to finish 5th. The winner, Hassan, was in a different league. Brilliant performance by her.

Callum Hawkins finished 4th after a brilliant run that will be remembered for a long time. He came form a long, long way back to challenge the Ethiopians and Kenyans, give them a scare and made them step up their game. Considering how he collapsed only a couple of years ago when he was well clear in the Commonwealth Games it was a brilliant performance.

[Barney McGrew]

Muir’s time would have won every other 1500m World Championship Final before last night, she just got caught in the wrong race on the wrong night. Running 3.55 and only coming fifth is bonkers.

Its a shame about the crowds because there have been some phenomenal performances. Nasar running 48.11 in the 400m was the quickest time in 30 years, Muhammad beating her own 400mh world record and the men’s shot put competition were all outstanding.

[Pretty Boy]

At 800m I said there was no way Hassan could maintain that pace but she was phenomenal. Muir ran a great race and in any other year would have walked away with a medal.

I really, really feel for Callum Hawkins. To run a 2.10 marathon and miss out on a medal by 6 seconds is just cruel. That's 2 championships in a row, 3 if you include the last world championships, that have ended in heartbreak for him. There was a point at about 16/17K at which he kicked the pace a bit and it woke the Ethiopians and Kenyans up, I wonder if he could run the race again whether he would have lobbed along at the steadier pace for just a bit longer. As an aside the Paraguayan Ayala was a total lunatic, the pace he went off at was suicidal and it was a miracle he maintained it as long as he did. I'm still convinced he has a sub 2.07 in him and that could just be enough to get him on the podium at a major if a couple of the big guns don't run. He's a lovely guy into the bargain, I've ran in a few races he has been in and he always has time for other runners and can often be seen hanging aroung long after he has finished to cheer other finishers in.

[ekhibee]

Looking forward to seeing Laura Muir tonight, shame for her that she isn't 100% fit but I reckon she can grab a medal if she gets a bit luck in running.

Think Callum Hawkins will give a good account of himself in the marathon as well but it's a stretch to see him getting on the podium.

I agree with the poster above re the host country. The mens 100m final, pretty much the flagship event at an athletics championship, was played out in front of a stadium less than 25% full. The women's marathon descended into farce and the men's 50K walk went the same way. The requirement to hold the championships so late in the season has also seen a lot of athletes complaining it has thrown off their preparation for next season, an Olympic year. If this is an insight into what the World Cup will be like then it's going to be a damp squib.

I was hearing that just after the final of the men's 100m the cleaners could be seen cleaning the seats behind the athletes etc, while the winner was doing his lap of honour. There was hardly anybody there so it's not as if they were getting in the way. Total shambles. God only knows what the World Cup's going to be like.

[ekhibee]

And I can't help thinking the guy who won the 50km walk was cheating. If you watch him, he definitely seems to be jogging as far as I'm concerned. Just my opinion though.

[JeMeSouviens]

Laura Muir clearly wasn't 100% fit but still ran a really fast time to finish 5th. The winner, Hassan, was in a different league. Brilliant performance by her.

Callum Hawkins finished 4th after a brilliant run that will be remembered for a long time. He came form a long, long way back to challenge the Ethiopians and Kenyans, give them a scare and made them step up their game. Considering how he collapsed only a couple of years ago when he was well clear in the Commonwealth Games it was a brilliant performance.

Having already won the 10k and been coached by Alberto Salazar for 3 years. Hmmmm.

[ekhibee]

Having already won the 10k and been coached by Alberto Salazar for 3 years. Hmmmm.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/athletics/49948551

Yup, she went off on one in this interview but Michael Johnson's comments afterwards were quite right.