2023 WC: Day 5

Budapest, Hungary: Rinse and repeat. Weather continues to be super hot and super humid.

Our tourism adventure was brief today, as we wanted to stay-in to watch the morning session (heats and qualifying events) on television. For some reason we did not have tickets (I was not in charge of tickets), but honestly going to the stadium twice in a day would be too much of a slog for me. There were no surprises. Athing Mu did show up and made it to the semi-final Friday, Noah Lyles is good, as is my favorite Swede, Mondo.

Between races we hopped-down to the hotel buffet for coffees. Several mornings we have been seated in this beautiful back dining room, with carved-wood walls. This hotel breakfast buffet isn't quite like the one at Holiday Inn Express. Just sayin'.

The biggest news from the other side of the Atlantic was this:

As soon as the races were finished, we took a taxi to the Etele Plaza mall to tour through the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA), temporarily on display in the mall during the games. I believe the collection of artifacts, gathered by one man/fan, has become quite extensive and will now be displayed at every World Championship (Tokyo is next in 2025).

There is an exhibit on every World Championship held, and a history of sport beginning from the early days of competition in ancient Greece.

Each event has a display with programs, medals, signed jerseys, a stuffed animal of the mascot, signed shoes, bib numbers, tickets, and anything else of historical interest.

After touring the museum, we decided to get in some air conditioned steps by walking around the mall. It is very new and very huge and very American.

King of the 110m Hurdles, Grant Holloway, was eating at the Burger King, and if Holloway can eat mall food (he said he was starving after appearing at MOWA event), so could we. I ordered a turkey salad situation from a shawarma-type place. It was delicious, and came with a bottle sparkling water for $8.50. The tomatoes are just delicious in August in Hungary.

Then it was back to the hotel for a 20 minute cool-down before heading back to the stadium for Day 5. The first event on the track was the women's 5000m heats. Poor gals, having to run in the terrible heat. Sifan and Faith advanced, but Australian Duck, Jessica Hull did not. Elise Cranny and Alicia Monson will race in the final for the USA.

36 women started in the qualifying rounds of the long jump, and 12 will jump in the final. All three American's advanced. In the long list of women hammer throwers tonight in the qualifying round, two American's advanced. Also on the track tonight were women's steeple chase heats.

Kenni Harrison and Nia Ali advanced in the 100m women's hurdles, but there was a lot of Q Couch sitting during the three heats. In the second heat, American Masai Russell hit a hurdle and did not finish. No real surprises in this semi.

So much excitement all week for the men's 1500m final, with Norwegian Jacob Ingebrigtsen in the race. Dave just loves American Yared Naguse, so was pulling for him. Wouldn't you know it - Josh Kerr of the UK won the race in a season's best 3:29.38! It's been a hot minute since Jacob has lost. Naguse finished 5th and Duck Cole Hocker was 7th.

Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic took the women's 400m crown. Tough race. Paulino set a national record during her gold medal race, 48.76.

The last final on the track tonight was the men's 400m hurdle race. We had enjoyed cocktails in the hospitality pavilion prior to entering the stadium with the Norwegian family of Karsten Warholm. A large group (20?) or so of his uncles, aunts, parents, cousins, etc., were in town to cheer-on Norway's best hurdler. Cousin Karsten did not disappoint. He took the gold (no matter how hard we cheered for American Rai Benjamin, who finished with the bronze). It was a very exciting conclusion to the track events.

But the night was not over. There was an epic battle on the far side of the track for the women's pole vault gold medal. (18 year old American, Hanz Moll did not advance.) After all the jumps, Finland's Wilma Murto was in third, and we had ourselves an old-fashioned jump-off between American Katie Moon and Australian Nina Kennedy for the gold. The two women ended with a rare tie. Then they had a little huddle: they could decide to continue jumping (seriously, they had to be exhausted), or simply each go home with a gold medal. They hugged each other, with tears, and decided having a gold medal EACH was the best solution. Women rule. (NOTE: In this situation, no silver medal is presented.)

Tomorrow, we do it all again. Until my next update, mall rat correspondent.

Pedometer: 11,000 steps.

LINKS:
World Athletics
Budapest 23

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