2013 World Championships in Athletics: A Review

The World Championships came to a grand conclusion yesterday at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. The nine day extravaganza saw 1974 athletes from 206 nations taking part in the biennial event competing for 47 gold medals that were on offer across 25 different events. Russia won the most gold medals to top the table for the first time since 2001. The United States won the most overall medals.

The Championships was not without controversy though as the start of the Championships was plagued with the international outrage over new Russian laws that discriminate against gay people and the spate of positive drug tests of many high profile athletes. Even after the start, controversies did not leave as the first few days of the Championships saw very sparse crowd in the stadium and media all around the world even branded the Championships as a failed one. Eventually though the spectators started filling the stadium and saved the face of Russia.

From the sporting point of view, though it was a huge success albeit without a single world record. Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt left an indelible mark on the Championships with his dominating treble winning feat. Bolt duly completed a 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay treble to match his feats of the last two Olympics and 2009 World Championships, thus becoming the most successful athlete in world championship history.  Bolt’s compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was also not to be left behind as she powered to her own sprint treble.

Britain’s Mo Farah confirmed his place among the long-distance greats by brilliantly repeating his Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 double. Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva was roared to victory by an ecstatic home crowd in the women’s pole vault thus reaffirming her status as the greatest-ever female pole vaulter.

Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko confirmed himself as the newest sporting star as he powered to the Men’s High Jump gold.  Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich showed his surprise Olympic victory was no fluke by winning the men’s marathon and German Robert Harting won his third successive world discus crown. New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams completed the amazing feat of four consecutive world titles and on the final day, Frenchman Teddy Tamgho unleashed the fourth longest triple jump leap of all time - 18.04 metres.

However there was disappointment for reigning Olympic 400m champion Kirani James of Grenada. In what was the biggest shock of the Championships, Kirani James, touted to be the man who will finally break the legendary Michael Johnson’s long standing 400m World Record, surprisingly finished at 7th place. The Indian contingent repeated the same old story as the performance in Athletics refused to touch a respectable position. Anju Boby George still remains the only Indian name to remember in the history World Athletics Championships that started since 1983 as 15 Indian athletes not only remained without medal but also without even impressing and showing any promise for future medals.

Nonetheless, sports lovers across the globe had a great time enjoying the biggest sporting event of 2013.