Day 3 Highlights: World Athletics Championships 2023 In Budapest

POSTED ON August 22, 2023 • Athletics BY Lawrence Omoge •

The third day (21 August) of the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest was full of exciting moments, as some of the world's best athletes vied for gold medals.

Dramatic Victory for Sha'Carri Richardson in the Women's 100-meter dash

The women's 100-meter dash final was the day's most thrilling event, with American Sha'Carri Richardson taking first place in 10.65 seconds. Richardson, who was barred from competing in the 2020 Olympics after testing positive for marijuana, was widely predicted to take the gold in Budapest, and she did not disappoint. [caption id="attachment_8503" align="aligncenter" width="594"]

Sha'Carri Richardson breezes past other athletes to grab gold. | Credit: Gettyimages[/caption] Richardson pointed to her chest and said, "I'm back!" as she crossed the finish line as a defiant victory sign. She claimed that the uncertainties and criticism she received after her suspension drove her to succeed. With a time of 10.65 seconds, Richardson broke the championship record set the year before by Oregon's Fraser-Pryce by 0.02 seconds.

“I wanted to show the world that I’m still here, that I’m still the best,” she said. “I’ve been through a lot, but I never gave up on myself or my dreams. This is for me, for my family, for my fans, and for everyone who supported me.”

Jackson, who had been in the lead for most of the race, finished second in 10.72, while injury-plagued Fraser-Pryce, who had only competed twice this season, finished third in a personal best 10.77. Ta Lou, an Ivorian who had previously won all ten of her races this season, came in fourth yesterday in a time of 10.81, her second defeat of the night. The 34-year-old, who has recently been in the best shape of her life, had wanted to make history as the first female African gold medalist in the 100m, having already won two silvers in 2017 and a bronze in 2019, but it was not to be on this night.

Daniel Stahl Breaks Championship Record in Discus Throw

In the men's discus throw, Daniel Stahl of Sweden threw 71.46 meters, which was far and away the best distance ever thrown at a competition. The defending world champion Stahl was in dominant form in Budapest, just as he had been all season. [caption id="attachment_8506" align="aligncenter" width="591"]

As usual, Stahl made it matter. The Swedish star's incredible comeback propelled him to the top, and his winning mark of 71.46m increased the championship record set by Ceh by 33cm from the previous year.

Swedish Discus thrower, Daniel Stahl. | Credit: WAC. | Source: Google[/caption] In the history of international competition, never before have two athletes broken the 70-meter barrier at the same time. At the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, both Stahl and Kristjan Ceh broke that barrier, and they accomplished it in the final round to top off a fantastic competition at the National Athletics Centre. Stahl's 69.37m fourth effort put him in first place going into the final round. However, Slovenia's Ceh threw a discus 70.02 meters in the last throw of the competition as he passionately defended the championship he earned in Oregon last year. As usual, Stahl made it matter. The Swedish star's incredible comeback propelled him to the top, and his winning mark of 71.46m increased the championship record set by Ceh by 33cm from the previous year.

Hugues Fabrice Zango Clinches Men's Triple Jump Title

Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso won the men's triple jump event with a leap of 17.46 meters. Zango, the current Olympic triple jump champion, is one of the world's most reliable athletes and he put together a fantastic performance in Budapest. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="577"]

Hugues Fabrice Zango. | Source: Google[/caption] Zango won his first world title yesterday in the men's triple jump final, which included a dramatic ups and downs and ended with two Cubans sharing the podium with him, separated by only one centimeter. The 30-year-old athlete, who already had an Olympic bronze medal and world silver and bronze medals, completed his collection with the best of all colors after grabbing an early lead, losing it, and reclaiming it with his penultimate effort of 17.64m. Lazaro Martinez, 25, took silver with a jump of 17.41m, and Cristian Napoles, 24, took bronze with a jump of 17.40m.

Grant Holloway Grabs Third Straight World Title in Men's 110 Hurdles

Grant Holloway of the United States won the men's 110-meter hurdles competition with a time of 13.03 seconds, giving him his third world title in a row. Holloway, who is largely considered as one of the sport's all-time greats, repeated his dominant performance in Budapest. [caption id="attachment_8504" align="aligncenter" width="583"] Grant Holloway of the United States won the men's 110-meter hurdles competition with a time of 13.03 seconds, giving him his third world title in a row.