The 19th World Athletics Championships kicked off in Budapest
China News Agency, Budapest, August 19 (Reporter Xing Chong) – The 19th World Athletics Championships opened in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, on August 19th.
The World Athletics Championships, which was born in 1983, is the world‘s top track and field event and one of the world‘s largest and most influential individual sports events. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the World Athletics Championships, with more than 200 countries participating in the event. Over 2,100 players from different countries and regions have come together to compete.
This is the first time Hungary has hosted the World Athletics Championships. At 6 o’clock that night, a brief opening ceremony was held. Accompanied by Sebastian Coe, who has just been re-elected as the World Athletics President, Hungarian President Novak Katarin announced the opening of the 19th World Athletics Championships.
Novak Katarin expressed a warm welcome to athletes, coaches, and sports enthusiasts from all over the world to come to Budapest. He mentioned that Budapest has hosted more than 40 intercontinental and international competitions, and in the next nine days, it will become the stage for the world‘s top track and field athletes, showcasing the glamour and solidarity of athletics.
Subsequently, three planes flew over the Hungarian National Athletics Center on the banks of the Danube, leaving behind red, white, and green ribbons representing the colors of the Hungarian flag. The mascot doll, based on the unique local Laka sheep, ran to the center of the venue, interacting with the audience and pushing the atmosphere to a climax.
In the evening event, a total of three gold medals were produced. The Ethiopian team dominated the women’s 10,000 meters, with Gudav Tsege winning the championship in 31:27.18. In the men’s shot put, American player and two-time Olympic gold medalist Crowther successfully defended his title at the World Championships and set a world championship record with a throw of 23.51 meters.
A world record was also set in the mixed 4x400m relay final. The US team won the championship with a time of 3:08.80, establishing a new world record. The British team and the Czech team secured the second and third places respectively, both setting domestic records for their countries.
In the men’s 20km race walk, Spain’s Alvaro Martin claimed the gold medal with a time of 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 32 seconds. The Chinese team’s performance was not as impressive, with Zhang Jun, Wang Chaochao, and Niu Wenchao finishing 29th, 37th, and 44th respectively.
On the first day of the competition, Chinese players also participated in the qualifying round for the men’s triple jump. Zhu Yaming, the runner-up of the Tokyo Olympic Games, easily advanced with a jump of 17.14 meters in the first attempt. Zhu’s result was second only to Jamaican rising star Jayden Hibbert’s 17.70 meters. Fang Yaoqing also advanced with a jump of 16.83 meters, ranking eighth. However, Chinese athlete Su Wen fouled the first two jumps and missed the final with a jump of 16.59 meters, finishing 17th.
As the 20th World Championships in Japan enters its second competition day, the finals for women’s 20km race walk, women’s long jump, men’s 100m, and men’s 10,000m are scheduled. The Chinese team is expected to compete for a gold medal in the women’s 20km race walk.