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PICS: Memorable moments from the World Athletics Championships

Last updated on: October 07, 2019 12:23 IST

A successful World Athletics Championships had looked like a desert mirage, but the event eventually came to life with an oasis of thrills and packed houses to rescue Qatari organisers and officials before the curtain came down on Sunday.

 

Struggling due to a lack of interest from locals, the 10-day showcase delivered on the final weekend as criticism over an empty stadium and stifling heat of around 38 degrees Celsius was replaced by an atmosphere at last worthy of a world event.

The athletes responded with memorable performances in the air-conditioned Khalifa Stadium, with temperatures kept at 21 degrees, highlighted by local hero Mutaz Barshim on Friday soaring to victory in the men's high jump for Qatar's only gold.

On the same night American Dalilah Muhammad broke her own world record to win the women's 400 metres hurdles while the sport's big men seized the spotlight on Saturday as the shot putters gave a show hailed as the greatest ever in the event.

The United States again topped the medals table, their 14 golds almost triple the next best of Kenya on five while Jamaica and China each had three. No other nation got more than two.

Rediff.com presents some memorable moments from the September 27 to October 6 meet. Take a look.

IAAF

IMAGE: Belarus's Volha Mazuronak and Portugal's Salome Rocha beat the heat in the women's marathon. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

IAAF

IMAGE: Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce holds her baby as she celebrates winning gold in the women's 100 metres. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

IAAF

IMAGE: France's Pascal Martinot-Lagarde celebrates winning bronze in the men's 110 metres hurdles. Photograph: Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters

IAAF

IMAGE: Turkey's Ozkan Baltaci in action in the men's hammer throw. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters
An athlete competes during the women's triple jump qualification
IMAGE: An athlete competes in the women's triple jump qualification. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

IAAF

IMAGE: Ethiopia's Teddese Lemi falls in the men's 1500 metres heats. Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

IAAF

IMAGE: Qatar's Mariam Mamdouh Farid competes in the women's 400 metres hurdles. Photograph: Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters

IAAF

IMAGE: Germany's Niklas Kaul, who won gold, competes in the men's decathlon pole vault. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

IAAF

IMAGE: Guinea-Bissau's Braima Suncar Dabo helps Aruba's Jonathan Busby to the finish in the men's 5000 metres. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
General view of Bahrain's Salwa Eid Naser's shoes before the women's 400 metres final
IMAGE: General view of Bahrain's Salwa Eid Naser's shoes before the women's 400 metres final. Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Rediff Sports Desk