The world braced up to a post-Bolt era but for India there was no momentous change as the country's athletes did nothing for the global audience to take note of.
Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was on Saturday recommended for the coveted Khel Ratna Award by the committee constituted by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the third time in a row. The 22-year-old Chopra is the only track and field athlete to be recommended by the AFI for the country's highest sports award this year.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday
The race will be her first since the new rules went into effect
Indian athletes will begin their campaign in the World Championships in Beijing, on Sunday.
Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.86m at the ACNE League meeting in Potchefstroom, South Africa, making an impressive return after recovering from an elbow injury. The 22-year-old Indian, who missed the entire 2019 season due to the injury, breached the Olympic qualification mark of 85m in his fourth attempt and secured the top place at the international event on Tuesday.
Caster Semenya put aside the controversy over a planned rule change in athletics regarding hyperandrogenism to win the women's 1,500 metres
Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce rallied to claim an unprecedented third world championship 100 metres title in 10.76 seconds at the Bird's Nest stadium on Monday.
'It (injury) will be all right after tomorrow's rest. I want to give my best in the final round on August 12 and win a medal for the country'
Double Olympic champion Caster Semenya's future was in doubt on Friday after she said she would not take medication to lower her testosterone levels to comply with new rules for the 800 metres.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will have to wait another year before chasing India's first Olympic track and field medal in Tokyo but the delay may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, the 22-year-old said. The Commonwealth and Asian Games champion, seen as one of India's best medal prospects at the Games, spent the whole of 2019 recovering from an elbow operation on his throwing arm.
'It was probably one of the most difficult decisions to take in my career so far. But I thought that it was time for me to take on a fresh and new challenge'
US sprinter Justin Gatlin believes he is steadily catching up with Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt as the two head towards a likely showdown at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games next year.
Yohan Blake believes if not for Usain Bolt, he would have been the fastest man in the world.
A summary of sports events and persons in the news over the weekend.
The 32-year-old Queenslander, who won Olympic 100 metres hurdles gold at the 2012 London Games and the world title in 2011 and 2017, said she had been forced into the decision by a string of injuries.
Factbox on American Justin Gatlin who won the 100 metres gold at the World Athletics Championships on Saturday at the age of 35.
Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has undergone an elbow surgery
"So it's all about how I feel after Rio, if I feel I can really put my body through one more season. If I'm going to be focused and I'm going to be determined. That will determine if I compete after Rio. So we'll see how it goes."
Hima Das shattered the 400m national record for a second time in two days for a silver while Dutee Chand grabbed the second place in 100m dash on another good day for India's track and field athletes at the Asian Games.
Usain Bolt's lack of form combined with his late withdrawal from the Jamaican 100 metres national trials on Thursday have raised more doubts about the future of the world's fastest man.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Dina Asher-Smith seized her golden opportunity to win the World Championship 200 metres on Wednesday and become the first British woman to claim a global sprint title.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday
Hot favourite Caster Semenya qualified for the women's 800metres semi-finals at the Rio Olympics with supreme ease on Wednesday and will no doubt be braced for another wave of discussions about her gender should she go on to take the gold medal on Saturday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Frisday.
Justin Gatlin skipped along the track during his workout, sunglasses on, seemingly without a care in the world.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
By his own charismatic admission, Usain Bolt is a living legend. But if the Jamaican sprint king pulls off only part of his stated goals in Rio de Janeiro, a whole new vocabulary of superlatives will be required. Arguably the greatest sprinter in history, Bolt already owns the world records for the 100 meters and 200m. In London four years ago, he completed an unprecedented "Double Triple" by retaining the 100m, 200m and 4x100m crowns won four years earlier in Beijing.
Usain Bolt waltzed in to sprinkle a bucket of stardust over Rio on Monday, and while there were Samba smiles and dancing girls, the biggest name at the Olympics could not escape the ever-present specter of doping.
Usain Bolt returned to the scene of his triple Olympic glory and duly delivered for 60,000 camera-flashing fans as he overcame a slow start to win the 100 metres and give the London Anniversary Games the Friday finale it demanded.
'Didn't realise was flanked by Chinese and Pakistani athletes on victory podium'
As the curtains fall on another year, Rediff.com brings you all the action from the sports field that defined 2019.
Ten days of athletics competition at the Rio Olympics begin on Friday. Check out the 10 events not to miss at the Olympic Stadium.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday.
A round-up of results from the Athletics World Championships in London on Saturday
