The Athletics World Championships are on in London at the moment, second only to the Olympics in terms of international prestige.
The world’s elite athletes all want to win this one as well. Sprinting superstar Usain Bolt chose to make it his swansong, and despite the fact that two-time drug cheat Justin Gatlin spoiled the party, the crowd in the Olympic stadium gave him a rousing send off.
At the other end of the track, distance superstar Sir Mo Farah also chose to announce his retirement from track events, although he will still run marathons. But no one was allowed to spoil his show as he decimated the 10,000 metres field. He will be running in his final event the 5,000 metres tonight. Apart from the superstars it’s a great show and we have been glued to it each night.
The IAAF did not cover themselves in glory though in the way they treated Botswana 400m runner Isaac Makwala.
He was not only withdrawn from his event but was physically banned from the stadium for the heinous crime of not feeling very well. There is a health scare at the championships and any athlete who is ill is not allowed contact with other athletes for 48 hours. The IAAF banned Makwala on these grounds despite the fact that he did not display the same illness and despite the fact that they did not even test him.
Wayde Van Niekerk won the 400m and he is touted to be the next athletic superstar after Bolt and Farah’s retirements. The conspiracy theorists are suggesting that Makwala was excluded because he had a strong chance of beating Niekerk and ruining the PR plans of the IAAF.
I guess we won’t know, but it was a bit of a faux pas on home ground for IAAF president Lord Sebastian Coe. Makwala himself suggested that the same treatment would not have been handed out to Sir Mo, and I think on that he is probably correct.
Apart from that the championships have proceeded quite smoothly and we have even won two medals with Rose Chelimo winning the women’s marathon and Salwa Eid Naser coming second in the women’s 400m. And we still have a few medal hopes to come, so good luck Bahrain.
If I can go back to Sir Mo for a moment, he has said that he wants to now concentrate on marathons. Well I would like to extend an invite to him to come to Bahrain in November to compete in the Bahrain Marathon Relay. Normally each runner needs to pass on a baton at the end of each stage so we do not allow single runners to take part in the event but if Sir Mo contacts me then I am sure I will be able to persuade the committee to make an exception.
So if the Athletics World Championships have inspired you, then get your running shoes on and train up for the Bahrain Marathon Relay on November 24, it’s a great day out.