Athletics: Impressive action at World Indoor Championships

Hamish Kerr has joined the world high jump elite. Photo / Alisha Lovrich

The Serbs could not have scripted the final day of the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade any better.

In an action-packed final morning session, Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas broke her own world record with a final jump of 15.74; an enthralling high jump with New Zealander Hamish Kerr sharing bronze; and some dramatic 4x400m heats including USA anchor Isaiah Harris bravely limping home in the hope that his team might qualify as one of the fastest non-qualifiers to just miss that final. This was but entree for the main course later in the day.

Serbia got their home gold medal with Ivana Vuleta who had the added pressure of being a home pre-meet favourite, winning with the only 7m long jump of the competition to the delight of the knowledgeable Serbian crowd.

On the short 60m track in the centre of the arena, Grant Holloway (USA) equalled his own 60m hurdle world records with a sublime display of hurdling. The always-exciting 4x400 relays are even more so on the tight 200m track, with runners doing two 200m laps. The Belgium male team were popular winners after missing the top prize so often. Jamaica won the women's relay from the Netherlands and regular relay medal winners Poland.

Throughout the action-packed afternoon, the pole vault continued with just Armand Duplantis left almost three hours after the start. The bar was moved from 6.05m to 6.20m, a centimetre above his own world record set in the same stadium this year. He failed twice as the relays were completed, leaving one trial left to bring the curtain down on three outstanding days of competition. Duplantis kept to the script and delivered a world record.

The event and the TV presentation and commentary made for compelling viewing. I certainly warmed to the commentators with their unbiased and knowledgeable commentary. I also shared their view that athletics is perhaps the "cheapest, most accessible and friendliest sport in the world". The camaraderie among competitors was evident throughout the championships.

New Zealand's small team of five had a good championships, finishing 19th of the 129 countries with athletes in Belgrade on the placing table with points awarded for top eight performers. All of the team finished in the top 11 and they returned with two bronze medals (the same as Great Britain and Northern Ireland).

Both New Zealand medal winners were in action at Cooks Gardens at the Cooks Classic in January.

Tom Walsh confirmed he is still a world-class shot put competitor. Although he did not manage to win his third consecutive indoor gold medal, he did produce a large season best, set an area indoor record equalling his 2018 gold medal distance, and has now won five world indoor medals. His 22.31m was 13cm behind pre-meet favourite and world record holder Ryan Crouser (USA) and 22cm behind popular Brazilian winner Darlan Romani.

Walsh remains a world force in the event and has again demonstrated how well he performs at major events. He has a big year with the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, closely followed by the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The other medal went to high jumper Hamish Kerr, who claimed his first global medal. Kerr equalled his own New Zealand record and set the New Zealand indoor record of 2.31m and came so close to jumping 2.34m. As mentioned earlier, he shared the bronze with Olympic joint gold medal winner Gianmarco Tamberi. Had Kerr not missed with his first trial in the opening height of 2.15m, he would have shared the silver medal. The 25-year-old, who was 10th at the Olympics, has joined the world high jump elite.

Olivia McTaggart, a late invitation to the championships, finished a highly creditable sixth with 4.60m vault. Geordie Beamish ran an outstanding tactical race to finish second in an automatic qualifying spot and finished 10th in the final on his international debut. Zoe Hobbs missed making the final in the 60m by only 0.02 of a second and a slightly slow start in the semifinal cost her a berth in that final, having run 0.04 faster in her heat to set an area indoor record (7.12 seconds).

The world championships closes the northern indoor season and heralds the northern outdoor season.

Our local season has ended. In the final week, Maggie Jones won the New Zealand under- 20 heptathlon on debut, and a few days earlier Daniel Sinclair moved to second in the under-18 1500m rankings (3:58.71) following a special 1500m on the penultimate club night last week when six of the seven finishers set personal bests.

I will include these in my season wrap-up next week.