LONDON, July 16, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The United States of America recorded a
comprehensive victory in the inaugural edition of the Athletics World Cup
after dominating the second day of the event in London on Sunday.
It might have lacked the prestige and visibility of football’s World Cup
final earlier in Moscow, hindered by the absence of many of track and field’s
most recognisable names and an unfortunate clash of dates with the final of
the greatest sporting show on the planet.
Yet reasonable crowds, compared to much of the Diamond League circuit, and
a rapid format with audience appeal, is worth extending, according to IAAF
president Sebastian Coe, with three nations understood to have expressed
interest in staging the next scheduled edition in 2020.
“I’ve been very clear that I want new things to be tried,” he said.
“They are not always going to work out from the word go but that can’t
inhibit us from going ‘we tried, it didn’t do everything so we go back to the
same old thing’.
“There is a lot of work being done on the calendar and the Diamond
Leagues. But while we’re working that out, I didn’t want the sport just to
stop doing creative things.
“We will figure things out. They’ve already had interest in this from
other cities. But I’m really pleased UK Athletics have taken up the
challenge.”
The USA were virtually unopposed in landing the platinum winners trophy on
a final tally of 219 points.
They were well clear of Poland in second on 162 with the hosts consigned
to third place when their men’s 4×400 relay team were disqualified prior to
the concluding event when first leg runner Cameron Chalmers pulled a
hamstring in the warm-up.
Holding a 24-point advantage overnight, the Americans kept extending their
margin with Paul Dedewo running a personal best of 44.48 seconds to win the
men’s 400m.
Kenny Selmon took the men’s 400m hurdles and Vashti Cunningham leapt to a
season’s best of 1.96m to reign in the women’s high jump before their triumph
was rounded off in the men’s 4×400.
Elsewhere, Jamaica’s Tyquendo Tracey recorded a lifetime best of 10.03
seconds to win the men’s 100m with South Africa’s world champion Luvo
Manyonga taking victory in the men’s long jump with a leading effort of
8.51m.
However at the conclusion, it was the Americans who took a lap of honour
amid the fireworks at the London Stadium which will also host the next leg of
the Diamond League circuit next weekend.
And among those in action, there appeared to be a consensus that the
Athletics World Cup is an idea that could be replicated or extended in the
future.
“This sport needs one thing and that’s more exciting events and this was
certainly that,” said Hendricks.
“I know it conflicted with the soccer World Cup but to have this chance to
come together as a national team is really cool.
“Because what is great to have is competition when you have people in
different vests competing against one another rather than just individuals in
identical vests out there.
“And I think in future editions, you’ll see this grow and more people will
want to be there. And I know I’d want to be a part of it.”
Final standings
USA, 219 points, 2. Poland 162, 3. Great Britain and Northern Ireland 155,
4. Jamaica 153, 5. France 146, 6. Germany 137, 7. South Africa 135, 8. China
81