The European champion hopes to have cause to unveil his own celebration at the IAAF World Championships

The IAAF World Championships in Doha is the first senior global event since 2003 without sprint star Usain Bolt and while Zharnel Hughes is sorry that fans won’t get to see the Lightning Bolt, he says he is planning his own post-race celebration.

After winning the world youth 200m title in 2003, Jamaica’s Bolt went on to race at the Athens Olympics the following year and he made his senior world championships debut in Helsinki in 2005.

After eight Olympic titles and 11 world gold medals, the 33-year-old hung up his spikes following the 2017 global athletics event in London.

“It’s going to be strange,” said European 100m champion Hughes, who works with Bolt’s former coach Glen Mills in Jamaica and still frequently speaks with the multiple world record-holder.

“Hopefully the crowd is just as excited when we go out there!

“As for the Lightning Bolt at the end of the race, they won’t be seeing that, I’m sorry!” smiled the 24-year-old, whose passions outside of the sport include flying as a pilot. “But hopefully you will see other new gestures come in and hopefully I can be one of those.

“I’ve been working on a new gesture, which is the aeroplane. Hopefully once I cross the finish line and I get from the race what I hope to get from it, that you can see a new gesture.”

Hughes is taking on both the 100m and 200m in Doha as well as forming part of the British 4x100m relay squad and he first took to the track for the 100m heats on Friday evening.

The Shaftesbury Barnet sprinter won his heat in 10.08 and, after what he describes as an up and down season, he is hoping all the hard work will come together as he continues his campaign.

“Track and field is a sport where you have to learn to be patient. I’ve learned that over the years,” said Hughes, who has clocked 9.95 for 100m and 20.25 for 200m so far this season.

“My coach has a plan so I just have to stick with it.

“I’ve even spoken to Usain Bolt about it as well,” he added, “and he mentioned that you have to learn to lose in order to win, and that makes you a champion. I listen to him. This is the world’s fastest man speaking to me about taking losses and stuff like that.

“That was this season, after the London Diamond League (where he ran 9.95 behind Akani Simbine). He got in contact with me. We speak a lot, he is quite cool, he’s like an older brother to me so I look up to him. He is one of those mentors you’d wish to have in your corner and I’m just grateful to have him there.”

British 200m champion successfully starts his campaign in Doha where he has a triple target

Despite athletes including a certain Usain Bolt having been among his competition in the past, Adam Gemili has never gone into a race thinking that he’s not going to win.

“If you do that,” he says, “you’re already defeated.”

His mindset for the IAAF World Championships in Doha is no different and, following a couple of years of injury struggles, the sprinter says that being back running fit and healthy “feels like a second coming”.

Gemili has a triple target in Doha as he races the 100m, 200m and forms part of GB’s reigning world 4x100m relay squad. The Olympic fourth-placer got his campaign under way on Friday evening by securing his spot in the 100m semi-finals after clocking 10.19 to finish third in a strong heat featuring defending champion Justin Gatlin and three-time Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse.

“I’m really happy to be back running healthy and fit and that shows I think. It feels like a second coming for me,” Gemili told AW as he made his final preparations for the championships at the British holding camp in Dubai.

“I’m excited for the challenge. It might go really well, it might not, but I’m going to give it my best shot and leave it all on the track.”

The 25-year-old has endured hamstring problems in the past and last winter he was put on Lottery funding for the sprint relay but not as an individual sprinter.

However, he made a statement at the British Championships in Birmingham by winning the 200m in a championship record and claiming silver in the shorter event to secure spots for both sprints at the global event and is confident in the training he has been doing under coach Rana Reider.

“We train so hard all year, we’re fit enough to do it. It’s just about managing our bodies,” he said.

“I’m prepared and I know what to expect. Once I’m in the race, I love it. It’s a championship environment and for me, every man for himself.

“I’ve raced against Usain Bolt, I’ve raced against some of the best sprinters of all time, and I have never gone into a race thinking I’m not going to win, because if you do that, you’re already defeated.

“Obviously you’ve got favourites in the 100m and 200m because of what people have run outside of the champs but championship running is so different,” added the Blackheath & Bromley sprinter, who faces the likes of USA’s Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles in the 100m and 200m respectively.

“I have never gone into a championships as a favourite or even probably in the top eight, I’m never expected to make the final. On the day, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done outside of it, it’s a clean slate for everyone.

“For me, I go out there and give it my best shot. I believe I’m in good shape and hopefully that’s enough to be pushing for the medals and ultimately the gold medal.”

Opening night of IAAF World Championships features disqualifications, a reinstatement, sportsmanship, smooth progress and mixed fortunes

It was an eventful opening night on the track as the IAAF World Championships got under way in Doha.

Much of the attention fell on the men’s 5000m heats, from which Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen was disqualified, then reinstated, in a race which also featured a moment of sportsmanship to remember involving two previously unknown athletes who finished the night as internet stars.

Across the Friday night programme, many of the biggest track stars on the planet underlined their strength during a session where qualifying was the main aim and there were mixed fortunes for Britain’s athletes.

Ingebrigtsen out, then back in again 

The most incident-packed event of the session was undoubtedly the men’s 5000m.

Ethiopian Selemon Barega won the opening heat in 13:24.69 from Kenyan Jacob Krop and fellow countryman Muktar Edris but it was the events taking place behind them which ultimately created the biggest stir.

European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen appeared to have finished fourth in the crowded sprint for the line and secured one of the five automatic qualifying spots. However, he stepped off the track in the process of attempting to pass Birhanu Balew of Bahrain with around 200m to go and was subsequently disqualified. The main beneficiary of that decision was Britain’s Andrew Butchart, who had finished in seventh after his run of 13:26.46 and just outside of a qualifying berth.

The Scot was then placed into Monday’s final but, following an appeal, Ingebrigtsen was reinstated. It remains unclear as to whether or not Butchart will now keep his spot.

His team-mate Marc Scott was 14th in 13:47.12 but another story began to develop minutes after all but two of the competitors had finished.

Braima Suncar Dabo of Guinea-Bissau had been lapped twice and was firmly in last place as he took the bell behind Jonathan Busby, who was also well adrift. However, the man from Aruba began to really struggle and, with around 200m to go, was having trouble maintaining forward momentum let alone any kind of running stride.

As Busby began to effectively dissolve in the Qatari heat, Dabo stopped to lend a hand and both men shuffled over the line.

Busby was tended to by medics at the finish but still had the wherewithal to stop his watch! He had recorded what was listed as a personal best of 18:10.68, after all, but was officially disqualified due to the assistance he received, while Dabo’s 18:10.87 stands.

Britain’s Ben Connor led the second heat for 2000m but ultimately had to settle for 13th in 13:36.92 as Paul Chelimo, finishing with one shoe, won in 13:20.18 from Telahun Haile Bekele (13:20.45) and Filip Ingebrigtsen (13:20.52). Henrik Ingebrigtsen also qualified in a time of 13.21.22.

Coleman in charge for 100m qualifying

The first track action came in the men’s 100m preliminary heats, with Taymir Burnet of the Netherlands fastest overall thanks to his run of 10.23 and the first ‘winner’ of the championships.

The big sprinting names entered the stage at the first round proper and Christian Coleman looked in ominously good form in his pursuit of gold, qualifying fastest for tomorrow’s semi-finals as all three British competitors also progressed.

If the American has been affected by the controversy surrounding him following the charges – since dropped – around his missed drugs tests, then it didn’t show as he clocked 9.98 and looked thoroughly untroubled in winning the sixth and final heat.

South African Akani Simbine was second-fastest overall in 10.01 (-0.3) after winning heat one, while defending champion Justin Gatlin clocked 10.06 (-0.8) to finish third-fastest overall, just ahead for former world champion Yohan Blake, who clocked 10.07 (-0.3).

Britain’s Adam Gemili finished third in Gatlin’s heat, which featured a top quality field, running 10.19 to book his slot behind Canada’s Andre de Grasse (10.13).

British champion Ojie Edoburun had to rely on a fastest loser’s spot, his 10.23 in the opening heat, meaning he qualified by just eight thousandths of a second.

The smoothest progress from a British point of view was made by Zharnel Hughes, who won heat three in 10.08 (-0.8), albeit he wasn’t entirely happy with his performance.

“I know the start wasn’t amazing but I’ll work on it,” said the European champion. “I’ll have to find the setting on the block, it’s a bit different from what I’m using but once I find it I’ll be fine.”

Asked about the conditions in the Khalifa International Stadium, he replied: “Beautiful, beautiful, I love it here.”

Sharp misses out in women’s 800m

There was a surprise in the women’s 800m as Britain’s Lynsey Sharp, fourth-fastest in the world this year, failed to qualify for tomorrow evening’s semi-finals.

Running in the sixth and final heat, the Scot had looked well placed for one of the three automatic qualifying spots but faded in the closing stages and clocked 2:03.57 which meant she had to settle for fourth place and narrowly missed out on a fastest loser’s place.

Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo was the fastest qualifier overall in 2:00.36 ahead of Jamaican Natoya Goule (2.01.01), while America’s world leader Ajee’ Wilson had no qualifying trouble, controlling her race throughout to clock 2:02.10 and finish first in heat one.

European indoor and British champion Shelayna Oskan-Clarke also progressed, her late charge giving her a time of 2:02.09 for second place in heat two behind American Raevyn Rogers’ 2:02.01.

Alex Bell was another athlete who had to rely on her closing speed to make sure of qualification, just taking third place in the penultimate heat in 2:03.34.

Big names progress in men’s 400m hurdles

Karsten Warholm barely broke sweat, despite the Doha heat, to win the opening heat of men’s 400m hurdles qualifying. The defending champion clocked 49.27 ahead of Irishman Thomas Barr, second in 49.41.

It was Qatari athlete Abderrahman Samba who qualified fastest, however, thanks to his run of 49.03 in heat three.

Commonwealth champion Kyron McMaster (49.60) also went safely through, as did American Rai Benjamin (49.62), while Britain’s Chris McAlister was an automatic qualifier from heat five in fourth place with 49.73.

Cheers for Chepkoech in women’s 3000m steeplechase

Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech received one of the biggest cheers of the night from the noisy African contingent in the stands as she qualified fastest from the women’s 3000m steeplechase heats in a time of 9:18.01 from America’s Courtney Frerichs (9:18.42), while defending champion Emma Coburn was sixth-fastest 9:23.40, two places behind fastest European Anna Emilie Moller (9:18.92).

None of the three British athletes qualified but Elizabeth Bell came remarkably close, clocking 9:30.31 to move to third on the national all-time lists for sixth place in heat two.

There was also a personal best for Aimee Pratt, who was eighth in heat one with 9:38.91.

It was a painful night for Rosie Clarke in more ways than one, the British champion suffering from a fall during heat three as she finished 12th in 9:49.18.

A field events report can be found here.

Check out the dedicated Doha 2019 section on our website here.

Disappointing crowds watch first day of IAAF World Champs in Doha and marathon runners melt but at least the stadium air-con works

Rarely has the venue for a major athletics event been subjected to such scrutiny. Fears ranged from red-hot temperatures to potentially paltry crowds. Never mind the athletes, would the people of Doha and the Khalifa International Stadium rise to the occasion and deliver a great event?

British 400m runner Martyn Rooney is a veteran of eight IAAF World Championships and has experienced plenty of hot host cities over the years. “But this is on a different level,” he warned.

It is certainly true on the streets of the Qatari capital but inside the stadium the air-con system – with large cooling pipes circling the track and smaller fans under spectator seats – really does work. At about 6pm, for example, it was 34C in Doha but a more tolerable 25C inside the Khalifa Stadium.

It was a different story in the women’s marathon, though. Despite starting the race at midnight on the city’s Corniche promenade, it was impossible to create the same kind of microclimate as inside the stadium and there was mild carnage as runners struggled in temperatures of 32.7C with 73% humidity. Britain’s Charlie Purdue was among the many athletes to drop out on a course that was also bereft of security and fencing to keep spectators off the course, not that there were many.

Back in the main arena, there were plusses and minuses. Commentary from Geoff Wightman and Katharine Merry with Iwan Thomas in the in-field is a tried-and-trusted formula. The only problem is that the acoustics are not ideal and I could barely make out much of what they were saying from my press seat about 20 metres from the finish line.

The AW seating position also featured what is commonly described in football or theatre circles as “a restricted view”. We basically could not see most of the action on the first bend or the majority of the high jump run-ups due to a stairway and bridge used for athletes to wearily trudge up off the track en route to the mixed zone.

General organisation in the stadium was not brilliant either. Then again it rarely is on the first day of a major championship due to teething problems. Spectators were frustrated not to be able to bring water into the venue (flags were also banned although a number made it in), whereas some female fans were frustrated by delays at the security controls because there weren’t enough female staff to frisk them.

Not that there were many spectators anyway. In perhaps the most disappointing – yet predictable – aspect of the first session of these championships, the arena was barely half full.

The top tier of seating around the venue was covered up – with the canvas sheets ironically carrying the words “reaching new heights” – and plenty of other seats were empty. Transport to the stadium is not easy, which does not help. Usain Bolt’s absence is also a factor.

For most of the evening this created an underwhelming atmosphere. The noise level rose during 5000m and steeplechase heats, however, with the crowd rising even more to appreciate one of the finest moments in IAAF World Championships history as Braima Dabo of Guinea-Bissau helped an exhausted Jonathan Busby of Aruba across the 5000m line in 18:10. It was sportsmanship at its finest and reminiscent of Derek Redmond being helped around the track by his father at the 1992 Olympics.

Faith in humanity ever so slightly restored…..#WorldAthleticsChamps #Doha2019 pic.twitter.com/QpCs72DNaa

— Vedder (@VedderMKC) September 27, 2019

To be fair, there were also no finals at the Khalifa Stadium to attract fans. The organisers have removed morning sessions from the programme, so Friday evening’s action was basically a traditional morning session of heats and rounds but moved into an evening slot.

For many years it has always been a challenge to fill seats at morning sessions. But there will be no excuses for Doha if the stadium is half empty again when the track and field finals begin on Saturday evening.

As for fans watching on television, there were some minor innovations during the first session. During the 100m heats viewers were given a sprinter’s eye view of the action, for example, courtesy of small cameras on the start line that caught the expression on the athletes’ faces.

I have a feeling the presentation team might be keeping their main tricks under their sleeve until the track and field finals begin. There is a promise that onscreen graphics will help guide confused spectators through the combined events in particular.

So what to make of day one in Doha? From the half-full stadium to only being able to see half of the action on the first bend, it was far from perfect and it’s hard not to draw comparisons with the busier championships in London two years ago and the promise of a vibrant event in Eugene in 2021.

Thing is, as the organisers, athletes and spectators get set for the second evening session of the championships, will they be treating the show so far as glass that is half empty or half full? With a complete programme of track and field finals yet to come, surely the latter.

Check out the dedicated Doha 2019 section on our website here.

MADISON, Ill. – Racing with a new team in 2019, Karen Stoffer already accomplished one major goal this season in qualifying for the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran now wants something she hasn’t had since 2015: a win.

She’ll look to break that string at this weekend’s AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway after a strong showing to open the playoffs.

Stoffer advanced to the semifinals on her Stoffer Enterprises/Big St. Charles Suzuki at Maple Grove Raceway, which was the first of six playoff races. She fell to eventual winner, current points leader and White Alligator Racing teammate Jerry Savoie, but Stoffer moved up to fifth in points, just 46 points behind Savoie.

What she hopes is next is her first career vixtory at St. Louis, which would make that title talk a little more serious.

“I feel like I’m in a good spot,” said Stoffer, who has eight career wins. “I wish Reading turned out a little different, but I’m happy we’ve got a fast bike so I’m excited about St. Louis. Every rider out there is tough, so just being in the top 10 is phenomenal. I’m going into this with the hopes and ambition to continue to improve every race and hopefully that turns on win lights.

“It’s been a while since I won a race, but I really feel optimistic with the bike and equipment we have.”

Gateway is the 12th of 16 races during the Pro Stock Motorcycle season and continues the first year of Stoffer competing on the WAR team with Savoie, who has won back-to-back races to move into the lead.

There’s been an adjustment for Stoffer and the team, but it’s gone well on nearly every front. Stoffer has praised the work of crew chief Tim Kulungian, who has adapted to her riding style to give her a bike capable of performing well.

She advanced to the final round in Chicago earlier this year, but Stoffer admitted it took some time for everything to come together.

“Tim has found some good things for my style of riding,” Stoffer said. “There were some major differences and the bike reacts different, but I think he’s done a fantastic job. I’ve been pretty happy with how the season has gone. They’ve got great equipment and I’m proud to be part of the WAR team. We’re in a great spot in the Countdown and there’s still an opportunity to do something.”

To have a memorable weekend in St. Louis, Stoffer will have to get past the likes of defending event winner and world champ Matt Smith, who beat her in the final round in Chicago, Andrew Hines, who won seven races in the regular season, Eddie Krawiec, Savoie and Hector Arana Jr.

But as Savoie has showed the past two races, the team has bikes capable of winning races in the biggest moments. Stoffer’s confidence working with Kulungian has only grown as the season progressed, and she is confident that ascension will continue in St. Louis.

“I’ve never traditionally done well in St. Louis, but Tim has, so I’m excited about that,” Stoffer said. “Every race I learn something new and so does he. I think he’s done a fantastic job. We’re improving every race, so hopefully that continues this weekend.

“I feel like I’m riding well and the team is jelling, so we certainly have a good opportunity to keep that going.”

CONCORD, N.C. — When Roush Fenway Racing announced Chris Buescher would be returning to the organization in 2020, team co-owner Jack Roush felt like it was an opportunity to correct a mistake.

Buescher had been a part of Roush Fenway Racing through the 2015 season, winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship (2015) and ARCA Menards Series championship (2012) along the way.

However, after the 2015 season Roush was struggling to find a place for Buescher in his NASCAR program. As a result, Buescher departed Roush Fenway Racing to join Front Row Motorsports in 2016 before moving on to JTG Daugherty Racing in 2017.

Looking back on that decision, Roush admits he’d do things differently should he be given the chance to do it over.

“It’s not often in life that you have the chance to redo a mistake,” Roush said Friday afternoon at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “In 2015 when he won the Xfinity championship, he completed a lot of laps, led a lot of laps, he was a good points racer as well as a good closer.

“When we were going into 2016 and what we had in front of us in terms of challenges, I decided at that time I would dilute my existing programs more than I should by starting a program for Chris. I wish I’d done that differently.”

Luckily for Roush, the opportunity to bring Buescher back into the fold unexpectedly presented itself during the last seven days.

Buescher was in the midst of contract negotiations with JTG Daugherty Racing, but a set of circumstances that Roush Fenway Racing President Steve Newmark declined to discuss in depth opened the door for the team to sign the 26-year-old Texan to replace Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the No. 17 Ford Mustang.

“It did come together pretty quickly, this wasn’t something we’d been planning for quite some time,” Newmark explained. “We were alerted to something from Chris and his representatives about a residual option that Roush Fenway had retained from many years back. Through some circumstances that arose between JTG and Chris, that option came about.

“The way the situation evolved was he had his contract with JTG. That was his contract. We didn’t have a right of first refusal, it was only if certain circumstances came out where he was no longer under that arrangement with JTG that he essentially had to notify us and let us know his status.”

For Buescher, the chance to rejoin Roush Fenway Racing to take the wheel of the No. 17 was an opportunity to return home in a manner of speaking.

“For me it’s going to be an opportunity to have a homecoming in a lot of senses,” said Buescher, who has one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory on his résumé. “It’s a place I spent a really long time. I have a ton of friends that are still at Roush Fenway Racing and in the entire Ford camp. I would say through the craziness that has come up the last couple of days, it’s been incredible to hear from so many people that have so many well wishes and congratulations.”

Roush compared Buescher to two other drivers who have carried the No. 17 — Darrell Waltrip and Matt Kenseth, saying that he’s looking forward to the team building its program around Buescher beginning next year.

“He certainly exemplifies and compliments the No. 17 car number that Darrell Waltrip ran initially, and Matt Kenseth more recently had used for stock cars,” Roush said. “Not that he’s in Darrell Waltrip’s fold, but Matt Kenseth raced the way Chris likes to race. I think it’ll work out very well with Ryan Newman’s attitude toward racing with what he does with his car and the way he approaches the sport in general.

“We’re real excited to build the program around him.”

PLYMOUTH, Ind. – The opening night of the Inaugural Hoosier Autumn Classic from Plymouth Speedway has been cancelled due to heavy rains and thunderstorms.

Friday night’s portion of the Hoosier Autumn Classic will not be rescheduled.

Saturday, the second night of the Hoosier Autumn Classic will run as scheduled with a $12,000 to win, 50 lap main event for the American Ethanol Late Model Tour. The AELMT race format will feature qualifying, heat races, last chance races and the 50-lap A-main.

Thunder Stocks and Compacts will also be in action.

Saturday at Plymouth, pit gates open at 2 p.m., general admission seating opens at 4 p.m., and the American Ethanol Green Flag waves with hot laps at 6:30 p.m.

General admission tickets are $30, and pit passes are $40.

The Winnipeg Jets and right winger Patrik Laine have agreed to a two-year, $13.5 million contract, the team announced.

Laine, who was a restricted free agent, was on pace for superstardom and a huge payday after two seasons in the league. But last season raised some questions.

The 21-year-old had 36 goals and 64 points in his rookie season and 44 goals and 70 points in 2017-18. Last season, he finished with 30 goals and 50 points but had only nine goals after Dec. 1 and didn't have more than four goals in any month other than November.

His first three seasons also saw his plus-minus go from plus-seven to plus-eight to minus-24, and his Corsi percentage go from 48.7 to 50.2 to 46.2.

Adding up his three seasons, however, Laine is only 21 points behind the man taken ahead of him in the 2016 draft, Auston Matthews, who signed a five-year, $58 million contract in February.