Belgium’s Alexander Doom clinched victory in the world indoor 4x400m relay, edging out US sprinter Noah Lyles with a spectacular finish.
The result confirmed Doom as a contender going into the June 7-12 European Championships ahead of the Paris Olympics and he said this means there is a lot of confidence growing in him.
“This means a lot of confidence, not just for me but for the team,” Doom said. “It was really a team effort. It is amazing back-to-back gold medal. What a fantastic night.”
Alexander Doom dominates
In a strategic move aimed at reclaiming gold in the men’s 4x400m relay, the USA brought in multiple world champion Noah Lyles. However, their efforts fell short against the tactics of individual 400m champion Alexander Doom.
Doom, employing a similar strategy to his winning performance in the 400m final the previous day, positioned himself behind the leader, US anchor runner Christopher Bailey. Then, with a burst of speed off the final bend, he surged ahead, leading Belgium to victory in a world-leading time of 3:02.54. This successful defense of Belgium’s title also marked Doom as the first man to win gold in both the 400m and 4x400m at the same World Indoor Championships.
Despite their efforts, the USA settled for silver, finishing a mere 0.06 seconds behind Belgium. Meanwhile, the Netherlands secured the bronze, replicating their performance from the previous World Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
In a thrilling matchup against the Washington Wizards, the Utah Jazz secured a commanding victory with a final score of 127-115. Jordan Clarkson emerged as the standout player of the game, delivering a career-high 38 points, including an impressive 12-point streak in the fourth quarter.
Clarkson’s stellar performance also saw him tally seven assists and ten rebounds, showcasing his versatility on the court. His remarkable display not only helped the Jazz snap a three-game losing streak but also etched his name in franchise history.
Clarkson surpassed Thurl Bailey to become the player with the most off-the-bench 30-point performances for the Jazz.
The Wizards lost their fifteenth straight game despite the efforts of Jordan Poole who scored 32 points, Kyle Kuzma who added 23 points and eight assists, and Tyus Jones who contributed 21 points.
Jazz – An exceptional game
In a dramatic turn of events, the Washington Wizards showcased dominance early on, securing a commanding 14-point lead in the first half. As the game progressed, they maintained their advantage, extending it to a 10-point lead in the later stages of the third quarter and a 5-point lead in the fourth.
However, the tide quickly turned as shots made by Sexton leveled the playing field, resulting in a tie at 111-111 and later at 113-113. It was then that Jordan Clarkson, displaying remarkable skill and determination, took charge for the Utah Jazz. With a series of impressive plays, including a go-ahead layup, a short jumper, a turnaround jump shot, a clutch 3-pointer, and a three-point play conversion, Clarkson propelled the Jazz into the lead with just 56 seconds remaining, at 125-113.
Following Clarkson’s heroics, the Wizards struggled to regain momentum, failing to score for a staggering 4 ½ minutes of the match.
Despite facing adversity with key players sidelined due to injuries and medical emergencies, including Lauri Markkanen with a right quad contusion, Walker Kessler with a right foot sprain, and Keyonte George departing early due to a medical emergency, the Utah Jazz delivered an exceptional performance. Their resilience and depth were on full display as they overcame challenges to secure a thrilling victory.
The 2024 World Relays in the Bahamas were the focus of track enthusiasts, with some notable athletes hoping to qualify for the Olympics through the competition. Noah Lyles and Team USA disproved those in doubt by landing in the first place, despite criticisms regarding the USATF relay squad.
In an attempt to earn a spot at the Olympics in Paris, several teams participated in the World Relays. Team USA, among a few others, would have advanced to the Olympics.
Courtney Lindsey, Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, and Kyree King represented the USATF relay team. These athletes all had what it took to compete and take home the gold, which they eventually did.
Fast start for Team USA
The team got off to a fast start because of Lindsey, who was followed by Bednarek, who ran the length of the field before passing the baton to King. After completing the race route flawlessly, the young athlete handed the baton to Lyles. The six-time world champion dominated the field earlier on and kept up his pace all the way to the finish. Lyles won gold for the team, guaranteeing them a spot at the Olympics in Paris.
Team USA’s time of 37.49 seconds was much faster than the total time of the entire grid. After defeating the most exceptional teams at the international competition, the USATF is now confident in their athletes for the Olympics.
At the SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday, Canadian youngster Christopher Morales Williams stunned everyone with his lightning-fast 400-meter run, winning in an amazing 44.49 seconds.
Alas, Morales Williams’ incredible run falls short of American Kerron Clement’s 2005 record on the same track—by just 0.08 seconds.
Sadly, there was a problem with the starting blocks that prevented this incredible accomplishment from being officially acknowledged as a world indoor record. Even though the speedster’s accomplishment isn’t recorded in history, it nevertheless speaks volumes about his extraordinary skill and ability on the track.
Morales unlucky
The US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTCCCA), citing problems with starting blocks, views the time achieved at the SEC Indoor Championships—despite a fantastic performance—as an all-time global best rather than an official record. This is comparable to Michael Norman’s 2018 record, which was tainted by a similar error.
The University of Arkansas, the event venue, explains that official world records require starting blocks that are connected to a Start Information System that has been verified by World Athletics. To further complicate matters, head coaches from SEC schools have voted together against using them, adding a new chapter to the already remarkable story.
The spokesperson said; “It may also be considered a Canadian national record, depending on the criteria Athletics Canada uses to verify a national record.” an article from edition.cnn shared.
The 19-year-old sensation, Morales Williams, revealed his amazement in breaking the world record time at such an early stage of his career in a post-race review.
Alexander Doom of Belgium broke the record for the men’s 400-metre event at the European Athletics Championships, which had stood since 1998 in Rome. Doom won the continental gold on Monday, June 10, with an incredible time of 44.15 seconds.
Even though he had only the third-fastest time from the semi-finals, he took charge of the race and finished 0.23 seconds ahead of the runner-up after charging around the second bend and down the final straight.
Charles Dobson of Great Britain won the silver medal in an incredible 44.38, placing him in the European top 10 and putting significant pressure on the Belgian in the last 100 metres.
Looking back on his recent success in the same event at the 2024 World Indoor Championships, Doom was happy with his training and his performance.
He revealed, “Before this championship, I just enjoyed running and my training. Everything seemed to be in its proper position when I attempted the high-altitude training to handle this shift from inside.”
Doom feels more confident after record-breaking victory
“The most important thing for me right now is that I feel more confident, know how to start the race, and know what to do. I also believe that I have developed some respect for the race,” Doom was quoted as saying by the Olympics website.
On the first day of the 2024 European Athletics Championships, Doom finished fourth in the mixed 4x400m final and missed the podium by a narrow margin. However, he will go from Rome with hardware and the pride of breaking a championship record that had stood unbroken for almost 30 years.
The third place went to Liemarvin Bonevacia of the Netherlands, who showed off his experience with seven medals from the European Indoor and Outdoor Championships, as well as silvers from the Olympic and World Championships.
His timing of 44.88 seconds was lightning fast. The men’s high jump and triple jump finals will take place on day five, and then the women’s 200-metre finals are scheduled to begin. There’s a lot of excitement for another thrilling competition day with five suspenseful events in between.
Noah Lyles became the first American to clinch the Olympic gold in the men’s 100-metre in 20 years when he won the race in Paris by five-thousandths of a second.
Lyles, who won with a time of 9.784 seconds, finished barely ahead of Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson (who ran in 9.789) and the US’ Fred Kerley (whose time was 9.81).
“That’s probably one of the most beautiful races I’ve been in,” said Kerley.
In the photo finish, Kerley’s orange shoe crossed the line first. But it’s the chest breaking the barrier that counts. Lyles’ chest crossed first.
The race was so close that even the commentators nearly called the wrong winner before the photo finish, which showed Lyles was the first to lean over the finish line even though others managed to step over it before him.
According to Olympic rules, the first athlete whose torso reaches the closest edge of the finish line is the winner. That means the trunk of the body is what counts rather than the head, limbs or feet.
Closest 100m race since 1980 Moscow Olympics
It was the closest 100-metre final since at least Moscow in 1980. Great Britain’s Allan Wells won the gold in Moscow narrowly beating Cuba’s Silvio Leonard in 10.25 seconds in an era when timing didn’t go down to the thousandths of a second.
Lyles is the first American to win the 100 metres since Justin Gatlin in 2004.
Lyles’ only other Olympic medal is a bronze, which he earned in the 200-metre at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics 100-metre champion, Marcell Jacobs of Italy, finished fifth with a time of 9.85 seconds.
Thompson, the betting favourite, said, “I’m going to be disappointed, but I’m super happy and grateful at the same time. I just got to take it as what it is and just move forward from here.”
Photo finish
Thompson seemed to be leading for much of the race.
‘’Through 30 metres, Lyles, 27, was last. He still trailed with 10 metres remaining and did not lead until his final steps, kicking past Kishane Thompson of Jamaica, who held the fastest time in the world this year,” reported the New York Times.
The race was so close that when the sprinters crossed the line and the word “Photo” popped up next to the names of Lyles, Thompson and five others in the eight-man field, Lyles walked over to the Jamaican and said, “I think you got the Olympics dog.”
Thompson wasn’t convinced. “I was, ‘Wow, I’m not even sure, because it was that close,’” he said.
When Lyles’ name came up first, he snatched his name tag off the front of his bib and held it aloft. Then he shouted at the TV camera, “America, I told you I got this!”
