Male World Championships of 2019 – Year end Special
The year 2019 saw the emergence of younger athletes in various disciplines challenging the old guards with gusto and gumption. With the competition getting fiercer, it was exhilarating to watch the old guards giving a tough time to the younger lot of athletes. The old guards also displayed their experience and never-dying spirit to take on the younger athletes head on successfully.
The old guards not only defended their World Champion’s title in great style and panache, but also showed the world what it takes to be the World Champion in their respective events. One younger athlete, America’s Donovan Brazier really impressed the world with his Championship Record in 800m clocking 1:42.34 to become the 800m World Champion.
In the ‘Year-end Special’ article, www.successstory.com elucidates 8 great World Champions of the year 2019. Out of the eight outstanding athletes, who defended their World Champion’s title from the previous 2017 World Athletics Championships to remain undefeated at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Ugandan Joshua Chetegei makes the list for breaking the 10K World Record in the Road Race in 2019.
8. Muktar Edris: 5,000m
Ethiopian distance runner Muktar Edris defended his 5000m title at the 2019 World Athletics Championships clocking Season Best time of 12:58.85. He faced a stiff challenge from compatriot Selemon Barega and Canadian Mohamed Ahmed, who finished second and third respectively. Being crowned the 5000m World Champion in the consecutive World Athletics Championships in 2017 and 2019, Muktar Edris proved – he is the best in the world.
The 25-year-young Muktar Edris rose to fame in 2012, when he won the 5000m Gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona. He is comfortable and has been dominating on the tracks, as well as in the Cross Country. In the year 2013 and 2015, Muktar Edris won the Team Gold medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz and Guiyang respectively. Ethiopia won the Team Championships.
It will be interesting to watch the 5000m World Champion at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, who will face stiff competition from the rest of the talented field. Will Muktar Edris win his first Olympic Gold medal? We have to wait for the Olympics…
7. Mutaz Essa Barshim: High Jump
Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim has reigned as the High Jump World Champion ever since he won the Gold medal at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London. He defended his title at the 2019 World Athletics Championships clearing 2.37m. The height of 2.37m was the World Lead of the year 2019. Neutral athletes Mikhail Akimenko and Ilya Ivanyuk gave a tough challenge to Barshim clearing their Personal Best of 2.35m at the 2019 World Championships.
The field of High Jump has talented jumpers like Yu Wang, Bohdan Bondarenko, Brandon Starc, Michael Mason and Andriy Protsenko, who won the discipline at various Diamond League meetings in 2019. However, when it mattered the most Barshim showed the World Champion is not ready to part with his title. The 28-year-young Qatari has still many more years to dominate the field.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Barshim will be keen on winning his first Olympic Gold medal. Will he be third time lucky? Barshim won the Bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics and missed the Gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics to win the Silver medal. Mutaz Essa Barshim holds the National and Asian Record, when he cleared 2.43m in the year 2014.
6. Conseslus Kipruto: 3,000m Steeple Chase
Kenyan athletes have taken to athletics like fish in the water. Kenyan star athlete Conseslus Kipruto has dominated the 3000m Steeple Chase discipline ever since he won the Olympic Gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He broke the Olympic Record clocking an impressive 8:03.28. At the 2019 World Athletics Championships, Kipruto defended his 2017 title clocking the World Lead time of 8:01.35 to triumph over Ethiopian Lamecha Girma and Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali.
At 25, Conseslus Kipruto has many more years to keep dominating the field in the discipline. His best of 8:00.12 at the 2016 Birmingham Diamond League is the sixth-fastest time in the all-time list. The long standing 3000m Steeple Chase World Record of 7:53.63 was established by Kenyan-born-Qatari Saif Saaeed Shaheen on the 3rd of September 2004.
5. Sam Kendricks: Pole Vault
American pole vaulter Sam Kendricks defended his 2017 World Champion title at the 2019 World Athletics Championships clearing 5.97m in a tightly-contested discipline. Swedish vaulter Armand Duplantis pushed Kendricks to the brink of losing his World Champion title. However, the American army officer kept his cool to push Duplantis to the second spot to win the discipline.
Sam Kendricks won the Olympic Bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics clearing 5.85m. He has not been consistent throughout the 2019 season. However, when it mattered the most Kendricks displayed high level of commitment to win the most prestigious title to reign supreme among the highly talented lot of vaulters. It will be interesting to watch Kendricks and the rest of the field competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
4. Karsten Warholm: 400m Hurdles
The 23-year-young Norwegian has been in an explosive form in the year 2019. Karsten Warholm defended his 2017 World Champion title at the 2019 World Athletics Championships beating the rest of field in great style clocking 47.42s. American Rai Benjamin was pushed to the second spot in 47.66s with Qatari Abderrahman Samba finishing third in 48.03s.
The European 400m Hurdles Record holder Warholm will be competing for the very first time at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The competition is fierce and he has impressed the athletics field clocking his Personal Best of 47.12s at the London Diamond League in July 2019. It was the World Lead, Meet Record and Norway Record. In the month of August 2019, Warholm became the third 400m hurdler to run under 47s at Weltklasse Zurich. He clocked a stunning 46.92s over the distance.
3. Joshua Cheptegei: 10,000m / Road Race
Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegi, the newly crowned 10,000m 2019 World Champion has impressed the athletics world for shattering the 10K Road Race World Record at Valencia, Spain clocking 26:38s. Cheptegei broke the previous record established in 2010 by Kenya’s Leonard Komon by 6 seconds. At the 2019 World Athletics Championships, the 23-year-young Cheptegei clocked the World Lead time of 26:48.36 to reign supreme as the 10,000m World Champion.
Joshua Cheptegei also recorded the World Lead time of 8:07.54 for the 2 Mile race at the Eugene Diamond League meeting on the 30th of June 2019. At the 2017 World Athletics Championships, Cheptegei won the Silver medal clocking his Personal Best time of 26:49.94. He has shown immense progress in the last five year, ever since he won the 10,000m World Junior Championships title in Eugene clocking 28:32.86.
At the 2019 World Cross Country Championships in Aarhaus, Denmark, Joshua Cheptegei won the title clocking 31:40. The Ugandan distance runner is 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold medalist in 5,000m and 10,000m. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic, will Cheptegei win his first Olympic Gold medal(s)?
2. Christian Taylor: Triple Jump
American athlete Christian Taylor is the reigning Triple Jump Olympic and World Champion. In the last 8 years, Taylor has won the World Champion title four times at the 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships. His Personal Best of 18.21m ranks second best jump in the all-time list behind Great Britain’s Jonathan Edwards’ 18.29m established on the 7th of August 1995.
At the 2019 World Athletics Championships, Christian Taylor jumped Season Best of 17.92m to defend his World Champion title for the fourth time. He is one of the greatest triple jumpers in the history. Having won the Olympic Gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics, it will be interesting to see Taylor winning the third Olympic Gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics might be Taylor’s last Olympic appearance.
No. 1: Pawel Fajdek: Hammer Throw
Polish Hammer Throw sensation Pawel Fajdek’s consistency at the World Athletics Championships is second to none. He has been ruling as the Hammer Throw World Champion from 2013, when he won the first title at Moscow with a throw of 81.97m. Pawel defended his Hammer Throw World Champion title at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
At the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London, Pawel’s throw of 79.86m was enough to complete his hat-trick as the World Champion. At the 2019 World Athletics Championships, the Polish triumphed over the rest of the field with a throw of 80.50m to become the Hammer Throw World Champion for the fourth time. His best throw has been recorded at 83.93m in 2015.
It is interesting to note that the four-time World Champion has never won an Olympic medal in his long career spanning from 2008 till date. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics might be Pawel’s last chance to win an Olympic Gold medal for the 30-year Polish.
