World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024: 'I came here to win', says Coleman after sprinting to gold

Christian Coleman (R) competes with (From L) Sweden’s Henrik Larsson, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake and Noah Lyles in the Men’s 60m final during the Indoor World Athletics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. – AFP

Christian Coleman raced to his second global 60 metres title at the world indoor championships on Friday, exploding out of the blocks with his reliably fast start to edge American team mate Noah Lyles by three-hundredths of a second.

The 27-year-old Coleman clocked 6.41 seconds, the world’s fastest time this season.

“I had a lot of confidence in myself coming in, I set my mind on letting my body do what I have been doing in practice and I came out with a win,” Coleman said. “I can look forward to the rest of the summer (including the Paris Olympics).”

Lyles, triple gold medallist at last summer’s outdoor worlds in Budapest, crossed in 6.44 in what he calls his weakest event.

“It was a great run, to be honest, it’s probably one of my best runs,” said Lyles, a 100m and 200m specialist who usually does not hit top speed until the second half of his races.

“I’ve never had an indoor season this great, I’ve never been to a world indoors,” he added. “It only makes me so much more excited because (the first 60m) is the worst part of my race. I’m ready to take this newfound 60 ability and put it into the 100.”

Lyles paused a live television interview during of “O Canada,” the national anthem playing for Canadian Sarah Mitten’s shot put gold medal ceremony, explaining afterward he was being respectful.

Ackeem Blake of Jamaica took the bronze in 6.46.

American Ryan Crouser, a two-time world outdoor and two-time Olympic champion, easily won the men’s shot put with a championship record heave of 22.77 metres.

New Zealand’s Tom Walsh was second best with 22.07.

“I am happy tonight,” Crouser said. “This is a big stepping stone towards the Olympics. In the middle of the winter, you need to have a moment when you think, ‘there is just six weeks to a major championships’. I am excited about what I can throw (this season).”

Noor Vidts of Belgium successfully defended her 2022 world indoor pentathlon title, climbing from the silver medal position into gold with a solid 800m, the pentathlon’s final event. Vidts scored 4,773, while Finland’s Saga Vanninen won silver with 4,677 and Sofie Dokter of the Netherlands was third (4,571).

Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers of Australia cleared 1.99 metres on her final attempt to win the women’s high jump, ahead of the reigning outdoor champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine (1.97) and Lia Apostolovski of Slovenia (1.95).

Mitton added a world gold to her collection by winning the women’s shot put earlier on Friday in the first final of the meet.

The 27-year-old silver medallist at last year’s world outdoor event stepped into the circle for her sixth and final throw with victory already locked up thanks to her heave of 20.20 metres with her fourth attempt.

Mitton bettered that with a national indoor record of 20.22 on her final throw in a celebratory finish.

“To be the world champion, that sounds amazing,” said Mitton, who is also a Pan American and Commonwealth Games champion. “I was not able to say that before and now, I am probably never going to stop saying it. This is the moment that cannot be taken away from you.

“Everything is a progression and every year, I am becoming a little bit better. It’s also about learning how to win and how to handle yourself in different environments.”

Yemisi Ogunleye of Germany threw 20.19 for silver, while American Chase Jackson, the 2022 world outdoor champion, won bronze with 19.67.

Maria Vicente of Spain, the under-23 champion in the heptathlon, ruptured her Achilles tendon in the pentathlon high jump, which could shelve her Paris Olympics dreams.

“We have seen the doctors and I have a complete rupture,” Vicente said. “I will return (from injury) for sure, as I already did before.”