The 2023 track and field world championships in Budapest, Hungary concluded Sunday. The nine-day event had plenty of notable moments and some fantastic performances.
Sha’Carri Richardson won her first world title in the women’s 100 meters. Noah Lyles asserted his dominance in both the 100 and 200 meters. Plus, Kenyan distance runner Faith Kipyegon made a strong case to be considered one of the best of all time and U.S. thrower Ryan Crouser continued to reign supreme in the shot put.
Team USA topped the medal count with 29, including 12 golds. Team Jamaica was second with 12 medals. Kenya and Great Britain won 10 medals apiece.
The winners and losers from the 2023 track and field world championships:
Lyles vowed to accomplish the sprint double in Budapest. And the American sprinter delivered on his promise.
Lyles accelerated ahead of the other sprinters after around 60 meters and maintained a slim lead as he crossed the finish line with a time of 9.83 to win his first ever world title in the men’s 100-meters.
On day seven of the world championships, it came as no surprise that Lyles breezed to a gold medal in his primary event, the 200 meters.
Lyles led after the curb and extended his lead in the final 100 meters to win his third consecutive world title in the men’s 200 meters. Lyles’ winning time was 19.52.
Lyles became the first American to accomplish the 100-200 sprint double since Tyson Gay in 2007.
Lyles topped that off by anchoring Team USA’s gold-medal winning 4x100-relay team.
The track and field star left Budapest with three gold medals.
Richardson failed to finish in the top two in the 100-meter semifinal and had to rely on her time to advance. Her semifinal performance placed her in lane 9 in the final – but it didn’t matter.
Richardson showed impressive poise and determination out of the far outside lane. She had a solid start and used her drive and acceleration phases to speed past the other sprinters and crossed the finish line first in a personal-best and championship record time of 10.65.
Richardson became the first American woman to win a 100-meter world title since the late Tori Bowie won gold at the 2017 worlds. She’s also the first woman to win a 100-meter world title having not finished in the top two in her semifinal.
Richardson added to her world championship collection by picking up a bronze medal in the 200 meters and she anchored Team USA's gold-medal winning women’s 4x100-meter relay team.
Kipyegon has had a record-setting year.
She set world records in the 1,500 meters, 5,000 and the mile this year. At the world championships, she led from start to finish in the 1,500 meters to secure a win. On day eight of the world championships, Kipyegon raced to another gold medal in the 5,000 meters, winning in 14:53.88.
Kipyegon is the first woman to win both the 1,500 and 5,000 at the world championships.
Jackson came out with a vengeance in the women’s 200 meters after settling for silver in the 100 meters. Jackson made up the stagger around the curb quickly and proceeded to sprint away from the competition in a dominant 200-meter performance. Jackson’s gold-medal-winning time of 21.41 was just .07 seconds off the late Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 200 world record.
Tausaga threw a huge personal best and gold-winning mark of 228 feet to shocked fellow American Valarie Allman and the rest of the field in the women’s discus. She’s the first American woman to ever win a world title in the women’s discus.
Crouser almost missed this year’s world championships because he was diagnosed with two blood clots before the event. But he made the trip and once again had a relatively easy day in the ring versus all the other top shot putters in the world. The U.S. shot putter and world-record holder tossed 77 feet, 1¾ inches to win the competition by more than three feet. Crouser’s mark set a championship record.
It’s very uncommon to step outside of the zone in a 4x400 relay, but the U.S. women made the mistake in their final baton exchange. The gaffe disqualified the women in the qualifying round.
Bahamas’ Steven Gardiner was on his way to a comfortable victory when he pulled up in the semifinal with just over 100 meters to go and was taken off the track in a wheelchair. Gardiner was the favorite in the men’s 400-meters going into worlds. He won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in the 400 and was the 2019 world champion in the event.
In the final round, the remaining favorites had disappointing races. South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk, the 400-meter world record holder and 2016 Olympic champion in the event, faded and crossed the line last in 45.11. Grenada's Kirani James, the 2012 Olympic champion, started strong but finished in fifth place. It was subsequently announced that James was disqualified for a lane infringement.
Benjamin was expected to contend with Norway’s Karsten Warholm for the men’s 400-meter hurdles gold medal. However, in the final stretch of the race Warholm separated from the field and crossed the line well ahead of everyone. While Benjamin slipped to third place. Warholm’s winning time (46.89) was almost a second ahead of Benjamin’s (47.56).
Benjamin did come away with one gold medal, with Team USA's 4x400-meter relay team.
The reigning Olympic champion was surpassed by Kenya's Mary Moraa and Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson down the home stretch in the women's 800 meters. A bronze medal is a disappointment for a middle-distance runner of Mu's caliber.
The 2016 Olympic champion in the 400-meter hurdles was unable to advance to the final round in the event.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
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