EUGENE, Oregon: As a metaphor for a sport with lofty ambitions, Armand Duplantis hovering to a pole vault world file was the peerlessly scripted last act {that a} thrilling World Athletics Championships deserved.
The Swedish star introduced the curtain down on the 10-day observe and area extravaganza in Eugene on Sunday with a jaw-dropping leap of 6.21m, crusing over the bar with ease to impress Hayward Area.
Duplantis — routinely known as a “rock star” by World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe — is a part of a golden era of athletes who lit up the 10-day championships in Oregon.
A slew of different athletes additionally grabbed the highlight through the championships, with 400m hurdler Sydney McLaughlin delivering a blinding world file run and the charismatic Noah Lyles racing to gold within the 200m.
These type of compelling performances delighted each Coe and United States Monitor and Area (USATF), who’re determined to spice up the profile of the game within the nation after years the place it has languished out of the highlight.
In pursuit of that aim, extra main observe and area occasions within the US are a certainty.
In 2023, Eugene will host the finale of the Diamond League season — the primary time in historical past that the assembly has been held exterior of Europe.
Others have even questioned whether or not Los Angeles could possibly be a contender to host the World Championships in 2027, a yr forward of the Olympics in 2028 within the metropolis.
Requested about that chance on Sunday, USATF chief govt Max Siegel didn’t rule it out.
“So far as internet hosting different occasions we’d like to proceed to host occasions,” Siegel instructed reporters when requested about 2027.
“The extra that we are able to help and provides visibility to the game is nice for all of us. The timetable is one thing that we must work by way of.
“However we stay up for working with World Athletics and internet hosting extra occasions right here.”
Coe, in the meantime, stated the championships had drawn a further 400,000 new followers to World Athletics social media platforms with seven million engagements. Movies posted by World Athletics drew 41 million views.
Siegel says US officers will proceed to work with World Athletics to find out how finest to take advantage of these numbers.
“Anecdotally I’ve had extra people who find themselves not conventional observe followers attain out to me,” Siegel stated. “There’s an enormous consciousness due to the World Championships.
“We’re working in partnership with World Athletics to get each quantitative and qualitative date as to the place the game sits, with tons of methods to reposition the game and the model and to inform the tales of the athletes. We’ve got a fairly sturdy plan main as much as LA 2028.
“We’re going to capitalize on this occasion and use it as a catalyst to reposition the game.”
Athletics will even profit from a schedule over the subsequent six years that can imply the game is kind of completely within the international highlight.
A consequence of the Tokyo Olympics’ postponement by a yr — and the knock-on resolution to reschedule the Eugene championships to 2022 — implies that the game will now have a world championship in seven of eight years between 2021 and 2028.
Subsequent yr’s World Championships in Budapest are adopted by the 2024 Paris Olympics, earlier than Tokyo hosts the World Championships in 2025. A lone fallow yr in 2026 is adopted by the 2027 World Championships and the 2028 Olympics.
“In case you take a look at the subsequent six or seven years we now have athletics completely middle stage in northern hemisphere phrases in essentially the most broadcastable a part of the yr,” Coe stated. “I’m actually happy we’ve bought the chance to showcase athletics, however I don’t reduce the challenges some athletes are going to face.”
Whereas the likes of McLaughlin, Lyles and 800m star Athing Mu have been the figureheads of a profitable US crew, the worldwide unfold of expertise in Eugene was additionally notable.
The evergreen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce bagged a fifth world 100m crown, whereas compatriot Shericka Jackson blazed to victory within the 200m in 21.45sec, the second quickest time in historical past.
On Sunday, Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan delivered arguably essentially the most gorgeous world file of the championships, scorching to 12.12secs earlier than happening to win gold within the girls’s 100m hurdles.
These performances encourage Coe to consider that the game has a spread of stars to market itself round within the post-Usain Bolt period.
“We acknowledge the distinctive nature of what Usain Bolt dropped at our sport,” Coe stated on Sunday.
“However I’ m in all probability extra optimistic in regards to the bandwidth of expertise that’s coming by way of… We’ve bought an entire group of younger athletes which are there or thereabouts.”
