Although no world records were challenged and favorites prevailed, the second day of World Indoors in Nanjing, China was packed with exciting races. The finals contested on the track included the men's and women's 3k, the men's and women's 400m, the men's 60m hurdles, and the women's 60m dash.
Women's 3000m
A tactical opening lap in the women's 3000m set the tone for an afternoon with close calls and frequent lead changes. Pre-race favorite Frewenyi Hailu coasted off the back of the twelve woman field. Australia's Jess Hull kept a decent pace early before Japan's Naomi Tanaka pushed for a few laps.
Heading into the final quarter mile, it was a matter of who would make the decisive move. On cue at the bell, Hailu made that move, held the lead, and won by over a second. Jess Hull, certainly a medal favorite, was passed on the home stretch by American Shelby Houlihan, who sat out for years after a doping ban.
The finishing times were par for the course of a championship, the takeaways here being that Jess Hull isn't quite ready to translate her amazing 1500m time into the 3000m, and that Houlihan is once again ready to compete with the best in the world. The race played into Houlihan's hands more than it did Hailu's.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the 3k
Jakob Ingebrigtsen came to Nanjing to secure the1500m/3000m double. He's qualified to the 1500m final on Sunday and he earned his first indoor 3k medal, the gold, with a patient race on Saturday.
The opening pace was lackadaisical and with Ingebrigtsen at the back of the field, nobody knew what to do. Sam Parsons took it at 200m but the field didn't have conviction in his move, meaning that Ingegbrigsten was forced to take the lead "early," edging to the front by the 800m mark.
As Ingebrigtsen slipped back and the three Ethiopians, each with a good chance to medal, implemented some team tactics, Ingebrigtsen found himself bunched up on the rail, often with two runners beside him.
The race took off at 2400m, with Berihu Aregawi and Ingebrigtsen battling. Aregawi looked to the advantage over Ingebrigtsen, but he tired out on the final stretch and Ingebrigtsen earned a classic, patient win.
Australia's Kai Robinson dashed past American Sam Gilman for bronze.
Alexis Holmes gets nipped, Henriette Jæger wins in her own right
The women's 400m was overshadowed by the absence of last year's 1-2 finishers, Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver from the Netherlands. The biggest beneficiary in this race was Norway's Henriette Jæger. Jæger is a rising star in the event who is only twenty-one years old. So far, she hasn't matched up well against her European rivals, and their absence in Nanjing allowed her to secure World Indoor bronze.
Up front, American Alexis Holmes, a podium certainty, claimed the pole position and denied Britain's Amber Anning lane one. Amazingly, Anning recovered from being thrown out, almost to lane three, and won the race. An exhausted holmes dove over the finish line.
American men sweep the 400m
"Look for Chris Bailey to lead a sweep," was indeed how the men's 400m final proceeded. However, American Brian Faust's opening lap was a daring bid for his own gold. His 21.29 first 200m to secure the pole was fantastic and he held on well for a silver medal and new PB of 45.47. Faust, an unsponsored runner who trains with Garden State Track Club, is set to have the season of his life.
The American team was able to secure the unprecedented sweep because of Faust's performances in the World Athletics Indoor Tour. He was awarded a wildcard spot for Nanjing which meant the U.S. had three men competing rather than the usual maximum of two. This sweep will be remembered as the most precious accomplishment from these championships.
Grant Holloway wins again
Although the time was "slow," Grant Holloway's winning performance of 7.42 further cemented his legacy as the best 60m hurdler of all time. Holloway has been undefeated for countless consecutive races, and his execution is near perfect. He was trailed by Wilhem Belocian and Junxi Liu in 7.54 and 7.55, respectively.
What will the final day of competition bring?
The World Athletics Indoor Championships will wrap up on Sunday March 23. The three-day competition is rather condensed compared to outdoor championships. The final day will feature a few notable matchups, but the races that can't be missed are the men's 1500m (at 8:15 AM EST), where Ingebrigtsen will look to secure the double, and the men's 800m (at 8:40 AM EST), where Josh Hoey may take a shot at the world record.