The curtain came down on the 2022 Indoor Track and Field Championship that was held in Belgrade, Serbia on March 19, with the Jamaican women capturing gold in the 4x400 relays in the final event. But while the Ethiopians top the medal standing with 4 gold medals, it was the Americans who captured the most medals (3G,7S, 9B) for a tally of 19 medals. Americans Grant Holloway (60m hurdles), Ajee Wilson (800m) and Sandi Morris (Pole Vault) all posted impressive performances. The Ethiopian team dominated the distance races, with Samuel Tefera and Gudaf Tsegay sweeping the men’s and women’s 1500m respectively. Selemon Barega and Lemiem Hailu were equally impressive as they swept the men’s and women’s 3000m titles. Italy’s Lamont Jacob (60m), Sweden’s Mujinga Kambundji (60m), Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards (400m) and Bahamas’s Shaunae Miller-Uibo (400m) were all winners.
Ethiopian going the distance
The Ethiopians dominated the distance races with Selemon Barega (7:41.38) and Lamecha Girma (7:41.63) taking the top spots in the men’s 3000m, with Great Britain’s Marc Scott finishing in third place in a season best 7:42.02. On the women’s side, Lemlen Hailu was victorious in a season best time of 8:41.82 ahead of the American Elinor Purrier-Pierre (8:42.04) with Ejagayehu Taye (8:42.23), also of Ethiopia, finishing in third.
The Ethiopian women swept the 1500m with Gudaf Tsegay taking the top spot in a championship record time of 3:57.19 ahead of Axumawit Embaye (4:02.29) and Hirut Meshesha (4:03.39).
Samuel Tefera, also of Ethiopia, won the men’s 1500m also in a championship record time of 3:32.77 ahead of the Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:33.02) and Kenya’s Abel Kipsang (3:33.36).
Holloway sizzles in the 60m hurdles
American Grant Holloway easily won the men’s 60m hurdles final in a brisk 7.39 over France’s Pascal Martinot -Lagarde (7.50) and Jarett Eaton (7.53). But it was Holloway’s performance in the heats that has the track world abuzz. The American stopped the clock at 7.29 seconds to equal his indoor world record. Holloway performance in Belgrade indicates that he is indeed ready to impress in the 110m hurdles at the 2022 World Championship later this summer.
Wilson and Garcia win 800m titles
America’s Ajee Wilson ran a controlled race to take the women’s 800m title in a season best 1:59.09 ahead of Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu (2:00.54) and Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi (2:00.66). Jamaica’s Natoya Goule, who was having a superb season, finished a disappointing fourth in 2:01.18.
The Spaniard Mariano Garcia won the men’s 800 title in 1:46.20 ahead of Kenya’s Noah Kibet (1:46.35) and America’s Bryce Hoppel (1:46.51). Garcia ran a patient race through the first 600m before taking the lead which he never relinquished.
Miller-Uibo and Richards take the 400m titles
Two-time Olympic champion Bahamas’s Shaunae Miller-Uibo won the women’s 400m title in a season best time of 50.31 ahead of Netherland’s Femke Bol (50.57) and Jamaica’s Stephenie-Ann McPherson (50.79). Miller-Uibo who has a lifetime best and national record of 50.21, defeated Bol, who had an impressive indoor season on the circuit and who ran a Dutch national record 50.30 a month earlier (Feb 27, 2022). McPherson’s time of 50.79 is also a Jamaican national record that erased the 29-year-old mark of 50.93 set by Sandie Richards in Toronto, Canada back in 1993.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem ‘The Dream” Richards captured his first individual global title when he won the men’s 400m title in a championship record and national record time of 45.00 seconds. Richards time of 45.00 seconds erased the indoor mark set by Deon Lendore (45.03), who passed away recently. Richards finished ahead of America’s Trevor Bassitt (45.05) and Sweden’s Carl Bengstrom (45.33).
O’Neil A Reid
Edited by Raymond Byfield
Jereem Richards photo courtesy of Source Athletics
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