Champions Who Find a Way to Glory
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WEDNESDAY 9 OCTOBER 2019 SPORT 07 It’s important to have targets. There are clear targets for this Qatar coach Felix Sanchez RUGBY team. The plan for the players says during his speech at RUGBY is to arrive for the 2022 FIFA “Aspire Academy Global Rugby World Cup: Rugby World Cup: World Cup in the right shape. Summit.” Argentina vs USA Scotland vs Russia ACTION TODAY’S ‘Terrific trio’ of Doha Worlds: Barshim, Kipruto and Edris Champions who find a way to glory IAAF Despite all that – or, per- but it was Lemecha Girma who Barshim faced strong oppo- Conselsus Kipruto and Mutaz Essa Barshim provided DOHA versely, could it be because of took the biggest hit. nents, men not inclined to wonderful examples one after the other on day eight all that – Kipruto somehow got He had gained the upper concede him either victory or of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019. himself to the line centimetres hand once he and Kipruto got even misplaced sympathy. He Each of these champions came to Doha facing uphill One characteristic of champions ahead of a despairing El Bakkali. past the Moroccan athlete down was here to be beaten and it battles to retain their titles. Injury had laid both low is that they often find a way to Nobody saw that coming, least the back-straight. seemed any number might do win, even when they shouldn’t. of all El Bakkali, whose arms He led at the water-jump, it. in recent times. Both faced stern competition from Goals against the run of play, the were spread acclaiming a led at the final hurdle. Then Qualifying brought a sea- worthy opponents. Yet both won. passing shot at full stretch on victory which had just evapo- Kipruto really got to work, son’s best of 2.29m, a mark that match point, willing oneself rated before his own eyes. grinding down his opponent was improved to 2.30m in the across the line or over the bar. At the Khalifa International stride by stride and diving des- final after first-time clearances not match him, Barshim had to take out the win. Conselsus Kipruto and Stadium, El Bakkali was once perately to get to the line a hun- at 2.19m, 2.24m, 2.27m and secured a victory which, even a When things were going Mutaz Essa Barshim (pictured) again one of Kipruto’sKipruto s ‘victims‘victims’,, dredth of a second to the good.good. 2.30m.2.30m. Things then started toto fewf days ago, looked out of his wrong, when team-mate and providedprovided wonderful examples This all came after an injury-injury- unravel, or at least show signs reach.r perennial rival Will Claye was oneone after the other on dadayy eieightght blightedblighted build-up which theythey might.might. Barshim needed all There have been other way out in front, Taylor still ofof thethe IAAF WorldWorld AthleticsAthletics restrictedrestricted Kipruto to just fourfour three tries to get over 2.33m,2.33m, a examplese here. Kelsey-Lee found a way to win. ChampionshipsChampionships Doha 2019. races thisthis year: two DNFs, a fifthfifth heightheight MikhailMikhail AkimenkoAkimenko andand BarberB had endured a mediocre So, too, did Muktar Edris in EachEach of these championschampions came andand a seventh.seventh. MaksimMaksim NedasekauNedasekau clearedcleared qualifyingq competition and five the 5,000m. The man who too Doha facing uphill battles to Barshim’s problem was the first-up.first-up. mediocrem throws in the final closed the Mo Farah era by retaretainin ttheirheir ttitles.itles. seriousserious ankle ininjuryjury he suffered BarshimBarshim nownow ttrailedrailed andand bbefore she produced a gold defeating the great Briton in the IInjurynjury had laid both low in mid-2018mid-2018 which required had to onceonce again gogo mmedal throw on the final 5,000m in London two years recentrecent times.times. BothBoth facedfaced sternstern surgerysurgery and lengthy rehabili-rehabili- higherhigher than he attempt.a ago had done precious little this competitioncompetition from worthyworthy oppo-oppo- tation.tation. HeHe was competing on hadhad all season Coach and husband Michael year. nents.nents. YetYet bothboth won. homehome soil in Doha, but if hhee wantedwanted to BarberB had suggested she He faced opposition from Kipruto, at least, is making cacameme inintoto thethe com-com- win. lengthenl her run-up for the final younger team-mates Selemon a habit of this. Last year he won ppetitionetition with a ToTo the throwt and not over-reach. Barega and Telahun Bekele, as thehe IAAF DiamondDiamond League ffinalinal season’s bestbest ooff delightdelight of a “Trust the feel. Trust the well as Norway’s Jakob Inge- inn Zurich, again snatching 2.27m.2.27m. packedp acked rrhythm,” was the mantra. brigtsen and Canada’s Mo victoryvictory from what sstadium,tadium, BarberB did and leapt from fifth Ahmed. seeseemedmed ininevitableevitable BaBarshimrshim tot first and a gold medal. A little more than three defeat.defeat. boomboomeded Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce seconds covered the first six in That over wonw her fourth world 100m title a blanket finish. nnightight 2.332.33mm here.h The Jamaican star wasn’t Yet it was again Edris who KiprutoKipruto onon thethe returningr from injury but from prevailed. He found a way to get beat finalfinal childbirth.c She met strong oppo- to the line first, when form and nents,n took their best, and came logic said he shouldn’t have. attempt,attempt, then outo on top with a world-leading Again, give the last word to got 2.35m at the 10.71.1 Conselsus Kipruto. first.first. Christian Taylor also won a “At championships, I always He had the lead,lead, but fourthf world title in the triple believe that experience counts SoufianeSoufiane ElEl BakkaliBakkali despitedespite lostlost it againagain as AkimenkoAkimenko jump.j He fouled his first two for a lot,” he said. losingosing a shoe on the first retained his pperfecterfect record with jumpsj and even with his third “It’s not about shape. I set lap,ap, twice conceding a a first-time clearance.clearance. gotg not much closer to the take- my mind and my heart very breakbreak to hishis opponent,opponent, BarshimBarshim had to dodo it all overover offo board than being in the same well. When I got to the start line, losingosing ground at the finalfinal again at 2.37m. He did, againagain stadium.s His next effort was a I told myself, ‘I’m going to do it’. water-jumpwater-jump and trailing off soaring clearclear withwith room to 17.86m1 which put him into the This strong mentality helped me thehe final hurdle.hurdle. spare.spare. When Akimenko couldcould leadl and he improved to 17.92m with the race.” Raptors down NHL: Texier’s strike powers Blue Rockets in Japan Jackets to victory over Sabres preseason game REUTERS COLUMBUS AFP netted a game-high 34 points SAITAMA, JAPAN and Centre Clint Capela added Alexandre Texier scored 2:08 12 for Houston. into overtime and the Columbus The NBA champion Toronto Ibaka opened the game with Blue Jackets overcame two Raptors won a preseason game a double for the Raptors, but the blown leads on Monday night to against the Houston Rockets Rockets quickly took the lead as beat the visiting Buffalo Sabres 134-129 in Japan yesterday, a Harden sank a dynamic 4-3 for their first win of the match-up overshadowed by a 3-pointer. season. controversial tweet from a He hit another late in the With 13:14 left in the third, Houston executive that angered second quarter, ending the first Nick Foligno put Columbus up China. half 85-73 to the Rockets. 3-2 with its second power-play Pascal Siakam, the 2019 Ahead of the game, NBA goal of the night, thanks to some Most Improved Player, scored commissioner Adam Silver said relentless pressure on Buffalo 24 points for the Raptors as the organisation would continue netminder Linus Ullmark (40 Serge Ibaka added 18 and guard to “support freedom of saves). Fred VanVleet, 16. Three-time expression and certainly However, Columbus’ Boone Alexandre Texier scores the winner to secure victory for All Star Marc Gasol stayed on the freedom of expression of the Jenner took a penalty for pushing Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday in Columbus, Ohio. Tronto bench. NBA community.” the puck with his hand off a face- Former NBA Most Valuable The Raptors last season off with less than two minutes in Player Russell Westbrook, became the first league regulation. traded from the Oklahoma City champion from outside the Victor Olofsson then con- Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had a second period. Johansson nailed have earned points in their first Thunder, made his Rockets United States by dethroning the verted Buffalo’s second power- career-high 23 goals last season, a quick one-timer from the right three games this season (2-0-1). debut by scoring 13 points. defending titleholders Golden play goal of the game, and the gave his team a 1-0 lead when circle. Jordan Binnington stopped 32 Rockets star James Harden State in the finals. team’s sixth of the season, with he sent home a backhanded The visitors made it 2-2 with shots. a blast from right circle to make rebound of Seth Jones’ shot that 8:02 left in the second when Frederik Gauthier and it 3-3 with 1:14 left in deflected off both a Sabers player Skinner picked the pocket of William Nylander scored for regulation. and the back boards. Columbus defenseman Ryan Toronto, which has dropped two Marcus Johansson and Jeff Less than a minute later, Murray.