Two British gold coins in just 35 minutes; It wasn’t quite London 2012, but the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow still had its own very special ‘Super Saturday’.
First, Josh Kerr produced a stunning final lap to add the world indoor title at 3,000m to the outdoor title he won last summer, before Cornish pole vaulter Molly Caudery confirmed her newfound status as the world’s best until 2024.
Kerr’s impressive 4.80m lead came just minutes after her victory, but Kerr was then forced into an agonizing wait to see if Eliza McCartney could better her height. The New Zealander could not get past the 23-year-old Caudery, despite being his training partner at Loughborough and a track record of Olympic bronze medalists.
The gold medal was reward for his superb form so far this winter, and while the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will always be his long-term target, Caudery is already a serious contender to win Great Britain’s first Olympic pole vault gold medal.
You also have to go all the way back to Tessa Sanderson in 1984 when the last time a British woman won Olympic gold in a field event. “I’m at a loss for words right now – I’m living my dream – I really can’t believe it,” said Caudery, who cried after embracing her parents Stuart and Barbara at the trackside.
“My mum and dad are so proud of me; my dad was my coach until I was 18 and it was so special to have them here and witness this. They were crying as much as I was and it was such a special moment to be able to share it.”
“It was an absolutely crazy competition. It’s an indescribable feeling. It’s the best feeling to know that the whole nation is behind you.”
Caudery also had to regain his composure after the competition was postponed due to French athlete Margot Chevrier’s broken ankle.
“I couldn’t keep my cool; I ended up crying to my coach,” he said. “I really pick up on other people’s emotions. I tried to push myself away but I couldn’t. He knows me so well, he said, ‘Don’t hold it in, let it all out, so I had a moment to cry, reset and send my love to them all.’
With Laura Muir and Laviai Nielsen also finishing in the top six, it was an evening to remember for England fans and one that eased the pressure on the UK Athletics team to have a selection policy that prioritizes quality over sheer quantity of athletes. Glasgow.
The verbal back-and-forth between the big beasts of men’s middle-distance running has been non-stop this winter, but for the second time in a month Kerr has again let his legs make the most convincing statement.
Kerr, now the indoor world champion and world record holder, thrilled his home fans by overhauling Olympic 10,000 meters champion Selemon Barega.
He is the first Scottish athlete to win the world indoor title since Tom McKean and Yvonne Murray 31 years ago, and perhaps an equally important message has been sent to Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who was not present, ahead of the upcoming competitions.
The Norwegian Olympic 1500m champion will be a major threat to Kerr’s hopes in Paris but he has been injured recently so it has been nothing but mind games in recent months.
His final observation was that Kerr could capture the world two-mile record even with his eyes closed; But no matter what he said publicly, he couldn’t help but notice how much Kerr had grown since leading him to the world title last summer.
“I was excited,” Kerr said. “This is a huge championship for Scotland and the United Kingdom. I’m so relieved, I’m so happy. The Scottish and English fans who filled this stadium were the loudest I have ever been around. “It was an emotional day.”
It was also another superbly run race. Showing great patience, Kerr settled into the group in the early stages and allowed Barega and his Ethiopian compatriot Getnet Wale to return to the front. Kerr made his first significant move with 800 meters remaining, drifting onto Barega’s shoulder and waiting until he approached the bell at 200 metres.
The Scot’s change of pace proved decisive as he moved from back to front just before passing Barega and taking victory. Kerr trudged across the line, celebrated with a finger to his ear, then high-fived some of the trackside volunteers and then wrapped himself in the Scottish flag.
A tremendous surge of pent-up adrenaline was released and the crowd embraced him. “I think I spent more energy celebrating than I did in the race, which was a bit embarrassing,” Kerr said. “I feel like I’ve let the UK audience down a bit with the way I’ve performed in front of them over the last few years. “It was really important for me to come here and execute.”
Muir had previously finished fifth in the same 3000 meter distance, running a season-best time of 8 minutes, 29.76 seconds. Her goal this summer was the 1,500-meter run, for which she won an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo, but the longer distance at those championships better suited her current training priorities.
A slow race would certainly have helped Muir too, but that hope was soon ended as Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay quickly took the lead before being overhauled by American Elle St Pierre in the final straight.
A world record was also broken in the women’s 400 meters; Femke Bol, the world outdoor champion in the 400-meter hurdles, destroyed the field in 49.17 seconds. Britain’s team captain, Nielsen, went under 51 seconds for the first time in his life and finished fourth, narrowly out of the medals.