The World Athletics Championships (WAC) has finally reached the United States of America, the country which has never placed less than third in the medal standing and topped the tables in 12 of the 17 championships prior to this one. Of course, Jamaica’s prowess on the WAC track has also been well documented and, ever since Bertland Cameron won the 400m title at the first WAC (Helsinki 1983), the performances have been stellar.

Over the 17 past championships, Jamaica has achieved a few superlatives that have sat for a long time and don’t appear to be in danger of being eclipsed any time soon. The exploits of Usain Bolt will be talked about for ages and his world records in the 100m and 200m (9.58 seconds and 19.19 seconds, respectively) were both set at the WAC in Berlin (2009). Additionally, Bolt was a member of the quartet who set the 4x100m men’s WAC record of 37.04 seconds in Daegu (2011), along with Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, and Yohan Blake. The same team that set the current world record (36.84 seconds) one year later at the London Olympics.

The most medals won by an individual male at the WAC is 14 (eleven gold, two silver, one bronze) by Bolt from 2007-2017 in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. The 11-time world champion has won consecutive World Championship 100m, 200m, and 4×100m relay gold medals from 2009 to 2015, with the exception of a 100m false start in 2011. He is, by far, the most successful male athlete of the WAC and his seven total individual gold medals at these championships are the most ever for a man.

The Jamaican ladies, not to be outdone, set the WAC 4x100m record of 41.07 seconds in Beijing (2015) with Carrie Russell, Kerron Stewart, Schillonie Calvert, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – still the second-fastest time ever. Then, to firmly register her name in the female greatest of all time (GOAT) conversation, Fraser-Pryce won her fifth world championship 100m gold medal last Sunday, July 17 in the WAC record time of 10.67 seconds, erasing the Marion Jones mark of 10.70 set in 1999.

Fraser-Pryce led teammates Shericka Jackson (personal best 10.73 seconds) and Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.81 seconds) across the line to complete the first-ever sweep of the WAC 100m women. There are now a total of three sweeps in the women 100m at all global games, the other two being at the Olympics and all three have had one common denominator, Fraser-Pryce. She has finished first in two of the three sweeps, including the Beijing Olympics (2008) with Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart in tow. The same trio that won last Sunday did the deed in Tokyo last year, but with Thompson-Herah leading the pack (the second-fastest time ever for a woman – 10.61 seconds), with Fraser-Pryce and Jackson for company.

The most WAC gold medals won by an individual is 13 by Allyson Felix of the USA plus she has an additional three silver and three bronze medals to top the all-time list. However, the next three places on the female table belong to Jamaicans – Merlene Ottey (3 gold, 4 silver, 7 bronze), Fraser-Pryce (10 gold, 2 silver) and Veronica Campbell-Brown (3 gold, 7 silver, 1 bronze). The most rounds competed by an athlete at the WAC is 59 by Merlene Ottey from 1983-1997 (for Jamaica) and from 2003-2007 when she switched allegiance to Slovenia. The most by a man is 44 by Bolt from 2005-2017.

The most single-event medals achieved by a woman at the WAC is six (2 golds, 1 silver, 3 bronzes) at 200m by Ottey from 1983-1997 and she became the oldest-ever WAC female gold medallist when she won the 200m at age 35 years 92 days in Gothenburg, Sweden (1995). At the other end of the spectrum, Jamaica still boasts the youngest WAC gold medallist in Merlene Frazer, who, at 17 years and 248 days, was part of the winning 4x100m relay squad in 1991 (Tokyo).

The closest-known finish to a WAC event came in the women’s 100m in Stuttgart (1993), when Gail Devers (USA) beat Ottey by 1,000th of a second (10.811 to 10.812) and the tables were turned in Osaka (2007), when the margin of victory for the women’s 100m was 0.002 involving another Jamaican-American rivalry: Veronica Campbell 11.006 over Lauryn Williams (USA) 11.008.

Jamaica continues to set an indelible mark in track and field, in general, but specifically at the World Championships. The future looks bright with some young professionals improving with every outing and some Under-20 athletes performing way above their years. This, the 18th official WAC, was originally scheduled for August 6-15, 2021, but was rescheduled to July 15-24, 2022 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and the displacement caused by the deferment of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021.

It therefore means the next WAC will be held next year and will offer a quick opportunity for some athletes to further solidify their legacy and others to capitalise on the improvement they have displayed in these games. The likes of Tajay Gayle, who could not defend his long jump title from 2019 due to injury, and reigning Olympic 110m hurdles champion Hansle Parchment, who suffered an injury just minutes before the WAC finals, will be keenly preparing for Budapest next year – a lot is expected.

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