To mark the 40th anniversary of the World Athletics Championships, fans from all around the world were asked to vote for the greatest moments from the past four decades of championship action.
Thousands of fans took part, and the votes have been counted. Following the first instalment on 30 June, the second on 6 July and the third on 13 July, here we reveal the top 10 greatest World Championships moments – as decided by followers of the sport.
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Twenty different countries from all six continental areas are represented in the top 40. Moments from all 18 past editions of the World Championships feature in the countdown.
Coming in at No. 4 was Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s sprint double (2013, Moscow).
Fraser-Pryce first reclaimed the world 100m title she had won for the first time in 2009, banishing memories of the 2011 World Championships in Daegu when she had finished one place outside the medals.
She claimed gold in a time of 10.71. Her 0.22 margin of victory over silver medallist Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast was the largest in that event in World Championship history.
Voted No. 1 was Usain Bolt’s world record double in 2009, Berlin.
Think of Usain Bolt and you probably think of Berlin. That is where his glorious, fabled career reached top speed.
Defending champion Tyson Gay had arrived as the fastest man over 100m in 2009 with a timing of 9.77, a US record. On the big day he bettered that with 9.71, the third-fastest time ever. But after Bolt had moved marginally clear by 20 metres the US sprinter was destined to become a distant silver medallist as his rival floated ever further out of range to clock – gasp! – 9.58.
Bolt’s third successive 100m world record took more than a tenth of a second off the mark he had set in electrifying the Beijing 2008 Olympics with victory in 9.69. That win was marked by a little celebratory chest-beating before the line, leaving many to question how much faster Bolt could go if he concentrated all the way. Now they knew.
The statisticians claimed that, according to the normal rate of progression, his time was 20 years ahead of schedule. Fourteen years on, nobody has got significantly close to it.
Four days later, Bolt lined up for the final of what he always said was his preferred distance – the 200m. Gay, who had clocked the world’s best time of the year, 19.58, was unable to defend his second title from Osaka after hurting his groin during the 100m final.
While there would be no second part to the hyped rivalry, it meant, perhaps, that Bolt was more free to concentrate on his own performance. Which turned out to be stupendous.
Never can this natural showman have been more serious about a race. From gun to tape he was intent, concentrated, driven. When he crossed the line there was a genuine sense of shock at what he had achieved. He might even have felt a little of it himself.
