Saint-Denis, France had a thrilling night of track and field. Four gold medals were up for grabs at the Stade de France. Top rivals faced off, and family drama unfolded. Here are five highlights from the night including Quincy Hall victory:
Quincy Hall Does Amazing 400 Meters Race
The 400 meters race was wide open. Quincy Hall from the USA was the favorite. He had great performances in qualifying. Hall ran in lane eight and barely broke a sweat during qualifying. Everyone expected a new world record from him.
Hall didn’t set a new record but won gold. He made a stunning effort to catch the leaders in the final stretch. The crowd roared as Hall chased down the other runners. He was in sixth place at the final curve. Then, he sprinted forward, passing everyone.
“I kept thinking, ‘Get home, sir,'” Hall said after his win. In the final meters, he passed Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith. Hall won by .04 seconds. Hudson-Smith thought he had the win. “I thought I had it,” he said. But Hall took it from him. “I can’t complain,” Hudson-Smith added. “I ran the fifth-fastest time.”
Hall celebrated by ringing the victory bell. He took off his shoes for a photo and did a shoeless victory lap. “This means a lot,” Hall said. “I’ve worked hard. I told you I would get gold.” He thanked his coach for the support. “I don’t give up,” he said. “I have determination.”
Mykolas Alekna Sets a New Record
Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania was the top discus thrower. He aimed to beat the Olympic record set by his father in 2004. On his second throw, Alekna did it. He threw 69.97 meters, beating his father’s record by .08 meters.
But then, Rojé Stona of Jamaica surprised everyone. He threw 70 meters, pushing Alekna to second place. Stona was ranked No. 11 in the world. “It’s a very special night,” Stona said. “I believed in myself.”
Alekna tried to regain his lead but couldn’t. He had to settle for silver. But he is young and will compete again in future Olympics.
Aussie Tops American in Pole Vault
The women’s pole vault final was a showdown between Nina Kennedy of Australia and Katie Moon of the USA. Kennedy cleared 4.90 meters on her first try. Moon couldn’t clear it and moved on to 4.95 meters. She only had two attempts.
Moon missed on her first try. Both she and Kennedy missed on their second attempts. Moon needed to clear 4.95 meters to force Kennedy to match her. Moon missed, and Kennedy won gold. Kennedy celebrated with her family. She had shared the gold with Moon at the last world championship.
“It’s amazing,” Kennedy said. “I’ve thought about the Olympics every day.” It was a special night for her and a few disappointments for Team USA.
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