TotalEneriges AFCON 2023: Cape Verde aims to exceed expectations
The Blue Sharks are placed in Group B with Ghana, Egypt, and Mozambique
Cape Verde’s best performance in AFCON was reaching the quarter-finals in 2013
The CAF TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations begins in Ivory Coast on January 13
They’re back! For the second consecutive time, Cape Verdeans will participate in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations.
Since the Cameroonian edition two years ago, the West Africans have strengthened their defence with the addition of the young talent Logan Costa and in midfield with Deroy Duarte.
These two new assets are crucial for Bubista to achieve Cape Verde’s best AFCON performance.
Cape Verde’s Group B Matches:
– January 14, 2024: Ghana vs. Cape Verde, 8:00 p.m. GMT, Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan
– January 19, 2024: Cape Verde vs. Mozambique, 2:00 p.m. GMT, Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan
– January 22, 2024: Cape Verde vs. Egypt, 8:00 p.m. GMT, Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan
Player to Watch: Ryan Mendes
Ryan Mendes is primarily a highly versatile winger. Possessing excellent technical skills, he also boasts exceptional speed, allowing him to make explosive accelerations.
While not very physical, he stands out for his good vision of the game, with well-timed distribution and interceptions.
His good jumping ability occasionally allows him to score with headers. In recent years, he has also played as a central midfielder, impressing with his withdrawals and ability to restart the play.
Coach: Pedro Leitao Brito, aka “Bubista”
A man of dialogue, a natural leader, and a born winner, Bubista is a real asset for Cape Verde. Leading the Blue Sharks since 2020, he has implemented a 4-3-3 formation based on a physical game, relying on a very athletic backline quickly transitioning to the attack.
While his system has brought success, he is occasionally criticized for his style, deemed excessively pragmatic and cautious.
Cape Verde’s AFCON Achievements:
– 2013: Quarter-final
– 2015: Group stage
– 2021: Round of 16
Refuse to break in comeback victory against Luka Doncic and Mavericks
The Cleveland Cavaliers received a late Christmas gift as Cleveland sports continue to define themselves with a next-man-up mentality in the face of injuries, Caleb Crowley reports for the King James Gospel.
Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Browns’ fanbases have endured emotional roller-coaster seasons, watching their best players fall to injury only to have surprise contributors lift them over tough opponents.
Without Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland or Evan Mobley, a depleted Cavs team willed themselves to a 20-point comeback on the road against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks to finish the night 110-107. At the end of the first half, Cleveland trailed the Mavs by 15, but a third-quarter surge by Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen brought the Cavaliers within single digits to start the final period.
LeVert led the Cavaliers in scoring with 29 points off the bench, followed by Jarrett Allen’s monstrous 24 points and 23 rebounds. Isaac Okoro shined once again in the starting five, ending with 22 points on a stellar 5-of-7 night from deep.
Out of Allen’s 23 rebounds, 9 came on the offensive glass, helping the Cavaliers to 15 second-chance points. Without Mobley at his side, Allen has been undeterred in the post, fighting tooth and nail for every missed shot on both ends of the court. Allen added six assists on the night, launching the ball to the open runner off of Dallas’ missed attempts.
As a team, the Cavaliers connected on 17 of their 43 3-point attempts and assisted on 33 of their 40 field goals on the night. Without their stars leading the way, Cleveland has consistently depended on an everchanging attack, finding the extra pass to an open shooter whenever possible.
The well-rounded team effort of Cleveland outlasted Doncic’s 39 points, but the primary tool that uplifted the Cavs was not the scoring and selfless passing. Rather, it was the same cornerstone that has defined this team for years: defense.
The Cavaliers earned their win with defense masterclass in Dallas
Isaac Okoro has had an undeniable offensive leap this season, but his defense has remained as stalwart as ever. Though his stat sheet does not display all the dribbles picked up and early passes he forces, his talent was on full display as he accepted the assignment of guarding Doncic all night.
The Cavaliers had one goal on defense, especially in the second half: make anybody other than Luka Doncic shoot the basketball. In the second half, the Cavs only allowed Doncic 10 points on 4-of-12 from the field and only gave him three free throws. With every botched Dallas possession, the Cavaliers wasted no time in running up the court and finding the hole in the Mavericks’ subpar defense.
Although the Cavaliers entered the night with a lengthy injury report, the Mavericks were not without their own missing star in former Cavalier Kyrie Irving. Without Irving, Cleveland’s defense suffocated Doncic’s every opportunity to close the game in the fourth quarter.
On top of their defense, the Cavaliers had another strong performance from a now-familiar face in Cleveland. Once again, undrafted rookie Craig Porter, Jr. put his nonstop energy and hustle on display, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out 7 assists. Without a consistent 3-point shot, Porter struggles to put on highlight-reel scoring performances each game, but his mid-range talent, rebounding and defense kept the Cavaliers in the fight time and time again.
n one play alone, Porter continuously gave the Cavaliers extra possessions with offensive rebounds and quick hands until they finally drained a 3-pointer from Okoro. This type of resiliency on defense and offense gave the Cavaliers the energy to push past a Mavericks team that began to coast in the third quarter after a resounding early run.
The Cavaliers now sit 18-13 on the season and have a 3-1 record without their star trio of Garland, Mitchell and Mobley. While the season still has plenty of action left with plenty of questions remaining for the Cavs, this stretch of grind-it-out wins has been exactly what they needed. While their recent injuries appeared to be a death mark on the Cavs’ chances to avoid the Play-In Tournament, they remain in the mix to overtake the New York Knicks for the coveted sixth seed.
Following this win, the Cleveland Cavaliers will return home to Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse to welcome the new star tandem of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, December 29 at 7:30 pm Eastern Time. The Bucks currently sit in second place in the Eastern Conference, making them Cleveland’s toughest opponent since Mobley and Garland exited. Mitchell may return to the lineup in time, but there is no confirmation yet.
TotalEnergies AFCON 2023: Senegal seek to retain title
The Lions of Teranga will be defending their title
Senegal are in Group C with Cameroon, Gambia, and Guinea
The CAF TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Ivory Coast on January 13, 2024
Senegal has a new mission and aims to relive the emotion of that memorable night on February 6, 2022, still resonating in the minds of Teranga Lions’ supporters.
For this edition, Aliou Cisse can rely on key players like Kalidou Koulibaly and Sadio Mané, as well as the emerging talent of Lamine Camara.
Senegal’s Group C Matches:
– January 15, 2024: Senegal vs. Gambia, 2:00 p.m. GMT, Stade Charles-Konan-Banny, Yamoussoukro
– January 19, 2024: Senegal vs. Cameroon, 5:00 p.m. GMT, Stade Charles-Konan-Banny, Yamoussoukro
– January 23, 2024: Guinea vs. Senegal, 5:00 p.m. GMT, Stade Charles-Konan-Banny, Yamoussoukro
How Senegal Qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations:
By securing a 1-0 victory on the field of Mozambique, Senegal clinched qualification for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023, with two matchdays to spare in the qualifying campaign.
Player to Watch: Sadio Mane
A notable absentee from the FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022™, Sadio Mané, seeking redemption, will undoubtedly be the player to watch during this tournament. The Bambali native is a forward who excels in exploiting space behind opponents, being quicker than defenders and showcasing exceptional technical ability. Capable of lightning-fast accelerations, he is one of the fastest attackers globally. Former Senegal coach Alain Giresse, speaking to Eurosport about Sadio Mané, said, “In his game, everything is spontaneous. He has a very good football intelligence. He knows how to read the game. It’s the type of player capable of quickly analyzing a situation and finding the solution.”
Coach: Aliou Cisse
Aliou Cissé is primarily a leader of men. The Ziguinchor native aims for a third continental final with the Lions of Teranga. An advocate for the importance of psychological aspects and a winning mentality inherited from his playing years under Bruno Metsu, Cissé emphasizes an offensive style of play. His strategy revolves around playing in the opponent’s half for as long as possible, supported by a solid defensive foundation, demanding much in ball distribution, in a game that combines possession, construction, and extremely fast counters led by wide midfielders tasked with stretching the play.
As TotalEnergies AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 gathers steam
Saudi Arabia Training Camping
Cameroon, Gambia, Zambia, and Cape Verde
Cameroon and Gambia, the two teams set to face each other on January 23 in Group B of the CAF TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, will prepare in the same country, Saudi Arabia.
According to the Cameroonian press, a contingent of 23 Indomitable Lions will travel to Jeddah on December 27.
The Gambia will stay in Saudi Arabia from December 27 to January 5 before heading to Morocco, where a match against the Atlas Lions is planned on January 7.
After a brief gathering with local players, Zambia will fly to Riyadh, with a friendly match scheduled around January 7.
They chose the United Arab Emirates
Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cape Verde, Nigeria, Angola, and Guinea
Fourth in the last edition, Burkina Faso set up camp in Dubai on December 28, where the Stallions will play a mini-tournament with Nigeria and DR Congo.
The Congolese and Burkinabes will face off on January 10.
It’s worth noting that Sébastien Desabre’s men are expected in Abu Dhabi at the end of December.
These two teams will be joined by Cape Verde, who are fine-tuning their preparation in Abu Dhabi before flying to Rades in Tunisia, where they will face the Carthage Eagles on January 10.
Abu Dhabi is a carefully considered choice for Kaba Diawara: “Initially, we will meet in Conakry on December 28 and do everything related to flag presentation, celebration, receiving the head of state, and saying goodbye to families on our soil.
“We will be in Abu Dhabi on the 31st to start training. We will leave there for Cote d’Ivoire on January 11 or 12, 2024,” explained the Guinean coach.
Nigeria chose to set up in Dubai during their preparation. The Super Eagles will face the DR Congo and Burkina Faso during this period.
Nigerians will likely encounter Angola, who also chose Dubai for their training camp.
They chose South Africa
Ghana and Mozambique
Ghanaians will spend New Year’s Eve together in South Africa. The Black Stars will undergo a 10-day training camp where the press and the public cannot attend their sessions.
A test match against Botswana is scheduled for Chris Hughton’s men on January 8 before flying to Abidjan.
Mozambicans will also travel to South Africa before the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations.
They will be based in West Africa
Algeria, Guinea Bissau, and Namibia
Algeria heads to Togo. From January 1 to 10, the Fennecs will conduct their preparation stage in Lomé. The 2021 African champions will play against Togo on January 5 and Burundi on January 9.
Guinea Bissau will go to Mali. The Djurtus will face the Eagles on January 3 before heading to Ivory Coast on January 7. Namibia will be in Ghana.
Tunisia Training Camp
Mauritania and Zambia
After Abu Dhabi, Cape Verde will go to Tunisia, where a match against the Carthage Eagles is scheduled.
Mauritania will start its preparation in Tabarka, a coastal city in northwest Tunisia. Amir Abdou and his team will be there until January 11 and face Tunisia on January 6.
…And Algeria, Tanzania
Tanzania will prepare on the side of Annaba. Notably, two friendly matches against nations participating in the AFCON are under discussion.
They Chose to Stay at Home
Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, Mali, Senegal, and Ivory Coast
Eight nations have decided to prepare at home, including Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, Mali, Senegal, and Ivory Coast, the competition’s host country.
Morocco will play its 21st TotalEnergies CAF African Cup of Nations
Coach Walid Regragui names provisional squad of 27
The Moroccans are in Group F with Tanzania, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo
Reigning CAF Coach of the Year, Walid Regragui has named a provisional squad of 27 to represent the Atlas Lions at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast 2023.
The Moroccan team finds itself in group F alongside DR Congo, Tanzania and Zambia.
DR Congo coach Desabre selects 24 players for TotalEnergies AFCON 2023
DR Congo is set to participate in its 20th TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations.
Coach Sebastien Desabre has called up 24 players for the tournament
The Leopards are placed in Group D alongside Algeria, Burkina Faso, and Angola.
Sébastien Desabre, the coach of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has unveiled the 24 players who will represent the Leopards in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023.
The Congolese team finds itself in Group F alongside Morocco, Tanzania, and Zambia.
The 24 Congolese Players Selected for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations:
Rigobert Song names strong 27 Indomitable Lions to represent Cameroon
Cameroon will play its 21st TotalEnergies CAF African Cup of Nations
Coach Rigobert Song has called up a provisional squad of 27
The Congolese are in Group C with Senegal, Gambia and Guinea
Head coach of the Cameroon national team, Rigobert Song, has named a provisional squad of 27 players likely to represent the Indomitable Lions during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast 2023.
The five-time champions, who last won it in 2017, are drawn in Group C alongside Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea.
The provisional squad:
GOALKEEPERS:
André Onana
Epassy quote
Simon Ngapandouetnbu
Fabrice Ondoa
DEFENDERS:
Jean-Charles Castelletto
Harold Moukoudi
Oumar Gonzalez
Darlin Yongwa
Nouhou Tolo
Christopher Wooh
Enzo Tchato
Junior Tchamadeu
Malcolm Bokele
MIDFIELDERS:
Yvan Neyou
Olivier Kemen
Olivier Ntcham
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa
Wilfried Nathan Douala
Benjamin Elliot Njongue
FORWARDS:
Karl Toko-Ekambi
George-Kevin Nkoudou
Vincent Aboubakar
Faris Pemi Moumbagna
François-Régis Mughe
Frank Magri
Leonel Ateba
Clinton Njié
All selections are provisional until the final list of 24 players is announced by CAF after the submission deadline on Wednesday, 03 January.
Al Ahly star Percy Tau will lead the South African attack at next month’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023.
The reigning CAF Interclub Player of the Year winner headlines the Bafana Bafana squad announced by TotalEnergies AFCON 2017 winning coach Hugo Broos on Thursday, 28 December.
Other noticeable selections include Mamelodi Sundown’s key players who enjoyed African Football League glory, such as Ronwen Williams, Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena, and star player Themba Zwane.
Bafana Bafana is drawn in Group E, facing Mali, Namibia, and Tunisia.
Clashes with Riley Osborne In NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament Finals
The NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament held its penultimate round on Tuesday, Robert DeFelice reports for Fightful.
In the first of two semifinal matches in the tournament that occurred on December 26, Lexis King was defeated by Riley Osborne, who picked up a victory with a Shooting Star Press after Trey Bearhill distracted King.
Later that night, Oba Femi defeated Tavion Heights defeated with a Powerbomb.
3 Members of No Quarter Catch Crew vs. Dragon Lee, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro
Roxanne Perez vs. Arianna Grace
Ridge Holland interview
Ranch Hand or Servant Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley
NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament Finals: Riley Osborne vs. Oba Femi
NXT Championship: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Trick Williams
NXT Women’s Championship: Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Blair Davenport
Fightful will have live coverage of NXT New Year’s Evil as it airs on January 2.
Click here to catch up on FightFulcoverage of the December 26 episode of WWE NXT. For a full review, check out the post-show podcast on FightFul YouTube channel
World Championships: Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) 2.01m Wanda Diamond League: Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) 2.03m Asian Championships: Kristina Ovchinnikova (KAZ) 1.86m South American Championships: Valdileia Martins (BRA) 1.84m Pan-American Games: Rachel McCoy (USA) 1.87m Asian Games: Safina Sadullayeva (UZB) 1.86m
Season at a glance
Yaroslava Mahuchikh’s world title win felt like it had been a long time coming. But the Ukraine athlete’s gold, after silvers in 2019 and 2022, arrived shortly before her 22nd birthday, such is the measure of her precocious ability.
In March 2022 Mahuchikh fled the Russian bombardment of her native city and, after a six-day car journey, arrived in Belgrade where she added a world indoor title to the world outdoor silver and Olympic bronze she had already collected.
At the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, she won her second silver.
Mahuchikh’s form in 2023 maintained its high level. Indoors, she headed the world list with 2.02m and won the European title.
She followed victory at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat with victory at the third European Games in Poland, the ideal preparation for the World Championships later in the season.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers was also offering clear evidence of her form, winning Diamond League meetings in Paris and Lausanne – where she equaled the 2.02m she had cleared at the Olympics – plus in Monaco.
Australia’s 2022 world champion Eleanor Patterson broke her foot at a meeting in February, but had recovered in good time for Budapest, as she demonstrated in becoming the only athlete other than Mahuchikh to clear 1.99m first time.
Olyslagers made sure of a medal by going over that height at her second attempt as Britain’s Morgan Lake, who had begun the year by setting a national record of 1.99m at the indoor meeting in Hustopece, finished with a best clearance of 1.97m.
Mahuchikh, ahead on countback, clinched gold with a second-time clearance of 2.01m – a height that proved too much on this occasion for Patterson and Olyslagers, who finished as respective silver and bronze medallists.
“I am so proud to win this gold for my country,” said Mahuchikh. “It was the first outdoor world gold for my country for 10 years, and in this difficult time is it extra important.”
The world champion remained in winning mode for the rest of the season, earning victories at the Xiamen and Brussels Diamond League meetings with respective clearances of 2.00m and 2.02m – the latter equalling the world lead.
Better still was to come in a hugely competitive Wanda Diamond League Final in Eugene, where the Budapest gold and silver medallists played it again.
Olyslagers responded to Mahuchikh’s first-time clearance of 1.98m by clearing exuberantly at the third attempt and then put the pressure on her rival with a first-time clearance of 2.01m. Suddenly the Ukrainian, defending her title, was on the back foot. She responded with a first-time clearance that restored her leading position on countback.
When the bar went up to 2.03m, the Ukrainian went over at the second attempt to set the 2023 world lead.
But the indefatigable Olyslagers once again cleared at her third attempt to move the competition on to the height of 2.05m which proved too much for both. The season had finished on a high.
Three athletes – two fewer than in 2022 – jumped 2.00m or higher during the 2023 outdoor season. Mahuchikh’s compatriot Iryna Gerashchenko was the third, clearing 2.00m exactly in Lausanne and going on to win at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Silesia with 1.98m.
World Championships: Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) 2.36m Wanda Diamond League: Woo Sanghyeok (KOR) 2.35m Asian Championships: Woo Sanghyeok (KOR) 2.28m South American Championships: Carlos Layoy (ARG) 2.23m Pan-American Games: Luis Zayas (CUB) 2.27m Asian Games: Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT) 2.35m
Season at a glance
Like a cut branch growing back stronger, Gianmarco Tamberi has renewed and reinvigorated his career to reach the heights.
After wrecking his ankle shortly before the Rio 2016 Olympics, an injury that kept him out for the best – or rather worst – part of two years, he has adorned his CV with honors, including a share of the Tokyo Olympic title with his friend and rival Mutaz Barshim.
And in 2023, finally, his first outdoor world medal at the fifth attempt – a golden one.
It was a close-run thing in Budapest – achieved on countback over 24-year-old US athlete JuVaughn Harrison after both had cleared 2.36m, equalling the world lead set by Barshim the previous month.
But once more, when it had come to the highest challenge, the 31-year-old Italian – sporting a half-shaven beard for the final as in Tokyo – had risen to it.
Harrison, a rising talent who placed seventh at the Tokyo Olympics in the high jump with 2.33m and fifth in the long jump with 8.15m – had laid a strong base for his Hungarian challenge. He won the Wanda Diamond League meetings in Doha and Florence with efforts of 2.32m before earning victory in London with a season’s best of 2.35m.
Barshim, targeting a fourth consecutive world title at the age of 32, also indicated strong form in setting the world lead of 2.36m in Silesia a month before the World Championships.
Tamberi’s season was lower key, but finishing second to his Qatari rival in Poland with 2.34m indicated he too was ready to improve upon his frustrating experience at the previous year’s World Championships, where he had missed out on bronze on countback.
Inevitably, Tamberi’s triumph involved drama. He scraped through qualifying with a last-gasp clearance of 2.28m. He began the final with a first-time failure at 2.25m. However, he – and his vibrant supporters – still liked his chances.
Tamberi cleared 2.25m on his next attempt before making 2.29m and 2.33m first time. But as Harrison reached the same point without flaw, it looked as if the Italian might pay for his opening lapse. Everything tipped at 2.36m, though, as Harrison incurred his first failure of the day – and indeed of the whole competition.
Could Tamberi take over the lead with a first-time clearance? High stakes. Huge support. Just the way he liked it.
Of course he could. Of course he did.
Neither man could clear 2.38m, and as the US athlete knocked the bar off with his heels at the third attempt the Italian celebrations erupted.
Tamberi thus completed a full set of major medals: Olympic, world outdoor and indoor, and European outdoor and indoor.
Barshim, unbeaten in a global outdoor championship since the Rio 2016 Olympics, claimed a consolation bronze on countback as one of three men to clear 2.33m.
He would add another gold to his collection at the delayed Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, where he equaled the Games record of 2.35m.
Cuba’s 2016 world U20 champion Luis Enrique Zayas missed a world medal by one place after clearing what was a personal best. But he had a golden moment later in the year as he won the Pan American Games title in Santiago.
Finishing fifth in Budapest was Germany’s Tobias Potye, European silver medallist behind Tamberi in in his home town of Munich the previous year.
Korea’s Woo Sanghyeok, world silver medallist and world indoor champion in 2022, finished sixth on 2.29m. But he finished the season with two big wins – the first at the Asian Championships, where he cleared 2.28m.
The second triumph came at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Eugene, where he equaled his national record of 2.35m, with Harrison taking third place on countback on 2.33m and Poland’s Norbert Kobielski claiming silver with a personal best.
A total of five athletes cleared 2.30m or higher during the indoor season – five fewer than in 2022.
Overall, seven athletes managed 2.34m or more during the outdoor season, and 15 made it over 2.30m, compared to seven and 17, respectively, in 2022.
World Championships: Katie Moon (USA)/Nina Kennedy (AUS) 4.90m Wanda Diamond League: Katie Moon (USA) 4.86m Asian Championships: Li Ling (CHN) 4.66m South American Championships: Juliana Campos (BRA) 4.60m Pan-American Games: Bridget Williams (USA) 4.60m Asian Games: Li Ling (CHN) 4.63m
Season at a glance
The women’s pole vault at the World Championships created a moment of history as defending champion Katie Moon of the United States and Australia’s Nina Kennedy, equal on countback after clearing a world lead of 4.90m and unsuccessful at 4.95m, decided to share the gold.
As the two athletes hugged each other there were clear parallels with the decision taken in similar circumstances at the end of the men’s high jump final at the Tokyo Olympics, where friends and rivals Mutaz Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy chose the same option.
By the time the two vaulters reached 4.90m the gold medal was between them as Finland’s European champion Wilma Murto and Tina Sutej of Slovenia failed at 4.85m after clearing 4.80m first time.
Murto claimed bronze, her first senior global medal, on countback.
So it was down to the 26-year-old Commonwealth champion and world bronze medallist Kennedy and the 32-year-old Olympic and defending champion Moon, each of whom had registered just one failure up to that point. With her 4.90m clearance, Kennedy added eight centimeters to her own Australian record, set in 2021.
En route to that moment of golden accord there were moments of individual achievement from others.
For Murto, 4.80m equaled her season’s best. For Sutej it was a Slovenian outdoor record, although she had cleared 4.82m indoors in February.
Britain’s 23-year-old Commonwealth silver medallist Molly Caudery improved her personal best by four centimeters as she cleared 4.75m to share fifth place with Switzerland’s Angelica Moser, for whom the result equaled her personal best.
Of the five contests in the Wanda Diamond League before the World Championships, Moon won three. But it was Kennedy who was inspired immediately afterwards as she won the Zurich meeting, adding a further centimeter to her national record.
Moon, however, ended with a last victory on the home soil of Eugene as she won the Wanda Diamond League Final with an effort of 4.86m.
Six women cleared 4.80m or higher throughout the year and 57 went over at 4.50m or more.
World Championships: Mondo Duplantis (SWE) 6.10m Wanda Diamond League: Mondo Duplantis (SWE) 6.23m Asian Championships: Ernest John Obiena (PHI) 5.91m South American Championships: German Chiaraviglio (ARG) 5.55m Pan-American Games: Matt Ludwig (USA) 5.55m Asian Games: Ernest John Obiena (PHI) 5.90m
Season at a glance
The men’s pole vault at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco, less than a month before the World Athletics Championships, produced a highly unusual result – that is, Mondo Duplantis failed to win. Failed, in fact, to finish in the top three.
But when the big event in Budapest arrived, the defending champion earned a second world title for Sweden pretty much as he pleased.
Starting, unusually, at the relatively low height of 5.55m, the 24-year-old made six first-time clearances up to and including 6.10m to secure gold. After which he had three unsuccessful attempts to raise his world record of 6.22m by a centimeter.
Duplantis’s closest rivals did themselves proud in their efforts to remain competitive. Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines extended the contest, notionally, to 6.10m, although he was unable push on after equalling his area record with a second-time clearance of 6.00m, failing twice at 6.05m before electing for one final go at the next height up.
The 28-year-old from Manila thus added silver to the world bronze he had won a year earlier in Oregon.
The 2022 world silver medallist Chris Nilsen of the United States made the podium again after producing a season’s best of 5.95m, sharing bronze with Australia’s double Commonwealth champion Kurtis Marschall, for whom the height was a personal best.
Fifth- and sixth-place finishers Thibaut Collet of France and China’s Huang Bokai also rose to the big occasion with respective efforts of 5.90m, a personal best, and 5.75m, equalling a personal best.
The centerpiece of the 2023 season for Duplantis had been preceded by another sequence of supremacy. He began his year at the meeting named after him in Uppsala, the Mondo Classic, producing a classic victory in 6.10m – the best season-opener ever in pole vault. He also broke the record set by Olympic and six-time world champion Sergey Bubka of 11 clearances of 6.10m or higher.
On 25 February, at the All Star Perche meeting put on in Clermont-Ferrand by his predecessor as world record-holder, London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Renaud Lavillenie, Duplantis cleared 6.22m, adding a centimeter to the world record he set in winning his first world title the previous year.
That Monaco result apart, the Wanda Diamond League was something of a glory tour for Duplantis, who won in Oslo, Stockholm, Silesia, Zurich and Brussels, always with 6.00m or above, before arriving at the scene of his 2022 world record, Eugene, for the final.
There he rounded off the season in the perfect fashion as, after seeing off all opposition, he composed himself for another crack at 6.23m – with success.
It was his seventh world record.
Four men managed 6.00m or better in 2023 – Duplantis, Obiena, KC Lightfoot of the US and Sondre Guttormsen of Norway.
Lightfoot cleared 6.07m in Nashville on 2 June, improving the US record held by Sam Kendricks by one centimeter, while Guttormsen soared over 6.00m indoors in Albuquerque in March.
Lightfoot’s performance moved him to fourth on the world all-time list behind Duplantis, Lavillenie and Bubka.
Kendricks re-established himself in the top flight with a clearance of 5.95m at the post-World Championships Zurich Diamond League meeting, finishing joint fifth in the 2023 world list.
World Championships: Ivana Vuleta (SRB) 7.14m Wanda Diamond League: Ivana Vuleta (SRB) 6.85m Asian Championships: Sumire Hata (JPN) 6.97m South American Championships: Eliane Martins (BRA) 6.62m Pan-American Games: Natalia Linares (COL) 6.66m Asian Games: Xiong Shiqi (CHN) 6.73m
Season at a glance
Even before the last round of the World Athletics Championships final got under way, Serbia’s 33-year-old Ivana Vuleta dropped to her knees, overcome with emotion. She knew, just knew, that world gold was coming her way – at the fifth time of asking.
Vuleta had arrived in Budapest without having made too many waves in the Wanda Diamond League, where she had finished third in Stockholm and Lausanne, the winner on both occasions being Italy’s rising talent Larissa Iapichino – 21 in July – who had also won in Florence.
Iapichino, whose English-born mother Fiona May won two world titles and two Olympic silvers in the long jump, had earned a breakthrough silver earlier in the year at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, recording 6.97m behind Britain’s Jazmin Sawyers, who set a British record of 7.00m.
She arrived in Hungary full of confidence. But Vuleta, the oldest athlete in the final, was freighted with invaluable experience after a long career in which she had already earned one Olympic and two world bronze medals, two world indoor titles, two European titles and three European indoor titles.
After an opening foul, Vuleta laid down a big marker with a second round effort of 7.05m, moving into the lead ahead of the 6.91m opener recorded by Tara Davis-Woodhall of the United States.
Nigeria’s Ese Brume moved into bronze position with her second-round 6.84m.
So it stayed until the fifth round – when Vuleta produced a national outdoor record of 7.14m to widen the gap between herself and the rest of the field in what did indeed turn out to be a decisive fashion.
As she gathered her thoughts, perhaps her mind turned to the world title she felt she should have won six years earlier in London. On that occasion her last attempt appeared to have bettered the leading mark of 7.02m by Brittney Reese of the United States. But she was awarded 6.91m. The Serbian team appealed after slow motion replays showed that the indentation in the sand nearest to the board had been made by the flapping bib number on her back.
It was the worst of bad luck – but the effort was ruled correctly and she missed a medal by six centimeters.
Earlier that year Vuleta – then Spanovic – had won the European indoor title in front of an arena full of jubilant fans in Belgrade with a lifetime best of 7.24m – the third best indoor jump of all time.
Both Vuleta and Woodhall-Davis jumped 6.78m with their last efforts in Budapest, confirming their respective gold and silver positions. But a final leap of 6.88m earned Alina Rotaru-Kottmann of Romania bronze ahead of Brume.
Iapichino finished fifth after a final round effort of 6.82m.
The world champion went on to earn a first Wanda Diamond League victory of the year in Xiamen before securing a fifth overall Diamond League win in Eugene.
Her 7.14m stood as the outdoor best in 2023, with three others bettering 7.00m – all in May. They were Ackelia Smith of Jamaica, who reached 7.08m, Davis-Woodhall on 7.07m, and Agate De Sousa of Sao Tome & Principe, who jumped 7.03m.
Nine women jumped 6.80m or farther indoors – two more than had done so in 2022, with Sawyers second on 7.00m and Jasmine Moore of the United States topping the list with 7.03m.
World Championships: Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) 8.52m Wanda Diamond League: Simon Ehammer (SUI) 8.22m Asian Championships: Lin Yu-tang (TPE) 8.40m South American Championships: Arnovis Dalmero (COL) 8.29m Pan-American Games: Arnovis Dalmero (COL) 8.08m Asian Games: Wang Jianan (CHN) 8.22m
Season at a glance
Just as he had done in the Tokyo Olympic final, Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece claimed gold at the World Athletics Championships with his final effort.
He thus earned the world outdoor title that completed his set of long jump honors – a champion at the Olympics and the indoor and outdoor versions of the World and European Championships. In continental terms, he had three indoor titles and two outdoors. So eight major championship golds. And all by the age of 25.
The proof of this Greek athlete’s extraordinary competitiveness was made plain again in Budapest by his sixth and last jump.
It had looked as if he might have done enough with his first, as he registered 8.50m. But within a round he was in second place as Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock – whose qualifying mark of 8.54m was a world lead – jumped the same distance and moved ahead through a better second jump, a first-round effort of 8.40m as against Tentoglou’s second-round foul.
Meanwhile Pinnock’s compatriot Carey McLeod moved into bronze medal position on 8.27m.
Tentoglou came within a centimeter of matching the leader with a third-round effort of 8.39m, but the order remained the same until a riveting final round.
First Jamaica’s 2019 world champion Tajay Gayle, his left knee taped, displaced McLeod from third place, registering 8.27m and having a better second effort.
McLeod was unable to respond with his last attempt. Next came a do-or-die effort from the Greek in second place. And when it registered as 8.52m all the pressure was on the displaced leader. Pinnock’s final effort was a courageous 8.38m but it was silver rather than gold for him.
Meanwhile China’s former decathlete Wang Jianan, who had beaten Tentoglou to the world title a year earlier with his final effort, had to settle this time for fifth place and a best of 8.05m.
“The only gold medal I was missing is now mine,” said Tentoglou. “I stayed calm after my first attempt of 8.50m. I was sure that Pinnock had a lot to add. He is very strong and will give much more next year.”
Pinnock’s 8.54m remained the best recorded outdoors in 2023.
The last word at the Wanda Diamond League Final went to Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer, who a year earlier had become the first active decathlete to win a senior individual global medal in another discipline as he took bronze behind Wang and Tentoglou in Eugene.
In the same setting he won the title with a best of 8.22m.
World Championships: Yulimar Rojas (VEN) 15.08m Wanda Diamond League: Yulimar Rojas (VEN) 15.35m Asian Championships: Mariko Morimoto (JPN) 14.06m South American Championships: Gabriele Santos (BRA) 13.92m Pan-American Games: Leyanis Perez (CUB) 14.75m Asian Games: Sharifa Davronova (UZB) 14.09m
Season at a glance
What would have been the biggest shock result of the World Athletics Championships looked about to take place in the women’s triple jump as the Venezuelan athlete who had ruled the event since winning the first of her three world titles in 2017, Yulimar Rojas, stood eighth of the eight remaining contenders as she prepared for her final effort.
The exuberant Olympic champion and world record-holder had barely earned the right to make more than three jumps, her best up to that point, 14.33m, having also been reached by Keturah Orji of the United States.
But the latter’s failure to record another legal jump meant the woman who had won the Tokyo Olympic Games title with a world outdoor record of 15.67m, and who soared 15.74m indoors the following year, remained – theoretically at least – in contention for a record fifth title.
However, as the increasingly bemused defending champion failed to record a legal mark on jumps four and five, gold seemed destined for the Ukrainian who had won the European title with 15.02m the previous year, Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, whose first-round effort of 15.00m was looking increasingly unassailable.
Until, that is, Rojas took off with a final jump that erred so far on the side of caution that her toes barely touched the leading edge of the board, giving up almost 20cm – and still landed at 15.08m.
As the eighth-placed jumper, Rojas had taken the first jump of the final round. But not even the hugely competitive Ukrainian was able to threaten the new lead, as she finished with a foul.
A final effort of 14.83m from Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts lifted her into fourth place, but Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez remained safe in third place on 14.96m.
“It was very difficult,” said Rojas. “The fact that I won the competition with my last attempt makes it very special and memorable. This is my seventh world championship gold in a row (outdoors and indoors), but this is the most special of all of them.”
Rojas had dominated the Wanda Diamond League before the World Championships, winning in Oslo and Silesia – where she recorded a world lead of 15.18m. She dominated it afterwards also, winning at Zurich with 15.15m and finishing her season by earning a third consecutive Diamond Trophy by recording 15.35m in the Eugene Final – naturally enough, the best effort of the season.
Second on the final outdoor world list was Ricketts, who recorded 15.03m in finishing second to Rojas in Eugene.
World Championships: Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR) 17.64m Wanda Diamond League: Andy Diaz Hernandez (ITA) 17.43m Asian Championships: Abdulla Aboobacker (IND) 16.92m South American Championships: Almir dos Santos (BRA) 17.24m Pan-American Games: Lazaro Martinez (CUB) 17.19m Asian Games: Zhu Yaming (CHN) 17.13m
Season at a glance
Hugues Fabrice Zango earned his – and Burkina Faso’s – first global title at the World Athletics Championships after a dramatically fluctuating men’s triple jump final that ended with two Cubans sharing the podium with him, separated by a single centimeter.
The 30-year-old France-based Zango, who already had an Olympic bronze and world silver and bronze, completed his collection with the best of all colours after taking an early lead, losing it, and regaining it with his penultimate effort of 17.64m.
Silver went to 25-year-old Lazaro Martinez, the 2022 world indoor champion, on 17.41m, with his 24-year-old teammate Cristian Napoles earning bronze thanks to a personal best of 17.40m.
There was disappointment, however, for Jamaica’s 18-year-old rising talent Jaydon Hibbert, who had to scratch from the competition after the first round.
Having invited and received big support before his opening jump, the world U20 champion, whose 17.87m in May finished as the best performance of the year, aborted the effort immediately after his hop, stuttering to halt and appearing to be troubled by the hamstring in his take-off leg.
To add to his frustration, the mark of 17.70m he set to top qualifying would have been enough for gold.
Despite the relatively late announcement of the withdrawal of Portugal’s world and Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo, who had won the opening Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha with 17.91m, this final lacked for nothing in terms of quality or competitiveness.
Zango, second on the 2023 world list with 17.81m, took an early grip on the contest with an opening effort of 17.37m that put him 41 centimeters clear of his nearest first-round challenger, Algeria’s Yasser Triki.
But in the second round it was as if a switch had been thrown, and Burkino Faso’s Olympic bronze medallist was pushed down to second place by the 17.41m recorded by Martinez, with China’s Zhu Yaming moving into third position on 17.12m and Napoles taking over fourth place on 17.02m, one centimeter ahead of Zhu’s compatriot Fang Yaoqing.
It was Napoles’s turn to celebrate in the fourth round. He thumped the side-boarding and roared into the cameras after a big effort that turned out to be a personal best of 17.40m – enough to move him into silver-medal position.
Zango’s response was good – 17.36m – but not good enough to raise him from the bronze medal position.
But fifth time round it all came together for him as he moved back into the lead for good with 17.64m.
“I promised to make history and I did it tonight,” Zango said. “That is the first gold medal in the men’s triple jump not only for my country, but for Africa as well. I cannot imagine the level of celebration in my country when I go back home, but I’m going to start the celebrations in Budapest.”
The season ended with a final flourish by Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez. Having won the 2022 Wanda Diamond League title for Cuba he retained the title for Italy in Eugene with a best of 17.43m.
Mondo Duplantis in Budapest (© Getty Images)