Changes in the World Athletics Championships Program Due to Heat Alert

The World Athletics Championships in Budapest are still in full swing, with 11 Hungarian athletes competing on the fifth day, Wednesday, when four finals will be held.

The morning’s program will include European fourth-placed Réka Szilágyi in the javelin throw qualifying and Boglárka Takács, who will compete in the 200m. Luca Kozák will compete in the evening program at 20.40 for a place in the final of the 100m hurdles.

Today, the champions will be crowned in four events: men’s 1500m and 400m hurdles, women’s 400m and pole vault.

On Tuesday, the fourth day, there were many finals as well. Faith Kipyegon of Kenya became world champion in the women’s 1500m (3:54.87), while American Laulauga Tausaga won the women’s discus throw (69.49 m). Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali topped the podium in the men’s 3000m steeplechase (8:03.53) and after much excitement, Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi was crowned world champion in the men’s high jump (2.36 m).

Hungarian athlete Attila Molnár was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 400m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Tuesday. Molnár ran in lane nine alongside Olympic and two-time world champion Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa. The 21-year-old Hungarian competitor, as usual, made a brave run and Van Niekerk only caught him in the second turn. Molnár still had some power left in the final straight, but he tired in the last meters and finished sixth in 45.02 seconds.

“I was very tired, my heart and soul was in it, unfortunately that was not enough, but I gave it my all,” Attila Molnár told MTI, adding

I wanted to give the audience a final, so I have a shortcoming, but I am happy with what I achieved”.

Dániel Huller and Balázs Vindics were in the 800m but both were eliminated. “I managed to run as planned for six hundred meters, but unfortunately I got lost in the last 200 meters”, Dániel Huller said. He added that it felt really good to have so many Hungarians cheering for him and it was huge to be there at the World Championships at 22.

“It was a fantastic experience, I tried to make the race exciting at the end, but with 100 meters to go I was faced with reality. Unfortunately, I am not yet at the level I would like to be”, said Balázs Vindics after the race. Vindics finished 35th and Huller 36th in the field of 61.

There was also Hungarian interest in the women’s 100m hurdles, with three Hungarians competing. Gréta Kerekes and Anna Tóth were eliminated, but Luca Kozák advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals.

European silver medalist Luca Kozák was clearly hoping to qualify. Her heat included Doha world champion Nia Ali of the USA and Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska, who won the gold medal in Munich last year ahead of Kozák.

Kozák secured her place in the semi-finals in fourth place with a time of 12.71 seconds, her best this year.

“The goal was to do a coordinated run and not to cramp, because it is a technical event and when you cramp, that is when you usually make mistakes. I was also careful not to get carried away, as Nia and Pia were very close, so I tried to run at my own pace. I could feel that there was no one behind me, so I did not have to push too hard at the end,” said Luca Kozák.

Meanwhile, some changes had to be made to Wednesday’s program as Hungary had issued a heat alert for the week.

According to the organizers, the weather conditions are forecast to be unsuitable for the women’s 5000m preliminary race on Wednesday at 11.10am – with temperatures expected to be above 30 degrees Celsius – so the event will be held on Wednesday at 7pm. Due to the change, the 200m heats on Wednesday morning will start earlier: women at 11.20 instead of 12.05 and men at 12.15 instead of 12.50.

Moreover, the organizers are also warning fans about unmarked taxi drivers. They are hunting for foreign fans at the petrol station near the National Athletics Center to take them to their hotels for astronomical sums. Several reports of “taxi hyenas” have been received, with offers of up to 100,000 forints (EUR 260) not uncommon. The organizers recommend travel only with official taxi companies and is writing to the Budapest Government Office urging immediate action to prevent further harm to guests.

Via MTI, Featured photo via MTI/Illyés Tibor