EUGENE, Ore. — Hammer throwers Brooke Andersen and Janee’ Kassanavoid extended America’s roll on home turf Sunday, taking gold and bronze medals at the world championships a day after the U.S. sweep in the men’s 100 meters.
Andersen, a 26-year-old from California, won the gold medal with a throw of 259 feet, 1/2 inchesthat beat Canada’s Camryn Rogers by more than 11 feet.
“I was looking out across the field and I thought to myself, ‘I’m a world champion,’” Andersen said.
Kassanavoid took bronze to give the U.S. women’s throwers three medals over the first three days of the meet.
A few minutes before the men swept the 100 on Saturday evening, Chase Ealey became the first female American to win the world title in shot put. Sweeping the men’s race were Fred Kerley, Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell. It was the second 1-2-3 finish in the 100 at worlds for the Americans. Carl Lewis led the other in 1991.
Andersen is the second straight U.S. world champion in hammer throw. DeAnna Price won in 2019 in Qatar.
Through 2 1/2 days of action, America led the medals table with three golds and seven overall.
Other gold medals awarded during Sunday’s daytime session went to Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola in the marathon; Tola separated himself from the pack late and won in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 36 seconds — a gap of 1:08 over countryman Mosinet Geremew.
In the men’s 10,000, world-record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Kenya defended his world title in 27:27.43. Stanley Mburu took silver after stumbling and falling to the track early in the first lap of the race.
There were four more medals up for grabs Sunday night — in women’s pole vault, the 110 hurdles, men’s shot put and the women’s 100 meters.
Two-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica was the favorite in the 100 and many thought she had a decent chance to break the 34-year-old record of 10.49 seconds held by Florence Griffith-Joyner.
The last time Thompson-Herah ran a final at Hayward was two weeks after the Tokyo Olympics at Prefontaine Classic. She clocked at 10.54 and joined Flo Jo as the only woman to break 10.6.