Worlds Day 1 Recap

This post could have been made last night, but was delayed to avoid spoiling the Versus TV coverage.

Results

IAAF recap
USATF recap

My thoughts on the first day of the IAAF World Indoor Championships...

Event of the day:Men's Shot. Reese Hoffa put up the best-ever indoor mark in a qualifying round, only to get seriously whupped by Christian Cantwell in the final. Cantwell's indoor season has been consistent, probably the first time that's ever been said about his throwing.

Quote of the day: “I hope that when they bury me they bury me upside down so all my critics can kiss my ass.”
--Christian Cantwell

Women's 60: Angela Williams won as expected.

Men's 60: Olusoji Fasuba won Africa's first world indoor title in the short sprint. Which begs the question: Why the hell is someone from the tropics running indoors? Kim Collins and the notorious Dwain Chambers tied for second place, with new US star Mike Rodgers in fourth. I thought Rodgers was sure to win a medal, but he looked a little unnerved during the finals introductions, and his drive phase kept him off the podium.

Women's Pentathlon: Whenever I see Tia Hellebaut's northern-Eur0-style tightly-pulled back dark hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and angular features:it makes me think I've seen that look somewhere before...She (Hellebaut, that is) won the pentathlon, once again frustrating British fans of Kelly Sotherton.

How was the Versus coverage? Eh, OK. They took advantage of the IAAF's international feed, which has far superior graphics to that of NBC or ESPN, but instead of the announcing crew we had for last summer's Worlds we had Larry Rawson and Carol Lewis inflicted on us.