This is Witness the Wonder, the Preview to the 2023 World Champs in Budapest for Day 34, May 21, 2023; who could set World Records in Budapest? Five Deep Thoughts.
For the next 11 days, RunBlogRun will be posting a story a day on the buildup to the World Athletics Outdoor Championships, to be held in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19-August 27, 2023. RunBlogRun has now posted 34 days of stories on the World Outdoor Championships.
Today, we are speaking about the possible World Records in Budapest.
Mondo Duplantis set a World record at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.What will he do in Budapest? Mondo Duplantis opens his summer outdoor season this coming weekend in LA on May 27. On June 4, he competes in Hengelo at the FBK Games; on June 15, he is in Oslo. The Swedish superstar set his last WR of 6.22 meters in March 2023. What will he do this summer?
Mondo Duplantis, Leichtathletik Berlin 04.02.2022 Saison 2021 / 2022 ISTAF-Indoor Foto: Lukas Schulze/camera4
Ryan Crouser versus Joe Kovacs versus Thomas Walsh, a WR in the shot put? Ryan Crouser opened on a cold, rainy day in Des Moines, Iowa, in 22.38m in near impossible conditions. Joe Kovacs has already thrown 22.68m. In Doha 2019, Kovacs, Crouser, and Walsh all went over 22.90m. What will they do in Budapest?
Ryan Crouser wins the World Champs! World Athletics Championships Eugene, Oregon, USA July15-26, 2022 shot put final, photo by Kevin Morris
In the Men’s 400 meters, who can break the World Record? Wayde Van Niekerk and Rai Benjamin look ready for a big time. The spoiler? Muzala Samukonga has the fastest time of the year and is 43.91. The 400 meters is such a volatile event, and we have not even considered the fitness of Fred Kerley (PB of 43.64), who seems focused on the 100 meters and 200 meters. Watch Wayde Van NIekerk’s 400m race in Oslo on June 15, 2023. Should be very interesting.
Wayde Van Niekerk, London 2017, photo by Mike Deering, The Shoe addicts
The Women’s 800 meters? Athing Mu has run 1:55.04. Her coach, Bobby Kersee, told this writer in February 2023 that he believed the WR of 1:52.38 by Jarmila Krachtovilova from 1983 could be broken. He suggested that it would mean Athing Mu would need more fitness and race experience. In 2023, she has done little and is just getting over COVID. On top of that, Kersee has announced she will run a 1,500m at the USATF Outdoors. This writer doubts that the Women’s 800m is in jeopardy this season. Athing Mu also has another issue, Keely Hodgkinson, who continues to improve.
The battle: Athing Mu versus Ajee Wilson, USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Hayward Field, University of Oregon, June 23-26, 2022, photo by Kevin Morris
The Women’s 400-meter hurdles?: Sydney McLaughlin has broken the WR for the 400-meter hurdles 4 different times. However, she seems to be focused on adding the 400-meter flat to her schedule, and at this time, per her coach, Bobby Kersee, she has a leg issue coming from an Olympic testing session with famed technique guru Ralph Mann. Several questions here; we do not know the shape of Sydney McLaughlin nor the extent of her injury. All we know is that Coach Kersee pulled her out of the 400m flat at LA and then noted she was injured and she would run the 400-meter flat at Eugene.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Track & Field Boston, Massachusetts, USA February 3, 2023 World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, photo by Kevin Morris
To read all of our earlier stories in Witness the Wonder, numbers 1-33:
The World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, will be held August 19-27, 2023, and tickets are available now! Click here to learn more about ticket sales:https://tickets.wabudapest23.com/
RunBlogRun suggests a wonderful book on Hungary, The Hungarians, A Thousand Years of Victory in Defeat, by Paul Lendvai, Translated by Ann Major, Princeton University Press,www.pupress.princeton.edu.
Need tips for Visiting Budapest and the rest of Hungary? Please go here! Visit Hungary-Wellspring of Wonders!https://visithungary.com/
