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      Incredible moment race walker proposes to fellow athlete at the finish line of major race at World Championships

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      LOVE was in the air at the World Athletics Championships as two competitive race walkers got engaged at the finish line of the 35km walking event.Slovakian walker Hana Burzalova was just crossing the line in Budapest when she spotted her boyfriend Dominik Cerny – who had just completed the men’s event himself, waiting at the finish line.
      Dominik Cerny proposed to Hana Burzalova at the finish lineCredit: Reuters
      Cerny had just completed the men’s race, but waited at the finish line to propose to his partnerCredit: Reuters
      Cerny held his fiancee as the two celebrated their engagementCredit: Reuters
      Cerny got down on one knee to propose to Burzalova and luckily she had enough breath after her exertions in the race to accept his proposal.
      Cerny celebrated by punching the air and then lifted up his fiancee into his arms.
      The couple then posed for the cameras with Burzalova proudly showing off her engagement ring in the photos.
      Cerny, 25, placed 19th in his race, recording a personal best time of 2:32.56 in the process.
      READ MORE ON ATHLETICS
      Burzalova, 22, finished 28th in the women’s race but did clock a season’s best of 3:02.47, meaning there was plenty to celebrate.
      The couple regularly give an insight into their training and relationship on Instagram, which included a recent romantic holiday to Cyprus.
      But Cerny was giving no hints away of an imminent proposal on an Instagram story he posted prior to the race.
      The story featured Burzalova preparing her hydration bottles and energy gels before the race in Budapest and he captioned it: “Ouch, here we go again.”
      Most read in Athletics
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      The couple had both just completed personal bestsCredit: Reuters
      The official World Athletics Twitter account posted their congratulations to the happy couple, posting pictures of the engagement with the caption: “She said YES.”
      Race walking also appears in the Olympics and requires competitors to keep one foot on the ground at all times to prevent running.
      Judges sit throughout the race to ensure that competitors stick to the technique.
      Ironically for the couple, a bent knee is also not permitted when competing in the sport and penalties are handed out if the knee is bent within the race.
      Race distances at the World Championships used to be up to 50km but this was cut to 35km last year, with a 20km race also included.  More

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      Watch BBC pundit Denise Lewis jump up and down and smack back of sofa live on TV during emotionally charged race

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      DENISE LEWIS jumped up and down and smacked the back of the sofa as she watched Josh Kerr pick up World Championship gold in the 1500 metres.Kerr raced to win unlikely gold for Britain in a race that no one really gave him a chance in.
      Lewis switched between watching the race and live and on a monitor as she roared on Josh KerrCredit: BBC Sport
      Michael Johnson also supported the Brit in his bid for goldCredit: BBC SPORT
      Going into the 1500 metres, the overwhelming favourite for the race was Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
      But Kerr kept pace with Ingebrigtsen throughout, and kicked on in the last 200m to finish strongly and take gold.
      An emotional Kerr said after the race: “It’s been a long time coming. It’s quite an overwhelming experience. But I’m so proud of myself, my team and my family.
      “I didn’t feel like I ran my best race either. I just threw my whole 16 years of this sport into that last 200m and didn’t let up to the end.
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      “It was fast early but I stayed calm. I knew I was capable of a world championship gold medal for GB so I’m very glad to add to that medal count.”
      Supporting Kerr’s victory on from the punditry box was Denise Lewis alongside Michael Johnson.
      Lewis was seen switching between her view from the punditry box and her view of a monitor showing the race as she jumped up and down to support Kerr.
      As he crossed the line, she was seen slapping the back of the sofa with excitement.
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      Fans on Twitter were quick to praise the passion shown by Lewis in supporting Kerr in the race, with one fan saying: “Love Denise! There were similar scenes in our house. Well done Josh Kerr!! Great race.”
      While another wrote: “Love the passion , need more Denise Lewis in this world!”
      A third wrote: “Denise Lewis is the best of us”
      Fans also praised Michael Johnson’s reaction who was cheering Kerr onto victory despite his American allegiances.
      One fan wrote: “MJ is basically an honorary Brit now.”
      And another added: “When you have an American In the Race I though Micheal Johnson’s reactions were brilliant.”
      Reflecting on his win in an interview with the BBC, Kerr said: “You can see from my face that I’m throwing everything I had at this guy. We were both fighting.
      “I wanted this for my whole life. I made sure I pumped all the way home. I’m so happy.
      “With 50m to go I kind of broke him. It was just about holding form at that point. I’ve had bronze but gold is a lot sweeter.”
      Kerr, who needed to use his elbows to barge rivals out of the way in the early laps, wears Oakley sunglasses as part of a lucrative contract.
      Read More on The Sun
      The US-based athlete will now head to the Paris 2024 Olympics as the reigning world champion – and what a final that promises to be in the French capital. More

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      Watch awkward conversation between pole vault finalists as they decide whether to share World Championships gold medal

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      THIS is the moment two pole-vault legends had their most awkward chat ever – deciding whether to share gold after an exhausting final.Huge rivals Katie Moon and Nina Kennedy looked drained after the 130-MINUTE showdown for the World Championships crown in Budapest – but split opinion on social media with their resulting conversation.
      Katie Moon and Nina Kennedy initially stood poles apart as they discussed what to do after a long and tiring pole-vault final
      Kennedy in particular was overcome with emotion after their eventual decision, but USA star Moon also appeared happy and relieved at the outcome
      Both cleared 4.90metres – then missed all three attempts at 4.95m.
      They spoke a few metres apart at the stadium in Budapest, with a mixture of nodding, grimacing and smiling.
      And it appeared to be Moon, the USA’S Olympic 2020 gold medal winner, who suggested the extremely rare outcome of a joint crown.
      Defending champ Kennedy, from Australia, swung her hands nervously together as they discussed the idea.
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      The pair got closer to each other, and finally agreed to share gold – whilst dividing opinion amongst athletics fans.
      The two athletes hugged, with Moon kissing her opponent on the cheek as they let out big grins and seemed relieved.
      Kennedy broke down in tears and put her hand to her mouth at their golden moment.
      But one observer tweeted, “Should have been a jump-off” and another hit out: “Give them both a silver.”
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      The two greats of their sport finally agreed to share gold
      Moon and Kennedy appeared dazed as well as delighted as they celebratedCredit: Reuters
      But on the opposite side of the track were verdicts like, “Wonderful moment, sport at its best” and “Ah, lovely”.
      Moon, 32, admitted: “When the final started I didn’t think about sharing a gold medal would work for me but now I am completely satisfied.
      “What a battle it was, oh my. What an amazing night, I hope everyone enjoyed that one. We did.”
      Kennedy, 26 seemed just as satisfied – as it was a “dream come true”.
      She added: “I jumped out of my skin tonight. It was super crazy.
      “I felt like the whole stadium was watching every single jump.
      “They were all around us tonight, it was really incredible.”
      Their arrangement follows a famous shared victory for high-jump pals Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Barshim at the last Olympics in Tokyo.
      They too chose a gold apiece rather than a jump-off. More

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      Watch emotional Team GB star Josh Kerr hold back tears live on BBC after stunning 1500m gold at World Championships

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      JOSH KERR was branded a TERMINATOR as he pulled off Britain’s greatest 1500m escapology act in world athletics history…since the last one 13 months ago.Just like compatriot Jake Wightman in the summer of 2022, nobody gave Kerr a chance of hijacking the formidable Jakob Ingebrigtsen in Budapest on Wednesday night.
      Josh Kerr raised the flag after his stunning victory in BudapestCredit: Getty
      Kerr pulled off an amazing last 200m to beat icon Jakob IngebrigtsenCredit: Getty

      But the Norwegian maestro’s pocket was picked for a second year running thanks to a bold and brilliant manoeuvre by a Scottish runner with 200m left of this incredible final.
      The Power of Scotland was strong as Kerr, 25, pulled off the exact same move that worked so superbly for Wightman in Eugene to claim a first global gold.
      The Olympic bronze medallist was even wearing the same type of striped GB vest that Wightman had on in Eugene in an attempt to intimidate Ingebrigtsen, who woke on Wednesday with a sore throat.
      And the mind games worked a treat as he tracked the Scandinavian star once the bell went for the final lap, held on strongly down the home straight and crossed the finish line in 3:29.38.
      READ MORE SPORT NEWS
      An emotional Kerr said after the race: “It’s been a long time coming. It’s quite an overwhelming experience. But I’m so proud of myself, my team and my family.
      “I didn’t feel like I ran my best race either. I just threw my whole 16 years of this sport into that last 200m and didn’t let up to the end.
      “It was fast early but I stayed calm. I knew I was capable of a world championship gold medal for GB so I’m very glad to add to that medal count.
      “Obviously there’s a very big reminisce of Wightman in there. I was battling with Jakob pretty hard.
      Most read in Athletics
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      “You can see from my face that I’m throwing everything I had at this guy. We were both fighting.
      “I wanted this for my whole life. I made sure I pumped all the way home. I’m so happy.
      “With 50m to go I kind of broke him. It was just about holding form at that point. I’ve had bronze but gold is a lot sweeter.”
      Kerr, who needed to use his elbows to barge rivals out of the way in the early laps, wears Oakley sunglasses as part of a lucrative contract.
      The US-based athlete will now head to the Paris 2024 Olympics as the reigning world champion – and what a final that promises to be in the French capital.
      Scotsman Neil Gourley came ninth out of 12 competitors but was “hanging on for dear life”.
      He added: “I didn’t have much left. It happens, it’s sport, it’s fuel for next year as I have work to do.
      “I’m really happy for Josh, I could tell this was coming, I knew he would be right up there.
      “The way he has carried himself, the way he has been looking, he has been full of confidence.”
      Wightman, who was working for BBC TV, was chuffed for his best pal and joked he was “like a terminator” for producing the perfect race like a robot.
      He said: “It stays in Edinburgh AC. Our little club in Edinburgh has had back-to-back world champs, that’s hard to believe.”
      Elsewhere on day five of the World Athletic Championships, MOLLY CAUDERY excelled in her first global final, nailing a personal best of 4.75m in the women’s pole vault final.
      The Cornish leaper, 23, started this year in a protective boot after undergoing right hell and Achilles surgery.
      But the reigning British champion was unable to get up and over 4.80 metres, which meant she came joint fifth and missed out on the medals.
      Read More on The Sun
      AIMEE PRATT did not progress to the final of the women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase, finishing in seventh place in heat one in a time of 9:26.37.
      ANNA PURCHASE made the women’s hammer final – the first woman to do so since Sophie Hitchon six years ago – with a throw of 71.31 m. More

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      Why did Michael Johnson return his gold medal?

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      MICHAEL Johnson is a retired sprinter whose career would be the envy of many runners.But after his retirement, one of his gold medals was returned due to a shock controversy over the win.
      Michael Johnson has four Olympic gold medals.
      Why did Michael Johnson return his gold medal?
      During the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Michael became the first male Olympian to defend his title in the 400 metres.
      He didn’t run in the 200 metre race due to failing to qualify at the U.S. trials because of an injury.
      Despite this Michael won a second gold medal as the anchor of the 4 x 400-metre relay team.
      In 2008, having announced his retirement during the 2000 Olympic games, he returned his relay gold medal to the International Olympic Committee.
      Read more on sprinting
      His decision came after a team mate admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs for the race.
      Michael wasn’t required to return his medal but he felt it was tainted due to his strong anti-doping stance.
      How many gold medals did Michael Johnson win?
      Michael has won four Olympic gold medals and is regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time.
      He dominated the 200m and 400m during the 1990s and went seven years undefeated in the latter event.
      Most read in Athletics
      Michael decided to focus full-time on athletics in 1990 and excelled, and a year later was crowned world 200m champion.
      Sadly, he succumbed to food poisoning which denied him the opportunity to go to the Olympics in Barcelona, but later helped the US 4 x 400m relay team secure a victory that gave him his first taste of Olympic gold.
      By 1993, Michael had embarked on a sequence of 58 races at 400m where he was undefeated, and was hailed the “Superman”.
      The highlight of his career was at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996.
      83,000 people watched as Michael ran in his golden running shoes and completed a remarkable 200-400m double.
      This achievement hadn’t been matched before or since in men’s athletics.
      He achieved a time of 19.32 for 200m, a world record that stood for 12 years before being broken by Usain Bolt.
      In 1999, Michael set a new record for the 400m at 43.18 seconds.
      It was broken by Wayde Van Niekerk in Rio, 17 years later.
      Michael was known for his distinctive running style which is characterised by an upright gait and short stride which earned him the nickname “the duck”.
      Michael retired in 2001.
      What does Michael Johnson do now?
      Michael has remained in the sporting world as a TV commentator at various athletics events, including as a pundit for the BBC.
      Read More on The Sun
      He was also a coach in the American Flag Football League and managed the career of athlete Jeremy Wariner.
      Jeremy won Olympic gold during the 400m at Athens in 2004. More

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      World Athletics Championships commentators: Who is on the panel for the competition?

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      THE 2023 World Athletics Championships are underway, with much excitement surrounding the huge sporting event.The 2023 games, held in Budapest, mark the nineteenth edition of the championships, but the first time they have been held in Hungary.
      The World Athletics Championships 2023 are taking place in Budapest, HungaryCredit: Sam Mellish/Getty Images
      Who are the commentators for the World Athletics Championships?
      Luckily for athletics fans, the BBC are providing extensive coverage of the World Athletics Championships.
      The broadcaster has gathered a star-studded panel of former athletes and specialists to share their expertise across the competition.
      The World Athletics Championships 2023 conclude on August 27, 2023.
      Much of the action is being streamed live online on the BBC Sport website and app.
      Read More on World Athletics
      Steve Cram
      Steve Cram is one of the commentators at the 2023 World Athletics Championships
      Steve Cram, CBE is a retired track and field athlete.
      In 1985, he set world records in the 1,500 m, 2,000 m, and the mile.
      Cram won gold in the 1,500m at the 1983 World games, before going on to take home the silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.
      After retiring from athletics in 1994 Cram moved in to a career in television, acting as an athletics commentator for BBC Sport.
      Most read in Athletics
      In his role as commentator, Cram has covered events like the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
      Paula Radcliffe
      Marathon star Paula Radcliffe is one of the BBC commentators at the athletics competition
      Paula Radcliffe is a former long-distance runner who is a three-time winner of the London Marathon.
      She has also won the New York Marathon three times and the Chicago Marathon once.
      Radcliffe represented Team GB at four consecutive Olympic games (1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008) but didn’t bring home a medal.
      She did, however, win gold in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.
      Since ending her competitive running career after the 2015 London Marathon, Radcliffe has occasionally worked as a commentator for the BBC, covering events such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
      Steve Backley
      Commentator Steve Backley is a former Olympic medal winner
      Steve Backley, OBE is a retired British track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw.
      He won many accolades throughout his career, including two silvers and a bronze at the Olympic Games, and two silvers at the World Championships.
      Backley set a javelin throwing world record of 89.58m in Stockholm, Sweden in July 1990.
      He last competed in 2004 at the Olympics in Athens, Greece.
      Since retiring from athletics, Backley has appeared on the 2008 edition of ITV’s Dancing on Ice.
      He has also worked as a commentator for the BBC.
      Andrew Cotter
      Andrew Cotter has been a sports broadcaster for over two decades
      Andrew Cotter is a Scottish sports broadcaster who has worked with the BBC for various sporting events.
      He started his career with Edinburgh-based radio station Scot FM, before relocating to London to work with BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky News.
      Throughout his career he commentated both rugby and golf events, covering major competitions like The Six Nations, the Rugby World Cup, the Masters Tournament, and The Open Championship.
      Read More on The Sun
      During the pandemic, Cotter went viral for posting adorable videos of his dogs, Olive and Mabel, online.
      He has since written two books about his pets; Olive, Mabel & Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogs, and Dog Days: A Year with Olive & Mabel. More

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      World’s sexiest athlete Alica Schmidt enjoys ice bath with team-mate in behind-scenes video at World Championships

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      ALICA SCHMIDT, dubbed the “world’s sexiest athlete”, enjoyed an ice bath with her German team-mates at the World Championships in Budapest.The runner, 24, competed in the 4x400m mixed relay for Germany.
      Alica Schmidt posed in the mirror in her Germany kitCredit: Instagram @aliciasmd
      She went to the track and got in an ice bath with her team-matesCredit: Instagram @aliciasmd
      She smiled with one of her German track partners while in the bathCredit: Instagram @aliciasmd
      And she helped them reach the final after a fourth place finish in their heat.
      But they could only manage seventh place in the final as a dramatic race was won by USA after the Netherlands’ Femke Bol fell metres from the line.
      Now Alica is turning her attention towards the women’s 4x100m later this week.
      And she shared a video of her preparation in Hungary on Tuesday.
      READ MORE ON ALICA SCHMIDT
      It began with her posing in the mirror in her Germany kit as she added the caption: “Training and bath.”
      Alica then headed to a training track as she scanned her pass to enter.
      That was followed up by her hopping in an ice bath with some of her team-mates.
      She will now be hoping to perform in the women’s relay.
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      Alica helped Germany reach the final of the 4x400m mixed relayCredit: Rex
      Alica has been dubbed the ‘world’s sexiest athlete’Credit: Getty
      Alica’s dream is to compete at the Paris Olympic Games next summer.
      She was part of Germany’s athletics team at the Tokyo Games, but did not end up featuring.
      She has previously been dubbed the ‘world’s sexiest athlete’ and is known for both her social media presence and her athletics.
      Alica, who has four million followers on Instagram, also works as a part-time model and was recently named in the Forbes 30 under 30 list.
      She is a model as well as a runnerCredit: Instagram @alicasmd
      Alica has four million followers on InstagramCredit: Getty More

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      Katarina Johnson-Thompson WINS World Athletics Championship Gold in one of sport’s greatest comeback stories

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      FROM THE depths of despair to the top of the world, Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s brilliant Budapest bullion caps one of Britain’s greatest sporting comeback stories.It would have been so easy, and few would have blamed her, had KJT chucked in the heptathlon at several points in the four years since she first won a world title.
      Katarina Johnson-Thompson has capped a remarkable comebackCredit: Reuters
      Johnson-Thompson of Team Great Britain won gold in the women’s heptathlonCredit: Getty
      Delighted Johnson-Thompson celebrates her incredible momentCredit: Getty
      For so long, heartbreak had been the overriding emotion for this injury-hit, out-of-luck 30-year-old.
      To name but a few adversities, there had been a ruptured Achilles, career-saving surgeries, Covid isolation, coaching changes and training-base switches.
      Tears flowed when she hit rock-bottom – that horrible moment when she completed only three of the seven events at the Tokyo Olympics due to a right calf injury.
      It explains why this stunning victory by the Danube means so much for her, the British squad and track-and-field back in the UK.
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      It proves that however bad things can get, however low you reach, it is possible to recapture past glories.
      Now some may argue that the field was missing the injured Nafi Thiam, the two-time Olympic and world champion.
      But do you honestly think Johnson-Thompson cares?
      It was about time she earned a major slice of good fortune.
      Most read in Athletics
      After all that she has been through, the chance to win a medal of any colour gives her the sweetest of redemption arcs.
      Overnight, Johnson-Thompson had been in second place after four events, lying 93 points behind the American Anna Hall, who had her left calf strapped up.
      On day two of competition, the long jump and javelin were pivotal events – and the Brit excelled at both.
      A leap of 6.54 metres under a baking hot Hungarian sun put her top of the 21-woman field.
      And then her javelins, often seen as her weakest event, flew through the air so smoothly and confidently.
      A mark of 46.14 metres represented a personal best and was only bettered by six other strongwomen.
      It was 1.81 metres further than what she produced a year ago at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
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      Heading into the 800m, the seventh and final discipline, she had a 26-point lead over Dutchwoman Anouk Vetter.
      Read More on The Sun
      It was tight between her and Colorado runner Hall, 22, and until the last 200m of the 800m, she was behind in the standings.
      But by finishing just 1.54 seconds seconds behind, she was able to cement her position as the number one heptathlete in the world. More