2023 World Athletics Championships

After 12 days in Budapest, Jonathan Gault shares his final reflections from a terrific 2023 World Athletics Championships and includes 4 simple rule changes that should be made before Tokyo 2025. Plus who are his Budapest MVPs?

After Mu took the race out in 56.01, Moraa hung onto her most of the way until pulling away midway down the home straight to win in 1:56.03.

Victor Kiplangat, the Commonwealth Games champion, took it to another level and won the World marathon title as Zach Panning led the Americans in 13th.

Kipyegon closed in an absurd 56.59 for her final 400 to join Bernard Lagat (2007) as the only athletes to pull off the double at Worlds.

Marco Arop went from last to first on the final lap to get a dominant 800m gold for Canada.

Amane Beriso Shankule capped an amazing personal calendar year of running to become the World Champion as Gotytom Gebreslase got silver and Fatima Gardadi of Morocco prevented the Ethiopian sweep. Lindsay Flanagan led the Americans in 9th.

Jackson set a championship record of 21.41 (#2 all-time) while Lyles ran 19.52 to complete the 100/200 double.

For the first time as a pro, Athing Mu didn't cross the finish line first in an 800 tonight but she still impressed us greatly. All 3 Americans will be in the final as well Moraa, Hodgkinson and Reekie.

Danielle Williams stunned the women's 100 hurdles field and Antonio Watson won the 400 in a golden 30 minutes for Jamaica.

Sifan Hassan decided she wanted to beat Faith Kipyegon in the prelim as Emma Coburn, Krissy Geer and others went home.

For the second year in a row, a runner from Edinburgh AC upset Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the world final as Kerr replicated Jake Wightman's race from a year ago to take gold.

Mu won her 800 heat in 1:59.59 while Sha'Carri Richardson led all 200m qualifiers in 22.16.

El Bakkali's kick was lethal once again as he took down the world record holder over the final 200m and improved his record to 8-1 against Girma.

Kipyegon blasted the field over the final 200 as Diribe Welteji and Sifan Hassan rounded out the podium.

Canada's Marco Arop looked amazing and Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi wasn't too shabby as Bryce Hoppel was the lone American to advance.

Richardson went from bombing out of USAs in the first round in 2022 to world champion in a championship record of 10.65 one year later.