Countries you don't really see at World Championships

Another interesting thing. All of the UK's athletes train abroad. The UK spends more money on their athletes than any other country. They, and France, should be dominating the medals table.

Climate, genetics, cultural differences.

Places like India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand are just too hot to train comfortably and over generations a culture of taking everything slow and easy is developed, to avoid sweating and overheating in everyday life. Even walking is not common with most people preferring to take a motorbike taxi to go just a few hundred metres down the road. Also many of these Asian countries have a relaxed, easy going attitude to life. They aren't as competitive generally. Teachers aren't as tough on the kids during sports, they aren't pushed hard. It isn't the sort of culture that produces athletes.

In the dry season which can last for 4 or 5 months a year, smog and pm2.5 mean you can't/shouldn't train outdoors in many less-developed countries.

Genes - Asians and Indians are generally a few inches smaller than your average westerner or Kenyan. In many events build and height matter.

Muslim majority countries are going to be less good at sports because of restrictive things like face veils, fasting.

In south east asia people typically work 9-10 hours a day 6 days a week - less free time for sports and exercise.

All factors!

Lady from Albania, pop 2.85M, in the steeple. She looked under five feet tall. Took fifth. She's a genuine lady.

Umm.. Mexico has many race walkers.

So far GB has three medals. Muir, Wightman and Asher-Smith all train in the UK and were developed in the British system. Can you elaborate a bit on all these athletes training abroad?

I was wondering about this as well. Besides the meet standards for entry, I was wondering is some countries are still heavily impacted by Covid shutdowns and trying to get back on to some kind of "normal" lifestyle. Economic impacts of Covid? Corruption of systems. No state development?

Ukraine is very visible and competing well considering.

I havent seen Romania.

Laos, Cambodia, Bhutan, Palestine, and Kyrgyzstan

I do love when a nation that is not one of your normal track powers wins a gold medal so we can hear the national anthem of that nation for the 1st time

I was about to say I don't remember seeing many people from Laos. Also Argentina. It's basically South America and the middle east that don't have many athletes though. Saw someone competing for the refugee team. I can't imagine it's too great to train in somewhere like Bahrain. Iraq regularly hits over 50C now with over 30C as overnight lows. When my ex was in Basra training was impossible.

bbc.co.uk

Basra - BBC Weather

@BBCWeather

14-day weather forecast for Basra.

Link:www.bbc.co.uk/weather/99532

I mean obviously weather is not the only issue but it plays a part.

Pretty strange that the whole continent of Antarctica has never produced a global finalist

Neither of the two largest countries in Europe (Germany and France) has won a medal, yet Ukraine has won 2, as has Belgium and Lithuania.

Germany has Koko.

What medal has she won? She didn't even make the 5000 final.

Well, at least Sam made the final, lol.

They are always overshadowed by Burkina Faso.

Bless Lee Bong Ju for overcoming all of this.

Germany has now won a medal in women's 4x1.

And Mihambo will probably win another tomorrow.

Does anyone know which country the male runner was who got lapped TWICE in the 5000m?

Pretty absurd thing to say because out of the first 4 countries, 3 won a medal these very championships. And others won many times, even recently. Basically the only 2 countries you named that are actually large that do not have many contenders are Indonesia and Argentina.