How five stars fared at the World Athletics Championships

How five stars fared at the World Athletics Championships

Budapest (AFP) – AFP Sport picked out five athletes to watch at the World Athletics Championships which ended in Budapest on Sunday. This is how they fared:

Shericka Jackson (JAM)

She did not achieve the sprint double she wanted. However, she gained glorious compensation, after silver in the 100m, with the second fastest run in 200m history of 21.41sec to retain her title.

The 29-year-old former 400m runner is just seven hundredths off the late Florence Griffith-Joyner's controversial world record set in 1988. Jackson though refuses to become embroiled in whether she considers herself the geuine world record holder.

"Ah, 21.41, I'm getting there, I'm getting to where I want to be and tonight was a living testimony of never give up," she said.

"I said this last year, if a person never failed a test I cannot comment on any world record. I am not the world record holder."

Jaydon Hibbert (JAM)

The 19-year-old Jamaican prodigy topped qualifying and looked set fair to confirm his extraordinary talent in his first senior final.

However, his involvement came to a dramatic end in his first jump as he pulled up feeling his left hamstring.

He stayed on the track but it was game over. Blessed with a sunny disposition he looked forwards to next year and the Olympics.

"I had a great season, and I am not disappointed now," said Hibbert. "I know I could fight for a medal here but the most important thing is that I gained experience at this level.

"I need to move on now, focus is on recovery and on next season. I will be OK. I will bounce back."

Letsile Tebogo (BOT)

The 20-year-old from Botswana lived up to the hype surrounding him -- not since Namibia's Frankie Fredericks three decades ago has an African sprinter generated such excitement.

Silver in the 100m and then bronze, both behind Noah Lyles, completed a highly satisfactory championships for him and rubber-stamped his decision to choose athletics over football as the best means of putting "food on the table for his mother."

"My performance in Budapest means a lot to me, to the country and to the continent, because it is not about me, it is about the people," he said.

"I believe I am a role model for young people in Botswana because there have not been many sprinters from my country."

Julien Alfred (LCA)

The 22-year-old may have missed out on medals but her fourth and fifth-placed finishes in the women's 200m and 100m respectively suggests she will be a serious contender at the Paris Olympics next year.

She already had a Commonwealth Games 100m silver medal but this was up another level and came only weeks after she ran her first professional race.

Alfred has brought such pride to St Lucia -- which has never medalled in a world championships -- that the Prime Minister Philip J Pierre turned up to watch her 200m final in Derek Walcott Square in the Caribbean island for what was termed a "National Watch Party.'

Former Prime Minister Allen Chastanet said Alfred "highlights the potential and spirit of our entire country."

Keely Hodgkinson (GBR)

The 21-year-old must be delighted that neither Athing Mu nor Mary Moraa can run in the European Championships.

For once again the European champion had to settle for silver in the 800m. She now has four silvers -- Mu edged her in the Olympic and 2022 world final and Moraa pipped her in last year's Commonwealth final and then on Sunday in Budapest.

Hodgkinson showed the very best of British stiff upper lip at having to fill the second highest step of the podium again. "It was different positions to last year (Moraa took bronze in 2022) but I have another silver, at least," she said.

"I'm sure the gold will be mine one of these years. The fact I ran 55 seconds for the last lap shows I am moving into new territory." Come Paris she will hope it is winning territory.