They would not have been hard to spot among a crowd estimated at around 1,000 scattered around a stadium built for 40,000. All the poisons to have entered the sport’s systems in recent times were pooling in the echoing emptiness of the air-conditioned Khalifa stadium. And yet the 38,000 or so empty seats told a very different story: a tale of sickness, corruption, warped priorities and vested interests. Athletics is a resilient sport and there have been cherishable moments in the opening days of these world championships, as there always are on such occasions. And the great Allyson Felix, another new mother, returning to win her 12th world title in the inaugural mixed 4x400m, itself a good entertainment which may or may not be destined for a permanent place in the programme.

Source: The Guardian September 30, 2019 16:41 UTC