A myriad of stars and a major challenge: the World Athletics Championships begin this weekend, August 19, on the track of the brand new National Athletics Center in Budapest, Hungary, and will last until August 27. More than 2000 athletes, representing nearly 200 countries, will make the trip to try to win a world medal and a minimum guaranteeing them a qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On which channels to follow the competition?
The opening ceremony will take place on Saturday August 19 at 6 p.m., it will be broadcast live on France Télévisions and Eurosport, like the rest of the competition. Alexandre Pasteur, Alexandre Boyon, Benoît Durant, Stéphane Diagana and Maryse Éwanjé-Épée, as well as Nelson Monfort on the edges of the track will comment on the entire competition on France 2, France 3 and France 4.
On Eurosport, the events will be commented on by Bertrand Milliard, François Xavier de Chateaufort, Stéphane Caristan and Jean-Baptiste Protais. They are divided into two sessions, with tests in the morning between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. approximately, then resume in the evening most often from 6 p.m.
Warholm, Duplantis, Bol… The stars to follow
The first highlight of this edition of the World Championships will undoubtedly be the men’s 100m final, where the American Fred Kerley will defend his title, starting on Sunday at 7:10 p.m., but that of the women, Monday August 21 at 9:50 p.m., will be worth also the look with a promising duel between the American Sha’Carri Richardson and the Jamaican Shericka Jackson.
The Frenchman Kevin Mayer, double world champion in title, will enter the competition on Friday August 25, during the first events of the decathlon. He will start with the 100 m, at 10:05 a.m., and is one of the rare chances of tricolor medals. Last year, in Eugene, he was the only Frenchman to have won a medal at the Worlds. In all, this year, 78 French athletes will make the trip to Budapest, making France one of the three largest delegations (along with the United States and Germany).
In the absence of Sydney McLaughlin, who withdrew from the Worlds due to a knee injury to better prepare for the Olympics, the 400m hurdles event will be an opportunity to shine for Femke Bol. The Dutchwoman, often in the shadow of the American until then (vice-world champion 2022 behind McLaughlin) is in brilliant form: she has just shattered the European record by more than half a second (51 ′’45) to become the second fastest woman ever on the obstacle course. The 400m hurdles final will follow on Thursday August 24 at 9:50 p.m.
Two Norwegians will be on the mend: seventh in the 400m hurdles world final in Eugene, Karsten Warholm, in great shape this summer, will seek to win back world gold (Wednesday August 23, 9:50 p.m.). Ditto for Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m (Wednesday August 23, 9:15 p.m.), a race in which the Briton Jake Wightman (absent this year) had deprived him of gold a year ago. The Scandinavian cross-country skier is also involved in the 5,000m, of which he is title holder.
The pole vaulter Armand Duplantis will also attract all eyes. At the highest, the Swede climbed to 6.12 m this summer, in Ostrava (Czech Republic) at the end of June. After a day of pouring rain in Stockholm at the beginning of July, he unsuccessfully tackled a bar at 6.23 m. The reigning Olympic, European and world champion will perhaps try to jump as high in Hungary, during the final on Wednesday August 23 at 7:30 p.m.
