Canada's Mike Mason clinches berth in high jump world final
3-time Olympian clears 2.29 metres to qualify 6th for Friday's 12-man competition
Mike Mason will compete in a high jump world final for the first time.
The 33-year-old native of Nanoose Bay, B.C., cleared 2.29 metres Tuesday at his fourth track and field championships to finish sixth among the 12 qualifiers for Friday's final at 1:15 p.m. ET.
"I felt good all the way through," he told CBC Sports' Scott Russell. "I had one miss at 29, on my first attempt, but was feeling good and the second attempt put it together. I feel very confident."
Two years ago, Mason jumped 2.26 on his first attempt before he "lost focus" and missed all three tries at 2.29, failing to qualify for the world final in London. He placed 18th, as he did in 2015 after finishing 25th two years earlier.
"It gutted me that he didn't make it out of prelims because that was a really big opportunity for Mike to medal," Mason's coach Jeff Huntoon recalled in May during an interview with CBC Sports.
WATCH | Mike Mason qualifies for world final for first time:
Mental game a challenge
"I knew I needed to get healthy and stronger in a lot of areas if I wanted to compete at a high level and was serious about going to a fourth Olympics [next summer]," says Mason, whose typical training week includes two jump practices, two running workouts and three days of lifting weights.
The mental game then became Mason's challenge. Staying relaxed, calm and "in the moment" is a daily reminder to remain controlled in his approach on the runway to get in proper position for take-off.
"I've been working really hard to stay focused, not waste any energy, and it seems to be working," he said.
Tuesday was Mason's highest jump since that day in April in Santa Barbara, Calif. He squeezed into this year's Diamond League Final with his first win of the season on the pro circuit and finished fourth (2.27) in Zurich on Aug. 29.
Mason's teammate, Django Lovett, cleared 2.22 on Tuesday and didn't advance. The 27-year-old from Surrey, B.C., won silver at nationals in July and had a 2.30 season best.
Donavan Brazier ran 1:42.34 to set a United States record and championship mark to become the first-ever American to win an 800 world final.
Emmanuel misses qualifying for 200m final
Crystal Emmanuel ran a season-best 22.65 seconds but won't compete in her second world final in the women's 200 metres.
Gina Bass ran 22:60 to beat out the Toronto sprinter for the eighth and final qualifying spot.
WATCH | Crystal Emmanuel runs season-best 22.65 seconds:
"It was a great world championships for me, a season best, and I'm grateful," said Emmanuel, who bowed out in the 100 semifinals on Sunday.
Emmanuel lowered her previous mark of 22.87 from the Diamond League Final. Her 22.50 personal best was set in July 2017 when she broke the Canadian record of 22.62 set by Marita Payne-Wiggins — the mother of NBA player Andrew Wiggins — in 1983.
Emmanuel placed seventh in the 2017 world final in 22.60.
Arop 7th in 800m world final debut
Edmonton middle-distance runner Marco Arop had a strong start in the men's 800-metre final before fading and finishing seventh in one minute 45.78 seconds.
Arop, who was 71-100ths of a second faster in Monday's semifinal heats, was fourth midway through the final.
"I came into the race knowing the [top guys] were probably going to take it out fast," he said. "I thought I had it in me to stay up [front] with them. It was just a little hot today and I couldn't keep up."
WATCH | Arop: 'I gotta get better at going 3 rounds' at a major championship:
The Khartoum, Sudan-born Arop had reached the podium in each of his previous four races this season, including a Pan Am title in August at Peru, where the 21-year-old stopped the clock in 1:44.25.
Final-bound Hughes sets SB in 3,000m steeplechase
Matt Hughes will get a fourth opportunity at worlds to reach the medal podium in the men's 3,000 steeplechase.
The six-time Canadian champion mustered a season-best time of eight minutes 13.12 seconds to qualify fourth for the 15-man final on Friday at 2:45 p.m. ET. Getnet Wale of Ethiopia topped the field in 8:12.96.
WATCH | Matt Hughes runs season-best 8:13.12:
"I've had eight really, really good weeks of training leading into this and I'm confident happy and healthy," Hughes said.
The 30-year-old's 8:11:64 national record has stood since the 2013 worlds in Moscow, where the native of Oshawa, Ont., placed sixth. He was sixth two years ago in London, eighth in 2015 and 34th in 2011.
Hughes announced in July via Instagram that he was leaving the Portland-based Bowerman Track Club.
"My main priority is to continue competing this summer," he wrote, "but with a focus on trying to find happiness again, getting back to enjoying the [daily] routine and joys of being a professional runner."
Two other Canadians joined Hughes in Tuesday's race. Calgary's Ryan Smeeton (8:32.53) and John Gay (8:33.74) of Kelowna, B.C., finished 30th and 32nd, respectively, of 44 finishers.
Hurdler Watson advances to 400-metre semis
Sage Watson of Medicine Hat, Alta., is through to the semifinals in women's 400-metre hurdles on Wednesday at 2:05 p.m. ET.
Watson, 25, finished second in the fifth and final heat on Tuesday in a time of 55.57, 1-100th of a second faster than her Diamond League Trophy victory in Brussels on Sept. 6.
WATCH | Sage Watson threatens season-best in Doha:
"It was good, I qualified and that's the goal. Time to run faster tomorrow to get to the final," said Watson, who also plans to race the women's 4x400 relay in Doha.
On July 21, Watson clocked 55.32 to meet the 55.40 qualifying standard for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Three weeks later, she ran a season-best 55.16 to win Pan Am gold in Peru.
Elsewhere ...
- Toronto's Philip Osei was the first Canadian to compete on Tuesday and clocked 45.87 seconds in the men's 400 metres to qualify for the semifinals on Wednesday at 1:35 p.m. ET. The 28-year-old won his third national title in July and is aiming to qualify for his first world final.
CBC Sports has exclusive live coverage of the 2019 World Track & Field Championships from Sept. 27-Oct. 6. Visit the stream and broadcast schedule, You can also add the complete event schedule to your calendar.