Look, this isn’t just us having a distinct American bias in our coverage… the majority of World Athletics’s homepage is news about the U.S. Championships right now as well, and they’re not called “American Athletics!” We’re extremely fortunate in this country for our national championships to be truly world caliber events, where the level of competition is high enough that even medal favorites can’t phone it in.

Sure, there are countries like France, Jamaica, and the U.K. where there are several events that might see a recent Olympic medalist fail to crack the top three. But generally speaking, the non-American big dogs can either coast at their national championships or rely on at-large selections from their national federations.

However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of eye-popping—and occasionally head-scratching—moments all around the world this past weekend.

Bahamas: Steven Gardiner comfortably won the 200m in 20.42; Shaunae Miller-Uibo took second in a two-woman 400m final, going 51.42.

Belgium: Merel Maes buried the competition in the high jump, clearing 1.97m, a new PB.

Brazil: Eric Cardoso set a new South American 100m record, 9.93 (with a legal 1.3m/s tailwind) and Luis Mauricio da Silva uncorked a 91.00m heave in the javelin, also a South American record.

Canada: Gabriela Debues-Stafford won the 1500m (4:08.38, with a 59.28 last lap) and 5000m (15:17.32); Sarah Mitton took top honors (honours?) in the shot put without much stress—her 19.25m best toss was over three meters clear of the field; Ethan Katzberg comfortably won the hammer off the strength of an 81.33m throw; Max Davies won the men’s 1500m in 3:58.29 (not a typo!), closing the final 400m in 50.27.

France: Alice Finot held off Flavie Renouard in the steeple, 9:33.16 to 9:33.28. Yanis Meziane won the men’s 800m (1:45.24), while Gabriel Tual—a man frequently discussed as a podium threat for Tokyo—faded to sixth. Azeddine Habz took the men’s 1500m (3:33.33). Just Kwaou-Mathey (12.99) upset Sasha Zhoya (13.18) in the 110m hurdles.

Greece: Emmanouil Karalis soared over 6.08m for a new national record and Miltiadis Tentoglou predictably won the long jump (8.12m).

Italy: Leonardo Fabbri launched the shot 22.82m—a new world lead.

Lithuania: Further muddling things in the women’s 800m as we head toward Worlds, Gabija Galvydytė ripped a solo 1:58.69 PB, crossing the line about 14 seconds ahead of second place.

Netherlands: Lieke Klaver and Femke Bol played around and went 1-2 in the 200m final, going 22.82 and 22.84, respectively.

Nigeria: Tobi Amusan won the 100m hurdles national title in 12.57, and qualified for—but did not contest—the 100m final as well.

Norway: Narve Nordås won the 5000m by over a minute and 20 seconds, breaking the tape in 13:08.33. But he got beat in the 1500m final by Håkon Moe Berg (3:38.71).

Portugal: The U.S. and Kenya appear to be the only nations on earth where the men's 1500m now has to be fast at championships; it’s a tactical slug-fest everywhere else. Recently minted 3:31 man José Carlos Pinto won it in 3:55.38. (He also won the 5000m in 13:29.38.) Portugal’s other World 1500m finals candidate Isaac Nader dropped down and won the 800m in 1:46.10.

Sweden: Vera Sjöberg avenged her NCAA Indoors loss in the mile to Wilma Nielsen by winning the 1500m Swedish national title, 4:05.09 to 4:05.34. Just behind them was Mia Barnett (4:05.39)... so Sjöberg technically also avenged losing to Barnett in the NCAA 1500m final.

Trinidad & Tobago: Jereem Richards won the 200m by 0.48 seconds (20.21); Keshorn Walcott won the javelin by over 14 meters (84.65m). 

United Kingdom: Zharnel Hughes won the men’s 100m (9.94) and 200m (19.90); Amy Hunt won the women’s 100m (11.02) and Daryll Neita was DQ’d. Molly Caudery went 4.85m to win the pole vault by half a meter. Max Burgin went 1:43.92 to win the 800m. Neil Gourley outkicked Elliot Giles 3:47.06 to 3:47.20 in the 1500m. Josh Kerr won the 5,000m in 13:44.73. Dina Asher-Smith won a close 200m (22.14) over Hunt (22.14) and Neita (22.30). Georgia Hunter Bell went 1:59.53 to win the 800m over Jemma Reekie (2:00.97). Sarah Calvert snagged a surprise win in the 1500m (4:16.27), beating out Laura Muir (4:16.32).

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