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As win percentages flashed up on screen, and sparklers lit up the dark backdrop as athletes posed with their trophies, athletics attempted to take its first steps in a brand new direction.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, the world’s top athletes had arrived for the championship at a red carpet event. On Friday, they emerged to light shows and dramatic music.<\/p>\n
The appearance of the arena was immediately striking, with an infield painted black with the intention of directing the audience’s focus to the illuminated live action.<\/p>\n
On TV, augmented reality was used to display athlete headshots, win probabilities and projected finishing positions for each event.<\/p>\n
For their crowning moment, athletes lifted their trophy from a plinth beside their competition area before heading to a winners’ enclosure in the stands where they joined the likes of Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles.<\/p>\n
The first to lift a trophy inside the stadium which hosted the World Championships three years ago was the United States’ mixed 4x100m relay quartet, who shared $80,000 (\u00a359,000) between them after winning in 39.64 seconds.<\/p>\n
Great Britain’s Romell Glave, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Jeremiah Azu and Success Eduan finished third, behind Jamaica, in 40.26.<\/p>\n
Jazmin Sawyers went close to producing a sensational end to the women’s long jump – but she was still delighted to finish second at the end of a season which has brought Commonwealth gold and European silver.<\/p>\n
The 32-year-old only returned from a devastating Achilles rupture on her take off leg last year but has quickly returned to career-best form and finished with a 6.78m leap.<\/p>\n
“I really enjoyed it. I felt like I had a bit more in me but this competition was always a bonus for me,” said Sawyers.<\/p>\n
“I never thought I’d be here. I never thought, based on the first half of the season that I had, that I would be able to make top eight in the world.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n