Oct 14, 2019

Women won the weekend

Kendall Baker, author of Sports

Brigid Kosgei, Simone Biles and Coco Gauff. Photos: Kamil Krzaczynksi/AFP via Getty Images; Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images; Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

Yesterday, Brigid Kosgei shattered the women's marathon world record, Simone Biles became the most decorated gymnast in world championship history and 15-year-old Coco Gauff won her first singles tennis title.

Running: A day after Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge's feat, his countrywoman Kosgei ran the Chicago Marathon in 2:14:04, besting the previous women's world record by more than a minute (2:15:25).

  • The big picture: "The two achievements made the weekend one of the most memorable in the modern history of long-distance running, with Kenya asserting its supremacy as the heartbeat of the sport," the New York Times wrote.

Gymnastics: Biles won gold medals in the balance beam and floor exercise to increase her career championship medal count to 25 — breaking Vitaly Scherbo's record of 24, which had stood for more than 2 decades.

Tennis: Gauff beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2, in the finals of the Linz Open to claim her first WTA title.

  • Worth noting: Gauff is 2 years younger than either Serena or Venus Williams were when they won their first titles.

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