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.
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.
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.
On TV, augmented reality was used to display athlete headshots, win probabilities and projected finishing positions for each event.
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.
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 (£59,000) between them after winning in 39.64 seconds.
Great Britain’s Romell Glave, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Jeremiah Azu and Success Eduan finished third, behind Jamaica, in 40.26.
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.
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.
“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.
“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.”
