Gal Shrim of Israel shared the men's 100m world title in a dead-heat with Luke Beckstrand of the United States at the 2026 UIPM Obstacle World Championships in Beijing. The two sprinters crossed the line at Universal CityWalk with timers frozen at an identical 23.622 seconds. The tie held even when the clock was read to a thousandth of a second.
Caught on the final obstacles
Beckstrand had set the fastest time in every round on his way to the final. He looked certain to retain his crown after losing gold — and a shoe — in the 400m earlier in the week. The American led through the sprint section, but Shrim surged on the last two obstacles and the watches stopped together.
Nothing could separate the two champions. They each received a gold medal. Oliver Addy of Great Britain took bronze, defeating Daniil Vitchkov of Russia in the race for third.
Two golds for the 21-year-old
The shared title was only half of Shrim's week. The 21-year-old had already claimed the men's 400m world title, holding his nerve to win in 1:20.61. He finished well clear of a runner-up who clocked 1:23.74.
Israel enjoyed a breakthrough championships. May Yahalom dethroned the 2025 champion to claim the women's 100m crown, giving the nation two champions on the same day.
The 100m remains the sport's pure speed test, part of a five-day programme that also features the returning 400m and a 3km individual endurance event. Shrim stood at the centre of a championships that revealed Israel's rising depth.
