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≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
The opening session of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (JPN) started with the men’s and women’s 35 km walks, moved up to avoid high heat and with mid-70s temperatures and overcast skies as the race developed.
The men’s 35 km had three clear by halfway, with home favorites Hayato Katsuki and two-time Worlds medalist Masatowa Kawano and Ecuador’s 2023 Pan Am Games 20 km winner David Hurtado, with Tokyo 2020 50 km bronzer Evan Dunfee (CAN) about 12 seconds back.
The top three passed 25 km together, but then Hurtado moved away and was up by 12 seconds at 28 km, but had to sit for 3 1/2 minutes of penalties due to three red cards. Kawano took the lead back and by 30 km, had nine seconds on Dunfee, who had moved up nicely. But Dunfee had the lead at 31 km as Kawano was struggling mightily.
The Canadian star was ahead by 40 seconds by 32 km, and Korea’s Ming-yu Kim passed Kawano after 33 km for second, but Brazil’s Caio Bonfim, the Paris 2024 20 km silver medalist was moving best, passed Kim and challenged Dunfee for the lead. But the Canadian overcame a cramp and had enough to win, waving the Canadian flag above his head as he crossed in 2:28:22.
Bonfim was second in 2:28:55 and Katsuki thrilled the crowd in third in 2:29:16. Kawano faded to 18th.
Five women were in the lead pack by halfway in the women’s 35 km, starting with Tokyo 2020 20 km winner Antonella Palmisano (ITA), Paula Torres (ECU), China’s Li Peng, Spain’s Olympic 20 km silver winner (and defending champ) Maria Perez and Peru’s star, 2022 World Champion Kimberley Garcia.
Perez got clear by 23 km, and had a 16-second lead on Palmisano (and everyone else) by 24 km and more than a minute by 28 km. With 2 km to go, she had a 2:58 lead on Palmisano and 3:30 on Torres, and strode home the winner – her second straight in this event – waving the Spanish flag in 2:39:01.
Palmisano was a clear second in 2:42:24, then Torres in 2:42:44. The U.S. entries included Maria Michta-Coffey, 22nd in 3:05:02; Miranda Melville, 30th in 3:12:07 and Katie Burnett, 32nd in 3:14:13.
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Everything else in the morning session was qualifying, with the sun coming out for the running events:
● Mixed 4×400 m: The new rules allow only one substitution between heats and final, so the quality was up for the top teams. The U.S. was in heat one with former national 400 m champ Bryce Deadmon, Tokyo Olympic 4×400 gold winner Lynna Irby-Jackson, Jenoah McKiver and Alexis Holmes, who anchored the 2023 World Champion team.
South Africa’s Gardeo Isaacs and Deadmon passed together, but then Irby-Jackson took the lead and passed with a meter lead on Miranda Coetzee. McKiver opened a bigger lead, but passed even with Leendert Koekemoer at the final exchange. Holmes was in control all during the final leg, away from South Africa’s Zeney van der Walt, but then Britain’s Yemi Mary John came on hard to challenge in the final 15 m. But Holmes saw her coming on the scoreboard and stayed in front to the tape in 3:10.18 to 3:10.22, with South Africa third in 3:11.16, the auto qualifiers.
Poland and the Netherlands handed off even after two legs in heat two, but Dylan Borlee brought the Belgians to the front on the final exchange. Helena Ponette maintained the lead and got clear of the field to win in 3:10.37, with 800 m star Mary Moraa bringing Kenya up into second (3:10.73) and Eveline Saalberg (NED) hanging on for third in 3:11.11.
Olympic hero Femke Bol is expected to help the Dutch in the final.
● Men/100 m: In the run-in round, the top time was 10.41 (-0.8 m/s wind) by Christopher Borzor (HAI).
● Men/Shot Put: Defending champ Ryan Crouser of the U.S. hadn’t thrown all season thanks to injuries, but debuted as the fourth man in the qualifying, and very conservatively reached 21.37 m (70-1 1/2), just beyond the auto-qualifying mark of 21.35 m/70-0 1/2.
Teammate Tripp Piperi led off Group A with an auto-qualifier at 21.47 m (70-5 1/4) and that ended up second-best overall in the morning.
In Group B, 2017 World Champion Tom Walsh (NZL) hit his qualifier in the second round at 21.74 m (70-5 1/4) and that was the best of the day. U.S. champ Josh Awotunde did 20.78 m (68-2 1/4) in the first round and that was his best, but good enough for eighth and advancing to the final.
Payton Otterdahl was out of form, did 19.78 m (64-10 3/4) in round one but then had two fouls and did not advance, ranking 21st overall.
● Women/Discus: Three auto qualifiers – past 64.00 m/210-0 – from the first group, with two-time World Champion Sandra Elkasevic (CRO) at 66.72 m (218-11), followed by 2022 World Champion Bin Feng (CHN: 65.52 m/214-11) and defending champ Lagi Tausaga of the U.S. (64.99 m/213-2). Gabi Jacobs of the U.S. reached 59.70 m (195-10), eighth in the group and did not advance.
The second flight had auto qualifiers in Jorinde van Klinken (NED: 66.39 m/217-9), and Olympic champ Valarie Allman of the U.S. (66.07 m/216-9).
American Shelby Frank was 13th in Group B at 58.90 m (193-3) and did not advance.
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Saturday’s evening session begins at 5 a.m. Eastern time in the U.S. The meet is being shown by NBC in the U.S., primarily on Peacock, but also on CNBC and USA Network.
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