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≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
Another big crowd and another warm (85 F) and humid evening at Japan’s National Stadium in Tokyo for the second night of the World Athletics Championships, with three amazing wins for the U.S. and a Jamaican win in the men’s 100.
Event by event:
● Men/100 m: The semifinals started with defending champ Noah Lyles of the U.S. in lane five, with South Africa’s Akani Simbine – fourth in Tokyo and Paris – in six. Jamaican Akeem Blake got the best start, and Kaynsola Ajayi (NGR) was rolling, as Lyles moved up in mid-race and passed Ajayi in the final 10 m to win in 9.92 (wind +0.1 m/s) with Auburn’s Ajayi in 9.93 and Simbine in 9.96. Blake was fifth in 10.12 and did not advance.
Jamaica’s world leader, Kishane Thompson was in five and U.S. star Kenny Bednarek in four in semi two, and they were out together and ran together, with Bednarek given the win with both at 9.85 (+0.2). There was a blanket finish for third, with Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, the 2023 Worlds bronzer, was third in 10.03 and Jerome Blake (CAN) in the same time.
Semi three had Jamaican star Oblique Seville – fourth in the last two Worlds – in eight, but also South Africa’s Gift Leotlela, who ran 9.87 in the heats. A recall was made and Canada’s Andre De Grasse, the two-time Worlds bronze winner in this event, received a warning. Seville rolled in the final 50 m, winning in 9.86 (0.0), with Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo emerging as second in 9.94 and Leotlela third in 9.97. Courtney Lindsey of the U.S. was eighth in 10.18.
About an hour and 15 minutes later, the final had Lyles in four, Thompson in five, Bednarek in six and Seville in seven.
Tebogo, the 2023 Worlds silver medalist, jumped in lane eight and was disqualified.
Off the re-start, Thompson was out well, but Seville came on in mid-race and got the lead and rolled to the line in 9.77, a clear winner over Thompson (9.82) with Lyles moving hard to get third in 9.89. Bednarek, with a poor start, was fourth in 9.92. Seville was eighth in the Paris final, but is now World Champion.
● Men/10,000 m: It was 83 F with 79% humidity at the start of the race and so it was slow from the gun, with Grant Fisher of the U.S. leading in a jog at 74.16 for the first 400 m. After four laps, Ethiopia’s Tokyo Olympic champ Selemon Barega decided to move and opened up the pace. But the move was covered quickly.
At 6,800 m, Fisher was back in front, ahead of Edwin Kurgat (KEN), but with almost everyone still in contention. The lead kept switching, with Japan’s Jun Kasai in front with six laps left, then Andreas Almgren (SWE) with five laps to go. When would the break come?
Almgren led Fisher, France’s Jimmy Gressier, Nico Young of the U.S. and Ethiopia’s two-time World Indoor 3,000 m champ Yomif Kejelcha at the front with 1,200 to go. The running started with 600 to go, with Barega taking the lead, with Fisher close. At the bell, Barega led a dozen in a crowd.
With 200 left, it was Barega and Kejelcha in front and into the straight, Kejelcha led, but Almgren was close as was Gressier. Fisher and Young were charging, but Gressier had the most speed and got past Kejelcha and won a stunning victory in 28:55.77. Kejelcha got second in 28:55.83 and Almgren took third in 28:56.02.
Kenya’s Ismael Kipkurui sprinted last three others in the final 20 m to get fourth in 28:56.48, ahead of Young (28:56.62), Barega (28:57.21), with Fisher eighth in 28:57.85. Graham Blanks of the U.S. was 11th in 29:01.27. A slow race, and a crazy finish, but Gressier stunned with a Diamond League Final win in the 3,000 m and now he is World Champion at 10,000 m.
● Women/100 m: The semis were up first, with defending champ Sha’Carri Richardson of the U.S. in five. Half the field false-started, so a green card was shown to everyone. On the re-start, Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV) was out well, along with Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, the 2023 Worlds silver winner and they were 1-2 in 10.94 and 10.97 (-0.3). Richardson started poorly and was sixth by 25 m, but moved up quickly in the final 25 m to get third in a seasonal best of 11.00, with Daryll Neita (GBR: 11.06) in fourth. American Kayla White was sixth in 11.20.
Semi two was all about Olympic champ Julien Alfred (LCA), out well and cruising to a 10.93 win (+0.1), with five-time Worlds winner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) a clear second in 11.00. Britain’s Amy Hunt was third (11.05) and TeeTee Terry of the U.S. was fourth (11.07).
World leader Melissa Jefferson-Wooden was in lane six in semi three, with Jamaica’s Tina Clayton in five and Clayton was out best, but Jefferson-Wooden was in charge by 50 m and won in a startling 10.73 (+0.2). Clayton was a clear second in 10.90.
With Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) third in 11.02, Richardson advanced to the final once again on time, just as she did in 2023, when she won the gold from lane nine.
An hour and a half later, the final had Richardson in two, Jefferson-Wooden in four, Alfred in five and Clayton in six. Off the start, it was Jefferson-Wooden off well and she accelerated away from the field and won in a runaway in a sensational 10.61 (+0.3), now no. 4 on the all-time list!
It equals the no. 4 performance of all-time and only Florence Griffith-Joyner (10.49) and Jamaicans Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.54) and Fraser-Pryce (10.60) have ever been faster.
Clayton was a clear second, moving away from Alfred in mid-race, finishing in 10.76 for a lifetime best, then Alfred (10.84) and Jackson (10.88). Richardson was fifth in a seasonal best of 10.94 and Fraser-Pryce was sixth in 11.03.
● Women/Long Jump: Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall put the field on notice, blasting out to 7.08 m (23-2 3/4) in round one. Tokyo 2020 champion Malaika Mihambo (GER) moved up to second in round two at 6.92 m (22-8 1/2) and then got closer at 6.95 m (22-9 3/4) in round three.
Davis-Woodhall responded, powering out to a world-leading 7.13 m (23-4 3/4) in round four, with Mihambo improving to 6.99 m (22-11 1/4). Mihambo closed with a very loud foul on her final try, but was well over the line.
Natalia Linares (COL) was third at 6.85 m (22-5 3/4) from round two, being chased by France’s Hilary Kpatcha, at 6.82 m (22-4 1/2) from round three. Linares tied her lifetime best at 6.92 m (22-8 1/2) in round five and cemented her bronze position. Kpatcha stayed in fourth and World Indoor champ Claire Bryant of the U.S. was fifth with her 6.68 m (21-11) in round four.
American Quanesha Burks managed 6.60 m (21-8) in the third round and was eighth.
Davis-Woodhall moved up from silver in 2023 and now has gold medals in both the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
● Women/Discus: Olympic champion Valarie Allman of the U.S. came in with 28 straight wins – since the 2023 World Championships – and took the lead right away as the opening thrower at 67.63 m (221-10) in round one.
Dutch challenger Jorinde van Klinken responded with a seasonal best 67.50 m (221-5) toss as the second thrower, with Cuba’s Silinda Morales moving up to third in round three at 67.25 m (220-7). Defending champ Lagi Tausaga of the U.S. was fourth after three rounds at 65.49 m (214-10).
Two-time World Champion Sandra Elkasevic moved into fourth in round four at 65.82 m (215-11), then was passed by Vanessa Kamga (SWE) in round five at 65.95 m (216-4).
Then, Allman unloaded on the final throw of round five and she knew it: 69.48 m (227-11), to extend her lead and that turned out to be the winning throw and her 29th straight victory … and first Worlds gold. Tausaga finished sixth.
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Of course, there was more qualifying:
● Men/400 m: Six heats in the first round, with 2022 World Indoor champ Jereem Richards (TTO) powering down the straight to edge ahead and win heat one in 44.64, ahead of Lythe Pillay (RSA: 44.73).
Paris Olympic silver medalist Matthew Hudson-Smith was out well in heat two, with Jamaica’s Bovel McPherson on the outside, but into the straight, 2022 Worlds finalist Bayapo Ndori (BOT) and Japan’s Yuki Nakajima came on strong and were 1-2 in 44.36 and 44.44. McPherson held on for third (44.51 lifetime best) but Hudson-Smith faded to fourth in 44.68.
U.S. champ Jacory Patterson was in lane eight in heat three, and he powered to the win in a speedy 43.90 (fastest ever in a heat; 43.93 was the prior best). Rusheen McDonald of Jamaica won a three-way battle for second in 44.38 and a national record for Italy’s Edoardo Scotti (44.45).
Australia’s Reece Holder had a big lead in heat four, but was reeled in by World Indoor champ Chris Bailey of the U.S., 44.49 to 44.54, with Olympic bronzer Muzala Samukonga (ZIM: 44.56) getting third.
In heat five, world leader Zakithi Nene (RSA) led almost from the start and held his form on the straight to win in 44.34, but Vernon Norwood of the U.S. came on in the straight to move up for second in the final 15 m in 44.55. That was the same time as Hungary’s Attila Molnar in third, a national record. Defending World Champion Antonio Watson (JAM) was in contention, but faded to eighth (46.23) and did not advance.
American Khaleb McRae was in lane eight for heat six, and he was out hard, running smoothly right through the finish, unchallenged, to win in 44.25. Botswana’s Lee Eppie ran well in the middle of the track for second in 44.44 and then London 2012 Olympic champ Kirani James (GRN) in 44.66 for third.
It took 44.91 to qualify to get out of the heats; Argentina’s Elian Larregina ran 44.97 and did not advance. Wow.
● Men/High Jump: It took 2.25 m (7-4 1/2) to make the final, with Olympic winner Hamish Kerr (NZL), two-time World Indoor winner Sang-hyeok Woo (KOR) and Americans JuVaughn Harrison and Tyus Wilson in the group.
U.S. Olympic silver winner Shelby McEwen cleared 2.21 m (7-3) tied for 19th; defending champion Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA), fighting illness and injury all year, managed 2.16 m (7-1) and did not advance.
● Women/400 m: Dutch star Lieke Klaver, the 2024 World Indoor runner-up, took the lead around the second turn and won cleanly in 50.32. Bella Whittaker of the U.S. had to push a little on the straight to get second in 50.82.
Heat two had world no. 4 Aaliyah Butler of the U.S. in six, but it was former American star Wadeline Venlogh (formerly Jonathas) – now running for Haiti – who was strong throughout and won in a national record of 49.91. Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka and Butler were strong on the straight to finish 2-3 in 50.16 and 50.44.
American star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone headlined heat three – in lane six – and she ran away from the field and won easily in 49.41. Chile’s Martina Weil was second in 50.61. Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce, the former Arkansas star, was a smooth winner in heat four in 49.91, beating Norway’s Henriette Jaeger (50.12).
World leader Salwa Eid Naser (BRN), the 2019 World Champion, led heat five and ran away from the gun, winning in 49.13, with Stacey Ann Williams (JAM: 49.59 lifetime best) alone in second. Olympic champ Marileidy Paulino (DOM) was comfortably in control in heat six, winning in 49.85, with Britain’s Amber Anning second in 49.96.
Naser’s 49.13 is the fastest heat ever, which had been 49.40 by Britton Wilson of the U.S. in 2023. It took 51.37 to make it to the semis.
● Women/1,500 m: Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu, the 2024 World Indoor winner, fell in the first 200 m of the first semifinal, but made it back into the pack within a lap. Meanwhile, Kenya’s Olympic champ Faith Kipyegon was in front and took the bell, ahead of Linden Hall (AUS) and Dorcus Ewoi (KEN). Kipyegon and Ewoi separated around the final turn and went 1-2 in 4:00.34 and 4:00.65. Hailu motored on the straight for third in 4:01.03, ahead of American Sinclaire Johnson (4:01.08).
Emily Mackay of the U.S. was 10th in 4:12.80 and did not advance.
Semi two was slow, with some pushing and tripping, but with Paris silver medalist Jess Hull (AUS) in from with U.S. champion Nikki Hiltz. At the bell, Nelly Chepchrichir (KEN) moved to the front, with Hull close on her shoulder and Chepchirchir got the win in 4:06.86. Hull ran 4:06.87 and Hiltz was third in 4:07.04.
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The Monday morning schedule in Tokyo has the men’s marathon and qualifying in the men’s hammer, women’s vault, Steeple and 400 m hurdles.
Prize money for the Worlds is $70,000-35,000-22,000-16,000-11,000-7,000-6,000-5,000 for individual events and $80,000-40,000-20,000-16,000-12,000-8,000-6,000-4,000 for relays.
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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