★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
Day four of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo continued with warm temps in the low 80s, but also the high humidity: 80% at the start of the evening. The competition was just as hot, with world-leading performances in the men’s high jump and hammer and the semis of the men’s and women’s 400 m … including an American Record for Olympic hurdles star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
First the finals:
● Men/110 m hurdles: The semifinals started with a crash for Shunsuke Izumiya (JPN), but the race continued and Dylan Beard of the U.S. was leading after eight hurdles. But off the final hurdle, the field closed and Orlando Bennett (JAM) got to the line first in 13.27 (wind: -0.8 m/s). The blanket finished saw Enrique Llopis (ESP: 13.29) second, then Shusei Nomoto (JPN: 13.30) and then Beard in 13.31. He did not advance.
World leader Cordell Tinch of the U.S. got to the lead right away and held on, giving back some of his lead on the run-in, but won in 13.16 (-0.5) to 13.18 for Swiss Jason Joseph. Demario Prince (JAM) and Lorenzo Simonelli (ITA) were 3-4 in 13.22.
The third semi had three-time World Champion Grant Holloway in lane eight and U.S. champ JaKobe Tharp in two. And Holloway was out well, but was caught by the field by the seventh hurdle. Jamaica’s Tyler Mason went to the lead and world no. 2 Rachid Muratake (JPN) came on during the run-in in 13.12 and 13.17 (-0.1). Tharp was right there at the close and was third in 13.19, but advanced to the final. Holloway ended up sixth in 13.52 and told NBC’s Lewis Johnson about his frustration, training well, but not getting the results he expected. At 27, he’ll be back.
About 90 minutes later, Tinch was in seven and Tharp was in nine in the final. The start was even but Joseph crashed into the first hurdle next to him in eight, but it did not impact Tinch. He was smooth over the hurdles and had the lead by the third hurdle and did not let go.
He stayed clean and won by daylight in 12.99 (-0.3), with the two Jamaicans close, and Bennett second in 13.08 and Mason running 13.12 again for bronze. Llopis got fourth in 13.16; Tharp was sixth in 13.31.
It’s the fourth straight Worlds gold for the U.S., after Holloway’s triple in 2019-22-23.
● Men/High Jump: Nine cleared 2.24 m (7-4 1/4), then at 2.28 (7-5 3/4), Olympic champ Hamish Kerr (NZL), Ukraine’s Oleg Doroshchuk and JuVaughn Harrison of the U.S. all cleared right away, with seven clearing the height, including USATF winner Tyus Wilson.
It got serious at 2.31 m (7-7), with Sang-hyeok Woo (KOR) and Jan Stefela (CZE) clearing on their second tries. Kerr and Doroshchuk cleared on their third. Everyone else missed, with Harrison just kicking the bar off with his heels on his third try. He finished fifth and Wilson tied for sixth.
At 2.34 m (7-8), everyone missed their first two tries, but Woo – the two-time World Indoor winner – cleared on his third. But Kerr also cleared! Doroshchuk missed and was fourth and Stefela missed and took bronze.
Now to 2.36 m (7-8 3/4), Woo missed, but Kerr sailed over to the roar of the crowd – equaling his lifetime best – to take the world lead in 2025. Woo passed to 2.38 m (7-9 3/4), missed, then Kerr missed and Woo was close, but missed to earn the silver. Kerr defended his Olympic title in style.
● Men/Hammer: Olympic silver winner Bence Halasz (HUN) took the lead in round one at 81.51 m (267-5), but was immediately passed by World and Olympic champ Ethan Katzberg (CAN) at 82.66 m (271-2).
Katzberg got even more speed in the second round and sent a bomb to the far left side of the sector that measured a monstrous 84.70 m (277-11)! That moves him to no. 5 all-time with a lifetime best by 13 inches. Wow. He finished with at 83.73 m (274-8) bomb and celebrated three straight global titles. And he’s 23!
Merlin Hummel (GER) moved into second with his first-rounder at 82.77 m (271-6), then Halasz improved, but stayed third at 82.69 m (271-3). American Rudy Winkler had two fouls to start, but moved into fourth in the third round at 78.52 m (257-7).
Ukraine’s Paris bronze winner Mykhaylo Kokhan passed Winkler into fourth in round four and improved to 82.02 m (269-1) to finish in fourth. American Trey Knight was 10th at 76.11 m (249-8).
● Women/1,500 m: Could anyone stop Kenyan star Faith Kipyegon? She came to the final with Olympic titles in 2016-21-24 and World Championships golds in 2017-22-23.
She got to the lead right away, with Paris runner-up Jess Hull (AUS) right behind and then Nelly Chepchirchir (KEN). Kipyegon controlled the race from the front and at the bell, Kipyegon led Hull, Chepchirchir and Kenyan Dorcos Ewoi.
Kipyegon was leading with 300 m to go, with Hull a meter back at 200 to go. Then Kipyegon rolled away and charged into the straight with an easy win in 3:52.15.
Behind her, it was the other Kenyans chasing Hull and Ewoi got the silver in 3:54.92 (lifetime best), then Hull in 3:5516, and Chepchirchir in a lifetime best of 3:55.25. Nikki Hiltz of the U.S. was fifth in 3:57.08 and Sinclaire Johnson was 13th in 4:00.92.
Like Mondo Duplantis in the vault and Ryan Crouser in the shot, Kipyegon has won five World or Olympic titles in five straight years: 2021-22-23-24-25.
¶
The qualifying was crazy and included a sensational American Record:
● Men/400 m: World Indoor champ Chris Bailey of the U.S. was in five, and world leader Zakithi Nene (RSA) in seven for semi one, delayed due to the hammer and high jump taking place at the same time at the same end of the field. Lee Eppie (BOT) had the early lead, but Nene came on in the final 100 m and won in 44.20, with Eppie at 44.51. Reece Holder (AUS) was third in 44.63, with Bailey unable to make a late charge, finishing seventh in 45.05.
U.S. champ Jacory Patterson was in lane five in semi two, and ran smoothly from the start, but Busang Kebinatshipi (BOT) was flying on the inside and ran away with the fastest time in the world this year at 43.61! Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald was second in 44.04, a seasonal best, then Paris fourth-placer Jereem Richards (TTO: 44.12) and Patterson (44.19). This was not expected. Kebinatshipi now stands at no. 10 all-time, with the fastest non-final race in history.
Richards and Patterson advanced to the final on time.
London 2012 champ Kirani James, 33, was in lane four in semi three and was in good position into the straight, leading Bayapo Ndori (BOT) into the straight. But Ndori ran away and won in 44.21 and the crowd roared as Japan’s Yuki Nakajima moved up for second in 44.53. Americans Khaleb McRae and Vernon Norwood were 4-5 in 44.82 and 44.83 and did not advance.
● Men/800 m: There were seven heats, with Handal Roban (VIN) leading the first race at the bell, but was passed on the straight by three, led by David Barroso (ESP: 1:44.94) and 2022 Worlds silver winner Djamel Sedjati (ALG: 1:45.01). Roban faded to fifth in 1:45.32 and did not advance.
Heat two was a mass finish down the straight, with Kenya’s Kelvin Loti leading but Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui sprinting on the outside to win in 1:45.23. Loti was second in 1:45.35 with 2023 World Champion Marco Arop (CAN) having to sprint hard to get a qualifying third in 1:45.39, ahead of Samuel Chapple (NED: 1:45.45).
American wunderkind Cooper Lutkenhaus – 16 – was in heat three, and was seventh at the bell, on the outside. Britain’s Ben Pattison led with 200 to go, then Maciej Wyderka (POL) rolled into the lead into the straight and won in 1:46.30. Pattison was second (1:46.51) and France’s Gabriel Tual (1:46.54) moved into third. Lutkenhaus pushed on the straight, but could not make up any ground and finished seventh in 1:47.68. He has a brilliant future ahead.
Heat four saw American Bryce Hoppel lead through the bell, in front of Peter Bol (AUS) and they were 1-2 into the final turn. He was passed by Cian McPhillips (IRL: 1:44.91), but held on for second in 1:45.09. Bol was passed for third by Jamaica’s Tyrice Taylor, 1:45.13 to 1:45.15.
Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) headlined heat five, and he took the lead, but he was challenged at the bell by Norway’s Tobias Gronstad. Things got tangled on the backstraight, with Wanyonyi second with Mohamed Ali Gouaned (ALG) leading on the turn and into the straight. But Wanyonyi pushed to move back to the lead with 50 m left and won in 1:45.05 with chaos behind him as Francesco Pernici (ITA) sprinted to the line for second (1:45.11) ahead of a flying Mark English (IRL: 1:45.13).
Tshepiso Masalela (BOT) led at the bell in 51.34, with Max Burgin (GBR) leading into the straight and he held on to win in 1:44.73, with Masalela at 1:44.74 and Jamaica’s Navasky Anderson roaring at the end to get third in 1:44.87.
U.S. champ Donavan Brazier, the 2019 World Champion and injured since, was in heat seven, but Kenya’s Nicolas Kebenei had the lead at the bell. Four were running for three auto-qualifiers on the final turn and Brazier moved well on the straight and got to the line first in 1:44.66, with Algeria’s Slimane Moula sprinting for second in 1:44.77. Kebenei faded to fourth in 1:44.91, bur advanced on time.
● Women/400 m: Olympic champ Marileidy Paulino (DOM) was in lane six in semi one, with Henriette Jaeger (NOR) leading at 200 m. Paulino cruised into the lead off the turn and jogged the last 10 m to the finish, being passed by the all-out Natalia Bukowiecka (POL), who won in 49.67, a seasonal best. Paulino was second in 49.82 with Jaeger was third in 49.87. American Aaliyah Butler was a non-qualifying fifth in 50.63.
World leader Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) – the 2019 winner – was in semi two, and was flying down the back straight. She was 5 m up into the straight and won in 49.47, with Roxana Gomez (CUB) moving up on the straight to be a clear second in 49.78, then Bella Whittaker of the U.S. in 50.20, but she did not advance.
Paris Olympic 400 m hurdles winner McLaughlin-Levrone of the U.S. was in lane eight in semi three, and was out well and in the lead right away. Into the straight, she had 3 m on the field and cruised home in a world-leading 48.29, a new American Record! That crushed Sanya Richards-Ross’ 2006 mark – on this date! – of 48.70 and moves her to no. 7 all-time. And there is clearly more there.
Britain’s Amber Anning was second in 49.38, a seasonal best with Nickisha Pryce (JAM) third in 49.46 and also qualifying for the final.
Looking ahead, Naser’s best is 48.14 from 2019 and Paulino’s is 48.17 from 2024. This is going to be great. McLaughlin-Levrone said afterwards she wasn’t expecting the record, but “it shows my fitness is there.”
● Women/Triple Jump: The world-record holder, Yulimar Rojas (VEN) – four-time World Champion – was back from injury and immediately qualified in 14.49 m (47-6 1/2) on her first jump of the season! She appears to be back in a good way.
The other auto qualifiers included the expected stars: World Indoor champ Leyanis Perez (CUB: 14.66 m/48-1 1/4), runner-up and teammate Liadagmis Povea (CUB: 14.44 m/47-4 1/2), and Olympic champ Thea LaFond (DMA: 14.40 m/47-3).
Jamaica’s Olympic silver winner Shanieka Ricketts qualified fifth at 14.30 m (46-11) and Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Moore of the U.S. was sixth at 14.22 m (46-8). The second U.S. entry, Agur Dwol, was 34th at 12.96 m (42-6 1/4).
¶
The U.S. leads the medal table with eight (6-0-2), ahead of Kenya (5: 3-1-1) and Jamaica (5: 1-3-1) with a long way to go.
The Wednesday evening schedule – no more morning events until Saturday – in Tokyo has the men’s 1,500 m final, long jump, women’s Steeple and vault. Qualifying will be held in the men’s and women’s 200 m, men’s and women’s 400 m hurdles and the men’s triple jump and javelin.
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.
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 699-event International Sports Calendar for 2025, 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
