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≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
A busy Saturday morning was dedicated mostly to the walks and multi-events at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
● Women/20 km Walk: The race started at 7:30 a.m. in 73 F and 66% humidity, warmer than preferred, but it did not stop Spain’s Maria Perez, the defending champion looking for a second straight Worlds sweep of the 20 and 35 km women’s walks.
She was at or near the front throughout, passing 15 km in 1:04.59, with Alegna Gonzalez (MEX), 2022 champion Kimberley Garcia (PER) and Nanako Fujii (JPN) close. Perez finally took the lead for good by 16 km, over Gonzalez, and steadily moved away to win in 1:25:54, with Gonzalez taking the silver in 1:26:06, then Fujii – to the delight of the home fans – in 1:26:18. Garcia faded to fifth in 1:26:22.
Lauren Harris was the American entry, finishing in 27th (lifetime best 1:32:50).
● Men/20 km Walk: The race started in 75 F temperatures and by the half, 13 were within five seconds of leader Paul McGrath (ESP), the 2024 European silver winner, but Japanese world-record holder – and two-time World Champion – Toshikazu Yamanishi got to the lead by 13 km.
He was up by eight seconds at 16 km, but received a fourth red card and suffered a two-minute penalty, and McGrath was then in front by nine seconds over Zhaozhao Wang (CHN) with 2 km remaining. Meanwhile, Paris runner-up Caio Bonfim (BRA) charged and got to the lead with just more than 1,000 m left and walked away with the victory in 1:18:35, his first Worlds golds after bronzes in 2017 and 2023.
Wang was second in 1:18:43 for his first Worlds medal, and then McGrath in 1:18:45; Yamanishi ended up 28th (1:22:39).
● Men/Decathlon: The 10-eventer started with Ayden Owens-Delerme (PUR) at 10.31, much faster than anyone else. American Kyle Garland was second overall, at 10.51, then Lindon Victor (GRN) at 10.60. American Harrison Williams ran 10.79 and Heath Baldwin timed 11.01.
In the long jump, Swiss star Simon Ehammer, fourth in the open final, co-led the event with Norway’s Sander Skotheim at 7.97 m (26-1 3/4) with Garland third at 7.92 m (26-0), a season’s best.
The shot put, high jump and 400 m will be covered in the evening session report.
There was qualifying in two field events:
● Men/Discus: Two made the auto-qualifying mark of 66.50 m (218-2) in group one, Tokyo Olympic champ Daniel Stahl (SWE) at 69.90 m (229-4) and Martynas Alekna (LTU) at 67.16 m (220-4).
The shocker was world-record holder and Olympic silver winner (and younger brother) Mykolas Alekna (LTU) in fourth at 65.39 m (214-6), but he advanced in eighth place overall.
Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh got his auto-qualifier in group two on his first try, at 68.08 m (223-4), as did Paris bronze winner Matthew Denny (AUS: 66.63 m (218-7). Those were the only auto-qualifiers.
Non-qualifiers included Reggie Jagers of the U.S., 14th overall at 63.59 m (208-7); Sam Mattis as 20th at 62.86 m (206-3), and Marcus Gustaveson reached 59.12 m (193-11) in 31st.
● Women/Shot: The stars got going quickly, with Olympic champ Yemisi Ogunleye (GER) auto-qualifying at 19.65 m (64-5 3/4), defending champion Chase Jackson of the U.S. (19.31 m/63-4 1/4), Maddison-Lee Wesche (NZL) at 19.27 m (63-2 3/4) and Fanny Roos (SWE: 19.24 m/63-1 1/2).
In group two, World Indoor winner Sarah Mitton (CAN) got her auto-qualifier in round two at 19.20 m (63-0), but was the only one.
American Jaida Ross managed 19.13 m (62-9 1/4) and qualified fifth, followed by two-time World Champion Lijiao Gong (CHN) at 18.99 m (62-3 3/4) and Dutch Diamond League winner Jessica Schilder at 18.98 m (62-3 1/2).
The U.S. had four entries; Jessica Ramsey was 14th at 18.28 m (59-11 3/4) and Maggie Ewen was 26th (17.31 m/56-9 1/2).
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The Saturday evening schedule includes the men’s 800 m, decathlon, the women’s 5,000 m, shot, javelin and heptathlon, and qualifying in the 4×100 and 4×400 m relays.
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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