★ 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 ≡
The first evening session of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo had warm temperatures at 80 F, humid with a little rain, but a full house in the National Stadium, in contrast to the fan-less Olympic Games in 2021.
It was a good night for the U.S.:
● Mixed 4×400 m: The Americans made no changes in its line-up of Bryce Deadmon, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Jenoah McKiver and Alexis Holmes, which led the qualifying.
Deadmon was off strongly (44.98) and handed off first to Irby-Jackson (49.18), who had a slight lead on South Africa and extended on the straight with a 5 m lead. He was chased by Belgium and Poland, with the British second on the straight to challenge McKiver.
McKiver (43.91) gave Holmes a 6 m lead on the anchor and was flying, with a 12 m lead into the straight. Holmes (50.73) won easily, winning in 3:08.80 and took any chance of a comeback by Dutch star Femke Bol (50.06), who moved up to second and took silver (3:09.96).
Belgium dueled with Poland for the bronze, and won by 3:10.61 to 3:10.63.
For the U.S., it has won three of the four Worlds golds in this event – also in 2019 and 2023 – with Holmes also the anchor in Budapest. The time of 3:08.80 is the equal-fifth performance all-time.
● Men/Shot: All the questions were about Ryan Crouser’s elbow and what he could do in his first meet of the year! But teammate Tripp Piperi took the lead right away at 21.05 m (69-0 3/4), followed by 2017 World Champion Tom Walsh (NZL: 21.58 m/70-9 3/4) to take over. Crouser opened with 21.41 m (70-3) to stand second.
World leader Leonardo Fabbri (ITA) moved into third at 21.26 m (69-9) and Piperi improved to 21.20 m (69-6 3/4) in round two, but stayed in fourth. Then Crouser took the lead at 21.99 m (72-1 3/4) and Fabbi moved into second at 21.83 m (71-7 1/2); U.S. champ Josh Awotunde reached 21.14 m (69-4 1/4) to move to sixth. Piperi improved in round three to 21.50 m (70-6 1/2) but stayed fourth.
Walsh moved up to second at 21.94 m (71-11 3/4) in round five, equaled by Fabbri on the next throw, moving the Italian back into second. Crouser fired up, and extended his lead to 22.34 m (73-3 1/2) and feeling more like himself.
In the sixth, Mexico’s Uziel Munoz had been fourth, then went fast on the spin and moved into second at 21.97 m (72-1) for a national record! Walsh was now fourth and was unable to improve. Fabbri, the world leader, did not improve and that left Crouser as the winner; he passed his final throw. He had done enough.
In his first meet of the year, he won another gold to add to his Olympic titles in 2021 and 2024 and his Worlds golds in 2022 and 2023. Five in five years!
Piperi finished sixth and Awotunde was seventh.
● Women/10,000 m: It was still warm and muggy for this race, with Olympic champ and world-record holder Beatrice Chebet (KEN) the favorite, but defending champ Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) ready to challenge. Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich had the lead by 3,600 m, with Chebet and Tsegay right behind as 10 moved away from the pack at 4,000 m.
Chebet then took the lead with 14 laps to go and Tsegay moved right up to keep contact and the lead group was trimmed to six. Chebet and Ngetich were towing the field and at 5,000 m at 15:16.31, amazing for this heat and humidity. Ngetich took the lead again, as the pressure increased, but with five completely clear of the rest of the field – Tsegay, Ngetich, Chebet, Nadia Battocletti (ITA) and Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye – the pace slowed after 6,000 m.
Ngetich had the lead at 8,000 m, but everyone was just marking time. Tsegay took over at 9,000 m and Chebet moved up and Taye was dropped. At the bell, Tsegay led Chebet, but Chebet rolled into the lead around the final turn. Battocletti sprinted into second, but Chebet won going away with a 60.1 last lap in 30:37.61 with the Italian second in a national record of 30:38.23 and Tsegay third in 30:39.65. Ngetich was fourth in 30:42.66.
The top American was Elise Cranny, 12th in 31:40.07, with Emily Infeld 14th in 31:47.65 and Taylor Roe 18th in 32:12.19.
¶
In the evening qualifying:
● Men/100 m: Jamaican star Oblique Seville was left in the blocks in heat one, but ran himself into third as Gift Leotlela (RSA) got a lifetime best of 9.87 to win (wind: +0.3 m/s), with Auburn’s Kayinsola Ajayi (NGR) second (9.88 lifetime best) second. Seville ran 9.93 to move on.
World leader and Paris silver winner Kishane Thompson (JAM) got away well, was in front by 20 m and cruised in 9.95 (+0.1). Canada’s Eliezer Adjibi was a distant second in 10.19. Defending champ Noah Lyles of the U.S. was in heat three, but Ackeem Blake (JAM) got the best start. But Lyles took charge by 60 m and was an easy winner in 9.95 into a 1.1 m/s headwind. Blake was second in 10.07.
American “Kung Fu” Kenny Bednarek got a modest start in heat four, but was in the lead by 40 m and finished in a jog in 10.01 (-0.8), ahead of Jerome Blake (CAN: 10.05). Olympic 200 m champs Andre De Grasse (CAN) and Letsile Tebogo (BOT) were in heat five and Tebogo had the lead early and won in 10.07 (-1.2), with De Grasse at 10.16 and Courtney Lindsey of the U.S. at 10.19 in third.
In heat six, T’Mars McCallum of the U.S. had a reaction time of 0.099 – faster than allowed – but no false start was charged. On the re-start, Israel Okon (NGR) was out best and won in 10.04 (-0.6), with 2023 Worlds bronzer Zharnel Hughes (GBR) second in 10.06 and Tokyo 2020 champion Lamont Jacobs (ITA: 10.20) third. McCallum hurt his right hamstring and was fourth in 10.25 and did not advance.
South African star Akani Simbine took the lead in heat seven by mid-race and won in 10.02, with Abdul-Rasheed Siminu (GHA) second in 10.09 and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala third in 10.12.
Lyles told NBC’s Lewis Johnson that Seville was “panicking in the back” (check-in area) prior to his bad start in heat one. Seville told Johnson that he was dealing with an undisclosed personal issue.
● Men/Steeple: Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale opened up the race with three laps to go and led into the final straight, then passed at the line by Edmund Serem (KEN) in 8:29.97 to 8:30.14. American Isaac Updike was eighth in 8:33.46 and did not advance.
Jostling and a couple of falls marked heat two, with New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish one of those who went down late, but he got up quickly and got back into the race, eventually won by Morocco’s Salahheddine ben Yazide in 8:27.21. Beamish came on after the final water jump to get second in 8:27.23; Olympic silver medalist Kenneth Rooks of the U.S. dropped off the pace by mid-race and was 11th in 8:45.57.
Daniel Michalski of the U.S. was at or near the front in heat three, but was passed by Olympic champ Soufiane El Bakkali (ETH) and world-record holder Lamecha Girma (ETH) – who fell earlier – over the final water jump and into the straight. El Bakkali won in 8:26.99 with Girma at 8:27.79 and then Michalski at 8:28.76 and into the final. Girma was well back after the fall, but worked his way into contention impressively over the final 300 m.
● Men/Vault: It took 5.75 m (18-10 1/4) to separate out the 12 finalists, with the big favorites all moving on: world-record holder Mondo Duplantis (SWE), Emmanouil Karalis (GRE) and two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S.
France’s London 2012 Olympic champ Renaud Lavillenie also made it to the final … at age 38.
The other two Americans did not qualify, as Matt Ludwig cleared 5.70 m (18-8 1/2) and U.S. national champion Austin Miller managed 5.55 m (18-2 1/2).
● Women/100 m: U.S. champ Melissa Jefferson-Wooden took the lead after 40 m of heat one and cruised – cruised – to a 10.99 win (wind: -0.9 m/s) in heat one, ahead of Zoe Hobbs (NZL: 11.16). Jamaica’s world no. 3 Tina Clayton won heat two in 11.01 (-0.4), in control from 30 m and led Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith (11.07) to the line.
Defending champ Sha’Carri Richardson of the U.S. was in heat three, as was Jamaican star Shericka Jackson, the defending 200 m winner. Jackson was out best and had the lead by 20 m and moved smoothly, cruising to the finish in 11.04. Richardson came on hard in the second half of the race and won at the line in 11.03 (-0.8), a seasonal best!
Olympic champ Julien Alfred headlined heat four, and had no trouble at all, winning in a breezy 10.93 (0.0), jogging the last 15 m and winning by 0.30. Wow. Britain’s Daryll Neita won heat five over TeeTee Terry of the U.S., taking charge at 40 m and timing 10.94 (+0.5) to 11.06.
Italy’s Zaynab Dosso got out well in heat six and was a clear winner in 11.10 (-0.1), ahead of U.S. runner-up Kayla White, who was passed at the line by Amy Hunt (GBR: 11.13); White was third in 11.16 and looked sluggish.
Five-time champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) got out well in heat seven, but Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV) was the winner in 11.05 (-0.4), to 11.09, both running easily at the line.
● Women/1,500 m: Sinclaire Johnson of the U.S. had the lead at the bell in heat one, ahead of Paris silver winner Jess Hull (AUS). But 12 were in contention with 200 to go, and Hull took over into the final straight and won in 4:04.40. Johnson was a clear second in 4:04.59.
Australia’s Linden Hall took the bell, with five pulling away with 200 m to go led by Nelly Chepchirchir (KEN), who won in 4:07.01. Poland’s Klaudia Kazimierska came on hard for second in 4:07.34, with Hall fourth (4:07.61) and American Emily Mackay a qualifying fifth in 4:08.19.
In heat three, Ethiopia’s 2024 World Indoor champ Freweyni Hailu took the lead with 600 m to go and poured on the pace, , dragging the pack with her. Into the final straight, Hailu rolled to the finish in 4:01.23. U.S. champ Nikki Hiltz moved up in the final 50 m for second in 4:01.73, ahead of Susan Ejore (KEN: 4:01.99).
World-record holder Faith Kipyegon (KEN) led heat four on the third lap and took the bell ahead of Tokyo silver winner Laura Muir (GBR). On the final straight, Kipyegon held the lead and won in 4:02.55, with a bunched sprint behind her and France’s Sarah Madeleine (4:02.66) and Ireland’s Sarah Healy (4:02.67) coming second and third. Muir faded to eighth (4:05.59) and did not advance.
● Women/Long Jump: Olympic champ Tara Davis-Woodhall took care of business right away with an auto-qualifying 6.88 m (22-7) on her first jump. The others to clear 6.75 m (22-1 3/4) were Hilary Kpatcha (FRA: 6.85 m/22-5 3/4), Agate de Souza (POR: 6.81 m/22-4 1/4) and Marthe Koala (BUR: 6.76 m/22-2 1/4).
World Indoor champ Claire Bryant of the U.S. needed a third-round 6.72 m (22-0 3/4) to qualify and was fifth overall. Fellow American Quanesha Burks was eighth at 6.63 m (21-9) and advanced.
The shocker was Italian star Larissa Iapichino, the Diamond League winner, in 15th at 6.56 m (21-6 1/4) and not qualifying for the final.
¶
U.S. shot putter Payton Otterdahl did not qualify for the final and said afterwards he suffered a right-elbow injury in warm-ups.
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!
