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≡ WORLD INDOOR CHAMPS ≡
Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen finally got his championship distance double and the U.S. claim four golds in the final day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.
Ingebrigtsen won the men’s 3,000 m on Saturday and then lined up to try for the 1,500 m world indoor title, a distance at which he had never won a Worlds gold. He had the lead going into the final lap, but with American Luke Houser and Britain’s Neil Gourley in hot pursuit. But Ingebrigtsen was too fit and too fast down the final straight and won the double in 3:38.79. Gourley got up for second in 3:39.07, with Houser getting bronze in 3:39.17, his first Worlds medal. Sam Prakel of the U.S. was ninth (3:44.48).
In all, there were five who defended their World Indoor titles from 2024:
● Men/60 m hurdles: Grant Holloway (USA) ~ also 2023
● Men/Pole Vault: Mondo Duplantis (SWE) ~ also 2023
● Women/60 m hurdles: Devynne Charlton (BAH)
● Women/High Jump: Nicola Olyslagers (AUS)
● Women/Shot Put: Sarah Mitton (CAN)
Charlton and Olyslagers defended their titles on Sunday, with Charlton winning a mass finish in the 60 hurdles. She got the best start, but could not pull away and had to lean to win in a seasonal best of 7.72, with Ditaji Kumbundji (SUI: 7.73), Ackera Nugent (JAM: 7.74), Pia Skrzyszowska (POL: 7.74) and Grace Stark of the U.S. (7.74) all within 0.02! American Christina Clemons was seventh in 8.03.
Nugent’s semifinal was just as eventful, as she qualified second for the final, but hit the fifth hurdle so hard, the crossbar flew off!
Olyslagers, the two-time Olympic silver winner, cleared four bars in a row to win the women’s high jump at 1.97 m (6-5 1/2). She beat teammate Eleanor Patterson on misses at a lower height and Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) could only clear 1.95 m (6-4 3/4) for the bronze. Americans Charity Hufnagel (1.92 m/6-3 1/2) and Vashti Cunningham (1.85 m/6-0 3/4) finished fifth and 10th.
American Josh Hoey, the world leader in the men’s 800 m, had the lead throughout the final, but barely held off a fast-closing Eliott Crestan (BEL) at the line to win in 1:44.77 to 1:44.81. Elvin Canales of Spain got third (1:45.03) and Brandon Miller of the U.S. was fifth (1:46.44).
Claire Bryant of the U.S. ranked 13th on the world list coming into the women’s long jump final, but she got a seasonal best of 6.76 m (22-2 1/4) on her first jump, improved to 6.90 m (22-7 3/4) on her third to take the lead and got a final PR in round five to win at 6.96 m (22-10), a lifetime best indoors and out! She’s up to no. 3 on the 2025 world indoor list and now no. 7 on the all-time U.S. indoor list.
Swiss Anik Kalin was second at 6.83 m (22-5); American Monae Nichols was eighth (6.49 m/21-3 1/2).
Just three world-leading marks were set during the meet, and only one on Sunday:
● Men/Triple Jump: 17.80 m (58-4 3/4), Andy Diaz (ITA)
● Women/800 m: 1:58.40, Prudence Sekgodiso (RSA)
● Women/Triple Jump: 14.93 m (48-11 3/4), Leyanis Perez (CUB)
Sekgodiso was third at the bell in the women’s 800 m, but passed Ethiopia’s Nigist Getachew with 100 m to go and won going away in a world-leading 1:58.40. Getachew was second in 1:59.63 and Portugal’s Patricia Silva got third (1:59.80). Defending champ Tsige Duguma (ETH) faded on the final lap and was sixth in 2:04.76.
Fellow Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay was in excellent form in the women’s 1,500 m, blowing away the field with the no. 3 performance in history – 3:54.86 – ahead of countrywomen Diribe Welteji (3:59.30) and Georgia Bell (GBR: 3:59.84). Americans Sinclaire Johnson and Heather MacLean finished 6-7 in 4:04.07 and 4:05.45. Tsegay now owns the top four performances ever in this event.
In the men’s long jump, Italian star Matteo Furlani got out to 8.30 m (27-2 3.4) on his second jump and that was enough to win over Wayne Pinnock (JAM: 8.29 m/27-2 1/2) and Liam Adcock (AUS: 8.28 m/27-2). Olympic champ Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) was fifth at 8.14 m (26-8 1/2); Americans Cameron Crump (8.13 m/26-8 1/4) and Will Williams (7.76 m/25-5 1/2) finished seventh and 11th.
New Zealand’s Tom Walsh won his third World Indoor gold – also in 2016 and 2018 – with his first throw of 21.65 m (71-0 1/2), enough to best Americans Roger Steen (21.62 m/70-11 1/4) and Tripp Piperi (21.48 m/70-5 3/4). It was the first Worlds medal for Steen and Piperi.
Sander Skotheim, Norway’s 2024 World Indoor runner-up, won the men’s Hep, scoring 6,475 points, ahead of Johannes Erm (EST: 6,437). American Heath Baldwin was fourth at 6,188; Harrison Williams was 12th at 4,167, as he no-heighted in the vault.
The U.S. won both relays easily, with the men’s scoring gold in 3:03.13, with Elija Godwin (46.84), Brian Faust (45.94), Jacory Patterson (45.51) and Chris Bailey (44.84) winning over Jamaica (3:05.05) and Hungary (3:06.03).
The American women were even more dominant, winning in 3:27.45, with Quanera Hayes (52.28), Bailey Lear (52.05), Rosey Effiong (51.65) and Alexis Holmes (51.47). Poland was second in 3:32.05, and Australia third in 3:32.65.
All together, the U.S. led the medal table with 16 (6-4-6), ahead of Australia (7: 1-2-4) and Ethiopia (5: 2-3-0).
Prize money of $40,000-20,000-10,000-8,000-6,000-4,000 was paid for the top six placers.
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