Record-Breaking Triumphs Illuminate the World Athletics Indoor Championships Finale
On the climactic day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships, spectators were treated to record-breaking feats and breathtaking performances across various events.
In the Women's 60m Hurdles Final, Devynne Charlton shattered the world record for the 60m hurdles, crossing the finish line in 7.65 seconds and claiming the title of world indoor champion. This performance improved her own world record by 0.02 seconds, a record she previously co-held with Tia Jones. The silver medal went to the former champion, Cyrena Samba-Mayela, with a time of 7.74 seconds, while Pia Skrzyszowska took home the bronze with a time of 7.79 seconds, narrowly missing her personal best.
Devynne Charlton: “It means a lot because I have set myself goals. I have not changed my technique much, just a few tweaks, but I have been been working hard off the track, making sure my mental health is good and working with a sports psychologist. Just taking care of myself, indoors really plays well to my skillset”.
Armand "Mondo" Duplantis, the world record holder, triumphed once again at the World Indoor Championships in the men's pole vault, clinching his second successive gold with a leap of 6.05m. The competition was far from straightforward for Duplantis, who managed to clear his initial height of 5.65m on his first try but faced challenges at 5.85m, requiring all three attempts. He successfully vaulted over 5.95m on his second attempt and conquered 6.05m on his third, before ambitiously attempting to surpass his own world record at 6.24m.
Duplantis reflected on the intensity of the competition, particularly highlighting the rivalry with Sam Kendricks, crediting him for pushing Duplantis to excel. Despite facing several critical moments, Duplantis remained optimistic, viewing each final attempt as an opportunity rather than a setback.
Sam Kendricks claimed the silver medal with a height of 5.90m, showcasing remarkable consistency by clearing his way up to 5.90m on his first attempts, before unsuccessfully attempting higher marks. Kendricks' performance marked a significant comeback after overcoming recent injuries.
Emmanouil Karalis of Greece secured the bronze with an impressive first-attempt clearance of 5.80m. Chris Nilsen took fourth place, edging out Australia’s Kurtis Marshall on countback with a height of 5.75m.
New Zealand's Geordie Beamish made a stunning comeback in the Men's 1500m Final, snatching victory with a personal best time of 3:36.54, denying the US athletes a one-two finish. Cole Hocker followed closely for silver, and Hobbs Kessler took bronze, both setting personal bests.
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S 800m FINALS:
The Women's 800m Final was a strategic affair, with Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma taking gold in a controlled race against Jemma Reekie, who settled for silver. Noelie Yarigo won her first global medal by securing the bronze.
In the Men's 800m, Bryce Hoppel of the US emerged victorious, setting the fastest time of the year at 1:44.92. Andreas Kramer and Eliott Crestan completed the podium, with Kramer taking silver and Crestan bronze.
MEN'S HEPTATHLON:
On the concluding day of the men's heptathlon at the World Indoor Championships, Simon Ehammer of Switzerland emerged victorious, setting a new national indoor record with a total of 6418 points.
Ehammer began the second day on a high note, clocking the day's quickest time of 7.62 seconds in the 60 meters hurdles, closely approaching his personal best of 7.55 seconds achieved at the National Championships in St. Gallen. Ken Mullings, who led overnight, matched his personal best in the 60 meters hurdles with a time of 7.76 seconds, holding a 42-point lead over Ehammer prior to the pole vault. Sander Skotheim of Norway and Johannes Erm also performed notably in the hurdles, further intensifying the competition.
In the pole vault, Ehammer secured his fourth event win of the weekend with a leap of 5.20 meters, slightly below his personal best. This performance, along with Skotheim and Erm clearing 5.10 meters, narrowed the gap on Mullings, who managed 4.60 meters before missing three attempts at 4.70 meters. Markus Rooth withdrew due to an injury incurred during the pole vault.
Heading into the final 1000 meters race, Ehammer had established a comfortable lead of 140 points over his competitors. The standings before the 1000 meters saw Ehammer leading, followed closely by Mullings and Skotheim.
Skotheim triumphed in the 1000 meters with a time of 2:33.23, while Erm finished in 2:36.15. Ehammer set a new personal best in the 1000 meters, clocking 2:46.03, securing the overall victory and setting a new national record. This achievement elevated him to ninth in the world all-time list. Skotheim earned silver with a national record of 6407 points, and Erm clinched bronze with a personal best of 6340 points. Mullings set a new personal best of 2:49.35 to finish fourth, marking the highest-ever finish by a Bahamian in a global combined events competition.
Mackenson Gletty, Vilem Strasky, and Sven Jansons rounded out the top positions, showcasing the depth of talent in the field.
The Netherlands women's 4x400m relay team, anchored by Femke Bol, won gold in a world-leading time, holding off the US team for silver and Great Britain for bronze.
Belgium retained their title in the Men's 4x400m relay in a thrilling race against the USA, securing gold with a world-leading time. The Dutch team took bronze.
The final gold of the championships in the Women's 1500m was won by Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu, with Nikki Hiltz of the USA taking silver and Emily Mackay securing bronze, both setting personal bests.
In the Women's Long Jump, Tara Davis Woodhall achieved a remarkable victory, soaring to a distance of 7.07m in her fourth attempt and clinching the gold medal. Her performance included a commendable second-best jump of 7.03m in the final round. Earlier, she had set a world-leading mark of 7.18m at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, joining the esteemed ranks of American world indoor champions alongside Dawn Burrell, Tiana Madison, and Brittney Reese. Davis Woodhall expressed her joy and gratitude, dedicating her victory to her grandmother, a source of inspiration and pride for her.
Monae Nichols ensured an American one-two finish by securing the silver medal with a leap of 6.85m, closely followed by her second-best attempt of 6.83m. Fatima Diame of Spain captured the bronze with a jump of 6.78m, narrowly outperforming Mikaelle Assani by a mere centimeter. European heptathlon bronze medalist Annik Kaelin and former European under-20 champion Milica Gardasevic finished fifth and sixth, respectively, while last year’s European indoor silver medalist, Larissa Iapichino, placed seventh.
In the Women's Triple Jump, Thea Lafond of Dominica made history with a world-leading jump of 15.01m, becoming the first female global medalist in athletics from her country. Lafond chose to forgo her final attempts after securing the gold. Leyanis Perez Hernandez from Cuba earned the silver with a seasonal best of 14.90m, and Spain's Olympic bronze medalist, Ana Peleteiro Compaoré, took bronze with a leap of 14.75m. Lafond shared her elation and pride in representing Dominica on such a prestigious stage.
The Men's High Jump saw New Zealand's Hamish Kerr emerge victorious, clearing heights up to 2.31m without fault and attempting the Oceanian indoor record of 2.36m, which he narrowly missed. Kerr's achievement not only won him the gold but also set a new world seasonal lead and national record. Shelby McEwen of the USA secured silver, while the defending champion, Sangghyeok Woo of South Korea, took bronze after a tiebreak. Kerr reflected on his victory with mixed emotions, acknowledging the challenges ahead but also the significance of achieving such heights early in the season.
