Cherotich, Nader, Moon and Furlani Shine as Four Champions Crowned on Day Five in Tokyo

Day five of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo delivered drama, history, and breakout performances as four world champions were crowned on Wednesday (17). Kenya’s Faith Cherotich stormed to 3000m steeplechase gold in a championship record, stepping up from her previous bronze medals at Budapest 2023 and Paris 2024. Portugal’s Isaac Nader produced a stunning upset to claim the 1500m crown, while defending champion Katie Moon of the USA soared to retain her pole vault title with a clutch final clearance. Italy’s teenage sensation Mattia Furlani capped the night by becoming the youngest men’s world long jump champion in history, marking an unforgettable evening of athletics brilliance in Tokyo.

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Women's Pole Vault Final:

Katie Moon set 4.90m on her second attempt to win her third world outdoor gold medal following her wins in Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023. Moon had a clean sheet by clearing all heights until 4.80m on her first attempt.

Moon was pushed by her compatriot Sandi Morris, who had a clean sheet until 4.75m before clearing 4.80m on her second attempt. Morris soared over 4.85m on her first attempt to take the lead.  Moon failed one attempt at both heights of 4.80m and 4.85m before sealing the win on her final attempt at 4.90m. Morris raised the bar to 4.95m for a final attempt. The US star was not able to clear this height, but she claimed her fourth world outdoor silver medal. 

Tina Sutej from Slovenia improved her seasonal best to 4.80m on her second attempt to win her third medal at a major championship this year following her silver medals at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn and the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing.

Amalie Svabikova from Czechia set a seasonal best of 4.75m on her third attempt to place fourth. European indoor champion Angelica Moser cleared 4.65m on her first attempt to take fifth place on countback over Hana Moll.

Katie Moon: “It was incredible. It was such a battle. I knew it was going to be. I kept telling myself I would need to jump over 4.90m to win. I knew Sandi was in good shape, I am just happy and relieved it ended up the best for me. All my medals are special, but this one is the one. The older you get, it gets harder. I don't know how many years I still have in me, and to have my family here made it very special. I love the fact that today's medallists are all above 30. We have respect for each other.”

Men’s long jump final:

Italy’s Mattia Furlani took the lead in the fifth round with a lifetime best of 8.39m. Furlani became the youngest ever world champion in the long jump and the youngest Italian athlete to win a medal in the five major championships (Olympic Games, World indoor and outdoor Championships and European indoor and outdoor Championships).

Furlani claimed his second gold medal of this season after winning the world indoor title in Nanjing last March. It was the sixth medal in a major championship for the 20-year-Italian jumper, who also won the Olympic bronze medal in Paris, the European outdoor silver in Rome and the world indoor silver in Glasgow in 2024 and the European indoor silver medal in Apeldoorn in 2025. He set his previous PB of 8.38m at the European Championships In Rome.

Mattia Furlani: “This is the most special evening. I worked so hard and put so much determination into getting a medal. I did not start the best way. At the beginning, I had a small problem with my run-up, but as usual I tried to stay calm and save the best for last.”

Tajay Gayle from Jamaica equalled his seasonal best to 8.34m to win the silver medal  completing his full set of medals at these championships following his gold with a PB of 8.69m in Doha 2019 and  silver in Budapest 2023.

Tajay Gayle: “I have won my third world outdoor medal and not many people can say that. It's always a special feeling representing Jamaica on the global stage.”

Yuhao Shi from China set a seasonal best of 8.33m to claim bronze medal. Simon Ehammer from Switzerland, winner at the Diamond League final in Zurich, placed fourth with 8.30 repeating the same result of the Olympic final. Bozhiidar Saraboyukov from Bulgaria took fifth place with 8.19m. 

Gayle opened the competition with 8.33m in the first round before improving to 8.34m in the second round. Yuchao Shi leapt to 8.33m in the second round improving his seasonal best by 12 cm. Furlani opened the competition with a foul followed by 8.13m in the second round and another foul. He was seventh after three attempts but he improved to 8.22m in the fourth round to move into fourth place. He sealed the win with 8.39m in the fifth round.

Men’s 1500 metres final:

Isaac Nader from Portugal won his first world gold medal in 3:34.10 ahead of 2022 world champion Jake Wightman from Great Britain (3:34.12) in a very close race. Reynold Cheruiyot from Kenya claimed the bronze medal in 3:34.26 beating his namesake Timothy Cheruyiot (3:34.50) and this year’s Diamond League champion Niels Laros. (3:34.52). Defending champion Josh Kerr pulled up midway through the race due to a leg injury.

Isaac Nader: “In the last 100 metres I fully believed in myself. I knew Jake Wightman would be fighting until the end so I went all in a dive. This is probably the first time I did it in my career but could not risk losing a world title. Clearly, it paid off at the end. I have no words for what happened, but I believed in myself and so did my family and my girlfriend Salomé Afonso”.

Wightman launched his kick on the final bend but Nader pipped the British athlete by two hundredths of a second on the finish-line. Nader won the European indoor bronze medal in Apeldoorn and the Dram Mile in  Oslo in 3:48.25. The Portuguese athlete set national records of 3:29.37 in the 1500m in Ostrava and 1:43.86 in the 800m in Guadalajara.

Women’s 3000 metres steeplechase final:

Kenya’s Faith Cherotich set a championship record of 8:51.59 to win the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase. Cherotich pulled away from defending champion Winfred Yavi from Barhein on the final lap. Cherotich added the world title to her collection which includes two silver medals at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 and at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. She also won two consecutive editions of the Diamond League Finals in Zurich 2023 and Brussels 2024. Yavi won the silver medal with 8:56.46. Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew improved her PB to 8:58.86 to win the bronze medal. Marwa Bouzayani from Tunisia took fourth place setting a national record of 9:01.46 ahead of this year’s NCAA champion Doris Lemngole from Kenya (9:02.39).

Faith Cherotich: “I am so happy to win today, improving from bronze to gold is amazing to me. I was confused at the start: both me and Winfred Yavi are very strong. The pace was slow but I believed in my kick. In the last 400 metres I said: ‘This is my moment”. My coach told me not to be afraid. The world record is possible.”

Women’s 400 metres hurdles semifinal:

Femke Bol cruised to an easy win in the second semifinal in 52.31. Dalilah Muhammad, world champion in Doha 2019, placed second in 53.14. Naomi Van de Broeck set a Belgium record of 53.65 to secure the second fastest non-automatic qualifying spots, beating Italian record holder Ayomide Folorunso (54.37).

Femke Bol: “This is the best form I have been in the whole year. I want to run my fastest race of the year in the final. Gianna Woodruff was running impressively well in the first heat but it made me feel excited for my race. The advantage for me today was having Dalilah Muhammad running in lane seven, so I was able to see her throughout the race. I overtook her in the last 150 metres.” 

Gianna Woodruff from Panama won the first heat setting a PB of 52.66 ahead of Jasmine Jones (53.01) and Emma Zapletalova (53.22).

Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell won the third semifinal in 53.28 ahead of Jamaica’s Shian Salmon (54.03). Amalie Iuel from Norway set a seasonal best of 54.28, but it was not enough to take one of the two fastest non-automatic qualifying spots.

Men’s 400 metres hurdles semifinal:

Abderrahman Samba from Qatar won the first men’s 400 metres hurdles semifinal in 47.63. Karsten Warholm got through to the final  in second place in 47.72.

Olympic champion Raj Benjamin won the third semifinal with 47.95. Alison Dos Santos, world champion in Eugene 2022, claimed the second automatic qualifying spot with 48.16.

Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel won the second semifinal in 47.47. Ismail Abakar improved his PB to 47.61 to qualify for the final. USA’s Caleb Dean placed third with 47.85.

Women’s 200 metres heats:

USA’s Anavia Battle won the first 200 metres  heat in 22.07 to advance to the semifinals. Marie Josée Ta Lou placed second in 22.39. Poliniki Emmanoulidou from Greece secured the third automatic qualifying spot with a seasonal best of 22.92.

World 100 metres champion Melissa Jefferson Wooden cruised to a comfortable win  in the second heat in 22.24. Thelma Davies from Liberia took second place in 22.76 ahead of Jessika Gbai (22.81).

Melisssa Jefferson Wooden: "My legs feel like they were getting themselves back on the track. The 200m is a different feel to the 100m so it is about executing and being smart. My coach will probably tell me that I have burnt too much energy but I wanted to get a feel for it so that there is nothing foreign to me in the next few days.”

Brittany Brown, this year’s Diamond League champion, claimed the win in the fourth heat in 22.50 ahead of Anthonique Strachan from Bahamas (22.57). Daryl Neita from Great Britain finished third in 22.59 to get through to the semifinal.

Double world champion Shericka Jackson showed her good form by winning the fifth heat in 22.33 ahead of Amy Hunt (22.57).

Dina Asher Smith, world champion in the 200 metres in Doha 2019 and European 100m gold medallist in Rome 2024, won the sixth heat in 22.40 to join her teammates Amy Hunt and Daryl Neita in the semifinals.

Mckenzie Long won the third heat in 22.51 beating Jamaican champion Ashanti Moore (22.57).

Men’s 200 metres heats:

Alexander Ogando, fifth in the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, won the first heat in the men’s 200 metres in 20.10  ahead of 2016 Olympic 400 metres champion and world record holder Wayde Van Niekerk (20.19).

Tapiwanashe Makarawu from Zimbabwe, sixth at the Olympic Games and this year’s NCAA champion, won the second heat in 19.91. Courtney Lindsey also dipped under the 20 seconds barrier with 19.95. Adrian Kerr from Jamaica finished third in 20.13.

Double Olympic silver medallist Kenneth Bednarek claimed the win in the third heat in 19.98. Ubodi Chudi Onwuzurike finished second in 20.27 edging Sisespho Dambile from South Africa with the same time.

Kenneth Bednarek: “I ran the bend well and got the lead. I am confident. I am in good shape. All I had to do tonight was to run well and that’s what I did.”

Three-time world champion Noah Lyles broke the 20 seconds barrier clocking 19.99 to win the fourth heat ahead of Zharnel Hughes from Great Britain (20.07). Christopher Taylor set a PB of 20.26 to clinch the third automatic qualifying spot. André De Grasse from Canada, placed fourth in 20.30.

Noah Lyles: “The body is feeling good. It is waking up. The goal was to blast the first 100m and I did that. I knew I had the race under control and decided not to push too much because I have two more runs.” 

Jamaica’s Brian Levell clocked the fastest time of the entire first round with an impressive 19.84 ahead of Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba from Zimbabwe (20.23) and world under 20 silver medallist Gout Gout from Australia (20.23).

Olympic 200 metres champion Letsile Tebogo won the sixth heat very easily in 20.18. Xavi Mo Ajok from the Netherlands placed second in 20.35 ahead of Japan’s Towa Uzawa (20.39).

Letsile Tebogo: “When I came here, I thought about winning a medal in the 100m and  200m. It did not happen in the 100m. I have to focus on 200m. I know I can run the race perfectly. I just have to prove it.”

Men’s javelin throw qualifying round:

Two-time world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada led the men’s javelin throw qualifying round with 89.53m. Julian Weber, this year’s Diamond League champion, qualified with the second best mark of 87.21m. Julius Yego from Kenya achieved the best mark with a seasonal best of 85.96m. Dawid Wegner from Poland improved his PB to 85.67m. Reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan threw beyond the 85 metres barrier with 85.28m. Neeraj Chopra from India, Olympic champion in Tokyo 2021 and world gold medallist in Budapest 2023, achieved the automatic qualifying mark of 84.85m.