The final day of action in Torún at the World Athletics Championship on Sunday brought the drama, the records and the gold medals as the indoor season came to roaring close.
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson stormed to a commanding win in the women’s 800m in a 1:55.30 championship record for gold as she pushed the pace from the start, holding a lead throughout the race and opened a larger gap with two laps remaining.
Switzerland’s Audrey Werro was second in a 1:56.64 national record and Team USA’s Addison Wiley took third in 1:58.36, a personal best.
“There has been a lot going on in the last hour — everything seems a bit blurry to me,” Hodgkinson said. “It feels so, so nice being able to run and win. This is my first world title. I have been in so many finals, I have been a favorite so many times and I had not won so to do that and prove to myself that I can do it, remove the pressure and win the gold, it’s nice.”
Team USA’s teen phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus continues to make his mark and surged in a 1:44.24 victory in the men’s 800m, making him the youngest ever indoor champion. He held off a loaded men’s field that appeared to chip away at his lead just after the bell lap, but Lutkenhaus remained locked in and cruised to the line for the win.
Belgium’s Eliott Crestan was second in 1:44.38 and Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui took third in 1:44.66.
“I came out here thinking I probably wasn’t the favorite but any time I feel like I can step into a final I have a chance to win,” Lutkenhaus said. “Maybe it came from confidence or maybe from being too young but I really wanted to try to make a defining move. I believed in that on the third lap — I just wanted to try to take it from there.”
In the women’s 60 hurdles The Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton equaled the world record in a 7.65 win despite a slip at the start and first barrier. Charlton easily recovered and pressed through the remaining hurdles to take the title — her third straight indoor crown.
The Netherlands’ Nadine Visser was second in 7.73 personal best and Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska took third in a national record 7.73.
“I didn’t have the best start, I stumbled a bit but I tried to fix it as fast as I could,” Charlton said. “This is one of the things we train for. I knew I had run the world record, I knew I had it when I crossed the finish line. I know I could have run a bit faster too but, not having the best start, I will take it. Since Glasgow, I have been improving a lot and today I am really proud to win my third world indoor title in a row.”
The Netherlands’ Sofie Dokter needed to make sure Team USA’s Anna Hall could not take a massive lead in the final event in the pentathlon, the 800m, but Dokter held on to take the gold with 4888 points at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torún on Sunday. Hall still won the 800m but fell just short with 4860 points despite dominating the race as she took silver while Ireland’s Kate O’Connor got bronze with 4839 points.
Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell took to the women’s 1,500m gold in a world leading 3:58.53 after closing a gap on the bell lap that Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom opened and laid down a strong kick to claim the title. Australia’s Jessica Hull took silver in 3:59.45 as Team USA’s Nikki Hiltz got bronze in 3:59.63.
Spain’s Mariano García bolted to a stunning win in the men’s 1,500m to take the gold in 3:39.63. On the final lap García widened a slight lead he established with two laps to go and leaned into his kick as he held off Portugal’s Isaac Nader, who took second in 3.40.06 and Australia’s Adam Spencer who was third in 3.40.26.
For the women’s pole vault, Great Britain’s Molly Caudery soared to a 4.85m season’s best win over Slovenia’s Tina Šutej, who finished second for silver with a 4.80m season’s best while the Czech Republic’s Amálie Švábíková got bronze in 4.70m.
New Zealand’s Tom Walsh struck gold in the men’s shot put with a season’s best 21.82m toss as Team USA duo Jordan Geist (21.64m) and Roger Steen (21.49m) took silver and bronze, respectively.
The competition closed with both Team USA relay squads sweeping the 4x400m event, with the men delivering a championship record 3:01.52 win in the as Justin Robinson, Chris Robinson, Demarius Smith and Khaleb McRae dominated on each exchange. In the women’s race Shamier Little laid down an impressive anchor leg to push Team USA to an impressive 3:25.81 win alongside Bailey Lear, Rosey Effiong and Paris Peoples.
