Mujinga Kambundji continues to build on a stellar career and she added a second 60m gold to her list of achievements at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing on Saturday (22).
Known for her remarkable ability to finish fast, she demonstrated exactly that in Nanjing, accelerating over the final 10 meters to overturn the race and take gold in 7.04 over Dosso (7.06) and van der Weken (7.07), leading a European 1-2-3 and reclaiming a title she had won previously in Belgrade 2022.
Dosso, a rising star for Italy, has been in the spotlight this year with explosive starts and impressive times at the European Athletics Indoor Championships where she won gold in a world leading time of 7.01.
Although she couldn’t hold the lead against Kambundji’s late-race power, her silver medal is a testament to her consistency and promise on the world stage having also won a breakthrough bronze in this event in Glasgow last March.
Reflecting on the challenge posed by Dosso, Kambundji remarked: "This was a lot like the Europeans. Zaynab was also coming from that, and I knew she was going to be fast. I knew it was going to be a good race, so I just had to focus on my race."
Patrizia van der Weken's bronze medal in the 60m is a historic milestone for Luxembourg, marking the nation's first-ever medal at this prestigious event. This is particularly remarkable as, earlier this month, van der Weken clinched Luxembourg's first ever European indoor medal by winning bronze in the 60m in Apeldoorn.
In a contest where every fraction of a second mattered, Kambundji’s ability to read the race and unleash her speed at the crucial moment proved decisive. Dosso’s explosive start for most of the race set the scene for an intense battle, but it was Kambundji’s experience and refined acceleration that ultimately reshaped the finish.
After the race, Kambundji added: "I'm really happy, really relieved. I remember when I crossed the line I knew it was good, because I felt that the heat and the semis were not that good. I wasn't sure it was good enough to win, so I'm really happy about that."