It was a historic day for French distance running as Jimmy Gressier won the men’s 10,000m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday (13).
After placing fourth in four separate European finals, Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won his first major medal, taking bronze in the race.
There were also medals for the experienced German Malaika Mihambo, who won silver in the women’s long jump and a breakthrough first global medal for Jorinde van Klinken in the women’s discus final.
There were also contrasting fortunes for other European athletes who have previously won gold at the World Athletics Championships, most notably for twice 5000m winner Jakob Ingebrigtsen who crashed out in the men’s 1500m heats.
Gressier makes history for France
Gressier’s thrilling win in the men’s 10,000m came in severely humid conditions. He just got the better of Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in a sprint finish to win in 28:55.77, making him the first French athlete ever to win any medal in the event at the World Athletics Championships.
It rounded off a superb year which also seen him take victory in the half marathon in April’s European Running Championships in Brussels-Leuven and win over 3000m at the Diamond League Final in Zurich.
European 5000m record holder Almgren, who took on the pace with six laps left, grabbed a richly-deserved bronze in 28:56.02. Afterwards, Gressier described it as a “a dream come true” and paid tribute to Jakob Ingebrigtsen who had advised him to adjust his training.
Paris repeat
In a repeat of the Paris Olympics, Tara Davis-Woodhall of USA won the women’s long jump ahead of Mihambo, who won her 11th major championship medal. The German’s best of 6.99m couldn’t match Davis-Woodhall’s world lead of 7.13m.
Van Klinken also settled for silver behind an American Olympic champion in the women’s discus. The Dutch athlete, fourth in Oregon 2022 and Budapest 2023 opened with a booming throw of 67.50m, good enough for second place. But not enough to challenge Valarie Allman’s winning throw of 69.38m.
Vanessa Kamga threw a Swedish record of 66.61m to finish fourth. Twice world champion Sandra Elkasevic of Croatia, finished fifth with 65.82m.
Contrasting fortunes for European legends
In the stadium where he won Olympic gold, defending champion Gianfranco Tamberi of Italy, failed to make it through the men’s high jump qualifying. In what has been an injury-hit year, he tumbled out failing at 2.21m.
Ukraine’s European indoor champion Oleh Doroschuk impressed with a flawless card of clearances. 2.25m was enough to make it through to Tuesday’s (16) final.
There was better news for another field event legend as four-times champion and three-times Olympic gold medallist Anita Włodarczyk of Poland, who recently turned 40, booked her place in Monday’s (15) women’s hammer final, qualifying sixth overall with 73.69m.
Finland’s Silja Kosonen made automatic qualification with a first round throw of 75.88m. It placed her second overall among the qualifiers behind only Olympic champion Camryn Rogers of Canada who threw 77.52m.
Kerr, Wightman, Laros through as Ingebrigtsen falters
Also in the morning session, all eyes were on Norway’s Ingebrigtsen to see if he could possibly be anywhere near his best in the men’s 1500m heats, after six months on the sidelines with an Achilles injury. The answer was no.
He could only finish eighth in heat 4 in 3:37.84. British duo Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr, winners of the last two 1500m titles at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon 2022 and Budapest 2023, both safely qualified.
Wightman won heat 4 in 3:36.90 and Kerr was second in heat 1, just 0.08 behind Norway’s world bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordås who won in 3:35.90. Also through to Monday’s semi-finals is the Netherlands’ Niels Laros. The recent winner at the Diamond League Final in Zurich, was third in heat 2 in 3:41:00.
Ingebrigtsen meanwhile, who never shirks a challenge, will now look to the men’s 5000m, which gets underway on Friday (19). As reigning Olympic, world and European champion it is arguably his stronger event, which will give him some hope.
"It's a first-time experience that I haven't got to the next round,” said Ingebrigtsen afterwards. “Of course, it's very disappointing but at the same time it is a reality check. This is an event that's very competitive.
“You need to prepare your best and of course, I'm not there. I think I'm probably closer for the 5000m race right now. I'll recover and have a couple of good days until I go again and try again.
“Everything is a test. I was trying to do my best to advance to the semi-final but it was terrible. You have to start and you have to try."
In two chaotic women’s 1500m semi-finals, Spain’s Marta Perez was the fastest European qualifier, winning through to Tuesday’s (16) final by placing fifth in the first heat with 4:01.19.
There was also a reprieve for Germany’s Nele Weßel who was obstructed in the second semi final and was given a place in the final by the officials, despite finishing 11th in 4:18.21.
National records
In the women’s 400m heats, Poland’s European champion Natalia Bukowiecka, Norway’s European U23 champion Henriette Jaeger and the Netherlands’ European indoor champion Lieke Klaver all safely progressed to Tuesday’s (16) semi-finals.
Klaver won heat 1 in 50.32. Bukowiecka was second in heat 2 in 50.15 and Jaeger finished strongly to place second in heat 4 in 50.12.
There were national records for Edoardo Scotti and Attila Molnar in the hotly contested men’s 400m heats. Scotti set a new Italian best of 44.45, placing third in heat three and European indoor champion Molnar clocked 44.55 to finish third in heat five. They now have 48 hours to recover ahead of Tuesday’s semis.
In the women’s 100m hurdles heats, the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser – fourth at the Paris Olympics – was an impressive winner of heat 3 in 12.48 (-0.2m/s). Current and former European champions Ditaji Kambundji and Pia Skrzyszowska also progressed.
Swiss athlete Kambundji was second in heat 4 in 12.59 (+0.5m/s) and Poland’s Skrzyszowska was second in heat 5 in a season’s best 12.51 (+0.1m/s)
The women’s marathon took place early in the morning, starting at 7:30am local time. In a race won by Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir in 2:24.43, the highest placed European athlete was Finland’s Alisa Vainio who was fifth in 2:28:32.
In the 100m finals, Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith was the lone European finalist, placing eighth in the women’s final in 11.08.