Olympic champions Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Keely Hodgkinson both made their first appearances on day six of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Thursday (18), each progressing in serene fashion.
World record holder and defending champion Mahuchikh needed only one jump to qualify safely for Sunday’s (21) women’s high jump final.
The Ukrainian superstar was the last to enter the competition, opening at 1.92m, which she cleared at the first attempt. That was enough to see her through.
Serbia’s European indoor and outdoor silver medallist Angelina Topic also gave herself the chance of a first global senior medal, advancing with a clean series up to 1.92m.
Great Britain’s Hodgkinson, twice a world silver medallist, controlled every step of the first heat of the women’s 800m, clocking 1:59.79 to progress untroubled.
Her training partner, Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell, also advanced, winning heat six in 1:58.82. Switzerland’s European U23 champion Audrey Werro will join them in Friday’s (19) semi-finals after front-running to victory in heat four in 1:58.43.
Weber falls short in javelin final
In the evening’s finals, there was disappointment in the men’s javelin for world leader and 2022 European champion Julian Weber. The German, who had won nine of his ten competitions in the build-up to Tokyo, placed only fifth with 86.11m.
Weber, who became a 90-metre thrower earlier this year, extending his personal best to 91.51m at the Diamond League final in Zurich three weeks ago, never found his rhythm.
In a competition that never quite ignited, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott seized the moment, winning with 88.16m.
It is another missed opportunity for Weber, who has finished in the top six at six Olympic or World finals without ever winning a global medal.
In the women’s triple jump final, Slovenia’s Neja Filipič was the top European, finishing ninth with a third-round leap of 14.03m. Cuba’s Leyanis Pérez Hernández claimed gold with 14.94m.
European trio go sub-50 behind blazing McLaughlin-Levrone
The much-anticipated women’s 400m final was won in sensational fashion by USA’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who clocked 47.78 — the second-fastest time in history.
The European trio of Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka, Norway’s Henriette Jaeger and Great Britain’s Amber Anning were unable to mount a medal challenge.
Running from lane eight, Bukowiecka gave everything in pursuit of repeating her Olympic bronze from last year, but had to settle for fourth in a season’s best 49.27.
World indoor champion Anning was fifth in 49.36, also a season’s best, while Jaeger, the European U23 champion, placed seventh in 49.74 in a high-quality race.
Irish 800m record for McPhillips
Ireland’s Cian McPhillips produced a breakthrough performance in the men’s 800m, slashing more than a second off his lifetime best to set a national record of 1:43.18.
The 2021 European U20 champion over 1500m ran clear in the second semi-final to secure a career-best victory.
Great Britain’s Max Burgin was edged out by McPhillips but still progressed comfortably, finishing second in 1:43.37 to book his place in Saturday’s (20) final.
Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui was equally impressive in the third semi-final. Last at the bell, the 2024 European silver medallist produced a devastating final 200m to sweep past the field and win in the same time as McPhillips.
British trio through to 200m finals
There was brighter news for British athletes in the 200m semi-finals.
Zharnel Hughes, the 100m bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, booked his spot in the men’s 200m final, placing second in the third semi-final in 19.95.
In the women’s event, 2019 European U20 champion Amy Hunt ran a personal best of 22.08 to take second in the first heat. Fellow Briton Dina Asher-Smith, the 2019 world champion, also advanced, placing second in her semi-final with 22.21 to reach her sixth successive world 200m final.
Battocletti back
In the women’s 5000m heats, Italy’s European champion Nadia Battocletti breezed into Saturday’s (20) final.
Five days after taking silver in the 10,000m, she finished second in the opening heat in 14:46.59, behind Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet — the 10,000m gold medallist.
In the second heat, Spain’s European bronze medallist Marta García also advanced, clocking 14:56.96 for fourth.