1h agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 9:17amLive updates: World Athletics Championships, day five
Australians in action on day five:
Men’s triple jump qualification (8:05pm AEST): Connor MurphyWomen’s 200m heats (8:30pm AEST): Kristie Edwards (Heat 3, Lane 6), Mia Gross (Heat 2, Lane 8), Torrie Lewis (Heat 6, Lane 8).Men’s 200m heats (9:15pm AEST): Gout Gout (Heat 5, Lane 8), Calab Law (Heat 1, Lane 2), Aiden Murphy (Heat 2, Lane 8).Men’s javelin qualification (9:25pm AEST): Cameron McEntyreWomen’s 400m hurdles semifinal (10:03pm AEST): Sarah Carli (Heat 2, Lane 3)
2m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:50am
TRIPLE JUMP: Connor Murphy improves a fraction
That’s good from Connor Murphy, but you’d think he’d need longer than this.
He improves on his first attempt with his second, 16.58, so only by 4cm.
He is currently in 14th spot so will miss out on the final if things stay as they are.
5m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:47amWOMEN’S 200M: Kristie Edwards sixth in her heat
(Getty Images)
Kristie Edwards is outside the top three as well.
She was up well, tracking really well through the bend but her transition off the bend onto the home straight saw her slip a bit.
(Getty Images)
She finishes sixth in the heat.
Mckenzie Long got the win in 22.51, Ashanti Moore second in 22.57 and Sophia Junk in third with 22.81.
Julia Henricksson just missed out on an automatic qualification spot, finishing in 22.86.
9m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:43am
WOMEN’S 200M: Kristie Edwards in lane six
Good opportunity for the Aussie here. She has a great lane draw.
American Mckenzie Long is the fastest in this heat on paper and she’s just outside the Aussie.
12m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:41amWOMEN’S 200M: Mia Gross finishes in sixth in her heat
Mia Gross came home very strong – she does run the 400m very capably as well – but she had so much work to do off the bend.
The time is 23.24. That won’t be enough to qualify I wouldn’t have thought.
(Getty Images)
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden was sublime, on Gross’ shoulder in a blink.
Thelma Davies was second, Jessika Gbai in third – they’re the automatic qualifiers.
But they were a long way behind the world 100m champion.
17m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:35am
WOMEN’S 200M: Mia Gross in heat two
Time for the first Aussie competitor on the track tonight to make her bow.
Mia Gross is about to step up, out in lane eight of this second heat.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, the 100m champion with a PB of 21.84, is inside her in lane seven, so Gross cannot be disheartened if she’s caught on the bend and just needs to hold her shape.
22m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:31am
TRIPLE JUMP: Conor Murphy jumps 16.54 in his first attempt
That’s not too shabby from the New South Welshman.
(Getty Images)
It puts him in seventh place in Group A and 11th overall.
STOP THE COUNT!
Long way to go yet, of course.
The top 12 qualify, and each man has three attempts.
24m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:29am
WOMEN’S 200M: Three Aussies set to fly
(Getty Images)
Time for the women’s 200m heats, with three Aussies in action.
Mia Gross (Heat 2, Lane 8), Kristie Edwards (Heat 3, Lane 6) and Torrie Lewis (Heat 6, Lane 8) all race, looking to make one of the three automatic qualification spots in their heat.
Failing that, they have to have run one of the six fastest times among non-qualifiers to make it through to the semifinal.
Lewis is Australia’s fastest qualifier with 22.65. That’s the 24th-fastest in the field on paper and comes into the race in form – she made the semifinals of the 100 and broke the Australian record to do so.
Gross has a PB, set this year, of 22.73 and Edwards ran 22.81 this year, also a PB.
24m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:28am
WOMEN’S POLE VAULT FINAL
32m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:20am
JAVELIN: Group A of qualifying gets underway
The first half of the field is currently qualifying for the javelin competition.
Obviously you can’t have two javelin competitions going on at once – the stadium isn’t big enough.
One of the interesting subplots heading into this competition is the rivalry between defending world champion and former Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra of India, and Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan.
Chopra has a solid 9.3 million followers on Instagram, so is quite a big deal.
Anyway, he’s already punched his ticket into the final, throwing 84.85m with his first attempt, past the 84.50m required.
39m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:13am
TRIPLE JUMP: Can anyone get over 18 metres?
(Getty Images)
This world championships marks the 30th anniversary of one of the most aesthetically pleasing world records on the books being set.
Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, glided across the runway to achieve a massive 18.29m at the 1995 worlds in Gothenburg.
Edwards had broken the record twice in the final, leaping out to 18.16m, the first wind-legal leap over 18 metres in competition.
He actually has jumped even further than that in his career, a 18.43m, albeit with an illegal wind speed of 2.4m/s behind him.
Andy Díaz Hernández, the Cuban-turned Italian, has recorded the best distance this year at 17.80m.
There are four men in the field who have passed 18m, Pedro Pichardo (18.08), Hugues Zango (18.07), Jordan Díaz Fortun (18.18) and Will Claye (18.14).
Is anyone going to break that record this year?
If they do, it won’t be in the qualifying rounds.
44m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:08am
TRIPLE JUMP: Connor Murphy to hop, step and jump in the quali’s
It’s time to hop, step and jump our way into the evening’s session, where Sydney’s Connor Murphy will be hoping to get into the final.
The 23-year-old has a career best of 16.82, set last year at Lakeside.
And he’s got close to that this year, leaping 16.77 to be ranked 18th in the world.
The problem is that there are just so many athletes ahead of him on paper this year.
An incredible 24 athletes have leaped over 17 metres in 2025.
Murphy finished 12th a last year’s Olympics, so getting into the final would be a huge effort.
The automatic mark to qualify is 17.10. If 12 people don’t make that distance, it will be the best 12 who make it through.
45m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:08am
How do we pronounce Gout Gout?
For God’s sake, pronounce his name correctly.
It’s Gwot Gwot not gout
– Kevin
It’s interesting you say that, Kevin.
There was a lot of chat about this at the end of last year.
Gout’s father Bona said his son’s name is actually Guot, pronounced ‘Gwot’, in an interview with Channel 7 last December.
“His name is Guot, it’s supposed to be Guot,” Bona said.
“When I see people called him Gout Gout I’m not really happy for him.
But Gout’s manager, James Templeton, told SEN that it was Gout.
“It is Gout Gout,” Templeton said.
“Yeah, yeah, I know there’s been a bit of discussion, and I know his dad made a few comments, but Gout Gout is how it’s gonna be.
“Categorically, it’s Gout Gout. You know, the thing you hope to avoid in your ankle. That’s how it’s pronounced.”
52m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 10:00am
It’s hot tonight
The Tokyo heat is going to be stifling tonight.
It’s 32 degrees at the moment, at 7:00pm local time.
The humidity is up at close to 80 per cent, which isn’t ideal for the distance runners.
Great new for the sprinters though – should see some quick times today as we get ready for the on-field action to start.
You can read more about the heat here.
55m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 9:57am
Too right
Bring on another night of athletics! It’s the perfect antidote for the rest of the ‘stuff’ going on in the world. Proof that people from every nation in the world can come together, with competing goals, yet still cheer each other on and celebrate others’ achievements.
– Maria C
57m agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 9:55am
HEPTATHLON: Belgian favourite in ugly spat with federation
– Reuters
(Getty Images)
Nafissatou Thiam has accused the Belgian athletics federation of disrupting her World Championships preparations, but it accused the three-time Olympic champion of lying in a nasty spat days before she begins her quest for a third heptathlon world title.
In an extraordinary exchange on Tuesday, a tearful Thiam said she had been barred from the team’s preparatory camp in Japan due to her refusal to sign the federation’s code of conduct, but the federation president said she had written proof the 31-year-old was being untruthful.
“Five days before departure, I received an email from the federation stating that because I hadn’t signed the code of conduct, my pre-camp hadn’t been validated and therefore no reservation had been made for me,” Thiam told a press conference.
“I had to find a solution at the last minute. You need a training location, a gym, a place to sleep. Five days before departure in a city like Tokyo, that wasn’t easy, and then there’s the financial aspect. That had a negative impact. I don’t understand it, it’s very disappointing.”
Thiam is refusing to sign the federation’s code of conduct due to disagreements over image rights as she has conflicting sponsors with those of the Belgium team.
“I feel punished, and that’s unfair. I’m trying to stay positive and professional and forget about it all, but it’s definitely having a negative impact,” she said.
In response, the Belgian federation hit back with president Jessica Mayon accusing Thiam of lying.
“It is absolutely untrue that she was not welcome,” Mayon told several Belgian media outlets at Tokyo’s National Stadium.
“I have written proof that what she says isn’t true. It’s a lie. She received an email promising that someone from the federation was willing to do anything for her at the training camp. Of course, she was welcome there.
“I think it’s a shame she’s acting this way. Of course, some people were unhappy that she hadn’t signed the code of conduct. But she’s here at the World Championships, and we’ve always protected her,.”
1h agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 9:47am
Medal table
Evening Simon. I’ve not long come off the BBC Sport/Athletics website where they promise the medal table. However, it only provides the top 5 nations (with GB yet to open their account). I was hoping you may be generous enough to provide a more extensive medal table.
– Old timer
Hi Old timer.
For you, anything.
Here’s the top 10, with the USA in the lead, Kenya second and Canada third.
Shout out to fourth-placed New Zealand with their two gold medals so far.
(World Athletics)
Here’s 11-20.
(World Athletics)
And here are 21-30, featuring the Aussies, who are in 22nd.
(World Athletics)
1h agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 9:47am
DISCUS: Discus inferno: Denny eyes Tokyo throwdown with world record holder Alekna
– Reuters
(Getty Images)
Australian discus king Matt Denny is chasing his first world championships medal in Tokyo and will do it alongside the man he regards as both the benchmark and a drinking buddy: world record holder Mykolas Alekna.
Denny and the 22-year-old Lithuanian took the sport to new heights with the benefit of tailwinds at an event in Ramona, Oklahoma, in April and will battle again at Tokyo National Stadium this weekend.
“We’re vicious competitors and there’s banter — but we’re not vicious in tongue,” Denny told Reuters of his relationship with Alekna.
“He’s a good kid. He was very quiet when he first hit the Diamond Leagues [DL], but I’ve brought him out of his shell a bit.
“We went out after the Brussels DL, had a few beers — fun night. Some guys mix, some don’t. For us, we’ve got a great relationship.”
At “Throw Town” in Ramona, Alekna smashed his own world record with a heave of 75.56m, while 29-year-old Denny threw a PB of 74.78m.
The pair may not match the fireworks they produced in Middle America but will back themselves to stand on the podium again a year on from the Paris Games where they both earned their first Olympic medals.
(Getty Images)
Alekna took silver and Denny the bronze behind Jamaica’s surprise winner Rojé Stona.
Alekna has already claimed two world medals, bronze in Budapest behind Swedish winner Daniel Ståhl in 2023, a year after being second to Slovene Kristjan Čeh at Eugene, Oregon.
It helps that his dad Virgilijus is among the sport’s all-time greats, a winner of back-to-back Olympic golds at Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004).
“He’s got some good genes — but I think pretty much the whole discus park does,” said Denny.
“I grew up idolising Virgilijus as a competitor along with guys like Mac Wilkins and a few others.”
Since his blazing start to the season in Oklahoma, the results have been flatter in the first year of the new Olympic cycle but Denny is unfazed.
“We want to be world champions, not good in the middle of the season,” he said.
“Last year I might’ve been more stressed. Now I know exactly where I need to be.
“Once the day comes, it’s wind it up and have a crack.”
Qualification for the men’s discus final takes place at 10:00am AEDT on Saturday, September 20.
1h agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 9:40am
800M: What a difference four years makes for Peter Bol
(Getty Images)
Peter Bol would have been disappointed not to reach the semifinals in the 800m.
Bol actually ran the same time in his heat yesterday as he did in the Olympic Games at the same venue when he came fourth overall.
Sadly, times mean little in the tactical world of middle distance running and, given he also finished fourth in his race this year, he missed the cut to make the semis.
That disappointment is tempered though by the strength in depth of Australian athletics at the moment.
Here’s what he said after the racing yesterday.
1h agoWed 17 Sep 2025 at 9:35am
WOMEN’S 1,500M: Jess Hull relieved following world champs medal
(Getty Images)
Day four saw Jess Hull secure a first ever medal for Australia in the 1,500m at a world championships.
Having twice finished seventh in the global showpiece final, Hull’s breakthrough silver at the Olympics in Paris last year proved to her that not only did she belong at this level, but that she was a contender to win it all.
That comes with a different sort of pressure though, which meant that when she hung on for grim life to stay in the top three yesterday evening, she felt mostly relief when she crossed the line.
Faith Kipyegon became the four-time world champion and was simply a class above as she led Kenyan athletes to three of the top four positions.
But Hull was not far behind and, given the right conditions, feels that there may be a chance for her to go for gold in the next few years.
AloJapan.com