Friday (19) marks day seven of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. And this time five different athletes will be crowed world champion inside the Japan National Stadium.
Lyles eyes Bolt
On the evidence of Thursday night’s semifinals, Noah Lyles looks the man to beat in the men’s 200m after a blistering run of 19.51 to eclipse his world lead set at the US Trials. It is the fastest ever semifinal performances in the history of any championships.
Lyles is bidding to emulate Usain Bolt with a fourth straight world title in that particular event, but there are a variety of challengers in that quest.
Jamaica’s Bryan Levell impressed with a 19.78 semifinal win, while Kenny Bednarek, who had an under par 100m final, was third quickest of the semifinalists in 19.88. Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, disqualified in the 100m for a false start, and Britain’s Zharnel Hughes were next best.
Jackson eyes hat-trick
A mere hundredth of a second separated the top two going into the final of the women’s 200m, with defending champion Shericka Jackson just a whisker ahead of Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.
Jamaican Jackson is bidding to match Allyson Felix’s record of a third straight world title over the distance, while US athlete Jefferson-Wooden is targeting the sprint double after her 100m success.
Others impressing in the semifinals included Amy Hunt of Great Britain and US runner Anavia Battle, who both clocked the same time: 22.09.
Big three do battle
The big three of the men’s 400m hurdles again converge for another final, on the track where all three of them dipped under Kevin Young’s previous world record mark in a blistering Olympic final four years ago.
Brazil’s Alison dos Santos didn’t look at his best in his semifinal, so one could argue he is a little off the pace of Karsten Warholm and Rai Benjamin.
Norway’s Warholm is the quickest man in the world this year, his 46.28 ran so recently in Silesia, and he backed that up with victory in Zurich. But Benjamin’s season’s best of 46.54 is not a million miles away.
Bol on course for defence
Femke Bol has looked imperious all season long, extending that dominance to the women’s 400m hurdles rounds in Tokyo. It begs asking the question if anyone can stop the Dutch athlete in her stride.
The 25-year-old had won eight straight races this season before coming to Tokyo and, with USA’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone focusing on the 400m flat at this championships, it’s hard to see who might push Bol.
Olympic and world gold medallist Dalilah Muhammad is among those hoping to pull off a big shock at the age of 35, while her fellow US athlete Anna Cockrell is ranked No.2 in the world this year behind Bol.
Diaz targets 2025 world double
If the form book is anything to go by, Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez is the favourite for men’s triple jump gold. He won the world indoor title with a leap of 17.80m, a career best and the world lead this year, and could complete the double in 2025 by winning the outdoor crown.
In addition, the 29-year-old Italian clinched his third Diamond League Final win this season, but there are no shortage of candidates lining up to topple him.
Portugal’s 2022 world champion Pedro Pichardo won Olympic gold at this same venue, while Jamaican Jordan Scott has got into the winning habit with a quartet of victories in the Diamond League in 2025.
Matt Majendie for World Athletics
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