Historic victories for LaFond and Kerr on final morning session in Glasgow

A day after Julien Alfred became the first global medallist, and champion, from St Lucia in the women’s 60m, Thea LaFond also made athletics history at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 as she achieved exactly the same feat for the Caribbean island of Dominica in the women’s triple jump.

And there was another historic flourish at the other end of the last day’s morning session as New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr took the men’s high jump title to round off an Oceania double following the success of Nicola Olyslagers of Australia in the women’s high jump.

After winning with a clearance of 2.31m, Kerr – Commonwealth champion and a world indoor bronze medallist two years ago in Belgrade – added two centimetres to his personal best in clearing a world-leading 2.36m, much to the appreciation of a Glasgow Arena audience that had stayed seated for this final and the heptathlon pole vault.

LaFond’s landmark achievement came thanks to a second-round effort of 15.01m, comfortably the best recorded in the world so far this year and making her the first winner of this title since 2014 who was not Yulimar Rojas.

The absence of the three-times winner from Venezuela offered the chance for another triple jumper to take centre stage and LaFond stepped up to claim a first global title for the Caribbean island of her birth, indoors or out, and the first global medal in a women’s event.

The 29-year-old from Roseau also deserved a medal for composure – were it a championship event – as she sat out the next three rounds following an effort that improved her personal best by 11cm and watched the rest of the field strive, fruitlessly, to better it.

Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez came closest, jumping a season’s best of 14.90m her silver, two centimetres better than the world lead she had established before these championships. Spain’s Ana Peleteiro-Compaore claimed bronze with a season’s best of 14.75m.

Thus two of the smallest nations in the world by population (Dominica: 74,412 and St Lucia: 179,651) have won gold medals at these championships.

Kerr had looked as cool as Lafond throughout his high jump contest as he earned the title with five successive first-time clearances.

Shelby McEwen of the United States, who had arrived for these championships as joint leader of the season’s world list on 2.33m with defending champion Woo Sanghyeok, claimed a first global medal as he took silver ahead of the South Korean on countback after both had cleared a best of 2.28m.

In celebration of his achievement, the 27-year-old from Mississippi treated his appreciative audience to an accomplished backflip on the landing mat.

Simon Ehammer of Switzerland, whose efforts to win the European indoor heptathlon title in Istanbul last year ended when he failed to record a long jump distance – despite having won world long jump bronze the year before – is doing everything possible to make up for that disappointment in Glasgow.

Trailing the overnight leader Ken Mullings by 79 points, he lived up to expectations in the opening event of the second day, the 60m hurdles, producing the fastest time of 7.62 – close to his PB of 7.55.

That narrowed the gap, but perhaps not as much as he anticipated as Mullings produced his fourth personal best of this competition, equalling his previous fastest time of 7.76, which meant the gap remained 42 points going into the vertical marathon that is the combined events men’s pole vault.

Once again, however, Ehammer rose to the occasion, winning the event with a clearance of 5.20m, one centimetre below his personal best, as Mullings, with a best of 5.03m, went out on 4.60m.

Meanwhile the best vaulter on paper, Norway’s Sander Skotheim, with a best of 5.35m, finished second on 5.10m.

Ehammer, not a super strong runner, goes through to tonight’s concluding 1000m with a lead over Mullings, who is also likely to find the finale a challenge.

Skotheim is a strong runner, but the Swiss athlete currently holds a lead over him of 153 points. It is going to make compelling watching…

Poland’s European champion Pia Skrzyszowska looked ready to challenge for a global medal after qualifying fastest with 7.80 for tonight’s 60m hurdles semi-finals.

Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas, co-owner of the world indoor record of 7.67, eased through her heat in 7.93, seventh fastest overall.

France’s defending champion Cyrena Samba-Mayela also looked in good shape as she clocked the second fastest time of 7.81, with Nadine Visser of the Netherlands qualifying third fastest in 7.85.

Masai Russell of the United States and Britain’s Cindy Sember, equalling her personal best, clocked 7.89, while Sarah Lavin went through as sixth fastest in a personal best of 7.90, with European indoor champion Reeta Hurske a step behind her in a season’s best of 7.97.

The timely last-leg intervention of the previous night’s world record breaker, Femke Bol, assured the Netherlands of victory in their women’s 4x400m heat in a time of 3:27.70. They will be able to include the individual silver medallist, Lieke Klaver, for tonight’s final.

But the fastest qualifying time came from a jubilant home quartet of Lina Nielsen – whose sister Laviai, the British team captain, missed an individual medal by one place last night – Ama Pipi, Hannah Kelly and Jessie Knight as they set a national indoor record of 3:26.40.

Jamaica were second in 3:27.35, and the Czech Republic third in 3:28.57.

Ireland earned the sixth and final qualifying place with a national record of 3:28.45, with Sharlene Mawdsley clocking the fastest overall split from either heat of 50.48.

The United States, seeking to win a first men’s 4x400m world indoor gold since 2016, qualified fastest for tonight’s final in 3:05.56 ahead of Belgium, who clocked 3:06.27, and the Netherlands, who won their semi-final in 3:06.47.

There was some doubt about the latter result, as an accidental collision shortly after the last changeover saw the baton fly out of the hand of the Czech Republic’s Matej Krsek after contact from the Dutch last leg runner Ramsey Angela. But it stood.

Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics