Ryan Crouser and Tom Walsh &ndash; the only two athletes to have ever won at the Ivan Ivancic Memorial &ndash; will renew their rivalry when they return to Zagreb in May.
The Boris Hanzekovic Memorial, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, will again take place over three days in 2025 and will incorporate the Ivan Ivancic Memorial shot put contest at Zagreb's fountains on 22 May. The same venue will host a women's high jump competition on 23 May, before the main Boris Hanzekovic Memorial is held at Sports park Mladost on 24 May.
The shot put will star USA&rsquo;s world record-holder Crouser and his fellow multiple global gold medallist Walsh of New Zealand.
Two-time Olympic and world champion Crouser has won six times at the Ivan Ivancic Memorial, while three-time world indoor champion and two-time Olympic medallist Walsh has won five times.
They will go head-to-head again next month in Zagreb, where Crouser will return as the meeting record-holder after his 22.93m throw during last year&rsquo;s event.
&ldquo;I am excited to be coming back to Zagreb for 2025,&rdquo; said Crouser, whose meeting record was one of 12 throws beyond 22 metres achieved during last year&rsquo;s contest. &ldquo;The shot put competition in front of the fountains is one of my favourites anywhere in the world. Come out, cheer loud and watch some far throws.&rdquo;
Other athletes announced for the meeting include multiple global discus gold medallist Sandra Elkasevic, 2016 Olympic javelin champion Sara Kolak, world U20 high jump champion Angelina Topic and world U20 heptathlon champion Jana Koscak.
&ldquo;I do not know how far I will throw the javelin, but I do know that I will give everything I have got to throw it far,&rdquo; said Kolak. &ldquo;I love throwing in Zagreb. After all, it is my home meet and my home crowd. That always gives me an extra boost. My main goal is to stay healthy and injury-free, and of course, to compete well at the World Championships in Tokyo.&rdquo;

Ryan Crouser and Tom Walsh – the only two athletes to have ever won at the Ivan Ivancic Memorial – will renew their rivalry when they return to Zagreb in May

Crouser and Walsh to renew rivalry in Zagreb

World Athletics is seeking a Financial Controller and a Technical Services Coordinator.
The&nbsp;Financial Controller will report to the Head of Internal Control and Financial Planning and will primarily be responsible for finance controlling, accountancy and internal control.&nbsp;
The&nbsp;Technical Services Coordinator will report&nbsp;to the Technical Services Manager &ndash; Rules &amp; Certification and will primarily be responsible for the coordination and management of the shoe approval process, development of the Athletic Shoe Regulations, and liaising with shoe manufacturers and other stakeholders.
Both positions are based at World Athletics&rsquo; Headquarters in Monaco.
Job description downloads Financial Controller: <a href="https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=6cfb69df-301f-4887-8a84-d4d536c018ec.pdf&amp;urlSlug=financial-controller" target="_blank" rel="noopener">English</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=e0a8f83e-8eab-45d3-8f2a-35668ca6cc73.pdf&amp;urlSlug=controleur-financier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French</a> Technical Services Coordinator: <a href="https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=26521f1a-0706-43f2-a92f-3c04e1308d14.pdf&amp;urlSlug=technical-services-coordinator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">English</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=9e34b608-7baa-4768-88ed-3652456e722b.pdf&amp;urlSlug=coordinateur-des-services-techniques" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French</a>
Deadline: 14 May 2025

World Athletics is seeking a Financial Controller and a Technical Services Coordinator

Job vacancies: Financial Controller and Technical Services Coordinator

Jamaica&rsquo;s Ackera Nugent is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. The 22-year-old&rsquo;s drive and determination was demonstrated again at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25, where she claimed 60m hurdles bronze in a race of record depth.
Fuelled with desire, Nugent had arrived in China as one of the title favourites. A few days later she stood alongside winner Devynne Charlton and silver medallist Ditaji Kambundji on the podium &ndash; a remarkable achievement considering the dramatic circumstances that led to Nugent&rsquo;s qualification for the final.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The Jamaican record-holder had averted disaster in the semifinals as she managed to stay on her feet despite hitting the final hurdle hard &ndash; so much so that the top of the barrier came completely away from the frame.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I hit the second and fifth hurdles and still stayed up straight,&rdquo; she reflected. &ldquo;Most people would have gone down or given up, but I held my composure. To know I was able to put it together in the final was a great feeling. I have a lot of faith in God; all I needed to do was trust the process. It was my destiny.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67fe839b222171aa5f64a896.jpg" alt="Ackera Nugent races in the 60m hurdles semifinals at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25" />
Ackera Nugent races in the 60m hurdles semifinals at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25 (&copy; Getty Images)
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While attending Excelsior High School, her primary focus was food management as she wanted to become a chef. Track took over but Nugent did not enjoy an easy passage to the top. Before leaving high school, she committed to getting a solid education while excelling in athletics.
&ldquo;Growing up in Jamaica was never easy,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I grew up in a single-parent home, and my inspiration was to go to college. When I saw my mom crying because she did not have the money to afford my airfare, I decided that I would never put her in that position again. After passing my SATs, I arrived at college after my mom got assistance from others. I honestly didn&rsquo;t enjoy college life because I was more focused on not wasting the money invested in me and, more importantly, making my mom proud.&rdquo;
But the young Jamaican proved that academics and athletics can be a successful marriage. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in communication and media studies. The three-time NCAA champion had previously spent her first two years in college at Baylor University.&nbsp;&nbsp;
From an early age, Nugent aspired to do great things and demonstrate to the next generation that they could aim for the sky and not think about limitations. She set a world U20 60m hurdles record of 7.92 in March 2021 and became the world U20 100m hurdles champion in Nairobi a few months later. She joined the professional ranks in 2023, signing with Adidas.
A year later, Nugent was at a crossroads, with her track and field future hanging in the balance.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Last year, I was losing the love for the sport,&rdquo; she revealed. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t feeling the sport and didn&rsquo;t want to do it anymore. I didn&rsquo;t belong.&rdquo;&nbsp;
She added that after stepping back for a moment and upon careful reflection, she saw the lens of life, which came down to two important days &ndash; the day you were born and the day you discovered why.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Nowadays, I am starting to put myself first and am figuring out who I am outside of the sport,&rdquo; she continued. &ldquo;I am growing in faith and living by my motto that my God will accelerate my dreams, and that&rsquo;s what keeps me grounded and going.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61210250e8797f76236e9dc1.jpg" alt="Ackera Nugent on her way to the 100m hurdles title in Nairobi" />
Ackera Nugent on her way to the world U20 100m hurdles title in Nairobi (&copy; Dan Vernon)
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Unbeknown to many, Nugent arrived at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games having tweaked a nerve in her back, which prevented her from training for four days as there was no movement.&nbsp;
&ldquo;My first hurdles practice was the heats,&rdquo; she explained. &ldquo;After crashing out, I wasn&rsquo;t mad, sad or depressed about the Olympics. Although I was in good shape, it just didn&rsquo;t happen, and I realised it was not my time. I have 15 more years to go.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Following Paris, Nugent salvaged her season on the Diamond League circuit. There, she started chopping her times until she became the world leader and her country&rsquo;s national record-holder with an astonishing 12.24 clocking in Rome that made her the fourth-fastest woman of all time.
Her achievements have not gone unnoticed.
Nugent recalled how, at the Grand Slam Track launch in Los Angeles, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had walked over to her and said: &lsquo;Hi Ackera, I&rsquo;m so proud of you.&rsquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;I cried,&rdquo; said Nugent, who explained that she was unaware that McLaughlin-Levrone, the world 400m hurdles record-holder, had taken notice of her performances over the years and likewise admired her passion and abilities. &ldquo;I was so surprised, and I said: &lsquo;You know me?&rsquo; She hugged me, and I cried more.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/66d247043349602ff23c3f1e.jpg" alt="Ackera Nugent wins the 100m hurdles in Rome" />
Ackera Nugent wins the 100m hurdles in Rome (&copy; Matthew Quine)
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Just like McLaughlin-Levrone, Nugent is a multi-talented athlete who can seamlessly switch to other events outside of her signature discipline. One such event is the 100m, for which she has a PB of 11.09. As a result, she relishes the opportunity provided by the Grand Slam Track series to compete over the 100m as well as in the 100m hurdles.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I loved the 100m since high school, but I guess I was better at the hurdles,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I do look forward to doing both events.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
She opened her outdoor season in front of a home crowd at the Kingston leg of the Grand Slam Track series and was pleased with her effort. &ldquo;It was my first race over 10 hurdles this season, so running 12.7 is a really good start for me,&rdquo; she explained.
Already a world U20 champion and senior world indoor medallist, Nugent has her sights set on becoming an outdoor global champion at senior level. She knows it is not an easy road, but her unrelenting determination to succeed has led to her dreaming of overcoming all obstacles along the way.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I believe to become a world or Olympic champion, I must do two things,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The first is to learn how to control my speed between the hurdles. Once I tweak some things to get the required control, it&rsquo;s over because I have great top-end speed. The second is finding my happy place in the sport again.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Nugent, who turns 23 later this month, is not someone to walk in fear and trepidation. Her competitive nature does not allow that mindset. She takes on each challenge with gusto, verve and enthusiasm.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I have been doing this since I was 15 and have held world records at a very young age,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This is a platform that I&rsquo;ve been at; there&rsquo;s nobody that has done what I&rsquo;ve done at my age, and I can only get better. I have to believe that for myself.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Noel Francis for World Athletics

World Athletics Indoor Championships

Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent is no stranger to overcoming obstacles

"It was my destiny" – Nugent's path to the world indoor podium

World Athletics, in collaboration with World Athletics partner ASICS, recently hosted five refugee athletes at Chojo Camp Europe in Font-Romeu, France, as they prepare for selection to the Athlete Refugee Team (ART) at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.&nbsp;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67fce1e0f815b13f1f0ce0ca.jpg" alt="Athletes train during the ASICS Chojo Camp Europe in Font-Romeu" />
Athletes train during the ASICS Chojo Camp Europe in Font-Romeu (&copy; World Athletics)
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Farida Aborage, Seyd Taha Ghafari, Omar Hassan, Emmanuel Kiruhura Ntagunga and Seyfu Jamaal Tahir all have similar journeys. All five of them left their countries dreaming of a better future. They have overcome many challenges and are still struggling to find their mark in a new country.&nbsp;
They also share the same goal: to secure a spot on the World Athletics ART at the World Championships in Tokyo in September. Spots are limited and only the best performing athletes will be able to experience the biggest world event in athletics.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67fcde36a746e392bac56c15.jpg" alt="Omar Hassan, Farida Aborage, Emmanuel Kiruhura Ntagunga, Seyd Taha Ghafari and Seyfu Jamaal Tahir in Font-Romeu" />
Omar Hassan, Farida Aborage, Emmanuel Kiruhura Ntagunga, Seyd Taha Ghafari and Seyfu Jamaal Tahir in Font-Romeu (&copy; World Athletics)
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The ASICS Chojo Camp in Font-Romeu is in the Pyrenees, which provides the athletes with top conditions for training. As well as being at high altitude, they received access to the French national team training facilities. Eric and Marit Toogood supervised the athletes as the coach and physiotherapist, respectively, making sure the group had the support they needed for their training.
This initiative helped to bring the team together for the first time outside of competition. Sharing the same living space created further affinity among a group of people who have endured a lot of hardships in their lives, reminding them that they are not alone.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67fcde70a746e392bac56c18.jpg" alt="Athlete Refugee Team members at the ASICS Chojo Camp Europe in Font-Romeu" />
Athlete Refugee Team members at the ASICS Chojo Camp Europe in Font-Romeu (&copy; World Athletics)
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&ldquo;At the World Athletics Championships, they need good results,&rdquo; said Ntagunga, who is originally from Congo but found refuge in Norway. &ldquo;For us this is good, as we do the same discipline here, we train together, we help each other, everyone gains something from it. I appreciate the organisation of this camp and I hope it won&rsquo;t be the last one. It&rsquo;s not easy for us to get this chance.&rdquo;
Tahir and Ghafari fled Ethiopia and Iran respectively and both found refuge in the UK. In May last year, Ghafari received the news that he had not been selected for the ART for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
&ldquo;On that day, I said to myself: &lsquo;This is not the finish for me, this is the start&rsquo;. And I decided to run better, think better, sleep better, behave better, concentrate better,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I have decided to rebuild my life mentally and physically and work hard, to put more time in, from work to training or recovery. My goal is Tokyo, I will do my best for it.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67fcdf56a746e392bac56c1b.jpg" alt="Seyfu Jamaal Tahir, Farida Aborage, Omar Hassan, Emmanuel Kiruhura Ntagunga and Seyd Taha Ghafari" />
Seyfu Jamaal Tahir, Farida Aborage, Omar Hassan, Emmanuel Kiruhura Ntagunga and Seyd Taha Ghafari (&copy; World Athletics)
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The determination the athletes have shown, to go through mentally and physically challenging journeys as they chase better opportunities in life, also applies to their athletics goals.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Every time I finish a marathon, I cry,&rdquo; said Hassan, who fled Ethiopia to find refuge in Denmark. &ldquo;If you ask me: &lsquo;Why are you crying, Omar? You are at the finish line, you did very well&rsquo;, I remember all the pain I&rsquo;ve been through, all the work it took me to get to where I am, and the journey was tough. People didn&rsquo;t believe in me and I had a lot of doubts. When you reach the finish line, it all comes out.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67fcdf85a746e392bac56c1e.jpg" alt="The track for the ASICS Chojo Camp Europe in Font-Romeu" />
The track for the ASICS Chojo Camp Europe in Font-Romeu (&copy; World Athletics)
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The camp provided more than just great facilities for the five athletes. For Abaroge, who fled Ethiopia and found refuge in France, it was an opportunity for her to gain the confidence she hoped for at this time of the year.
After one of the training sessions, she said with a huge smile: &ldquo;Now I believe I can be a champion.&rdquo;
Christel Saneh for World Athletics

Farida Aborage, Seyd Taha Ghafari, Omar Hassan, Emmanuel Kiruhura Ntagunga and Seyfu Jamaal Tahir share the same goal: to secure a spot on the World Athletics ART at the World Championships in Tokyo

ASICS Chojo Camp hosts refugee athletes ahead of Tokyo World Championships

Lithuania&rsquo;s Mykolas Alekna improved his own discus world record by more than a metre with a sensational 75.56m* throw at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting, in Ramona on Sunday (13).
Back at the meeting where he set his first world record of 74.35m last year, the Olympic silver medallist twice improved that mark &ndash; first setting a world record of 74.89m with his opening throw and then improving to 75.56m in the fourth round.
Australia&rsquo;s Matt Denny, who <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/report/matt-denny-discus-74-25-ramona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threw 74.25m in Ramona on Thursday (10)</a>, also surpassed Alekna&rsquo;s previous world record by launching the discus 74.78m. The Olympic bronze medallist backed up that throw with four other attempts beyond 70 metres, including 73.36m in the final round.
In a competition of record depth, five athletes surpassed 70 metres and seven threw beyond 69 metres. USA&rsquo;s Sam Mattis, who threw 70.08m to finish runner-up to Denny three days earlier, improved to 71.27m to finish third in Sunday's contest and Germany&rsquo;s Clemens Prufer threw 71.01m to finish fourth. Great Britain&rsquo;s Lawrence Okoye finished fifth with 70.76m.
Alekna&rsquo;s 74.35m in Ramona on 14 April last year had broken the longest standing men's world record &ndash; that 74.08m having been achieved by Jurgen Schult in 1986, some 16 years before Alekna was born.
Now the 22-year-old has become the first athlete to surpass 75 metres.
The Alekna family has two of the top four men&rsquo;s discus throwers in history, with two-time Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna &ndash; the father of Mykolas &ndash; now placed fourth on the world all-time list with his 73.88m from 2000.
Mykolas Alekna&rsquo;s latest world record came the day after <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-continental-tour/news/valarie-allman-north-american-discus-record-ramona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Valarie Allman threw a North American record of 73.52m in Ramona</a> for the farthest women's discus throw in the world since 1989.
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-continental-tour/calendar-results/7219758/result?day=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna improved his own discus world record by more than a metre with a sensational 75.56m* throw at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational

Alekna shatters discus world record with 75.56m in Ramona

Geoffrey Kamworor and Jackline Cherono completed a Kenyan double at the NN Marathon Rotterdam, clocking respective times of 2:04:33 and 2:21:14 to win at the World Athletics Gold Label road race on Sunday (13).
Kamworor finished clear ahead of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Chala Regasa (2:05:06) and Chimdessa Debele (2:05:26) to clinch the third marathon victory of his career and his first since his New York City Marathon triumph in 2019. Cherono was an even more dominant winner of the women&rsquo;s race, as she ran a PB to claim victory by a minute ahead of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Aminet Ahmed (2:22:14) and Azmera Gebru (2:22:15).
After passing halfway in 1:02:21, multiple world half marathon champion Kamworor formed part of a four-strong lead group at 30km, reached in 1:28:24.
He made a winning move just after the 35km mark and continued on to take the title, adding another victory to the two marathon wins he claimed in New York in 2017 and 2019.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy,&rdquo; said Kamworor. &ldquo;It was windy but I&rsquo;m happy to have made the best of it.&rdquo;
Cherono reached the half marathon mark in 1:09:14 and forged on unchallenged to win the second marathon of her career by exactly a minute.
She adds this victory to her Kosice Peace Marathon win in 2023, her time of 2:21:14 improving on her previous PB of 2:21:40 set in Hamburg in April last year.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Jackline Cherono (KEN) 2:21:14 2 Aminet Ahmed (ETH) 2:22:14 3 Azmera Gebru (ETH) 2:22:15 4 Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2:22:27 5 Dolshi Tesfu (ERI) 2:23:17
Men 1 Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:04:33 2 Chala Regasa (ETH) 2:05:06 3 Chimdessa Debele (ETH) 2:05:26 4 Kennedy Kimutai (KEN) 2:05:27 5 Alex Chesiro Masai (KEN) 2:08:03
&nbsp;
<h2>Hirpa and Biwott prevail in Paris</h2>
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Bedatu Hirpa claimed her second marathon win of the year while Benard Biwott also secured victory at the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, a World Athletics Elite Label road race, on Sunday (13).
The women&rsquo;s race came down to a thrilling sprint finish and Hirpa managed to hold off her compatriot Dera Dida to win by four seconds - 2:20:45 to 2:20:49. Kenya&rsquo;s Angela Tanui was third in 2:21:07.
Hirpa also won the Dubai Marathon in January, in a PB of 2:18:27.
Biwott strode away from his rivals with around 10km remaining and was unchallenged, reaching the finish line in a PB of 2:05:25. It was his second marathon race and his second win, after his victory in Frankfurt in October.
Djibouti&rsquo;s Ibrahim Hassan was second in a national record of 2:06:13, while Kenya&rsquo;s Sila Kiptoo was third in a PB of 2:06:21.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Bedatu Hirpa (ETH) 2:20:45 2 Dera Dida (ETH) 2:20:49 3 Angela Tanui (KEN) 2:21:07 4 Magdalena Shauri (TAN) 2:21:31 5 Kasanesh Baze (ETH) 2:24:35
Men 1 Benard Biwott (KEN) 2:05:25 2 Ibrahim Hassan (DJI) 2:06:13 3 Sila Kiptoo (KEN) 2:06:21 4 Enock Kinyamal (KEN) 2:06:32 5 Dominic Ngeno (KEN) 2:06:37
&nbsp;
<h2>Battocletti and Gressier among winners at European Running Championships</h2>
Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti and Yann Schrub of France claimed 10km titles, Belgium&rsquo;s Chloe Herbiet and Jimmy Gressier of France secured half marathon success, and Spain&rsquo;s Fatima Azzahraa Ouhaddou Nafie and Italy&rsquo;s Iliass Aouani won the marathon races at the European Running Championships in Brussels-Leuven on Saturday and Sunday (12-13).
The weekend kicked off with the half marathon races on Saturday. Herbiet led a Belgian 1-2 on home soil in the women&rsquo;s race, winning in 1:10:43 ahead of Juliette Thomas in 1:10:57. Gressier won the men&rsquo;s title in 59:45.
The 10km and marathon events took place on Sunday. Battocletti won the 10km title in 31:10 for her fourth European gold in just over 10 months, while Schrub claimed his 10km crown in 27:37.
Ouhaddou Nafie overcame a heavy fall to win the women&rsquo;s marathon in 2:27:14, while Aouani ran 2:09:05 to win the men&rsquo;s race by three seconds.

Geoffrey Kamworor and Jackline Cherono completed a Kenyan double at the NN Marathon Rotterdam, clocking respective times of 2:04:33 and 2:21:14 to win at the World Athletics Gold Label road race on Sunday 

Kamworor and Cherono win on roads of Rotterdam

If you asked the average Australian athletics fan to sum up how Perth suited different event groups, the consensus would be great for sprints and jumps; 800m maybe at a pinch; anything longer, forget it.
Those expectations must now be deemed at least questionable after an Australian Championships which did, indeed, see great sprinting from Rohan Browning, Torrie Lewis and Gout Gout, and a high-altitude high jump duel between regular Olympic and world medallists Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson. Peter Bol delivered in the 800m, too, with an Australian record and the first three men achieving the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 standard.
But then Jessica Hull, the Olympic 1500m silver medallist and fifth-fastest of all time at the distance, doubled back to win her fourth 5000m title, beating her own championship record and adding to the 1500m she had won the previous night. And the continually surprising Seth O&rsquo;Donnell &ndash; he of the unofficial 3:36.8 1500m run during a black-out &ndash; outsprinted world indoor 3000m bronze medallist Ky Robinson in the men&rsquo;s 5000m, with Cam Myers also passing a spent Robinson to take second. Myers himself won his first senior title the previous day, outracing Adam Spencer and Olli Hoare in the 1500m.
So, maybe, not so bad for distance running after all.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67fb8c69832743ca7855b781.jpg" alt="Jessica Hull wins the 5000m at the Australian Championships" />
Jessica Hull wins the 5000m at the Australian Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
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<h2>Sprints just about live up to billing</h2>
Sprints, and sprint talk, dominated the lead-up to the championships. World indoor 60m silver medallist Lachlan Kennedy, Gout Gout, Torrie Lewis &ndash; young talents all &ndash; on a hot track and with prevailing winds almost certain to be helpful, the only question being whether they would stay on the right side of the maximum allowable 2.0m/s wind.
Sometimes they did, just as often they didn&rsquo;t. Gout was triply cursed. The 17-year-old won the open 200m in 19.84, a thunderclap almost instantly silenced by an unfeeling wind gauge which flashed up 2.2m/s. Machines have no sense of drama, or perhaps too much so. 
This followed Gout&rsquo;s two earlier 9.99 times in the U20 100m, both with excessive tailwinds. Fickle winds indeed, although his wind-legal 20.21 in the heats of the open 200m was a championship record and his wind-aided&nbsp;19.84 in the final makes him the second fastest U20 200m sprinter in history in all conditions.
None of the talk centred on Rohan Browning, though some took note that the man who ran 10.01 in the rounds of the Tokyo Olympics was back looking fit, healthy and fast again. Kennedy ran 10.00 in his heat, equalling the World Championships standard and cementing his favouritism for the crown. No-one told Browning. In the final, he got a narrow edge from the first 30 metres and defied Kennedy&rsquo;s efforts to run him down. Only just, mind you, as both men were given 10.01 with Browning just 0.005 to the good.
It was even closer in the women&rsquo;s race which pitted Lewis against Leah O&rsquo;Brien &ndash; who had broken Raelene Boyle&rsquo;s U20 record with an 11.14 earlier in the week &ndash; and defending champion Bree Rizzo. The three raced almost side-by-side the entire distance before Lewis and O&rsquo;Brien crossed the line locked together in 11.24 (0.9m/s) with Rizzo inches behind in 11.25. This time it was Lewis by 0.004.
What a week for O&rsquo;Brien. She began it with a PB of 11.50, then closed to within four-hundredths of a second of Lewis&rsquo;s national record of 11.10, before ending within four-thousandths of a second of the record-holder.
Throw in Gout&rsquo;s 200m, a personal best of 22.75 by Jessica Milat to win the women&rsquo;s 200m, a 54.29 400m hurdles victory to Sarah Carli and a windy (2.1m/s) 12.74 by Liz Clay in the 100m hurdles and, yes, Perth delivered in the sprints.
World indoor bronze medallist Liam Adcock took the men&rsquo;s long jump title with a wind-assisted 8.14m. His best legal jump of 8.06m was also superior to Liam Fairweather&rsquo;s 8.03m. Mackenzie Little took the women&rsquo;s javelin with a best of 59.17m.
<h2>Olyslagers perfect up to 2.01m</h2>
Dual world indoor champion Olyslagers produced a textbook display in the high jump. She needed to, as Eleanor Patterson also brought her A-game to the high jump apron. Through 1.97m, via 1.88m and 1.93m, both were perfect. Patterson had one miss at 1.97m and thereafter had misses at 1.99m and 2.01m as she was forced to play catch-up. Olyslagers went on to sail over 1.99m and 2.01m as if these heights were minor obstacles before three close attempts at 2.05m.
In the men&rsquo;s pole vault, Kurtis Marschall entered at 5.51m, cleared that at the first attempt and then did the same at 5.71m. He went up to 5.88m but failed three times there.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67fb8cca832743ca7855b784.jpg" alt="Nicola Olyslagers in the high jump at the Australian Championships" />
Nicola Olyslagers in the high jump at the Australian Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
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<h2>Bol&rsquo;s masterclass 800m, Caldwell finds a way through</h2>
Peter Bol has been a different athlete in this domestic season. Fatherhood &ndash; he and his partner have a baby girl &ndash; clearly agrees with him. Something, anyway, has induced a far more relaxed demeanour on the track. The 800m final went out at a fast pace thanks to defending champion Luke Boyes &ndash; around 50.5 at the bell &ndash; but Bol took control at 600 metres, gliding away from Olympic finalist Peyton Craig to win unchallenged in 1:43.79, 0.20 under Joseph Deng&rsquo;s previous national record.
Craig finished second in a PB 1:44.07 and Boyes, who missed the Olympic standard by 0.03 in last year&rsquo;s championships, hit the World Championships standard on the button at 1:44.50.
Claudia Hollingsworth and Abbey Caldwell were the favoured pair in the women&rsquo;s race. Both found themselves boxed mid-field coming up to the 600m mark. Caldwell seized the initiative, surging through a gap in the pack and out into the clear. Hollingsworth also found clear room but a second or so later. She never got on terms, Caldwell taking the title, 2:00.51 to 2:00.90. Both have the standard for Tokyo, so both can be selected.
Myers made a big step up to win the men&rsquo;s 1500m title. Following his win in the John Landy 1500m at the Melbourne Continental Tour Gold meeting, he is now winning races rather than just being towed to fast times. He was either in front, or near the front, throughout the final and a last lap of around 55 seconds saw him hold off Spencer and Hoare in 3:34.39.
O&rsquo;Donnell, who has been on a tear this season in bringing his 5000m time down to 13:14 in chasing Robinson home in Melbourne and running that &lsquo;unofficial&rsquo; 3:36.8 at 1500m, sat with the leaders in Perth&rsquo;s warm conditions. With a final lap in the 54-55 second region, he executed his last-shot strategy perfectly to win in 13:49.30, adding a national track title to his second national cross-country title last year. Out pacing Myers and Robinson in the final lap is no mean achievement.
The women&rsquo;s race had the national record-holders at 1500m (Hull), 3000m (Georgia Griffith), 5000m (Rose Davies) and 10,000m (Lauren Ryan) plus five of the seven fastest women in Australian history. One of the five &ndash; Izzy Batt-Doyle &ndash; set a solid pace in the hot conditions, 3:00, 6:02 and 9:10 splits for the first 3000 metres. With all of those, plus Maudie Skyring still in contention, the pace slowed as the end game played out.
Ultimately, although Griffith threatened in the straight, Hull proved best of the best, winning in 15:02.74 by a stride from Griffith (15:02.92), with Davies (15:03.83) and Hall (15:04.18) following next.
Hull completed a 1500m and 5000m double having taken the shorter event from Sarah Billings and Griffith the previous night.
Len Johnson for World Athletics
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7217088" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

Gout Gout, Jessica Hull, Nicola Olyslagers and Peter Bol among the winners at the Australian Championships

Hull does double as Gout, Olyslagers and Bol also prevail in Perth

USA&rsquo;s two-time Olympic champion Valarie Allman regained the North American discus record with a remarkable 73.52m throw at the Oklahoma Throws Series &ndash; a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting &ndash; in Ramona on Saturday (12).
That mark is the farthest women's discus throw in the world since 1989 and it moves Allman to sixth on the world all-time list.
At a competition known for big performances, world champion Laulauga Tausaga-Collins also improved her PB to 70.72m, surpassing 70 metres for the first time, to finish second.
Allman started her series with 69.52m, a season&rsquo;s best that improved on the 66.72m she achieved on her opener in Austin last month.
She followed that with 65.01m in round two, before launching herself up the all-time list with her next effort.
Allman&rsquo;s 73.52m in the third round improves on her previous best and US record of 71.46m set in San Diego in 2022. That had been a North American record until Cuba&rsquo;s Yaime Perez threw 73.09m in Ramona last year.
But Allman became the area record-holder again on Saturday, and she followed her 73.52m with throws of 66.71m and 68.10m before closing her series with 70.16m.
USA&rsquo;s Tausaga-Collins achieved her PB of 70.72m in the second round, while her compatriot Veronica Fraley improved her own PB to 68.72m to finish third.
Perez finished fourth on this occasion with a best of 66.96m.
In earlier Oklahoma Throws Series action, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/report/matt-denny-discus-74-25-ramona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia&rsquo;s Matt Denny threw an Oceanian discus record of 74.25m on Thursday (10)</a> for a mark that is just 10cm shy of Mykolas Alekna&rsquo;s world record.
Both Denny and Alekna will compete in the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational on Sunday (13).
On Friday (11), USA&rsquo;s Rachel Richeson won the hammer competition with a throw of 78.80m.
That mark adds almost four metres to her previous PB and moves her to fifth on the world all-time list.
The national indoor weight throw champion surpassed 74 metres with three of her throws in&nbsp;Ramona, backing up her 78.80m from the fifth round with 74.25m from the third round and 76.41m from the sixth.

USA’s two-time Olympic champion Valarie Allman regained the North American discus record with a remarkable 73.52m throw at the Oklahoma Throws Series in Ramona

Allman throws 73.52m North American discus record in Ramona

Paula Torres and Caio Bonfim reigned supreme at the Grande Premio Internacional de Rio Maior &ndash; a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting &ndash; on Saturday (12).
For the Ecuadorean champion it was a second Tour win inside a month.
Torres added this 20km win to the 35km title she lifted at Dudince, and in doing so beat defending champion Kimberly Garcia - again.
In fact, Peru&rsquo;s two-time world champion Garcia had no answer shortly before 15km when Torres pushed on to make it a happy March-April double.&nbsp;
The women started 12 minutes earlier than the men, and the main six in a modest field wasted no time in chalking up the first 1km lap in a quick 4:23. That six became four just a few hundred metres later to leave Spain&rsquo;s Laura Garcia-Caro, Torres, Garcia and Johana Ordonez from Ecuador on their own.
Garcia pushed on going into the third lap, but she had three early evening shadows just five or so metres back.&nbsp;
The 5km mark was reached in 22:50, and well within the leaders&rsquo; comfort zone. Going into lap seven, a seemingly significant three seconds separated Garcia from Torres and Garcia-Caro.
Ordonez has a PB of 1:29:58 but her best this year is a modest 1:37:52 and it showed as she rapidly fell away.&nbsp;
Approaching nine laps, Torres decided to get after Garcia, and it left Garcia-Caro unable to respond. Torres was working hard, but any gain was marginal at best.
In fact, Garcia already had eyes, albeit shaded by dark glasses, on retaining her title, but Torres calmly worked her way back into contention.
As the chaser crossed the line at 14km, she quickened her step to put fading daylight between her and the Peruvian.
Even then, Garcia wasn&rsquo;t going quietly.
She dug deep to hold the gap to a mere three seconds at 17km. Garcia kept it that way all the way to the final lap when Torres lit the afterburners to add another 15 seconds and breast the tape in 1:29:37 to 1:29:52.&nbsp;
The sky was full of cloud but it was still a warm 21 degrees despite the 5pm staggered start for the men.
Fast start didn&rsquo;t do justice to the race.
Bonfim took off like he had an early dinner date, with the rest already appearing to fight over the leftovers. Italy&rsquo;s Gianluca Picchiottino and Perseus Karlstrom gave chase and notched a first circuit well under four minutes.
At 3km, it was 11:57 - fast, but not that fast for race walkers of this calibre. By 7km, Bonfim underlined his 2025 form to forge a real gap over the chasing pair.
But Karlstom wasn&rsquo;t done yet.
The cap-wearing Swede upped his tempo to catch the Brazilian and walk tandem for the next lap. But Bonfim gave it a second thrust before half way, with Karlstrom walking in his wake for just a few seconds before, again, drawing level.
The clock stopped at 40:02 for halfway, and again, well within the capabilities of men who have dipped under 78 minutes for the whole distance.
By 11km, it was Karlstrom&rsquo;s turn to test the water. He gained five metres, but the see-saw soon tipped the other way.
It was a 60:19 clocking at 15km for both, but that became a nine seconds gap one tour later - and the race was over.
A tiring Karlstrom could offer no response and had no choice but to give way. It allowed Bonfim a relative stroll to the line for a final 1:20:47 to the Swede&rsquo;s 1:21:26.
Behind both, Picchiottino was also feeling the pace. He tired even more so than Karlstrom and got passed in the last two laps by Callum Wilkinson and Joao Vieira, who turned 49 in February.
The Portuguese athlete was eventually outsprinted to the line by the Briton &ndash; a race walker barely a month old even when Vieira was walking 1:20:59 for the distance.&nbsp;
And Viera finished only three minutes outside that in this race, 28 years later.&nbsp;
Paul Warburton for World Athletics

Paula Torres and Caio Bonfim reigned supreme at the Grande Premio Internacional de Rio Maior – a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting – on Saturday

Torres and Bonfim win in Rio Maior

Letsile Tebogo delighted home fans at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix by easing to a dominant 200m victory at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Gaborone on Saturday (12).
The Olympic champion's compatriots Bayapo Ndori, Oratile Nowe and Kethobogile Haingura were also roared on to victory at the National Stadium, while South Africa&rsquo;s Akani Simbine stormed to 100m success and USA&rsquo;s Dalilah Muhammad clinched a clear 400m hurdles win.
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Making his 200m season debut after four 400m races over the past couple of months, Tebogo&rsquo;s win over half a lap of the track never looked in doubt.
Lining up alongside South Africa&rsquo;s Luxolo Adams, Tebogo got a strong start and ran alongside Adams, on his outside, around the bend. But the African record-holder, who clocked 19.46 to win his Olympic 200m title in Paris, cruised down the home straight and eased up on his approach to the finish line, winning in a comfortable 20.23 (-1.6m/s). Adams was second in 20.42.
The event featured two 200m races and the first was won by South Africa&rsquo;s Sinesipho Dambile in 20.01 (-1.8m/s).
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In his first race since securing the first individual global medal of his career at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, 60m bronze medallist Simbine stepped back up to the 100m in style.
He was put under pressure from Kenya&rsquo;s African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala, but Simbine had the stronger finish and he strode ahead in the final metres. The South African clocked 9.90 into a -1.4m/s headwind for the fastest 100m in the world so far this year. Omanyala was second in 10.00.&nbsp;
The women&rsquo;s 100m was won by South Africa&rsquo;s 17-year-old Hanna Hope Vermaak in 11.44 (-0.2m/s), the same time as runner-up Viwe Jingqi.
Former world 400m hurdles record-holder Muhammad continued her farewell season with a dominant victory. The 2019 world champion clocked 53.81 to triumph ahead of her US compatriot Cassandra Tate (55.59), while a close men&rsquo;s race was won by South Africa&rsquo;s Njabulo Mbatha in 49.06.
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Tebogo&rsquo;s Olympic 4x400m silver medal-winning teammate Ndori achieved a strong 400m win. He was ahead off the final curve and maintained that momentum, crossing the finish line in 44.35 for the second-fastest time of his career to win by three tenths of a second ahead of South Africa&rsquo;s Zakithi Nene.
The women&rsquo;s 400m was won by Egypt&rsquo;s Bassant Hemida in a national record of 50.77. Racing in her first outdoor 400m since 2021 after focusing on the shorter sprints, the multiple national 100m and 200m champion improved her outdoor one-lap best by more than two seconds to win ahead of South Africa&rsquo;s Miranda Coetzee (51.10).
Botswana&rsquo;s Nowe also made history in front of home fans in the 800m. The 24-year-old had Kenya&rsquo;s world U20 champion Sarah Moraa on her shoulder at the bell, but the teenager couldn&rsquo;t match her rival over the second lap. After glancing over her shoulder down the back straight, Nowe kicked on her approach to the finish line and dipped under 1:59 for the first time, improving her own national record to 1:58.96.
There was another home win in the men&rsquo;s 800m as Haingura held off his compatriot Tshepiso Masalela and they achieved a Botswana 1-2. A month on from running a PB of 1:43.88 in Johannesburg, this time Haingura clocked 1:44.18 to pip Olympic finalist Masalela, who ran 1:44.77.
Hailemariyam Amare was so sure of his victory in the 3000m steeplechase that he celebrated on his way to the finish line. Crossing it in 8:28.00, the two-time African gold medallist won ahead of his Ethiopian compatriots Milkesse Fekadu (8:28.67) and Demelash Girma (8:29.67).
In her first competition since becoming the world indoor long jump champion in Nanjing, USA's Claire Bryant soared 6.79m to secure another win. Karmen Fouche was second with 6.51m, while USA&rsquo;s 2016 world indoor champion Marquis Dendy won the men's event with a leap of 7.94m.
Zane Weir and Leonardo Fabbri topped the shot put, throwing 20.83m and 20.64m respectively to clinch an Italian 1-2, and South Africa&rsquo;s Olympic silver medallist Jo-Ane van Dyk threw 61.23m to win the javelin.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-continental-tour/calendar-results/7223448/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

Letsile Tebogo delighted home fans at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix by easing to a dominant 200m victory at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Gaborone

Tebogo, Simbine and Muhammad impress in Gaborone

Double world indoor champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen has been confirmed for two high-profile clashes in the Wanda Diamond League, taking on Olympic champion Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on 5 July before lining up against world champion Josh Kerr at the London Athletics Meet on 19 July.
Ingebrigtsen, the Diamond League champion, will renew his rivalry with Hocker and Nuguse in the Bowerman Mile in Eugene. The versatile Norwegian distance runner has fond memories of the mile at Hayward Field, having run the fastest ever Bowerman Mile with a European and Diamond League record of 3:43.73 at the Wanda Diamond League Final in 2023.
Yet he will have his work cut out in Eugene as he goes up against two of his biggest rivals in Hocker and Nuguse, both of whom finished ahead of him in the 1500m Olympic final at Paris 2024.
Kerr, who also finished ahead of Ingebrigtsen in the Olympic final, will take on his arch rival over 1500m in the British capital.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve recovered well from the indoors and training is going well,&rdquo; said Ingebrigtsen, who won the 1500m and 3000m double at the World Indoor Championships and European Championships last month, having also broken world indoor records for the 1500m and mile in Lievin a few weeks prior.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never been afraid to show up and it felt good to come away from the World and European Indoor Championships with four gold medals. My focus is now on the summer and returning to Tokyo &ndash; where I won my Olympic title in 2021 &ndash; to win global gold.&rdquo;

Double world indoor champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen has been confirmed for two high-profile clashes in the Wanda Diamond League, taking on Olympic champion Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on 5 July before lining up against world champion Josh Kerr at the London Athletics Meet on 19 July.

Ingebrigtsen takes on global champions Hocker and Kerr on their home turf

Four days after breaking the 70-metre barrier for the first time in his career, Australia&rsquo;s Matt Denny came close to breaking the world record at the Oklahoma Throws Series in Ramona on Thursday (10).
The Olympic bronze medallist &ndash; competing at the same facility where Mykolas Alekna broke the world record last year, and where Denny himself threw 72.07m last weekend &ndash; sent his discus beyond the 70-metre line with all six throws in a competition where three men threw beyond 70 metres and six beyond 68 metres.
Denny opened with 71.03m, then set a PB of 73.46m in round two. His best throw came in the third round as his discus landed at an Oceanian record of 74.25m, just 10cm shy of Alekna&rsquo;s world record and moving Denny to second on the world all-time list.
He rounded out his series with throws of 72.93m, 71.14m and 73.56m. USA&rsquo;s Sam Mattis was second with 70.08m, just three centimetres ahead of Germany&rsquo;s Mika Sosna.
Alida van Daalen of the Netherlands won the women&rsquo;s discus with 65.11m.
Denny will be back in action in Ramona on Sunday in a competition where he&rsquo;ll take on world record-holder Alekna. Two-time Olympic champion Valarie Allman headlines the women&rsquo;s contest.

Four days after breaking the 70-metre barrier for the first time in his career, Australia’s Matt Denny came close to breaking the world record at the Oklahoma Throws Series in Ramona on Thursday (10).

Defending champions Obiri and Lemma take on strong fields in Boston

Bol, Ingebrigtsen, Manuel and Gout announced for Ostrava

Ratified: world records for Chebet, Duplantis, Ingebrigtsen and Yamanishi

Olympic champions Allman, Hall, Kerr and LaFond set for Rome

Olympic champions named on Canada's team for Guangzhou