The last three days of the African Championships in Douala (24-26 June) saw the continent&rsquo;s established athletes stamp their supremacy in their respective events. World triple jump champion Hugues Fabrice Zango and hammer thrower Mostafa Elgamel claimed victories for the third time, while 2015 world javelin gold medallist Julius Yego extended his tally of African Championships titles to five in total and&nbsp;Joseph Fahnbulleh secured a sprint double.
Competing in wet conditions, Burkina Faso&rsquo;s Zango braved the odds to take the lead with his very first jump, breaking ground with a mark of 17.18m, which got him his third consecutive gold at the African Championships. Zimbabwe&rsquo;s Chengetayi Mapaya settled for silver (16.87m), with Senegal&rsquo;s Amath Faye taking bronze (16.54m).
It was a slightly different story in the men&rsquo;s hammer throw, where the winner was decided in the final round. Ahmed Tarek Ismael had topped the standings by the fourth round with his effort of 70.71m, but four-time African Games winner and his compatriot, Elgamel, dug deep to produce his final throw of 72.88m to claim his third crown in the history of the competition. South Africa&rsquo;s Alan Cumming displaced Tunisian Mohsen Anani in the fifth round to take bronze with 69.43m.
<h2>Historic fifth gold for Yego</h2>
Kenya&rsquo;s 2015 world champion Yego held his own against African leader Chinecherem Nnamdi in the javelin, getting one over the Nigerian who had defeated him earlier on during the African Games. Nnamdi went into pole position with his first throw of 75.47m to Yego&rsquo;s 71.54m, but the Kenyan got his groove back in the third round with his effort of 80.24m, his third best mark this season, which earned him his fifth African Championships gold. Nnamdi claimed silver with 79.22m while Egypt&rsquo;s Moustafa Mahmoud took the bronze with 77.25m.
Senegal&rsquo;s Saly Sarr got the gold in the women&rsquo;s triple jump with 14.06m, an upgrade from the silver she took in Mauritius two years ago. The Cameroonian duo of Anne Suzanne Fosther (13.45m) and Veronique Kossendra Rey (13.35m) finished 10cm apart for silver and bronze.
The top three finishers in the men's discus were Algerian Oussama Khennoussi (63.90m), three-time African gold medallist Victor Hogan (63.87m) who led until the final round, and Namibia&rsquo;s Ryan William (56.78m).
It was almost a South African affair in the women&rsquo;s shot put final, with African Games winner Ashley Erasmus leading the charge. The 24-year-old recorded a lifetime best of 18.17m in the second round, which was good enough for gold. Two-time world U20 champion Mine de Klerk was second with 17.09m, and Mali&rsquo;s Nassira Kone threw 17.07m for bronze, bumping Colette Uys into fourth place and denying South Africa a medal sweep.
<h2>Double dominance for Fahnbulleh</h2>
Three-time NCAA champion Fahnbulleh proved his mettle once more by extending his dominance from the 100m to the 200m three days after claiming gold in the former. Making his maiden appearance at the championship, Fahnbulleh maintained an unbeaten streak through the rounds, coming though from behind to pip Zimbabwe&rsquo;s Tapiwanashe Makarawu to the title in 20.25, with the latter following in 20.51. Home favourite Emmanuel Eseme secured another top three finish for the second time, taking third in 20.66.
It was a battle of two Ivoirians in the women&rsquo;s 200m final, but it was Jessika Gbai who snatched the win in 22.84 to her teammate Maboundou Kone&rsquo;s 22.99. Malawi&rsquo;s Asimenye Simwaka, who finished sixth in the 100m, did not go home empty-handed, nicking the bronze with her time of 23.05.
The battle for gold in the women&rsquo;s 1500m was an intense one, but Ethiopia&rsquo;s Saron Berhe found her rhythm at the sound of the bell and sped past the rest of the pack, powering over the line in 4:06.05. Kenyan Caroline Nyaga and Uganda&rsquo;s Esther Chebet came through for second and third respectively in 4:06.76 and 4:06.90.
In the men&rsquo;s event, Kenyan champion Brian Komen took charge from the beginning of the race and left no room for his opponents to take advantage, securing an emphatic win in 3:33.95 and inspiring his teammate Boaz Kiprugut to the bronze medal with a time of 3:37.25. Djibouti&rsquo;s Ayanleh Abdi returned a time of 3:36.24 for silver.
Senegal&rsquo;s Louis Francois Mendy was the man to beat in the 110m hurdles, dominating the race in 13.49. He finished ahead of Algerian Amine Bouanani (13.59) and Yousuf Badawy Sayed of Egypt (13.79).
South Africa&rsquo;s Rogail Joseph was in a class of her own in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, adding the African Championships gold to the title she won at the African Games earlier this year. Joseph posted 55.71 while Morocco&rsquo;s Noura Ennadi followed with 56.16, and Cameroon&rsquo;s Linda Angounou taking third in a time of 56.48.
Djibouti stole the show in the men&rsquo;s 5000m, taking gold and bronze respectively. Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim bided his time before making a gradual move towards the front of the pack. By the time the bell went off, the Francophone Games champion was unstoppable, blazing down the home straight in 13:38.38 to take the win. Ethiopian Nibret Melak, the 10,000m winner in Douala a few days earlier, tried to keep up but had already run out of steam and had to settle for silver this time in 13:42.95. Mouhyadin Abdi Waiss completed the podium.
The Kenyan pair of Gladys Kwamboka (36:53.59) and Rebecca Mwangi (36:59.69) led the way in the women&rsquo;s 10,000m final, leaving the bronze for their Ethiopian rival Gela Hambese (37:09.20).
Two-time world U20 finalist Leonard Chemutai showed up in style while making his African Championships debut. The Ugandan stepped up to win his first international medal at senior level, snatching the victory in the men's 3000m steeplechase final in 8:21.30 ahead of youngster Edmund Serem of Kenya (8:21.94). Mathew Kosgei took bronze with a clocking of 8:21.98.
Inspired by her compatriot&rsquo;s feat, Loice Chekwemoi dominated the women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase final, triumphing in 9:24.47 to finish ahead of Alemnat Wale (9:35.19) and Leah Jeruto (9:36.33).
<h2>Unprecedented 13th gold for Nigeria in women&rsquo;s 4x100m</h2>
The men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 4x400m finals brought the curtain down on six days of competition. Two days prior, the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 4x100m finals had taken place, with Nigeria outclassing the field in the women&rsquo;s event with a time of 43.01 to secure the country&rsquo;s 13th title overall in the history of the championships. Ghana brought the baton home in 43.62 for second, with Liberia placing third in 44.38.
The battle for supremacy between Ghana and Nigeria took centre stage once more in the men&rsquo;s event and this time around, the former got their revenge, having lost to their West African neighbours during the African Games. Ghana raced to the title in 38.63, with Nigeria (38.84) and Ivory Coast (39.77) following.
Nigeria once again gained the upper hand in the women&rsquo;s 4x400m where they clocked 3:27.31. Zambia proved a formidable opponent, taking silver in a time of 3:32.18. Kenya won bronze with 3:32.65.
The men&rsquo;s 4x400m produced lots of fireworks, with Botswana eventually retaining their title from Mauritius in 2022, benefitting from a strong anchor leg by Bayapo Ndori who crossed the line in 3:02.23. Kenya won silver in 3:02.34 as Muzala Samukonga anchored Zambia to bronze in 3:02.56.
Yemi Olus-Galadima for World Athletics
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7212479" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

The last three days of the African Championships in Douala (24-26 June) saw the continent’s established athletes stamp their supremacy

Fahnbulleh secures sprint double at African Championships in Douala

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is looking for an administrative assistant to assist the office manager in ensuring efficient office operations, including improving information and document management systems..
The AIU is responsible for the implementation of World Athletics' anti-doping and integrity programmes globally.
The responsibilities of the&nbsp;administrative assistant include assisting the office manager with daily tasks, maintaining contact lists, organising and scheduling meetings, assisting with the management of AIU documents and archives, maintaining registers and records, and assisting with the management of AIU contracts and other agreements.
More details can be found on the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=557b0ba8-d510-4fe6-8c8f-1d97481b9c1b.pdf&amp;urlSlug=aiu-administrative-assistant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">job advert</a>.
 To apply, candidates should send the following in English to <a href="mailto:emploi@worldathletics.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emploi@worldathletics.org</a> before 28 July 2024:
- Letter of application highlighting your motivation for the post and relevant experience
- Up-to-date curriculum vitae
- Details of current remuneration
- Names and contact details for three referees (referees will not be contacted until final interview stage)

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is looking for an administrative assistant

Job vacancy: AIU administrative assistant

Sof&iacute;a Santacreu may have been injured in the months prior to the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24 but her competitive streak helped her excel once again on the international scene.
The European U18 and U20 champion sustained an injury in her tibialis last November and her training regime was seriously hampered until March when she could finally resume training, just in time for the global event in Antalya.
Her only race in the lead-up to that came five weeks before heading to Antalya, clocking a PB of 45:25 over 10km in Valencia. Then, when it really mattered in the Turkish city, Santacreu once again broke her PB to finish third in 45:17.
China, represented by Yang Xizhen, Chen Meiling and Duo Jiecuo, were heavily favoured to take the individual and team victories. Yang took the individual title, but Aldara Meil&aacute;n and Santacreu prevented a Chinese sweep of the podium by finishing second and third respectively, and then led Spain to gold in the team standings.
&ldquo;In the weeks prior to Antalya, I felt as though simply competing in Antalya was a gift because I&rsquo;d almost ruled out being there,&rdquo; said Santacreu. &ldquo;Fortunately, I recovered on time &ndash; perhaps not 100%, but enough to be competitive.
&ldquo;My teammates Aldara Meil&aacute;n and Griselda Serret and I were confident of making the podium in the team competition, but honestly we didn&rsquo;t expect to win gold.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/667c2a101c434ca1d2419700.jpg" alt="The U20 women's Spanish team at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24" />
The U20 women's Spanish team at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24 (&copy; Sergio Mateo)
</div>
Since that competition, Santacreu has intentionally eased her training load before starting her preparations for the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24. The 18-year-old will be aiming for another podium finish at the global event in the Peruvian capital, but she&rsquo;s not taking anything for granted.
&ldquo;It will be my first season training throughout the summer, so I&rsquo;m not sure how my body will respond,&rdquo; says the Barcelona-born Santacreu. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll also try to align my body clock to Lima&rsquo;s time zone so that I won&rsquo;t suffer from jet lag.&rdquo;
When she talks about Meil&aacute;n &ndash; arguably one of her toughest opponents in her quest for a berth in Lima &ndash; she does so with undisguised affection. &ldquo;I admire her,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;She is so strong, both physical and mentally, and I like her race walking style. I think we are quite similar in many ways.&rdquo;
Santacreu took up race walking at the age of 14 after practising ballet in her early childhood, but when the pandemic hit, it interrupted her progression. She took advantage of the confinement, however, to help others.
&ldquo;A family friend suggested that I make some basic exercise charts for children admitted to the hospital that were easy to understand and do,&rdquo; she explains. &ldquo;I thought it was a great idea so I set about drawing. After a year and I half, we&rsquo;d created a comprehensive book.&rdquo;
The profits of the book, entitled 'Entrena con Sofia' (&lsquo;Training with Sofia&rsquo;), have been donated to several social causes.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/667c2c7bbe178cd348d19f0b.jpg" alt="Entrena con Sofia" />
Entrena con Sofia
</div>
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very grateful of the warm reception and the love that the people who have received the book have given to our work,&rdquo; she says.
Earlier this year, Santacreu left her long-term coach Sergio Ezquerro and started training with Alejandro Aragoneses, coach to Paul McGrath. But Santacreu&rsquo;s philosophy remains the same.
&ldquo;Beyond medals and age-group records, athletics allows me to get to know myself and grow as a person through the great experiences I&rsquo;m living and the nice people I get to know,&rdquo; says Santacreu, who will begin her university studies in physiotherapy in September after graduating at the French Lyceum in Barcelona.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/667c295e1c434ca1d24196f7.jpg" alt="The lead pack in the U20 women's race at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24" />
The lead pack in the U20 women's race at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24 (&copy; Francesca Grana)
</div>
As a 17-year-old, Meil&aacute;n is too young to get the Spanish car driving license or take a flight without her parents&rsquo; permission, but she showed great maturity in Antalya.
She entered the event as the newly-minted national champion, thanks to a 45:04 clocking in Zaragoza a couple of months earlier, but like with Santacreu, her performance in the Turkish coastal city exceeded expectations.
&ldquo;Of course, we were aware we had a good chance of taking a team medal but we didn&rsquo;t expect to take gold ahead of China,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really proud of my teammates Sof&iacute;a and Griselda (sixth) as we displayed the current high level of Spanish race walking. And the team gold medal gives me more joy than the individual runner-up spot.
&ldquo;Surprisingly for us, the race started slowly, but then our coaches advised us to take the lead and set a quicker rhythm and that tactic eventually paid off.&rdquo;
After going through the half-way point in 23:20, Meil&aacute;n covered the second half in a swift 21:52 for an overall time of 45:12, just six seconds behind the winner.
Though she loves race walking now, it wasn&rsquo;t love at first sight for Meil&aacute;n.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/667c292b1c434ca1d24196f4.jpg" alt="Aldara Meil&aacute;n leads the U20 women's 10km at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24" />
Aldara Meil&aacute;n leads the U20 women's 10km at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24 (&copy; Francesca Grana)
</div>
&ldquo;I used to do different disciplines when I took up athletics, but race walking didn&rsquo;t really attract my attention,&rdquo; she recalls. &ldquo;I remember I used to do technical exercises quite carelessly, but everything changed at a training camp when I joined a group of race walkers coached by my now lifelong coach Javier Pi&ntilde;eiro, who told me I could be good at it.&rdquo;
Pi&ntilde;eiro was right, and it wasn&rsquo;t long before Meil&aacute;n achieved her first success on the international scene. Two years ago, she earned silver over 5000m at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Banska Bystrica, then the following season she finished second in the U20 10km at the European Race Walking Team Championships in Podebrady.
Having earned a third successive championships silver medal in Antalya, Meil&aacute;n will have an opportunity to compete for gold in Lima. But for her, a gold medal isn&rsquo;t the be-all and end-all.
&ldquo;The World U20 Championships is still two months away and a lot of things could happen during then, so my only plan now is to remain focused on my daily training,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t predict anything right now; I guess the Chinese athletes will be fighting for the medals alongside Sof&iacute;a and hopefully myself, let&rsquo;s see what happens there.
&ldquo;Simply knowing that I have given it 100% in a competition, regardless of where I finish, is by far the most important thing to me,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;Having said that, I&rsquo;m also very ambitious. But every event is different, and I&rsquo;ll always be satisfied, provided I do my very best.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/667c29e01c434ca1d24196fd.jpg" alt="Aldara Meil&aacute;n and Sof&iacute;a Santacreu at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24" />
Aldara Meil&aacute;n and Sof&iacute;a Santacreu at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24 (&copy; Francesca Grana)
</div>
The admiration that Santacreu has for Meil&aacute;n is very much reciprocated. &ldquo;I really admire Sof&iacute;a,&rdquo; says Meil&aacute;n. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s really hard working and is so nice and always cares about others. I consider her a friend rather than a rival; it&rsquo;s great to be on the same team as her at international championships. We&rsquo;re at a very similar level and either one of us can beat the other on any given day. I&rsquo;m so happy for everything she achieves and she for me, I&rsquo;m sure.&rdquo;
Just a few days after the World U20 Championships, Meil&aacute;n will turn 18 and move to Madrid &ndash; about 500km away from her hometown &ndash; to begin her university studies in physical education. By then, another medal could well be hanging around her neck, or Santacreu&rsquo;s. Or even both.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

World Athletics U20 Championships

Sofia Santacreu and Aldara Meilán, the Spanish race walkers who are friends more than rivals

Santacreu and Meilán dream of joint Spanish success in Lima

The first half of the US Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, saw an abundance of sunshine, electric crowds, and incredible performances.
The favourites took home the crowns in the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s 100m. World champion Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson won her primary event in dominant fashion on Saturday, crossing the line in a world-leading 10.71.
She will be joined in Paris by her training partners Melissa Jefferson (10.80 PB) and TeeTee Terry (10.89). &ldquo;I feel like it definitely confirms the year that we&rsquo;ve been training for,&rdquo; Richardson said. &ldquo;We knew this moment could be possible if we put our mind, body, and spirit into it.&rdquo;
On Sunday, Noah Lyles took the first step in his bid to earn four gold medals at the Paris Olympics by winning the men&rsquo;s 100m in an equal PB of 9.83, putting the world 100m and 200m champion in line to achieve repeat glory this year.
&ldquo;Coming off of 2023, I had a great year,&rdquo; Lyles said. &ldquo;That built upon this year with the confidence to be able to keep going &ndash; to say the blueprint was 2023 and now we&rsquo;re making it happen.&rdquo;
The depth in the US men&rsquo;s sprints culminated in a thrilling final on Sunday. 200m specialist Kenny Bednarek earned the second spot on the 100m team with a PB of 9.87. Olympic silver medallist and 2022 world champion Fred Kerley completed the podium in a season&rsquo;s best of 9.88.
Such is the depth in the US men&rsquo;s sprints that the final saw Christian Coleman, the world indoor 60m champion, miss the podium and an individual spot on the Olympic team. His placing, however, earned him a spot on the 4x100m relay squad.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/667a8413ad15664560239a82.jpg" alt="Noah Lyles wins the 100m at the US Olympic Trials" />
Noah Lyles wins the 100m at the US Olympic Trials (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
The was no shortage of drama in the endurance events. In perhaps the most shocking moment of the competition so far, Athing Mu got tangled up and fell 200 metres into the women&rsquo;s 800m final. The Olympic champion got back up, but had lost significant ground to the field and finished last.
The race that unfolded ahead of her was won by Nia Akins in a PB of 1:57.36. US indoor champion Allie Wilson was second in 1:58.32, and NCAA champion Juliette Whittaker was third in a PB of 1:58.45. All three women will be making their Olympic debut in Paris.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it has really settled in yet,&rdquo; said Akins. &ldquo;Trials is so difficult here in the US. The Olympics is a whole different ball game.&rdquo;
The men&rsquo;s 1500m lived up to the hype on Monday. Cole Hocker successfully defended his 2021 Olympic Trials title, running a PB of 3:30.59 and smashing the meeting record in the process.
The crowd was deafening as the world indoor silver medallist crossed the line in first just ahead of national record-holder Yared Nuguse, who clocked a season&rsquo;s best of 3:30.86 while world road mile champion Hobbs Kessler took third in a PB of 3:31.53.
The competition was fierce in the women&rsquo;s 5000m, with Elle St Pierre and Elise Cranny fighting for victory down the home stretch. Just two hundredths of a second separated the two, with St Pierre coming out on top in a championship record of 14:40.34. Karissa Schweizer was third in 14:45.12, with NCAA champion Parker Valby just missing out on the podium.
Two-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser won the men&rsquo;s shot put with 22.84m, with Diamond League champion Joe Kovacs and Payton Otterdahl rounding out the podium. After a spring plagued with injuries and setbacks, it was Crouser&rsquo;s season-opener. But ultimately, four of his marks in the final would have been enough to secure him the title.
&ldquo;I felt like my old self, especially in the later rounds,&rdquo; Crouser said. &ldquo;I was really happy with how I competed&hellip; It felt like riding a bike. It came back fast.&rdquo;
Anna Hall also made a triumphant return from injury to win the women&rsquo;s heptathlon with 6614. Chari Hawkins (6456) and Taliyah Brooks (6408) rounded out the podium with PBs.
&ldquo;My Olympic journey has been really, really hard,&rdquo; said Hall. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a lot of adversity and a lot of doubt, and so [there&rsquo;s] just relief that I am meant to do this and we finally made it, and I&rsquo;m just so thankful.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/667a84c1ef2a8407f8074269.jpg" alt="Anna Hall takes the heptathlon title at the US Olympic Trials" />
Anna Hall takes the heptathlon title at the US Olympic Trials (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
World bronze medallist Quincy Hall ran a big 44.17 PB to win the men&rsquo;s 400m ahead of 2022 world champion Michael Norman (44.41) and Chris Bailey (44.42). 16-year-old Quincy Wilson was sixth in the final in 44.94, having twice broken the world U18 best in the rounds with 44.66 and 44.59.
While she only came in with a season&rsquo;s best of 51.05, Kendall Ellis ran a PB of 49.46 to take the crown in the women&rsquo;s 400m. Aaliyah Butler (49.71) and Alexis Holmes (49.78) also set PBs to join Ellis on the podium and punch their tickets to Paris.
Annette Echikunwoke won the women&rsquo;s hammer on Sunday with 74.68m, securing the title as well as the Olympic standard with her first throw of the day. 2019 world champion DeAnna Price earned her third Olympic berth by placing second with 74.52m, but world leader and 2022 world champion Brooke Anderson recorded fouls with her first three throws and didn&rsquo;t progress any further.
The qualifying round of the women&rsquo;s discus was similarly dramatic. World champion Laulauga Tausaga-Collins recorded three fouls and will take no further part in the competition, but Olympic champion Valarie Allman set a meeting record of 70.89m with her first throw to advance to Thursday&rsquo;s final.
Two-time world champion Sam Kendricks set a meeting record of 5.92m to win the pole vault. Chris Nilsen and Jacob Wooten both cleared 5.87m, with Nilsen taking the silver on countback. American record-holder KC Lightfoot did not qualify for the final.
Earlier in the competition, Grant Fisher, Woody Kincaid, and Nico Young earned their place on the Olympic team in the men&rsquo;s 10,000m as Fisher won in 27:49.47. The three athletes were the only men in the field who had previously achieved the Olympic qualifying standard of 27:00.00.
Kenneth Rooks successfully defended his national steeplechase title, running 8:21.92 as Matt Wilkinson (8:23.00) and James Corrigan (8:26.78) completed the podium.
Olympic Trials action will resume on Thursday (27) and will continue until Sunday (30).
Jessi Gabriel for World Athletics

The XXXIII Olympic Games

The first half of the US Olympic Team Trials saw an abundance of sunshine, electric crowds, and incredible performances

Richardson, Lyles, Crouser and Hall earn Olympic berths at US Trials

Czechia&rsquo;s 2013 world javelin champion Vitezslav Vesely has announced his retirement from the sport.
The 41-year-old, who also claimed two Olympic bronze medals during his successful career, last competed in 2022 and he is set to bid his farewell at the Czech Championships in Zlin on Sunday.
Vesely made his international debut more than two decades ago, at the 2002 World U20 Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, where he placed ninth in the final. He struggled with injuries over the next few years but in 2006 he was introduced to Jan Zelezny, the world record-holder and three-time Olympic champion, who agreed to coach the rising talent.
Vesely&rsquo;s senior debut on the global stage came at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where he surpassed 80 metres for the first time with a throw of 81.20m to qualify for the final.&nbsp;
He competed at his first senior World Championships in Berlin the following year and at the next edition, in Daegu in 2011, he just missed a medal as he finished fourth with 84.11m.
He didn&rsquo;t have to wait too long to make it on to the podium.
The following year Vesely first won the European title, throwing 83.72m in Helsinki, and then he headed to London for his second Olympic Games. After throwing a PB of 88.34m in qualification, he returned to manage 83.34m in the final. It initially placed him fourth, but he was later upgraded to bronze following the disqualification of silver medallist Oleksandr Pyatnytsya. Later that season, Vesely claimed the first of his two Diamond League crowns.
Overcoming injury and nerves, he became a global champion in 2013, as he threw 87.17m to win world gold in Moscow, and he went on to secure a second Diamond League title.
&ldquo;I knew I had just one or a maximum two chances to throw far in the final,&rdquo; <a href="https://worldathletics.org/spikes/news/v-teslav-vesely-i-couldnt-even-run-two-weeks-before" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he said in 2014</a>, remembering his Moscow experience. &ldquo;I could not even run during training two weeks before Moscow and I had to take painkillers just to survive.&rdquo;
Over the next few years his highs included European silver medals in Zurich in 2014 and Amsterdam in 2016, the year in which he placed seventh at the Rio Olympics.
But his Olympic medal hopes were not over and in Tokyo five years later he achieved his best throw in six years, launching the implement 85.44m to secure a second Olympic bronze at the age of 38.
&ldquo;Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my career and been a big part of my journey,&rdquo; Vesely told the Czech athletics federation when announcing his retirement. &ldquo;A big thank you goes to my coaches Jan Zelezny, Jaroslav Halv and Zdenek Lip. I must not forget my training partners Petr Frydrych, Jakub Vadlejch and Lukas Lipa.
&ldquo;It has been an amazing ride full of challenges, joys and hard work. I am grateful for all the experiences and I look forward to the next chapters of my life.&rdquo;
World Athletics

Czechia’s 2013 world javelin champion Vitezslav Vesely has announced his retirement from the sport

Vesely, 2013 world javelin champion, retires

Two years after securing a silver medal at the World Championships in Oregon, Trey Cunningham is hoping to qualify for his first Olympic team.
The US 110m hurdler welcomes <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/667598081a4ab130d2b093ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Inside Track</a> to a training session, where he explains how much it would mean to him to win a medal in Paris and how he tries to live his life without regret, something he has done successfully so far.
<div>Click the thumbnail to watch:<a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/667598081a4ab130d2b093ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/667596fc8b1f5c888fd1dc74.jpg" alt="Trey 3" /></a></div>
Starting out by explaining his master&rsquo;s thesis, he says: &ldquo;I looked to see if personality predisposes people to be burnt out, specifically athletes, and it does, come to find out.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been fascinated with the brain. People, connections, why people do things. I found out at the end of this, I was kind of writing about myself because I was a little bit burnt out.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve learned that there&rsquo;s a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter what.
&ldquo;The Olympics are the next thing I have to conquer. I haven&rsquo;t done it yet. Making the team is one of the steps.
&ldquo;I try to live my life with no regrets. I&rsquo;ve successfully done that so far. I don&rsquo;t want to be at the end of my life saying, &lsquo;what if?&rsquo;&rdquo;

Two years after securing a silver medal at the World Championships in Oregon, Trey Cunningham is hoping to qualify for his first Olympic team

Trey Cunningham: study of the mind

A podium sweep by Nigeria in the women&rsquo;s discus, Ese Brume clinching a historic fourth title in the women&rsquo;s long jump, Kenyan rising star Sarah Moraa stealing the spotlight in the women&rsquo;s 800m and Letsile Tebogo putting Botswana in contention for Olympic qualification formed some of the highlights of the first three days of action at the African Championships in Douala, Cameroon (21-23 June).
Nigeria&rsquo;s two-time world medallist Brume became the first athlete to win four long jump titles in African Championships history. Winning the crown three consecutive times &ndash; in 2014, 2016 and 2018 &ndash; had already propelled her into an exclusive class, and going one further at the Japoma Stadium consolidated her position as Africa&rsquo;s best in the event.
Brume had missed the last edition of the championships held in Mauritius, which was won by Burkina Faso&rsquo;s Marthe Koala. In Douala, the latter put up a formidable fight and was not going to relinquish her crown easily, taking the lead with 6.72m. The Nigerian left it late, prevailing in the last round by just one centimetre (6.73m) to win gold. South Africa&rsquo;s Danielle Nolte took the bronze with 6.44m.
<h2>A new Moraa on the horizon</h2>
Moraa, who made a statement at the recently held Kenyan Olympic Trials, ran with intent at the African Championships. The youngster &ndash; who is the cousin of world champion Mary Moraa &ndash; started out strongly and went into the lead in the first lap and held on to her position at the bell. Her teammate and winner of the event at the Kenyan Trials, Lilian Odira (who upstaged Mary Moraa at the trials) was following closely. However, the younger Moraa would not be denied, storming to her first continental crown in 2:00.27, while Odira clocked 2:00.36 for second. Moroccan Soukaina Hajji completed the podium in 2:00.91.
In the men&rsquo;s event, Kenyan champion Alex Kipngetich Ngeno waited for the bell before making his move, advancing from the middle of the pack to the front. Botswana&rsquo;s duo of Kethobogile Haingura and Tumo Nkape tried to overtake but the Kenyan held his ground to cross the line first in 1:45.02. Haingura and Ugandan Tom Dradriga were second and third respectively in 1:45.54 and 1:46.01.&nbsp;
However, the Kenyans experienced a reversal of fortunes in the longer distances as their longtime rivals Ethiopia reigned supreme. In the women&rsquo;s 5000m, Fentaye Belayneh upgraded her silver from 2022 to gold, outrunning the pack to take the win with 15:30.10, while her teammate Wubrist Aschal crossed the line after her, running 15:30.25. Djibouti&rsquo;s Samia Hassan Nour ensured she was not left outside the medals, beating Kenya&rsquo;s Rebecca Mwangi to bronze in 15:42.63.&nbsp;
It was another Ethiopian 1-2 in the men's 10,000m. Nibret Melak raced to his second continental gold medal of the season in 28:52.27 and reminiscent of the African Games, Gemechu Dida once again took the silver medal (28:52.79). Kenya&rsquo;s Roncer Kipkorir Konga also made the podium with a mark of 28:52.94.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/66799403921ac298d46e3739.jpg" alt="Nibret Melak celebrates his 10,000m win at the African Championships in Douala" />
Nibret Melak celebrates his 10,000m win at the African Championships in Douala (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
</div>
<h2>Successful title defence for Coetzee and Bass Bittaye</h2>
Miranda Coetzee was a class apart in the women&rsquo;s 400m. The South African was dominant through the rounds and blazed to a season&rsquo;s best of 50.91 in the semifinals (just 0.01 off her lifetime best) to qualify for the Paris Olympics. She successfully defended her title after returning a time of 51.16, finishing ahead of Zambia&rsquo;s Quincy Malekani (51.56) and Nigeria&rsquo;s Elo Esther Joseph (51.94).
Cheikh Tidiane Diouf became the third Senegalese athlete to win the men&rsquo;s 400m at the African Championships, proving too strong for the rest of the field to coast to victory in 45.23 and secure an upgrade from the bronze medal he won at the African Games this year. He was followed by Lee Eppie of Botswana and Nigeria&rsquo;s Samuel Ogazi in 45.39 and 45.47 respectively.
Gambian sprinter Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye continues to cement her status as the woman to beat on the continent. The 2019 World Championships finalist, who broke 11 seconds last month, continued her impressive run this season to win the women&rsquo;s 100m ahead of Liberia&rsquo;s Maia McCoy once again, reminiscent of the African Games earlier in the year.
Bass Bittaye won in 11.14 from McCoy in 11.16 to claim a second successive African Championships gold in the event. Maboundou Kone of Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire was third in 11.24.&nbsp;
<h2>Liberia also sharing the spoils&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>
Joseph Fahnbulleh added to the history books of his country by becoming the first sprinter to win the 100m at the African Championships. The multiple NCAA champion came from behind to deny African Games gold medallist Emmanuel Eseme sweet victory on his home turf, finishing 0.02 ahead of the Cameroonian in 10.13, while Benjamin Richardson (10.17) pipped Kayinsola Ajayi to the bronze medal.
Ebony Morrison was another athlete who shone for Liberia as she claimed her first continental gold, having settled for silver at Saint Pierre in 2022. Morrison sped to a lifetime best of 12.70 in the 100m hurdles, with South African record-holder Marione Fourie (12.74) and Sidonie Fiadanantsoa of Madagascar (12.98) following.
Botswana stamped their authority in the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles courtesy of Victor Ntweng (48.88) and Kemorena Tisang (49.24) who set the pace for the rest of the field. Former champion Abdelmalik Lahoulou fought hard to cross the line in third place in 49.36.
It was total dominance from Nigeria in the women&rsquo;s discus throw, recreating the podium placement from the 2016 edition of the championships where Nwanneka Okwelogu, Chinwe Okoro and Chioma Onyekwere held sway. This time around, it was Ashley Anumba who led the charge, taking the lead after her third throw of 59.01m. She cemented her place with her best effort of 59.30m while African Games gold medallist Obiageri Amaechi settled for second with 58.80m. Commonwealth Games champion Onyekwere took the bronze with 57.93m.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>The old guard still waxing strong</h2>
Nigeria&rsquo;s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi extended his dominance on the continent to a third successive African Championships and did just enough to snatch the shot put gold medal with his best effort of 21.14m. Egyptians Mostafa Amr Hassan (20.25m) and Mohamed Khalifa (19.72m) were the other medallists in the event.&nbsp;&nbsp;
African record-holder in the decathlon, Algeria&rsquo;s Larbi Bourrada, claimed an unprecedented sixth title in Douala. The 36-year-old tried to finish top two in most of his events, finishing with 7447 points and inspiring his compatriot Dhiae Boudoumi to silver (7215). Kenyan Edwin Too emerged as bronze medallist in the event.
In the women&rsquo;s hammer, Algeria&rsquo;s Zahra Tatar upstaged defending champion Sade Olatoye with her superior effort of 67.82m which was 10cm farther than the Nigerian&rsquo;s. Xena Ngomateke was third in 65.84m.&nbsp;
The mixed 4x400m was contested on day two of the championships and Nigeria and Botswana were engaged in a battle for superiority, with South Africa trailing in third until the final leg when Coetzee was handed the baton. The South African champion switched gears and in no time, overturned every deficit to gift South Africa their first African Championships gold in the discipline in a time of 3:13.12. Nigeria claimed silver (3:13.72) and Botswana bronze (3:15.93).
A similar scenario played out in the 4x100m heats on day three of competition, when Botswana blazed to the fastest time across the three heats in the men&rsquo;s event. Multiple world medallist Tebogo anchored the team to a national record of 38.19 to put them into a qualifying spot for the Olympics. Ghana (39.16) and Cote d'Ivoire won the remaining two heats.
Liberia posted 42.93 to win heat one of the women&rsquo;s 4x100m, while Nigeria dominated heat two with 43.58.
Yemi Olus-Galadima for World Athletics
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7212479" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

Action from the first three days of competition in Cameroon

Brume sails to fourth title as Bass Bittaye and Moraa win at African Championships in Douala 

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe reiterated the importance of African athletics&nbsp;and highlighted the strides made in the sport during a visit to Cameroon for the recent Council meeting of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA).
Coe shared updates from World Athletics, including the promotion of athletes and the sport through innovations such as the launch of the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-ultimate-championship/2026/news/press-releases/world-athletics-ultimate-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-ultimate-championship/2026/news/press-releases/world-athletics-ultimate-championship">World Athletics Ultimate Championship</a> for 2026, the new <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/sprint" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/sprint">Netflix series &lsquo;Sprint&rsquo;</a>, the publication of World Athletics&rsquo; <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/pioneering-change-strategic-plan-2024-2027" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/pioneering-change-strategic-plan-2024-2027">four-year business strategy &lsquo;Pioneering Change&rsquo;</a> and World Athletics&rsquo; introduction of <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/paris24/news/article/world-athletics-introduces-prize-money-for-olympic-gold-medallists" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/paris24/news/article/world-athletics-introduces-prize-money-for-olympic-gold-medallists">prize money for Olympic gold medallists</a>&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;an initiative aimed at further ensuring athlete welfare, empowerment&nbsp;and financial opportunities.
During the CAA Council meeting, which coincided with Douala hosting the 23rd African Athletics Senior Championships, the area association confirmed the approval of its safeguarding policy and future event hosts, and shared information following the creation of its gender leadership group. Discussions were also held on topics including the World Plan for Athletics, governance, future changes to the constitution, education and development, and the athletes' commission. Coe also reinforced the importance of the autonomy of international federations in their ability to make decisions that are in the best interests of their sport.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/66796b0b6457662407d755c4.jpeg" alt="World Athletics President Sebastian Coe meets members of the media in Douala" />
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe meets members of the media in Douala
</div>
&ldquo;As I have said many times before, there can be no doubt as to the importance of Africa to our sport,&rdquo; said Coe.
&ldquo;There is huge depth of athletics talent on the African continent, and we must continue to foster this at all levels &ndash; from grassroots through programmes such as Kids&rsquo; Athletics, through to the increased number of competitions being held across the area.&rdquo;
In 2024 alone, there are more than 270 events awarding world rankings points being held in Africa including Wanda Diamond League and Continental Tour Gold track and field meetings, plus road and off-road competitions.
&ldquo;I am pleased that the CAA&rsquo;s safeguarding policy has been approved,&rdquo; Coe added. &ldquo;Athlete welfare is of the utmost importance and this approval is in line with the recently introduced <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletics-better-world/news/world-athletics-safeguarding-policy-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/athletics-better-world/news/world-athletics-safeguarding-policy-2024">World Athletics Safeguarding Policy</a> requirement of area associations meeting a deadline of the end of December 2024 to adopt their own safeguarding policies and procedures.
&ldquo;Over 20% of the US$50 million World Athletics invests in grant funding for administration, competition and development over the four-year cycle goes to Africa. There are three African athletics development centres, and increased access is being provided to education and training in multiple languages across the continent. In addition, the area continues to express interest in bidding for World Athletics Series events, including the World Athletics Championships.
&ldquo;Our sport is in good shape, and this is in large part due to Africa&rsquo;s contribution.&rdquo;
World Athletics

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe reiterated the importance of African athletics and highlighted the strides made in the sport during a visit to Cameroon for the recent Council meeting of the Confederation of African Athletics

Investment and development in the spotlight as Coe visits Confederation of African Athletics

Kenya&rsquo;s Joyce Muthoni Njeru and Patrick Kipngeno followed their VK victories on Friday with Skyrace success on Sunday (23) to complete a Broken Arrow double in Palisades Tahoe, California.
The 23km Broken Arrow Skyrace is the first gold label long race of this year&rsquo;s Valsir Mountain Running World Cup, taking in many of the highlights of the area including KT-22 and the iconic Washeshu Peak.
Held on a loop which climbs 1533m over the course of the race, it starts in Palisades Tahoe Village and most of the event takes place above the tree line on technical and demanding trails.&nbsp;
After last year&rsquo;s snow-affected race, where the course was amended to be two laps, this year Palisades Tahoe couldn&rsquo;t have delivered better weather. Warm conditions, blue skies and a mostly snow-free course awaited the runners.
Just as she did in Friday&rsquo;s VK, Muthoni Njeru led the race out from the front. She reached the first timing point &ndash; Snow King, 4.6 miles in &ndash; in 40:23, and there was an almost two minute gap to the second woman, Tabor Hemming. Last year&rsquo;s winner Allie McLaughlin was another minute back, closely followed by Jade Belzberg and Daniella Moreno.
Little had changed by the next timing point at 7.8 miles. Muthoni Njeru had stretched her lead over Hemming to just under three minutes, and Hemming maintained her buffer of around a minute over McLaughlin. Belzberg was just 30 seconds back and Moreno, while maintaining fifth place, had lost contact with Belzberg a little.
It was no surprise to see Muthoni Njeru arrive at High Camp (10.5 miles) with her lead intact. She had increased it slightly to two and a half minutes, but Hemming remained in contention and the race was very much on for third place, too. Belzberg had overtaken McLaughlin in this section and arrived at the timing point 38 seconds ahead of her. Moreno was three minutes behind by this point, so it looked very much as if the second two podium spots would come from Hemming, Belzberg and McLaughlin, and it was all still to fight for.
The final downhill section was an exciting one for the women. Muthoni Njeru did hang on and won in 2:11:52, but in the end it was close and it was Belzberg who stormed through from third to overtake Hemming and take second in 2:12:29. Hemming held on to third and finished in 2:13:31, with McLaughlin fourth in 2:14:53 and Moreno fifth in 2:17:04.
Just as the women&rsquo;s VK winner, Muthoni Njeru, struck out early in the Skyrace, so did the men&rsquo;s VK winner, Kipngeno. He hit the first timing point in 32:49, with a minute&rsquo;s lead over last year&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s winner Eli Hemming. Philemon Ombogo Kiriago was 30 seconds behind him in third, with Taylor Stack and Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau, who finished third in Friday&rsquo;s VK, just behind.&nbsp;
Behind them were Hawk Call, Christian Allen, Remi Leroux and Darren Thomas.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6678833e3e27fdd1b708086d.JPG" alt="Patrick Kipngeno wins the Broken Arrow Skyrace" />
Patrick Kipngeno wins the Broken Arrow Skyrace (&copy; Scott Rokis)
</div>
At the next timing point, Kipngeno had increased his lead over Hemming to just under two minutes. Ombogo Kiriago was 90 seconds behind him, closely followed by Stack and Beaudoin-Rousseau.
There wasn&rsquo;t a lot of change in the men&rsquo;s top 10, but notably Andrew Douglas, a previous World Cup winner, had moved up to 11th.
Kipngeno&rsquo;s two minute lead remained consistent at High Camp, the 10.5 mile point. It was still looking likely that he could do the double, but it wasn&rsquo;t out of the question that Hemming could reel him in. The battle for third was looking interesting, with Ombago Kiriago, Stack and Beadudoin-Rousseau still in contention. Again, the men&rsquo;s top 10 was mostly the same as it had been throughout at this point, but Douglas had now moved into ninth.
Hemming chased Kipngeno hard in the last downhill section and he did claw back some time, but it was Kipngeno who took the win in 1:45:37. Hemming took second in 1:47:00 and Ombogo Kiriago took third in 1:50:23, completing the men&rsquo;s podium. Stack was fourth in 1:51:12 and Beaudoin-Rousseau fifth in 1:52:16.
The next race in this year&rsquo;s Valsir Mountain Running World Cup is the first classic race of the series, at Grossglockner in Austria on 7 July.
Kirsty Reade (WMRA) for World Athletics

Kenya’s Joyce Muthoni Njeru and Patrick Kipngeno followed their VK victories on Friday with Skyrace success on Sunday (23) to complete a Broken Arrow double in Palisades Tahoe, California

Muthoni Njeru and Kipngeno complete Broken Arrow double

Till Steinforth and Sandrina Sprengel achieved personal best performances to complete a German double at the Stadtwerke Ratingen Mehrkampf-Meeting, the final World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold event ahead of the Paris Olympics, this weekend (22-23).
Steinforth&rsquo;s score to win the decathlon was 8287, 61 points ahead of his compatriot Felix Wolter. Czechia&rsquo;s Vilem Strasky placed third on 7986.
Sprengel scored 6260 points to win the heptathlon by 16 points ahead of Ireland&rsquo;s Kate O'Connor, with Australia&rsquo;s Tori West only another nine points back in third place.
Steinforth threatened the meeting record in the very first event, improving his 100m PB from 10.69 to 10.41 (1.4m/s). Sven Jansons matched his PB of 10.56 to finish second, while his Dutch compatriot Rik Taam was third with 10.59, a PB by 0.03. Wolter was fourth with 10.65 and Strasky fifth with 10.72.
Steinforth would maintain his lead for the next six events, only dropping to second place after the pole vault and regaining top spot after the javelin. He and Wolter occupied the top two spots throughout.
They went one-two in the long jump, Steinforth leaping 7.59m (1.0m/s) and Wolter 7.55m (0.7m/s) and they were separated by 66 points at that stage.
Estonia&rsquo;s world fourth-place finisher Karel Tilga, who decided to test himself in a few disciplines in Ratingen, only took one attempt &ndash; a foul &ndash; in the long jump, but he led the shot put with a PB throw of 16.59m, surpassing 16 metres in each of the three rounds and finishing just four centimetres off the meeting record. Niels Pittomvils was next best on 15.25m, while Tim Nowak threw 14.87m. US-based Steinforth was below his best of 14.33m but he remained in the overall lead with a throw of 13.48m.
Nowak topped the high jump thanks to a 2.01m clearance, while Steinforth, Wolter, Strasky and Fred Isaac Fleurisson all made it over 1.98m.&nbsp;
The final event on day one was topped by Taam, on the hunt for a Paris place. He went quickest in the 400m, clocking 47.24 to finish just ahead of Steinforth in a PB of 47.38 &ndash; his first time under 48 seconds. Wolter was third in 47.72.
That left Steinforth in the lead overnight, the 22-year-old having 4374 points, 67 ahead of Wolter.
Day two started with the 110m hurdles, led by Fleurisson in 13.96 (0.2m/s) ahead of Strasky (14.04). Steinforth was just 0.01 off his PB in winning the second race in 14.12. That result maintained Steinforth&rsquo;s lead and after six events he was 123 points ahead of Wolter, who held on to second spot overall despite almost falling in the hurdles. Taam was in third and Strasky fourth.
There were PBs for Pittomvils and Wolter in the discus as they respectively threw 48.35m and 45.42m. Steinforth stayed ahead with a best of 42.18m, but Wolter&rsquo;s PB performance closed the gap to 57 points with three events to go. It was at this stage that Taam&rsquo;s winning hopes came to an end as he was unable to achieve a valid throw and Strasky moved into third place overall.
Steinforth lost the lead for the first time after the pole vault, as he cleared 4.70m to Wolter&rsquo;s PB-equalling 5.00m. Strasky managed 4.90m and between them they kept the top three spots, but with Wolter top on 6895 points, 34 ahead of Steinforth.
Steinforth launched himself back into the lead with another PB in the penultimate event, the javelin. His 59.53m was the second best of the competition, behind Leon Mak&rsquo;s 59.85m &ndash; a PB by almost three metres. Wolter had to settle for a best of 52.03m but still had a top two place and the compatriots were 78 points apart with just the 1500m to go.
Steinforth kept Wolter in his sights in that final event and raced to a more than five second PB of 4:37.73 to clinch the title with a lifetime best of 8287. Wolter ran 4:35.07 to secure second place with 8226, while Strasky &ndash; in his third decathlon in five weeks &ndash; closed his campaign with a 4:47.35 1500m to score a total of 7986 for third place. Pittomvils finished fourth on 7906 after a strong end to his series.
&ldquo;An increase of more than 200 points is of course great. I even had weaker disciplines like the shot put and the pole vault,&rdquo; Steinforth told the German athletics association.
&ldquo;I hope that my development continues like this, because in four years I want to be at the Olympic Games. That is my goal.&rdquo;
<h2>Strong series for Sprengel</h2>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/667869c84120f87b8c7952dc.jpg" alt="Sandrina Sprengel in Ratingen" />
Sandrina Sprengel in Ratingen (&copy; Fynn Zenker)
</div>
Sprengel, the European U20 champion and world U20 bronze medallist, also started her campaign in PB style, clocking 13.50 (0.5m/s) in the 100m hurdles. That was the fifth fastest time of the first event, led by Esther Conde-Turpin of France with a wind-assisted 13.25 (2.7m/s). Behind Conde-Turpin, China&rsquo;s Zheng Ninali ran 13.32 and Germany&rsquo;s 2017 world silver medallist Carolin Schafer ran 13.35. There was disappointment for Austria&rsquo;s Ivona Dadic who fell and did not finish.
Sprengel&rsquo;s aim for the season was to surpass 6200 points and she remained on track for that in Ratingen with a high jump clearance of 1.78m &ndash; down on her PB of 1.83m but enough to see her achieve the joint second-best height of the morning behind Jana Koscak&rsquo;s 1.81m.&nbsp;
Schafer, a two-time Ratingen winner, had started well in her most recent heptathlon at the European Championships in Rome but then she recorded three fouls in the shot put. She had more success this time in Ratingen, throwing 14.40m for the second-best throw of the day, three centimetres off the leading 14.43m by Germany&rsquo;s Vanessa Grimm, contesting her third heptathlon in five weeks. O'Connor was also among the five athletes to surpass 14 metres with 14.16m, while Sprengel set another PB with her 13.26m throw.
Schafer shot to the top spot after three events, 24 points ahead of the 20-year-old Sprengel.
Schafer held on to that lead to finish the first day as No.1 on 3736 points, clocking 24.17 (-1.8m/s) for the second quickest 200m of the day behind West&rsquo;s 24.14 (-1.3m/s). In that same heat, Sprengel clocked 24.21 to finish second behind West and ended day one in second place, 27 points behind Schafer. Zheng ran 24.73 and was in third place overnight, with West in fourth and O'Connor in seventh.
Things didn&rsquo;t go to plan for Schafer at the start of day two, as she managed a best of 5.66m in the long jump. Sprengel replaced her as leader after that event, jumping 6.27m &ndash; just 10cm off her PB and 8cm off the leading mark achieved by Lucie Kienast.
Sprengel set another PB in the penultimate event, throwing 46.03m to improve her previous best by more than a metre and maintain top spot overall. Her compatriot Marie Dehning threw farthest, improving her PB by almost three metres with 56.12m and breaking the meeting record. O'Connor threw 52.12m, West 51.74m and Schafer 48.31m, as the other three athletes to surpass 46 metres.&nbsp;
With only the 800m to go, Sprengel was 71 points ahead of West, with O'Connor another 10 points back. Schafer was in fourth place and Zheng in fifth, but they did not race the final event.
Running in the same race as O'Connor and West, Sprengel didn&rsquo;t let them get too far away and crossed the finish line in 2:19.25 to secure victory on her Ratingen debut with her PB of 6260 points. O'Connor was fastest overall and her 2:14.57 took her to a total of 6244 to secure second place ahead of West on 6235. Elisa Pineau of France finished fourth on 6000.
&ldquo;I am overjoyed because I never expected to win,&rdquo;&nbsp;said Sprengel. &ldquo;After the 100m hurdles I already felt that such a score was possible, because when the hurdles go well, the entire heptathlon usually goes well for me too.&rdquo;
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-combined-events-tour/calendar-results/7203853/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

Till Steinforth and Sandrina Sprengel achieved personal best performances to complete a German double at the Stadtwerke Ratingen Mehrkampf-Meeting

Steinforth and Sprengel achieve German double in Ratingen

Molly Caudery cleared a world pole vault lead of 4.92m to break the British record and move to seventh on the world all-time list at the Toulouse Capitole Perche on Saturday (22).
The world indoor champion&rsquo;s previous best was 4.86m, achieved in Rouen in February, but she added six centimetres to that mark on her return to France at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting in Toulouse, also improving Holly Bradshaw&rsquo;s national record by two centimetres.
With her performance, achieved in wet conditions, Caudery managed the highest women&rsquo;s pole vault clearance since 2021.
She entered the competition at 4.36m and cleared that, 4.51m and 4.61m on her first attempts. She passed at 4.67m and needed two tries to make it over 4.73m, but then she managed 4.80m on her first attempt and her record-breaking height on her second go. She then had a single attempt at 5.00m.
It was the 24-year-old&rsquo;s first competition since she claimed bronze at the European Championships in Rome on 10 June.
Caudery&rsquo;s 4.86m had been the previous world lead, with USA&rsquo;s Olympic champion Katie Moon second on this year&rsquo;s top list with her 4.85m clearance achieved in Chula Vista earlier this month.
Marie-Julie Bonnin of France finished second in Toulouse with 4.51m, while her compatriot Thibaut Collet won the men&rsquo;s event with 5.82m.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-continental-tour/calendar-results/7205870/result?day=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a> 
<h2>Tolo throws Asian record</h2>
Mohamed Daouda Tolo threw 21.80m to set an Asian shot put record, while Camryn Rogers set a meeting record of 77.76m in the hammer at the Meeting Madrid, a Continental Tour Silver event, on Friday (21).
Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Tolo, the Asian Games silver medallist, improved his previous best by more than a metre to win the competition ahead of Scott Lincoln with 21.06m.
Canada&rsquo;s world champion Rogers equalled the season&rsquo;s best she set when winning at the Prefontaine Classic with her 77.76m throw. This time she won ahead of Anna Purchase with 71.79m.
World 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk dropped down in distance and won the 200m in 20.29 (-0.5m/s) ahead of his South African compatriot Akani Simbine in 20.38.&nbsp;
Eliott Crestan won the men&rsquo;s 800m in 1:44.28 and Catriona Bisset the women&rsquo;s in 1:59.17 ahead of Worknesh Mesele with 1:59.33 as the top eight all dipped under two minutes.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-continental-tour/calendar-results/7205334/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a> 
<h2>Kaczmarek and Van Niekerk win in Poznan</h2>
Poland&rsquo;s Natalia Kaczmarek and South Africa&rsquo;s Wayde van Niekerk won the 200m races at the Czesław Cybulski Memorial, a Continental Tour Silver meeting, in Poznan, Poland, on Sunday (23).
World 400m silver medallist Kaczmarek ran a PB of 22.70 (2.0m/s) to triumph ahead of Bianca Williams (23.24). Two days after his 200m win in Madrid, world 400m record-holder Van Niekerk repeated the feat, this time clocking a slightly wind-assisted 20.23 (2.1m/s).
Justyna Swiety-Ersetic got a 400m win in 51.91, while Anita Horvat topped the 800m in 2:00.92.
Five-time world champion Pawel Fajdek won the hammer ahead of his Polish compatriot Wojciech Nowicki, the Olympic champion, 78.77m to 78.37m, while world record-holder Anita Wlodarczyk won the women's event with a 72.00m throw ahead of China's Li Jiangyan with 71.45m.
Ernest John Obiena beat home favourite Piotr Lisek in the pole vault as he cleared 5.87m to Lisek's 5.82m.&nbsp;
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-continental-tour/calendar-results/7205394/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

Molly Caudery cleared a world lead of 4.92m to break the British record and move to seventh on the world all-time list at the Toulouse Capitole Perche

Caudery clears 4.92m world pole vault lead in Toulouse

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