TOKYO – Team USATF's women ruled the roost Sunday night, sprinting, throwing, and jumping to a trio of golds on the second day of the World Athletics Championships at National Stadium to take the U.S. medal total to six, five of them gold.
No one has been able to beat Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the women's 100 this year, and that didn't change tonight as the 24-year-old set a meet record of 10.61 to become the fourth fastest woman in history. Jefferson-Wooden was regal in dominating a star-studded final, pulling away at the end to win by .15 seconds over Jamaican youngster Tina Clayton, with Olympic gold medalist Julien Alfred of St. Lucia taking bronze in 10.84. Budapest gold medalist Sha'Carri Richardson was fifth in a season best 10.94.
For a woman who has almost everything in her trophy cabinet, Valarie Allman was missing one prize – World Championships discus gold. The 30-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist and American record holder finally climbed atop the World Championships podium with a 69.49/227-11 in round five to complete her collection of global medals. Allman had picked up bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023, but was not to be denied gold, launching a 67.63/221-10 on her first attempt, a throw that would ultimately have been sufficient for victory. Laulauga Tausaga, the winner at Budapest in 2022, ended up sixth with a best of 65.49/214-10.
Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall was on, and that spelled trouble for her challengers in the women's long jump. Davis-Woodhall soared out to 7.08/23-2.75 on her opening try, which was also the first jump of the competition, setting the standard for every other woman to chase. Only Germany's Malaika Mihambo was able to get close, but her best of 6.99/22-11.25 wasn't enough. Davis-Woodhall, who was also the World Indoor champion last year, improved to a world-leading 7.13/23-4.75in round four to seal the victory and complete her collection of global gold medals. This year's World Indoor gold medalist, Claire Bryant, placed fifth at 6.68/21-11, and Quanesha Burks ended up eighth at 6.60/21-8.
Jamaican men went 1-2 in the 100, led by gold medalist Oblique Seville, who powered to a lifetime best 9.77 to beat countryman and 2025 world leader Kishane Thompson, who earned silver in 9.82. Olympic champion Noah Lyles, the Budapest gold medalist in 2023, took bronze in a season best 9.89, with Kenny Bednarek fourth in 9.92.
The race for gold in the women's marathon Sunday morning came down to a stadium sprint between Paris Olympic silver medalist Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia and Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir, who won the Olympic title in Sapporo in 2021. Assefa made her move with 300 to go on the track but couldn't shake Jepchirchir and the Kenyan sprinted off the final bend to pick up her second straight gold in Japan, winning by two seconds in a season best 2:24:43.
Uruguay's Julia Paternain held off a late challenge by American Susanna Sullivan to claim bronze in 2:27:23, with Sullivan agonizingly one place off the podium in a season best 2:28:17. Jessica McClain gave the U.S. two women in the top 10, placing eighth in a season best 2:29:20, and Erika Kemp finished 52nd in 2:50:35.
A bold and brave strategy carried Sullivan to the front of the pack early on, sharing the lead with McClain through 10K in 34:21. Over the ensuing 10K Sullivan began to widen her lead, passing 20K in 1:09:07 to put 27 seconds between her and McClain. Going through 25K in 1:26:31 Sullivan continued to maintain a 27-second gap.
As Sullivan started to feel the strain of the weather and the pace she had set, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, the Olympic silver medalist at Paris, and Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir, the Olympic champion in 2021, eased past her and took over the lead, passing 30K in 1:43:35, with Sullivan fading back and 49 seconds adrift of that duo. Assefa and Jepchirchir continued to run in tandem past 35K in 2:00:03 and were well clear of Uganda's Stella Chesang, who was third in 2:01:42. Sullivan was hanging onto fifth at 2:02:19, with McClain ninth 33 seconds farther back.
Facing a challenging and sometimes uphill final 5K, Assefa and Jepchirchir were only a second apart at 40K in 2:17:27, and Sullivan was starting to chip away at the gap again in pursuit of a podium spot. Julia Paternain of Uruguay was 41 seconds ahead of Sullivan at 40K, leaving the American everything to do over the final mile.
Temperatures in the 80s with humidity hovering around 60% made the men's 10,000 final look more like a swimming competition, with an early pace to match. Going slower through the first two kilometers than athletes in the women's final yesterday, it didn't matter where you were in the pack because one good surge would shuffle all the places.
The real racing started with five laps to go as the tempo quickened and men started to drop off the back of the pack. When the bell rang there were still a dozen men with a chance to nab a medal and the crowd didn't thin out much rounding the final bend. France's Jimmy Gressier had the fastest finish to shock the pre-race favorites and grab gold in 28:55.77 ahead of Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha (28:55.83) and Sweden's Andreas Almgren (28:56.02). USATF champion Nico Young was less than a second off the podium, placing fifth in 28:56.62, while last year's Olympic 5000 and 10,000 bronze medalist, Grant Fisher, faded to eighth after challenging for a medal, crossing the line in 28:57.85. Graham Blanks was 11th in 29:01.27.
USATF champion and last year's World Indoor silver medalist Nikki Hiltz enjoyed a more sedate pace in the second semi of the women's 1500 to cross the line third in 4:07.04 and make the final. Hiltz ran a savvy race and stayed on the inside to avoid trouble, tucking in next to Australia's Jessica Hull through 400 in 69.54 and 800 in 2:22.15. With 400 to go Kenya's Nelly Chipchirchir moved to the lead in 3:08.51, but the top 10 were all within a second. Chepchirchir held on to win in 4:06.86, with Hull a hundredth behind her.
Honest pacing by world record holder Faith Kipyegon in semifinal one carried the field through 400 in just over 66 seconds, albeit with a fall by Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu. Hailu got back up and into the race as Kipyegon went by 800 in 2:11.79 with Sinclaire Johnson a stride behind. At the bell, with Kipyegon still leading in 2:58.13, Hailu had moved into sixth as there were still nine women battling for the six spots to move into the final. Kipyegon was untroubled in winning the heat in 4:00.34, with Hailu safely third and Johnson grabbing a final berth in fourth at 4:01.08. Emily Mackay was 10th in 4:12.80.
All three U.S. men safely moved on to the semifinal of the 1500, though in different fashion. Pedestrian pace through the first half of heat three had Olympic champion Cole Hocker in the back half of the pack, passing 800 in 14th at 2:09.24. As the tempo picked up Hocker moved outside to make sure he wouldn't be boxed in and made a significant surge. Leading at the bell in 2:49.18, Hocker refused to back down and he came away with the heat win in 3:41.88. His final 400 was 52.7, and he covered the last 100 in 12.8.
Ethan Strand was well positioned in the top six all the way in heat one and secured advancement with a spirited sprint to the finish to place third in 3:36.27. Strand went by the 400 mark in 61.74 and hit 800 in 2:00.79 in second. At the bell he was fourth but virtually the entire field was still in striking distance. A 52.9 last lap and 13.1 final 100 put Strand through to the semifinal as Norway's Narve Gilje Nordas won in 3:35.90.
Bunched up with a big pack at the bell in the final heat, USATF champion Jonah Koech locked down his qualifying spot for the semifinal with a third place finish in 3:37.11. Koech was seventh at 800 in 2:00.26 and picked off three men to sit fourth with 400 remaining. Traversing the final 400 in 54.1 put him across the line a stride behind 2022 world champion Jake Wightman of Great Britain, who won in 3:36.90.
Safe navigation of the barriers put all three American women through to the semifinal in the 100 hurdles, with Olympic champion and American record holder Masai Russell and Grace Stark winning their heats and Alaysha Johnson placing second in hers. Stark was the fastest of the U.S. trio, clocking 12.46 to take heat five, while Russell dominated heat one by more than .3 seconds in 12.53. Johnson was up against reigning champion Danielle Williams of Jamaica in heat two and ended up as the runner-up in 12.76 to advance.
To kick off the evening session, a quartet of U.S. quartermilers advanced to the next round of the men's 400. USATF and Diamond League champion Jacory Patterson has had a breakout year and his hot streak continued in the opening round here as he rolled to a 43.90 to win heat three. That was the fastest time ever run in the first round at the World Championships.
World Indoor champion and Paris Olympic 4x400 gold medalist Chris Bailey was also victorious in his heat, taking the fourth section in 44.49, and Khaleb McRae captured the final heat easily in 44.25, the second fastest time overall behind Patterson. Team captain Vernon Norwood, a six-time Olympic and World Championships 4x400 gold medalist who was fourth at Budapest in 2023, earned his way to the semifinal by placing second in heat five at 44.55.
Looking just as good as she did on this track four years ago at the Olympics, albeit without 10 pesky hurdles and with a full set of cheering fans, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breezed to a 49.41 to win heat three of the women's 400 and lead the three Americans to the next round with the second fastest time overall. NCAA indoor champion Isabella Whittaker was second in heat one in 50.82 and NCAA outdoor champion Aaliyah Butler placed third in the second section in 50.44.
American record holder and 2019 world champion DeAnna Price nailed the automatic standard on her second attempt in Group A of the women's hammer, throwing 74.99/246-0 to advance, and Janee' Kassanavoid hit 71.95/236-0 in round two to place ninth overall and move on to the final. Rachel Richeson's best of 66.95/219-8 was not enough to advance, and Brooke Andersen, the 2022 world champion, had three fouls and also did not move on.
13 men cleared 2.25/7-4.5 in the qualifying round of the men's high jump to advance to the final, including USATF champion Tyus Wilson and Budapest silver medalist JuVaughn Harrison. Wilson had to sweat it out until his third attempt to clear that height, while Harrison went over on his second try. Paris Olympic Games silver medalist Shelby McEwen managed a best of 2.21/7-3 and did not advance.
TEAM USATF MEDALS (6)
GOLD (5)
Ryan Crouser, men's shot put (22.34/73-3.5) Mixed 4x400 relay (Bryce Deadmon, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Jenoah Mckiver, Alexis Holmes) (3:08.80, =meet record) Valarie Allman, women's discus (69.48/227-11) Tara Davis-Woodhall, women's long jump (7.13/23-4.75) Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, women's 100 (10.61, meet record)
SILVER (0)
BRONZE (1)
Noah Lyles, men's 100 (9.89)
RECORDS SET
World
American
World Championships
=3:08.80 – Mixed 4x400 relay (Bryce Deadmon, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Jenoah Mckiver, Alexis Holmes) 10.61 – Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, women's 100