TORUN, Poland — Jordan Anthony and Chase Jackson made it a golden first day for Team USATF Friday at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Capping off his rookie season as a professional with gold in the men's 60, Anthony rocketed out of the blocks and blitzed down the infield straight at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena to stop the clock at 6.41, becoming the fourth fastest all-time performer. Trayvon Bromell, who won this event 10 years ago on home soil at Portland, was agonizingly short of making it a 1-2 U.S. sweep, earning bronze in 6.45, just .001 behind Jamaica's Kishane Thompson. Last year's champion, Jeremiah Azu of Great Britain, was fourth in 6.46.
Anthony had established a world lead with a 6.43 at the Tyson Invitational in mid-February, and that held up until Bromell ran a near-perfect race in the second semi to win in 6.42. Anthony then captured the third semi in 6.43 to set up an epic battle in the final. It was the eighth time in meet history that the U.S. earned two medals in the event.
American indoor and outdoor record holder Jackson blasted the fourth farthest throw in U.S. history to win her first World Indoor Championships gold after two outdoor World Championships golds in 2022 and 2023. Jackson, who broke her own national indoor record with a 20.44/67-0.75 to win the USATF Championships three weeks ago, took the lead with a 19.96/65-6 in round two and she improved that to 20.14/66-1 in the fourth round to hold off two-time defending champion Sarah Mitton of Canada. Abria Smith was seventh in her global championship debut, throwing 18.86/61-10.5 in round four.
The second American to ever win this event and now the owner of a complete set of World Indoor medals, Jackson informally announced her retirement from indoor competition. She set the American indoor record in this arena last year at the Copernicus Cup meet.
Garland, Baldwin in medal position after first day of heptathlon
Day one of the men's heptathlon featured Switzerland's Simon Ehammer, the 2024 champion and a superb jumper, going up against Americans Kyle Garland and Heath Baldwin. Ehammer sizzled to a 6.69 in the 60 to open the competition, more than .2 ahead of his nearest challenger. In his specialty, the long jump, the Swiss star spanned 8.15/26-9 to build a 232-point margin over Garland. The American made up some ground in the shot put with a 16.21/53-2.25, cutting Ehammer's lead to 150, and Baldwin also moved up the standings into third with a 15.86/52-0.5 toss.
Garland closed the gap to 38 with a big 2.14/7-0.25 clearance in the high jump, 12 centimeters better than Ehammer, with Baldwin clearing 2.08/6-9.75. Ehammer topped the point standings on world record pace at the close of the day with 3,698, and Garland (3,660) and Baldwin (3,510) were in medal position.
Mahuchikh and Diaz Hernandez earn second career golds in other field event action
Olympic champion and outdoor world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine regained her status as the world No. 1 with a sterling performance in the women's high jump, clearing 2.01/6-7 on her first attempt to win a fourth global championship gold. Mahuchikh, who previously won the 2022 title, made quick work of the three bars before her winning height and left a trio of silver medalists in her wake. Two-time defending champion Nicola Olyslagers of Australia shared the silver with Angelina Topic of Serbia and Ukraine's Yuliia Levchenko as all three had clean cards through 1.99/6-6.25 before going out at 2.01. USATF champion Charity Hufnagel ended up ninth with a best of 1.89/6-2.25.
Italy's Andy Diaz Hernandez repeated his gold medal from 2025 with a world-leading 17.47/57-3.75 in the men's triple jump ahead of silver medalist Jordan Scott of Jamaica and bronze medalist Yasser Triki of Algeria. Russell Robinson had one legal attempt, bounding 16.53/54-2.75 on his first try to finish 11th.
Three of four Americans through to 1500 finals
Qualifying for the final of the women's 1500 was the top three from each of three heats, and no time advancers, so racing was at a premium. Very slow early pace in the first heat saw the pack come through 400 in 71 seconds, with USATF champion Nikki Hiltz in third. Tempo lagged even more going through 800 in 2:25, but Hiltz was steadfast in third and looked very comfortable, and at 1200 in 3:34 the field was very closely packed. With one lap to go Hiltz was still in third, but a strong push off the final bend moved the four-time defending U.S. champion into second, crossing the finish line in 4:16.32 to advance to Sunday's final.
Heat three was another jog in the park for the first 800, with Gracie Morris on the rail at the front of a pack that constantly jockeyed for position. Morris was side-by-side with Australia's Jessica Hull through 1200 in 3:28, and with a lap to go Georgia Hunter Bell of Britain eased past Morris into second. Morris maintained her composure under pressure from Switzerland's Joceline Wind and grabbed the third qualifying spot in 4:12.57.
Rok Markelj of Slovenia motored to a huge lead in the first heat of the men's 1500, with three qualifying berths on the line, establishing a 50-meter gap as he went through 800 in 1:56. The Slovenian kept up his ambitious pace with the rest of the field seven seconds adrift but eyeing him like lions on prey. USATF champion Nathan Green showed his typical racing savvy by staying out of trouble in a pack that was shuffling positions, and he followed Italy's Federico Riva as the hunters gained on the hunted. Riva and Green blew past Markelj on the backstretch of the final lap and as Green glanced over his shoulder with 20m to go he knew he was safe and allowed Australia's Adam Spencer to edge past him into second behind Riva, with Green third in 3:40.97 in his international debut.
A bronze medalist at this meet last year, Luke Houser was near the back of the 10-man field in heat two through 800 and was still eighth with 300 to go. That proved to be a bit too much real estate to make up, and despite a 13.09 final 100 Houser was the odd man out, placing fourth in 3:43.87, .12 seconds away from a berth in the final.
McRae and Robinson set up finals clash in men's 400
American fortunes were as good as could be predicted in the men's 400 heats, where world leader and pending world record holder Khaleb McRae overcame an early bobble to easily win the sixth and final heat in 46.09 to secure his spot in the semifinal and record the fourth fastest time overall. Earlier, Christopher Robinson never looked troubled in winning the second heat in 46.34 to also move on. The new World Athletics format for the final will have two equally weighted sections of four men each running against time for the medals.
Robinson yielded pole position to Brazil's Matheus Lima and then moved wide into lane three down the final 50m stretch to win the first semifinal in 45.46, and McRae bookended that win with a commanding gun-to-finish win in the fourth and final semi, clocking 45.39 for the second fastest time overall.
With seven heats on the schedule, only the top two in each heat and the next two fastest would advance to the semifinal in the women's 400. Running in the fourth heat against Polish favorite Natalia Bukowiecka, Bailey Lear measured her effort and ran on the heels of the Pole all the way but was outleaned at the line by Spain's Paula Sevilla and placed third in 51.87. That turned out to be enough to earn the final time qualifier spot. Rosey Effiong went to the lead in the second heat with a very fast first lap, but paid the price down the homestretch and ended up third in 52.13 and did not advance.
In the evening session, Lear was third in the first semifinal in 52.07 and did not advance to the final with the ninth fastest time overall.
Lutkenhaus, Dolan & Wiley advance from 800 first round
The youngest man ever to don the U.S. uniform at the World Indoor Championships, Cooper Lutkenhaus looked like a seasoned vet in the second heat of the men's 800. The 17-year-old Texan bided his time as Marino Bloudek of Croatia made the pace through the opening laps, and he stayed out of trouble in lane two all the way to the finish where he placed second in 1:46.24 to assure himself a spot in the semis.
Sean Dolan achieved his World Indoors qualifying standard with a lifetime best two weeks ago, and he backed that form up with a strong effort in the final heat to grab third in 1:46.17 and join Lutkenhaus in the next round.
USATF champion Addison Wiley took over the lead with just over a lap to go in the third heat of the women's 800 and held off a late push by Australia's Hayley Kitching to win in 2:00.85 and advance to the semifinal. After weaving her way through traffic throughout the fourth heat, Valery Tobias managed to secure second place but was subsequently disqualified when officials determined she had run on the inside line of her lane in the first 150 meters.
TEAM USATF MEDALS (3)
Gold (2)
Women's Shot Put – Chase Jackson, 20.14/66-1 Men's 60 – Jordan Anthony, 6.41
Silver (0)
Bronze (1)
Men's 60 – Trayvon Bromell, 6.45