TORUN, Poland — A quintet of silvers boosted Team USATF to a huge lead on the World Athletics Indoor Championships medal table Saturday at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena, taking the U.S. total to 10. The American squad also moved farther ahead in the point standings with 90, 54 in front of the next best nation, Jamaica.
Hocker, Mackay sprint to silver in 3000
Two years ago, Josh Kerr of Great Britain raced to victory in the men's 3000, and he used very smart tactics to regain his title with a hard surge over the final two laps to win in 7:35.56 ahead of a fast-finishing Cole Hocker, who earned silver in 7:35.70. France's Yann Schrub was .01 behind Hocker for bronze.
There was no apparent interest in fast running over the first kilometer with Hocker leading in 2:38.50 and Yared Nuguse third two strides behind him, but the pace picked up progressively and the Ethiopian pair of Addisu Yihune and Getnet Wale took over at the front to pull the field through 2K in 5:10.57. Yihune and Wale continued to make the pace with three laps remaining, and Hocker and Nuguse were joined by Kerr and Schrub in medal contention.
At the bell Yihune and Kerr were virtually even as Nuguse and Hocker struggled to stay in the hunt and headed into the final bend Kerr was in commanding position for gold while Schrub and Hocker were battling for the runner-up spot. Hocker made his patented mad dash over the final 50m and overtook Schrub for silver but couldn't quite catch Kerr. Nuguse ended up fifth in 7:37.08.
Something bad was bound to happen when the first 1K of the women's 3000 went out in 3:15, slower than slow pace that had the 15-woman pack way too close together for comfort. Jostling in the middle of the pack on the seventh lap resulted in Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu, the defending champion, being pushed to the track. Hailu got back up when the field had hurdled over her prostrate form, but that left her with a huge gap to make up. By 2K Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan had the lead in 6:16.42 as the pace had picked up quite a bit, and USATF champion Emily Mackay was in fourth with the field still separated by less than two seconds.
Mackay moved into second on the next lap, but Italy's Nadia Battocletti pushed past her and took the lead with three to go. Battocletti, Jessica Hull of Australia and Aleshign Baweke of Ethiopia were in medal position with two laps remaining, and then Mackay passed Baweke to take over third at the bell. Battocletti used a 28.54 final 200 to capture gold in 8:57.64, with Mackay out leaning Hull for silver by .06 seconds in 8:58.12. Margot Appleton placed 14th in 9:12.57.
Silver and bronze for U.S. heptathletes behind Ehammer WR
On world record pace and leading by 38 points after the first day in the men's heptathlon, Switzerland's Simon Ehammer put the gold out of reach right away Saturday morning with a world heptathlon best of 7.52 to win the 60 hurdles. Heath Baldwin ran the best race of his life to clock 7.80, but Kyle Garland clattered some barriers and struggled to an 8.21 to drop farther behind Ehammer.
The Swiss star extended his lead with a superb 5.30/17-4.5 to win the pole vault, and Baldwin moved into second in the point standings with a best of 5.00/16-4.75, while Garland dropped to third after going over 4.70/15-5.
Headed into the final event, Ehammer needed to run 2:43.26 or faster in the 1000 to take the world record from 2012 away from American legend Ashton Eaton. Near perfect pacing carried Ehammer to a lifetime best of 2:41.04 and Eaton's record was history as the Swiss stalwart tallied 6,670 points to add 25 to Eaton's global standard.
Baldwin ran a great race to finish in 2:39.06 and set a lifetime best of 6,337 for silver, with Garland gamely hanging on to bronze with a 2:43.43 to score 6,245. Baldwin's performance elevated him to No. 8 on all-time U.S. performer list. It was the first two-medal effort by U.S. heptathletes at this meet since 2010 and only the second time that has been done by an American duo.
McRae earns silver in men's 400
Imitating the format used in NCAA Indoor Championships finals, the men's 400 was run in two sections for the first time at the World Indoors, with the two fastest semifinal winners in the second section. Christopher Robinson bolted to the front in the first section and seized the pole position at the break to hit 200 in 21.13 with a .15 lead over Hungary's Attila Molnar. That lead was never relinquished on the way to a 45.55 victory.
The two fastest men in history indoors and the two fastest semi winners went mano-a-mano in the next race and Khaleb McRae set a torrid pace through 200 in 20.74, which turned out to be perhaps a bit too much. McRae continued to lead through 300 in 31.90 but into the final straight he was caught by Canada's Christopher Morales Williams, who powered through to win in a meet record 44.76 with McRae securing silver in 45.03 and Jereem Richards of Trinidad bronze in 45.39. McRae's time is the fastest ever run by an American at this meet.
Sears takes silver in meet's deepest women's 60 ever
The deepest quality finish in meet history saw Italy's Zaynab Dosso complete her collection of medals with a stellar 7.00 for gold, moving one step up the podium from last year. USATF champion Jacious Sears tied her season best with a good technical race to earn silver in 7.03, .003 ahead of Olympic 100 champion Julien Alfred of St. Lucia, who also clocked 7.03. It was the first U.S. medal in the event since 2022. All eight finalists ran 7.10 or faster for the first time ever.
Dosso was best in the semis with a 7.00 in section two, with Sears taking second behind Alfred in the first section at 7.04. Jaslyn Gardner ran 7.27 in the heats in her international debut and did not advance to the semifinal.
After hot heats, Cunningham gets 60H bronze
Poland's Jakub Szymanski blew the roof off the arena with a 7.40 to take gold in the men's 60 hurdles, giving the home crowd their first victory to celebrate. Spain's Enrique Llopis set a national record of 7.42 for silver, while Trey Cunningham clipped the third and fifth barriers and was slowed just enough to have to settle for bronze in 7.43.
Cunningham was one of three men who came into this meet with a world-leading 7.37 in the 60 hurdles to his credit this season, and in the sixth and final heat he stamped his authority with a 7.45 that was technically almost flawless and the fastest of all the heats. USATF champion Dylan Beard was an easy winner of the second heat with a 7.50 in spite of a start that left him a half-step behind Saguirou Badamassi of Niger, who ended up setting a national record of his own.
In the semis, Cunningham again ran a near-perfect race and lowered his PB to 7.35 to move to No. 5 on the all-time world performer list and No. 3 on the U.S. all-time performer list. Beard was perhaps fortunate to not be slowed more when he clattered a couple barriers in the first section, but he pushed through to finish second in 7.46. Unfortunately, Beard was injured in his semi and withdrew from the final.
Bradford top American in the Mondo Show
As expected, Sweden's world record holder Mondo Duplantis dominated the men's pole vault, winning his fourth straight World Indoor title with a championship record clearance at 6.25/20-6. It was the third highest vault in indoor history. Greece's Emmanouil Karalis snagged the silver with a best of 6.05/19-10.25, and Australia's Kurtis Marschall earned bronze at 6.00/19-8.25. USATF champion Zach Bradford was the top American in fifth, clearing 5.95/19-6.25, while Chris Nilsen tied for ninth at 5.70/18-8.25.
Foul at first exchange dooms mixed 4x400 medal hopes
Disaster struck at the first exchange in the inaugural mixed 4x400 relay when Team USATF's Sara Reifenrath was pushed to the track during the melee that was 12 athletes trying to pass the stick. Jevon O'Bryant had the second fastest opening split with a 47.13 and as he handed the baton to Reifenrath she was pushed twice by the outgoing Jamaican runner and went down. After she got back to her feet, Reifenrath managed to clock 56.13 and pass to Steven McElroy five seconds behind the leaders. McElroy had too much to make up but gamely split 46.13 and Taiya Shelby closed it out with a 51.94 to finish in 3:21.35 in sixth. Jamaica was subsequently disqualified for the infractions at the first exchange, moving the U.S. to fifth.
Perez Hernandez defends triple jump crown, Moore seventh
Cuba's Leyanis Perez Hernandez defended her title in the women's triple jump with a round two leap of 14.95/49-0.75 and held off three-time champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela, who took silver at 14.86/48-9 in her return to championship competition after a devastating injury in 2024. Senegal's Sally Sar improved her lifetime best to 14.70/48-2.75 for bronze.
American record holder Jasmine Moore opened with a season best 14.33/47-0.25, a distance ever bettered indoors by only she and two other Americans, and that placed her seventh. Ryann Porter had a best of 13.01/42-8.25 in round two and placed 16th.
Lutkenhaus stuns, Wiley sets PB in 800 semis
The kid is for real, for real. Facing the toughest of three semifinal heats in the men's 800, 17-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus confidently followed the rapid opening pace of Poland's Maciej Wyderka and went through 400 a quarter second behind the local favorite in 50.46. As those two came to the bell at 600, Lutkenhaus powered by and seized the lead in 1:16.93. From there it was a fait accompli as the young American sailed across the finish line in 1:44.29, the fastest ever by a U.S. athlete at the championships and the third fastest of any runner. His time was also the ninth fastest ever indoors by an American.
Sean Dolan acquitted himself very well in the final semi, holding second place through 200 in 24.57 and 400 in 51.55. The USATF Indoors runner-up went through 600 in 1:19.05, .1 behind leader Eliott Crestan of Belgium, but was coming under pressure from the rest of the field. Off the final turn, Marino Bloudek of Croatia laid down a furious finish to pass a slowing Dolan and snag the all-important second spot. Dolan held on for third in 1:46.45 but did not secure advancement to the final.
Lining up against world indoor record holder and reigning Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson of Britain in the semifinal of the women's 800, USATF champion Addison Wiley tucked into second as they went by 400 in a very quick 57.55. Both women kept up the rapid tempo as they established a significant gap over the remainder of the field through 600 in 1:28.22 and they closed out the heat to record the two fastest times overall with Hodgkinson winning in 1:58.53 and Wiley notching an indoor lifetime best of 1:58.53 in second to make the final.
TEAM USATF MEDALS (10)
Gold (2)
Women's Shot Put – Chase Jackson, 20.14/66-1 Men's 60 – Jordan Anthony, 6.41
Silver (5)
Men's 400 – Khaleb McRae, 45.03 Men's Heptathlon – Heath Baldwin, 6,337 Women's 3000 – Emily Mackay, 8:58.12 Men's 3000 – Cole Hocker, 7:35.70 Women's 60 – Jacious Sears, 7.03 Bronze (3) Men's 60 – Trayvon Bromell, 6.45 Men's Heptathlon – Kyle Garland, 6,245 Men's 60 Hurdles – Trey Cunningham, 7.43