TORUN, Poland — Three golds and eight total medals Sunday at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena closed out Team USATF's third and final day at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, putting the U.S. atop the medal table with 18, five of them gold. The next highest medal total was five each by Spain and Italy. The U.S. also dominated the team points table, outscoring the nearest nation by more than 100.
Majestic men's 4x400 effort gives U.S. gold and meet record
A little bit of early argy-bargy might have hampered American Justin Robinson on the opening leg of the men's 4x400 but he stayed calm and stuck to Belgium's leadoff man to hand off the baton in second after a 46.15 split. Christopher Robinson, who was fourth in the open 400, quickly put the golden hopes of any other nation to rest with a 45.16 carry that gave the U.S. a lead of more than a second. Demarius Smith confidently maintained that lead and clocked 45.56 to hand off to 400 silver medalist and pending world record holder Khaleb McRae. McRae pulled away from the field some more with a 44.65 leg that stopped the clock at a meet record of 3:01.52. It was the 12th gold in the event for Team USATF at the World Indoor Championships and took down the meet record of 3:01.77 by Poland in 2018.
Women's 4x400 caps off gold rush for U.S.
Coming into the final event of the Championships it was a given that the women's 4x400 relay would be a nail-biter. There was no heavy favorite, with quality runners across the six nations on the oval. The top contenders quickly separated themselves on the opening leg, with the Netherlands passing first and the U.S. in third after a solid 51.47 by Bailey Lear. Lear handed off to Rosey Effiong, who sped to the lead and split 50.83 to establish a half-second lead over Poland and the Netherlands. Effiong handed off to former Arkansas teammate Paris Peoples and Peoples covered the two laps in 52.02 to maintain a safe margin over the Netherlands, leaving it up to 2024 Olympic 4x400 gold medalist Shamier Little to do the honors of closing out the sixth American victory in meet history. Little was a commanding presence and guarded the gold well, splitting 51.49 to stop the clock at 3:25.81 for the win over the Netherlands (3:26.00) and fast-finishing Spain (3:26.04).
Lutkenhaus youngest gold medalist ever
Racing in a way that belied his youth, 17-year-old Texan Cooper Lutkenhaus became the youngest ever world indoor champion with a 1:44.24 to take the gold in the men's 800 over a star-studded field. Lutkenhaus was fourth after the first lap but was clearly not interested in staying that far behind as he turned on the jets and took the lead by 300 and shared it with Belgium's Eliott Crestan through 400 in 52.0. Those two were virtually even at the bell in 1:18 before Lutkenhaus started to move away down the final backstretch. He closed in 13.33 for the final 100 to close the door on his challengers and become not only the youngest ever champion in any event, but also the youngest medalist period at 17 years and 93 days of age. Crestan took silver in 1:44.38 and Spain's Mohamed Attaoui earned bronze in 1:44.66.
The previous youngest gold medalist at 18 years and 61 days was Ethiopia's Mohammed Aman in the 800 in 2012, and Cuba's Javier Sotomayor was the previous youngest medalist, earning high jump silver in 1985 at 17 years, 97 days. Lutkenhaus' time was the eighth fastest ever indoors by an American.
Double medal day for Geist, Steen in men's shot put
World Indoor Tour winner Jordan Geist threw down the gauntlet on his first attempt in the men's shot put, hitting 21.64/71-0 to take a big lead that would hold until New Zealand's Tom Walsh launched a 21.66/71-0.75 in the fifth round to take over gold medal position. Geist followed his big opener with four fouls and finished with a 21.38/70-1.75 in round six to earn silver behind Walsh, who improved to a season best 21.82/71-7.25 on his last toss to defend his 2025 gold and win his fourth career World Indoor title. It was the seventh straight medal at this meet for the Kiwi. Roger Steen started slowly but improved on each of his five legal attempts and had a 21.49/70-6.25 on his final throw to claim the bronze. Josh Awotunde ended up sixth at 20.96/68-9.25.
Hall No. 2 all-time U.S. score earns silver in pentathlon
Needing to beat Sofie Dokter of the Netherlands by about eight seconds in the 800, the final event of the women's pentathlon, to take the gold, 2025 world heptathlon champion Anna Hall gave it a valiant go but fell just short. Hall finished in 2:06.32, but Dokter willed herself across the line in 2:12.27, giving her a final point total of 4,888 to Hall's 4,860. Ireland's Kate O'Connor set a national record of 4,839 for bronze. Allie Jones, a late replacement, scored 2,994 through four events but did not start the 800.
Hall started the day with the fastest time overall in the 60 hurdles at 8.18 but fell far off her season best in the high jump, clearing only 1.84/6-0.5 to fall behind Dokter, who went over 1.87/6-1.5. A season best of 14.23 on Hall's last throw in the shot put closed the gap a bit, but Dokter piled up points in the long jump with a best of 6.52/21-4.75 to Hall's 6.21/20-4.5 season best. Hall's score was the second highest in U.S. history behind only the American record of 5,004 that she set at Albuquerque in 2023.
Hiltz outkicks Guillemot for 1500 bronze
Ethiopia's Birke Haylom had a bold strategy in the women's 1500, sprinting to the lead and opening up a huge gap over the rest of the field by 800 in 2:05.3, more than three seconds up on her nearest challenger. That lead shrunk a bit over the next lap as the field saw a chance to catch Haylom, and Georgia Hunter Bell of Britain was at the front of the challengers with USATF champion and 2024 silver medalist Nikki Hiltz hanging close in sixth and Gracie Morris eighth. Hunter Bell and the chase pack closed within 1.5 seconds at 1200, and at the bell it was evident that Haylom was toast in terms of medals.
Hunter Bell was leading down the final backstretch and 3000 bronze medalist Jessica Hull was right behind her with France's Agathe Guillemot and Hiltz trying to catch her. The Brit staved off all challengers through the finish line, winning in a world-leading 3:58.53, with Hull setting an Oceania area record for silver in 3:59.45 and Hiltz surging past Guillemot for bronze in a lifetime best 3:59.68, the third fastest time ever by an American. Morris finished seventh in 4:03.75.
Wiley takes bronze in 800
With Britain's Keely Hodgkinson in top form after breaking the women's 800 world record earlier this season, the gold was always hers to lose, and she made sure that wouldn't happen by opening up a lead right from the gun. Hodgkinson went through 400 in 56.95 with Ethiopia's Nigist Getachew and Switzerland's Audrey Werro in tow, and USATF champion Addison Wiley in fourth. Going by 600 in 1:26.46 and almost a second up on the nearest challenger, Hodgkinson covered the final circuit in 28.84 to finish in 1:55.30, a meet record and the second fastest indoor time ever. Werro grabbed silver with a Swiss record 1:56.64, and Wiley outkicked Getachew for bronze in a lifetime best of 1:58.36. Wiley's time moved her to No. 3 on the all-time U.S. indoor performer list.
Davis 5th in men's long jump
Portugal's Gerson Balde smashed his own national record and upset a host of more favored men in the long jump with a world-leading 8.46/27-9.25 on his final attempt. Last year's champion, Mattia Furlani of Italy, had to settle for silver with a best of 8.39/27-6.5, and previous world leader Bozhidar Saraboyukov of Bulgaria took bronze at 8.31/27-3.25.
Flying out to a season best of 8.21/26-11.25 on his fifth attempt, Jeremiah Davis placed fifth in a fascinating men's long jump final. Davis, the runner-up at the USATF Indoors, was way behind the board on his first attempt and gave up more than 28cm on a 7.69/25-2.75 effort. He rebounded with an 8.09/26-6.5 in round two and had two more leaps near 8.00 before his big jump. Davis neared his best on his sixth try, spanning 8.16/26-9.25. USATF champion Steffin McCarter was 12th with a best of 7.89/25-10.75.
Green sixth in tactical 1500
As often happens in championship 1500 racing the men in the final were hesitant to push the pace and the field went through 800 in 2:05 with Spain's Mariano Garcia at the fore and USATF winner Nathan Green perched in third. Garcia, who won the 800 at this meet in 2022, cranked up the pace on the fifth lap and Green was hard-pressed to keep his place in the medals as last year's outdoor world champion, Isaac Nader of Portugal, was closest to Garcia. A 26-second next circuit by the Spaniard really put pressure on the rest of the field and Green was pushing hard to stay in sixth. At the bell Garcia had a slight margin over Nader, with Italy's Federico Riva in third, and Green was seventh. Nobody could catch Garcia off the last bend, and he ran on for gold in 3:39.63 ahead of Nader (3:40.06) and Adam Spencer of Australia, who took bronze in 3:40.26. Green clocked 3:40.78 for sixth.
Armstrong sixth in 60H
Defending the titles she won the past two years, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas tied her own world indoor record in the women's 60 hurdles with a 7.65 that came despite a bobble at the start. Nadine Visser of the Netherlands and Pia Skrzysowska of Poland had the same time at 7.73, with Visser getting the nod for silver by .005 seconds. Alia Armstrong was sixth in 7.85. Danae Dyer set a lifetime best of 7.90 in the first round and then ran 7.92 in the semis to just miss the final.
Moore, Nichols go 7-8 in long jump
Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Moore got things under way in the women's long jump with a good opening attempt of 6.70/21-11.75 but followed that with three fouls and a 6.52/21-4.75 in round five to place seventh. Monae' Nichols went 6.66/21-10.25 on her second try and was eighth. Gold went to Agate de Sousa of Portugal at 6.92/22-8.5, with Italy's Larissa Iapichino earning silver at 6.87/22-6.5 and Natalia Linares of Colombia the bronze at 6.80/22-3.75.
Mercier ninth in international championship pole vault debut
Britain's Molly Caudery won the women's pole vault as the only athlete to clear 4.85/15-11. Tina Sutej of Slovenia earned silver at 4.80/15-9, and there was a three-way tie for bronze. Setting a lifetime best of 4.70/15-5 after second attempt clearances at her first two heights, Jessica Mercier was ninth. USATF champion Chloe Timberg went over the opening height of 4.35/14-3.25 on her first attempt but couldn't manage 4.55/14-11 and placed 12th
Both 4x4s safely advance to final
Knowing they had to run a safe and solid race in the second heat of the women's 4x400 relay to secure a lane in the final, the U.S. women did just that with a 3:28.36 win. Paris Peoples was in lane six to open up and handed off in second with a 52.25 leg. From there, Brianna White took over and a 52.31 carry kept the Americans in second but basically level with Portugal. Abbey Glynn grabbed the lead right away on the third leg and ran 52.13 to put the U.S. in a lead that would not be lost. Glynn handed off to the vastly experienced Shamier Little and there was an air of certainty as she steadily pulled away with a 51.67 anchor to seal the victory and advancement.
In the first heat of the men's 4x400 relay, Elija Godwin ran the leadoff leg for the U.S. and went out strongly before fading a bit heading into the first exchange, splitting 47.11 in fourth to pass to Demarius Smith. Smith patiently made up ground on the leaders with a 45.85 carry and gained one place to hand off in third to Justin Robinson. Robinson dashed to the lead on the first lap and finished well to give the baton to TJ Tomlyanovich with a small lead on the strength of his 45.91 split. Tomlyanovich ran wide for much of the final leg and was caught down the last 50 to place third in 3:04.85 with a 45.98 leg. That was good enough to earn a spot in the final as a time qualifier.
TEAM USATF MEDALS (18)
Gold (5)
Women's Shot Put – Chase Jackson, 20.14/66-1 Men's 60 – Jordan Anthony, 6.41 Men's 800 – Cooper Lutkenhaus, 1:44.24 Men's 4x400 – Justin Robinson, Christopher Robinson, Demarius Smith, Khaleb McRae, 3:01.52 meet record Women's 4x400 – Bailey Lear, Rosey Effiong, Paris Peoples, Shamier Little, 3:25.81
Silver (7)
Men's 400 – Khaleb McRae, 45.03 Men's Heptathlon – Heath Baldwin, 6,337 pts. Women's 3000 – Emily Mackay, 8:58.12 Men's 3000 – Cole Hocker, 7:35.70 Women's 60 – Jacious Sears, 7.03 Men's Shot Put – Jordan Geist, 21.64/71-0 Women's Pentathlon – Anna Hall, 4,860 pts.
Bronze (6)
Men's 60 – Trayvon Bromell, 6.45 Men's Heptathlon – Kyle Garland, 6,245 pts. Men's 60 Hurdles – Trey Cunningham, 7.43 Men's Shot Put – Roger Steen, 21.49/70-6.25 Women's 1500 – Nikki Hiltz, 3:59.68 Women's 800 – Addison Wiley, 1:58.36