For thousands of people watching the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25, Pais Wisil&rsquo;s performance in the men&rsquo;s 60m may have gone largely unnoticed. But for the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea, it marked a major breakthrough.
Not only did Wisil break the national indoor record, clocking 6.66 in the heats to chop 0.13 off the mark set 30 years ago by Pete Pulu, but he also became the first athlete from Papua New Guinea to advance to the semifinal stage at a senior global athletics championships.
Gone are the days when athletes from Papua New Guinea would simply fill a lane in the &lsquo;preliminary&rsquo; round at major championships; following his experience in Nanjing, Wisil now has his sights set on the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 where he aims to show that athletes from small island nations can compete alongside the world&rsquo;s best.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/682c77849c12d9bd95bbd128.jpg" alt="Sprinter Pais Wisil" />
Sprinter Pais Wisil (&copy; Athletics Papua New Guinea)
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&ldquo;I was very excited to qualify for the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing this year,&rdquo; said Wisil, who followed up his national record in the heats with a 6.73 run in the semifinals. &ldquo;It was my goal from the start of last year when I first started training in Australia.
&ldquo;To get the opportunity to compete with the best on a world stage is just the start of my goals. The stadium was amazing &ndash; it was my first ever time competing indoors and I loved it. Everyone was so kind: the organisers, the officials &ndash; it was as though they knew it was my first time, and they did their best to make me feel comfortable. The crowd was crazy; they cheered for every athlete and were so supportive. They motivated me to run faster.&rdquo;
Less than a week before competing in Nanjing, Wisil had broken another one of Pulu&rsquo;s national records from 1995, clocking 10.24 over 100m at the Queensland Track and Field Championships in Brisbane. He&rsquo;s hoping to revise it further as the season progresses.
&ldquo;My goals for this season are to continue learning with each race,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t put together a complete race yet, and I&rsquo;m excited for when I do. Obviously, I want to continue to lower my national records, improve my 200m (21.49), and hopefully achieve selection for the World Championships.&rdquo;
In his quest to compete on the sport&rsquo;s biggest stages, Wisil has the perfect role model in the form of his older sister Toea. She represented Papua New Guinea at three Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016) and two World Championships (2013 and 2017). She also holds the women&rsquo;s national records at every sprint distance (11.29 for 100m, 23.13 for 200m and 53.19 for 400m).
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/682c77e40d2134785c91ef8a.jpg" alt="Toea Wisil (right) running alongside Allyson Felix at the London 2012 Olympic Games" />
Toea Wisil (right) running alongside Allyson Felix at the London 2012 Olympic Games (&copy; Getty Images)
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Meanwhile their older brother Kupun, also a sprinter, represented Papua New Guinea in the 100m at two Commonwealth Games.
&ldquo;It is an amazing blessing for my family that both my sister Toea and I now hold multiple national records between us,&rdquo; said Wisil. &ldquo;My brother Kupun was also a very talented athlete and seeing both he and Toea compete (when I was younger) and the opportunities it gave them in life got me very interested.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been so fortunate this year to be invited to compete in some of the Continental Tour meets and I really want to thank the meet organisers for giving me these opportunities. With the World Athletics rankings systems, it is important for me to try and increase my points and I will take all these opportunities to do it.&rdquo;
With continued racing opportunities on the international circuit, Wisil hopes to earn his place at the World Championships in Tokyo &ndash; and ensure that Papua New Guinea is once again represented beyond the first round.
Maphuti Hlako for World Athletics

World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025

For thousands of people watching the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25, Pais Wisil’s performance in the men’s 60m may have gone largely unnoticed. But for the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea, it marked a major breakthrough.

Wisil targets more history in Tokyo after tasting global stage in Nanjing

The three fastest men&rsquo;s 400m hurdlers in history will clash twice within three days when they compete at the Wanda Diamond League meetings in Oslo and Stockholm next month.
First, the trio of Karsten Warholm,&nbsp;Rai Benjamin&nbsp;and Alison dos Santos will race over 300m hurdles at the Oslo Bislett Games on 12 June. They will then resume their rivalry in the 400m hurdles on 15 June, when they compete at the BAUHAUS-Galan in Stockholm.
USA&rsquo;s Benjamin is the Olympic champion, Norway&rsquo;s Warholm the world record-holder and three-time world champion, and Brazil&rsquo;s Dos Santos the 2022 world champion.
Warholm set the world record of 45.94 when getting Olympic gold in Tokyo, while Benjamin is No.2 all time with his 46.17 from that same race. Dos Santos clocked 46.29 to win his world title in Oregon and between them the three athletes own the 18 fastest performances of all time.
&ldquo;It will be a fantastic weekend with 300m hurdles in Oslo on Thursday and then 400m hurdles in Stockholm on Sunday, both with the three fastest of all time,&rdquo; said Benjamin.
&ldquo;This is the first time I will compete in these two historic competitions, which makes it even more interesting. What more could you want?&rdquo;
The Oslo meeting will see the trio clash in the 300m hurdles for the first time and Warholm is fresh from setting a world best of 33.05 for the discipline at the Diamond League season opener in Xiamen last month.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking forward to it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s extra exciting and fun when the best compete in the same race.&rdquo;

The three fastest men’s 400m hurdlers in history will clash twice within three days when they compete at the Wanda Diamond League meetings in Oslo and Stockholm

Benjamin, Warholm and Dos Santos to battle in Oslo and Stockholm

A series of Olympic rematches will take place at the BAUHAUS-galan, this season&rsquo;s seventh Wanda Diamond League meeting, in Stockholm on 15 June.
Wanda Diamond League champion Matt Denny will take on home favourite Daniel Stahl in a discus duel, while Emmanuel Wanyonyi will clash with Djamel Sedjati in the 800m.
Mondo Duplantis will line up alongside Emmanouil Karalis in the pole vault and Tara Davis-Woodhall will take on Malaika Mihambo in the long jump.
Denny and Stahl will form part of a star-studded discus field in Stockholm. Olympic bronze medallist Denny threw an Oceanian record of 74.78m in Ramona in April to move to second on the world all-time list. He then won on his Diamond League season opener in Doha, throwing 68.97m to beat two-time world champion and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Stahl.
Slovenia&rsquo;s 2022 world champion Kristjan Ceh was third on that occasion and he joins Denny and Stahl in Stockholm, along with Jamaica&rsquo;s Olympic champion Roje Stona.
&ldquo;It is always special to compete in Stockholm,&rdquo; said Denny. &ldquo;I am in the form of my life, and I really want to give the crowd something to remember. The stadium has so much history, and I have had some fantastic moments there in recent years.&rdquo;
Kenya&rsquo;s Wanyonyi and Algeria&rsquo;s Sedjati got gold and bronze respectively at the Olympic Games in Paris last year and they renew their rivalry in Stockholm where they will be joined by Gabriel Tual of France, who finished third behind Sedjati and Wanyonyi at the Paris Diamond League last year, in one of the fastest 800m races in history.
Sweden&rsquo;s multiple Olympic and world pole vault champion Duplantis will compete with Olympic and world medallist Karalis of Greece in a battle between six-metre-plus vaulters, while USA&rsquo;s Davis-Woodhall will take on her predecessor as Olympic champion, Germany&rsquo;s Mihambo, in the long jump.
And, after clashing in the 300m hurdles in Oslo, the three fastest men&rsquo;s 400m hurdlers in history will resume their rivalry just three days later in Stockholm.&nbsp;
USA&rsquo;s Olympic champion Rai Benjamin, world record-holder Karsten Warholm of Norway and Diamond League champion Alison dos Santos of Brazil will all compete in the 400m hurdles in Stockholm.

A series of Olympic rematches will take place at the BAUHAUS-galan

Top clashes set for Stockholm Diamond League

Global gold medallists Keely Hodgkinson, Femke Bol and Molly Caudery have been announced for the London Athletics Meet, a Wanda Diamond League meeting, on 19 July.
Great Britain&rsquo;s Hodgkinson made 800m history at the 2024 event with a meeting record and national record of 1:54.61, moving her up to sixth on the world all-time list. It was the perfect preparation for Paris where she won Olympic gold, adding to a CV that also includes Olympic silver and two world silver medals.
&ldquo;It was such a dream to compete in the Olympic stadium and I&rsquo;m so excited to get back out there and see what I can do,&rdquo; she said.
&ldquo;That race really set me up for what I did in Paris. I&rsquo;m now an Olympic champion which is a pretty amazing thing to say out loud, but I still haven&rsquo;t won world gold, so I have really big goals this summer. Having that crowd behind me in London, plus a bunch of super-quick ladies to race against, will be the best possible preparation as I build towards the World Championships in Tokyo.&rdquo;
Dutch star Bol returns to race the 400m hurdles in the stadium where she set the Diamond League record of 51.30 last year, eclipsing the 51.45 mark she had set at the same venue 12 months earlier.
Bol also set a European record of 50.95 in Switzerland last summer, taking half a second off her lifetime best. She went on to win mixed 4x400m gold, women&rsquo;s 4x400m silver and 400m hurdles bronze at the Olympic Games in Paris.
In September, she was crowned Diamond League champion for the fourth successive year.
&ldquo;My first run in London in 2023 was a dream come true, and to go even quicker in 2024 was incredible,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;There is just something so special about competing in that stadium.&rdquo;
Britain&rsquo;s Caudery, the 2024 world indoor pole vault champion, started her season with a win by vaulting 4.75m in Doha and will be hoping to build on that in front of a home crowd.
&ldquo;To be back competing in London this summer is such a huge motivation for me,&rdquo; she said.
They will be joined in London by Morgan Lake, the British high jump record-holder.
Hodgkinson has also been confirmed for the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm on 15 June, where she will go up against her compatriots Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell, while Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi will also be in action in the men&rsquo;s event in Stockholm.
Also at the BAUHAUS-galan will be Britain&rsquo;s Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita, who will join Olympic champion Julian Alfred and Julia Henriksson in the 100m.

Global gold medallists Keely Hodgkinson, Femke Bol and Molly Caudery have been announced for the London Athletics Meet

Hodgkinson, Bol and Caudery added to London line-up

There are not many road records still standing from 2007, but one has just survived for another 12 months.
Micah Kogo&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s course record of 27:21 from that year&rsquo;s Great Manchester Run &ndash; then the seventh quickest in history but now just the 135th &ndash; is still on the books thanks to a considerable head wind in the &lsquo;back&rsquo; part of this course starting and ending in Manchester city centre.
It no doubt played a part in Selemon Barega&rsquo;s winning time of 27:49, though the difficult element didn&rsquo;t seem to bother emerging Ethiopian star Medina Eisa, who triumphed with impressive negative splits in the women&rsquo;s race in 30:42.
Eisa was part of a nine-woman group at halfway with former winners Gotytom Gebreslase and Hellen Obiri. They passed 5km in 15:36, then Eisa let rip with a 2:59 sixth kilometre. Manchester United&rsquo;s football ground Old Trafford looked down as Eisa put the opposition out of sight with a 2:58 seventh kilometre. That tempo slowed but she still continued to pull away with a 15:08 second half.
Obiri battled Gebreslase for second, but then both were closed down and passed by USA&rsquo;s Emily Sisson, who finished second in 31:03.
A lot has happened to Barega since his last road 10km race at age 17 in 2017. On that occasion he won the Great Ethiopian Run in 28:37; now he has won the &lsquo;Great&rsquo; Manchester 10km in 27:49. In the meantime, of course, he became Olympic 10,000m champion in 2021, but now his priority is road running.
The race came down to him, defending champion Vincent Ngetich and the exciting Uruguayan, Santiago Catrofe. That trio broke clear at halfway. Then, in the last kilometre, the Ethiopian showed some of the speed which took him to gold at Tokyo 2021.
Apart from the wind, conditions were perfect on a day when more than 30,000 contested waves of races at both 10km and half marathons. The starting gun was jointly fired by the 1964, 2004 and 2024 Olympic 800m champions: Ann Packer (now 83), Kelly Holmes and Keely Hodgkinson.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Medina Eisa (ETH) 30:42 2 Emily Sisson (USA) 31:03 3 Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) 31:11 4 Hellen Obiri (KEN) 31:16 5 Isobel Batt-Doyle (AUS) 31:30 6 Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 31:35
Men 1 Selemon Barega (ETH) 27:49 2 Santiago Catrofe (URU) 27:52 3 Vincent Ngetich (KEN) 27:58 4 Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 28:21 5 Alfie Manthorpe (GBR) 28:22 6 Brett Robinson (AUS) 28:27

Medina Eisa (30:42) and Selemon Barega take top honours at the Great Manchester Run

Eisa and Barega secure Ethiopian double at Great Manchester Run

Italy's Massimo Stano broke the short-lived world 35km race walk record at the European Race Walking Team Championships - a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting - in Podebrady on Sunday (18) by a massive 57 seconds.
The 2:20:43 recorded by the 2021 Olympic champion comfortably eclipsed the 2:21:40 set by Canadian Evan Dunfee in March, which in itself was seven seconds quicker than the 2:21:47 recorded by Japan's Masatora Kawano last October.
Stano took the lead at 23km, and went through the gears to record laps under 4:00/min in the closing stages. In fact, 5km short of the finish the Italian notched an incredible 3:54 for his 30th circuit.
He was actively encouraging the crowd around the spa town course to cheer him to the finish and looked barely out of breath as he crossed the line.
In the far distance, Christopher Linke took silver with a German record of 2:23:21, while Miguel Angel Lopez set a Spanish record of 2:23:48 in third.
Poland's Maher Ben Hlima led early on and went through 20km in 1:21:08, 34 seconds ahead of Stano, who in turn was slightly ahead of Linke and significantly ahead of Lopez.
But Stano stormed through to take over, recording 2:00:57 at 30km with a 3:54 lap. That was all he needed to know that a world record was within reach, and he duly delivered when crossing the line in 2:20:43.
&nbsp;
Maria Perez survived a toilet break during the women&rsquo;s race to come home first by 36 seconds.
The enforced stop did nothing to halt the Spanish double world champion, who broke the world record on this course two years ago with 2:37:15.
This time she had to settle for a world-leading 2:38:59, but it was more than good enough to head 2021 Olympic 20km champion Antonella Palmisano, who was making her debut at the distance.
Even so, the Italian broke her country&rsquo;s national record by more than two minutes and became the seventh woman to better the 2:40 barrier. Palmisano&rsquo;s 2:39:35 was excellent, but Perez was always in control.
Italy's Nicole Colombi finished third in a PB of 2:41:47 and Hanna Shevchuk placed fourth in a Ukrainian record of 2:42:41 to underline a top-class field.
Perez recorded 1:31:45 at 20km, only to need that stop halfway through the 21st lap. But by 25km, she was still 32 seconds clear of anyone else.
Palmisano pushed hard over the closing stages, and apart from a silver medal, her reward was to be handsomely lifted aloft at the finish by the diminutive, yet clearly strong winner.
Paul McGrath followed up two major silvers from 2024 with a superb gold in the men&rsquo;s 20km race.
The athlete born in Catalonia to a Scottish father and Spanish mother claimed his first major title with an authority belying his 23 years. He took control at 13km to move away effortlessly away and win in 1:18:08 &ndash; just 13 seconds outside his PB, but still a championship record.
In the last 300m, defending champion Francisco Fortunato of Italy found an extra sprint to pass a tiring Gabriel Bordier, finishing second and third respectively in PBs of 1:18:16 and 1:18:23. It was the very least the Frenchman deserved after a gutsy performance that saw him lead from the gun to McGrath taking control.
There were personal bests for fourth, fifth and sixth places as well in a sizzling race. Andre Cosi came home in 1:18:43; Ukraine&rsquo;s Mukola Rushchak took more than two minutes off his previous best with 1:18:50, and Spain&rsquo;s Alvaro Lopez notched 1:19:48.
McGrath was second at the European Championships and at last year&rsquo;s World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships. But this time laps in the latter stages averaging 3:50 were all that was needed for top spot.
Ten years after she earned world bronze, Lyudmila Olynavovska finally claimed a major title, topping the podium in 1:27:56 after accelerating at 16km to break away from Cl&eacute;mence Beretta, who finished in a PB of 1:28:05 &ndash; 39 seconds quicker than her previous best.
Back-to-back 4:20m laps saw Olynavovska make the race&rsquo;s decisive bid after the pack splintered to three by halfway (44:24); Ukraine's Mariia Sakharuk was the surprise third alongside Beretta and Olynavovska.
It was down to just two at 13km as the pace took its toll on Sakharuk. Beretta&rsquo;s plucky effort saw her claim a first major medal of any sort. Behind her, teammate Pauline Stey race walked mostly solo to take third in 1:28:18 - another French PB and on their way to the team prize.
Spain&rsquo;s Antia Chamosa came through for fourth in 1:29:11, and 2022 world silver medallist Katarzyna Zdzieblo's steady effort was good enough for fifth in 1:29:19.
Paul Warburton for World Athletics

Massimo Stano broke the short-lived world 35km race walk record at the European Race Walking Team Championships - part of the World Athletics Race Walking Tour - in Podebrady on Sunday (18) by a massive 57 seconds.

Stano smashes world 35km race walk record in Podebrady

Japanese javelin star Haruka Kitaguchi notched up her first victory of the season, winning on home soil at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix &ndash; a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting &ndash; in Tokyo on Sunday (18).
The world and Olympic champion was one of several Japanese athletes to produce a winning performance in the stadium that will host the World Athletics Championships four months from now, but it was the Australian contingent that stole the show with six athletes from Down Under winning on Sunday, three of them breaking meeting records.
For most of the fans in the stadium, though, their focus was on Kitaguchi while the javelin was unfolding. She took an early lead with 61.41m then improved to 64.16m in round five to extend her lead. That remained the best of the day with compatriot Momone Ueda taking second place with 60.66m.
Elsewhere on the infield, Kitaguchi&rsquo;s fellow world and Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh enjoyed a comfortable win in the high jump, her 1.96m clearance being enough to win by 11 centimetres. The Ukrainian took one attempt at 2.00m then retired from competition, saving herself for her next outing.
Japan&rsquo;s Tomohiro Shinno won the men&rsquo;s event with 2.27m.
In-form Australian Liam Adcock produced a last-round leap of 8.20m to take victory in the men&rsquo;s long jump. Prior to that, Japan&rsquo;s Hibika Tsuha had led the competition with 8.15m.
<h2>Marshall, Griffith and Thomas break meeting records</h2>
USA&rsquo;s Tonea Marshall powered to a 12.54 triumph in the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles, taking down a meeting record (12.62) that had stood for 11 years. Teammate Alia Armstrong was second in 12.68.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/682980732f37dfcdbe2924d0.jpg" alt="Tonea Marshall wins the 100m hurdles in Tokyo" />
Tonea Marshall wins the 100m hurdles in Tokyo (&copy; Norichika Inoue)
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Three other meeting records fell &ndash; all of them broken by Australian athletes, and all of them in endurance events.
Georgia Griffith dominated the women&rsquo;s 1500m, winning by five seconds and taking more than a second off the meeting record with 4:01.10. Japanese record-holder Nozomi Tanaka was runner-up in 4:06.08.
Rose Davies won in Tokyo for the second year in succession. Twelve months on from her 5000m win, this time she took the 3000m in 8:43.38, an improvement on the meeting record, with Kenya&rsquo;s Helen Lobun a distant second in 8:49.28.
Jude Thomas was a surprising winner of the men&rsquo;s 3000m. The 23-year-old Australian produced a PB of 7:39.69 to win over Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ermias Girma (7:40.42), both men finishing comfortably inside the previous meeting record.
Elsewhere in the distance events, Japan&rsquo;s Ryuji Miura lived up to expectations to win the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase in 8:18.96, beating Ethiopia&rsquo;s Milkesa Fikadu (8:20.10).
<h2>Favourites beaten in sprints</h2>
The Australian success continued in the shorter track events on a day when some of the world&rsquo;s leading sprinters struggled.
Fresh from a strong run at the World Relays, Australia&rsquo;s Reece Holder won the men&rsquo;s 400m in convincing style in 44.76 ahead of Japan&rsquo;s Fuga Sato (45.23).
Holder&rsquo;s fellow Australian Bree Rizzo emerged victorious from a talented women&rsquo;s 100m field to win in 11.38 (-0.9m/s) as USA&rsquo;s Twanisha Terry took second place (11.42) and world champion Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson, making her season debut, placed fourth (11.47).
There was a similarly surprising winner of the men&rsquo;s 100m. Japan&rsquo;s Hiroki Yanagita, running in lane one, managed to edge ahead to take the win in 10.06 (1.1m/s) from USA&rsquo;s Christian Miller (10.08) and 2019 world champion Christian Coleman (10.11).
The men&rsquo;s 200m was similarly close with USA&rsquo;s Robert Gregory getting the better of 2021 Olympic champion Andre de Grasse, 20.24 to 20.29.
The men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles was won by the same margin as 2022 world bronze medallist Trevor Bassitt took the win in 48.50 ahead of Japan&rsquo;s Ken Toyoda (48.55).
The home crowd was happy with the outcome in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles as Rachid Muratake led a Japanese 1-2, winning in 13.16 (-1.1m/s) from Tatsuki Abe (13.27).

Golden Grand Prix 2025

Japanese javelin star Haruka Kitaguchi notched up her first victory of the season, winning on home soil at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix – a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting – in Tokyo on Sunday (18).

Kitaguchi delivers while Australians excel in Tokyo

Nigeria&rsquo;s Favour Ofili became the first woman to dip under 16 seconds for 150m with her performance at the adidas Atlanta City Games street meeting, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event, on Saturday (17).
Racing on a straight temporary track, the 22-year-old Olympic 200m finalist clocked 15.85 (2.0m/s) and won clear ahead of USA&rsquo;s Tamari Davis, who with 16.14 was also inside the 16.23 world best achieved by Shaunae Miller-Uibo in Boston in 2018. Kenya&rsquo;s Ferdinand Omanyala won the men&rsquo;s race in 14.70 (-1.1m/s).
The 200m races were also contested on the straight track and Great Britain&rsquo;s Zharnel Hughes won the wind-assisted men&rsquo;s clash ahead of Trinidad and Tobago&rsquo;s Jereem Richards &ndash; 19.55 to 19.63 (2.2m/s). USA&rsquo;s Lynna Irby-Jackson won the women&rsquo;s race in 22.22 (1.7m/s)
Another world best was set in the 200m hurdles, won by Brazil&rsquo;s 2022 world 400m hurdles champion Alison dos Santos in 21.85 (1.5m/s).
In the more traditional events, South Africa&rsquo;s Akani Simbine maintained his win streak in the 100m this season, first leading the heats with a wind-legal 10.13 (1.7m/s) and then dominating the final in a wind-aided 9.86 (2.3m/s). The world indoor 60m bronze medallist travelled to Atlanta after anchoring his men&rsquo;s 4x100m team to victory at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou last weekend.
Jamaica&rsquo;s 2024 world indoor bronze medallist Carey McLeod won the long jump ahead of Italy&rsquo;s world indoor champion Mattia Furlani, soaring 8.33m to triumph by just five centimetres. Guyana&rsquo;s Emanuel Archibald improved his own national record to 8.22m to finish third.
The women&rsquo;s contest was even closer &ndash; USA&rsquo;s world indoor champion Claire Bryant leaping a wind-aided 7.03m (2.4m/s) to win by a single centimetre ahead of her compatriot Jasmine Moore, the double Olympic bronze medallist.
USA&rsquo;s Cambrea Sturgis cliched a close victory in the women&rsquo;s 100m, pipping her compatriot McKenzie Long as they both clocked 10.98 (1.2m/s).
Former world record-holder Kendra Harrison took the 100m hurdles in a wind-aided 12.30 (2.1m/s) ahead of Tia Jones (12.36). Jones had led the heats and then matched her time from the first round in the final. USA&rsquo;s Trey Cunningham topped the 110m hurdles in 13.16 (0.3m/s).

Nigeria’s Favour Ofili became the first woman to dip under 16 seconds for 150m with her performance at the adidas Atlanta City Games street meeting

Ofili and Simbine put on a show in Atlanta

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is looking for an intelligence operations manager.
The AIU is responsible for the implementation of World Athletics' anti-doping and integrity programmes globally.
The case manager will be responsible for developing, enhancing and managing the AIU's intelligence operations, with a specific focus on proactive reporting and confidential human source development.
The role is full time and based at the AIU&rsquo;s offices in Monaco.
Job description and details of how to apply:&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=929a0b9c-b8c8-4dac-a4a6-ebb536a5b51e.pdf&amp;urlSlug=intelligence-operations-manager-aiu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">English</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=2fb1cea6-52da-4ed1-9929-27a1c46aadc4.pdf&amp;urlSlug=manager-des-operations-de-renseignement-aiu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French</a>
Deadline: 13 June 2025

The Athletics Integrity Unit is looking for an intelligence operations manager

Job vacancy: AIU intelligence operations manager

The javelin&rsquo;s 90-metre club gained two new members at the Jehour Doha Meeting with Neeraj Chopra throwing an Indian record of 90.23m before Julian Weber snatched victory with a last-round throw of 91.06m at the Wanda Diamond League meeting on Friday (16).
Both men had thrown beyond 89 metres on several occasions in recent years, with their PBs &ndash; 89.94m for Chopra and 89.54m for Weber &ndash; dating back to 2022. Tonight in the Qatari capital, though, they finally bettered the hallowed barrier, becoming the 25th and 26th men to throw beyond 90 metres.
Chopra, the world champion, opened with 88.44m to take an early lead, while Weber started with a more conservative 83.82m. Chropa then produced his PB throw in round three, breaking his own Indian record with 90.23m, then Weber responded with 89.06m.
Chopra didn&rsquo;t improve on his third effort and closed out his series with a solid 88.20m, but Weber finished with a flourish, throwing 89.84m in round five then a world-leading 91.06m to take victory in the final round. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters was third with 85.64m.
It was just the seventh time in history that two men have thrown beyond 90 metres in the same javelin competition. Weber now moves to 17th on the world all-time list while Chopra sits at 24th.
"I don't know how that happened," said Weber, the 2022 European champion. "The previous weeks weren't that good for me, but today I just felt great. It also was the winning throw in the last round, so it came out really perfect.
"The conditions here in Doha with the backwind is great for us javelin throwers. If you make the right adjustments and throw a little higher, it just flies great.
"I was really happy for Neeraj because he had been fighting for that 90-metre throw for some time and it was really special to achieve it tonight."
<h2>World leads for Masalela, Clayton and Cherotich</h2>
World and Olympic finalist Tshepiso Masalela from Botswana produced a well-timed run to win the men&rsquo;s 800m. He passed Kenya&rsquo;s Wycliffe Kinyamal in the closing stages and held off USA&rsquo;s Bryce Hoppel to win in a world-leading 1:43.11, just 0.11 shy of the meeting record set by David Rudisha 15 years ago.
Hoppel took second place in 1:43.26, just ahead of Kinyamal (1:43.37).
Another world-leading mark was established soon after, this time by Olympic finalist Tia Clayton in the women&rsquo;s 100m. The 20-year-old Jamaican got a great start and managed to hold her advantage to the line, finishing ahead of her twin sister Tina, 10.92 to 11.02 (2.0m/s). Britain&rsquo;s Amy Hunt was third in a PB of 11.03, just ahead of multiple world and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (11.05).
At the end of the evening, Faith Cherotich produced a thrilling finish to win the women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase in a world-leading 9:05.08. World and Olympic champion Winfred Yavi was in control going into the final lap. Cherotich drew level on the back straight, but Yavi had a slight lead coming off the final bend.
Cherotich, the Olympic bronze medallist, negotiated the final barrier best, though, and charged past Yavi in the closing stages to win by 0.18. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Sembo Almayew was third in 9:09.27.
Olympic champion Thea Lafond produced a world-leading leap in the triple jump, but didn&rsquo;t win. Jamaica&rsquo;s Shanieka Ricketts sailed out to a wind-assisted 14.72m (3.2m/s) in the second round, which remained the best of the day, but Lafond&rsquo;s leap of 14.39 (1.9m/s) for second place is the farthest wind-legal outdoor jump in the world this year.
<h2>Tebogo takes 200 triumph</h2>
Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, contesting his first 200m on the Diamond League circuit this year, emerged with a narrow victory. The versatile sprinter from Botswana coasted into the lead but eased down &ndash; almost too much &ndash; before the end, crossing the line in a season&rsquo;s best of 20.10 (0.7m/s) to win ahead of USA&rsquo;s Courtney Lindsey (20.11).
Earlier in the programme, 2019 world champion Salwa Eid Naser equalled the meeting record of 49.83 to win the women&rsquo;s 400m ahead of Olympic bronze medallist Natalia Bukowiecka (50.92), while Jamaica&rsquo;s Rasheed Broadbell took the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles in 13.14.
<h2>Denny defeats discus stalwarts</h2>
Olympic bronze medallist Matt Denny got the better of Daniel Stahl and Kristjan Ceh, winners of the past two world titles, to win the discus with 68.97m.
Denny, competing for the first time since going to second on the world all-time list with 74.78m in Ramona last month, took an early lead with his opening effort of 67.33m, then improved to his winning effort in the final round. Stahl (67.06m) and Ceh (66.92m), neither of whom have competed in Ramona this year, both set season&rsquo;s bests in second and third.
Molly Caudery, the 2024 world indoor champion, was the standout performer in the women&rsquo;s pole vault. She got over 4.48m, 4.63m and 4.75m on her first attempts to win ahead of world champion Katie Moon and Italy&rsquo;s Roberta Bruni, both at 4.63m.
Elsewhere, there was a Kenyan distance double with Reynold Cheruiyot winning the men&rsquo;s 5000m (13:16.40) and Nelly Chepchirchir taking the women&rsquo;s 1500m (4:05.00). Italy&rsquo;s Alessandro Sibilio produced a late charge to win the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles (49.32) and USA&rsquo;s Shelby McEwen took the men&rsquo;s high jump with 2.26m.

Doha Meeting

The javelin’s 90-metre club gained two new members at the Jehour Doha Meeting

Weber and Chopra throw beyond 90 metres in Doha

The English Schools&rsquo; Athletic Association (1925), which was founded in the Victoria Hotel, London on this day a century ago, has been recognised with the award of the World Athletics Heritage Plaque (category: Competition).
The English Schools&rsquo; Athletic Association (ESAA) which was formed to allow school athletes to compete at regional, national and international level, becomes only the third youth-based organisation in the world to be honoured with a plaque. The previous two recipients were the Jamaica Inter-Secondary Schools Boys and Girls Championships (1910), affectionately known as &lsquo;Champs&rsquo;, and the Carifta Games (1972), which were both honoured on 22 April 2019.
The ESAA&rsquo;s plaque will be officially presented by World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon, 1983 intermediate &amp; 1984 senior ESAA sprint hurdles champion, at the association&rsquo;s annual championships in Alexander Stadium, Birmingham on Saturday 12 July. The plaque will be placed on permanent public display at the stadium.
The <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage/plaque" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Heritage Plaque</a> is a location-based recognition, awarded for an outstanding contribution to the worldwide history and development of the sport of track &amp; field athletics and of out of stadia athletics disciplines such as cross country, mountain, road, trail and ultra-running, and race walking.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe commented: &ldquo;I warmly welcome this award to the English Schools&rsquo; Athletic Association which marks the centenary of an entirely volunteer-based organisation which has done so much to foster a lifelong passion for our sport among generations of young athletes.
&ldquo;The ESAA provides aspiring athletes with a crucial championship platform to compete against the best in their age group across the nation in the disciplines of cross country running, combined events, race walking and track and field athletics.
&ldquo;The scale of the ESAA championships is impressive. More than 4000 competitors compete every year, over a quarter of a million athletes since they started.
&ldquo;The ESAA has for a century been the bedrock of athletics success in England helping to discover, nurture and develop athletics talent, who go on to become the sport&rsquo;s senior stars. Long may this incredible athletics success story continue.&rdquo;
<h2>&lsquo;Democratic access to athletics&rsquo;</h2>
Paul Allison, Chairman of the English Schools&rsquo; Athletic Association, commented: &ldquo;It gives me immense pleasure in accepting this award on behalf of the English Schools Athletic Association as recognition of the dedication and affiliation of so many volunteers, teachers, athletes, and officials over such a prolonged period.&rdquo;
"Established in 1925, the English Schools&rsquo; Athletic Association&rsquo;s primary objective is to foster athletics excellence among school-aged children, providing a platform for competition and nurturing talent from grassroots to elite level. We promote a wide-reaching programme, including school competitions, district and regional championships and national events in the disciplines of cross country, track and field, combined events and race walking.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68270794085982850d5345b4.jpg" alt="Dorothy Odham, 1934 ESAA U16 high jump silver medallist, the first British woman to win an individual Olympic medal" />
Dorothy Odham, 1934 ESAA U16 high jump silver medallist, the first British woman to win an individual Olympic medal (&copy; Mike Fleet)
</div>
&ldquo;The English Schools has made athletics more accessible to students from various backgrounds and schools across the country. This inclusivity, alongside the promotion of a healthy competitive spirit, has helped elevate the importance of athletics as part of the physical education programme in schools. This democratic access to athletics has played a crucial role in uncovering hidden talent and broadening the scope of the sport across the country.
&ldquo;The English Schools has significantly influenced the growth and sustainability of athletics in the UK, creating a legacy of young athletes who have gone on to achieve success in national and international competitions, many athletes often cite their early experience with the English Schools as key to their future success, as it gave them a taste of the high-level competition and chance to hone their skills in a supportive environment.
&ldquo;The English Schools will continue to be the cornerstone of young athletic development and as we celebrate our 100th year, it is our aim to continue to contribute and adapt to the landscape of athletics in this country, so we can continue to inspire the next generation to participate in the sport.&rdquo;
<h2>Walk of Fame</h2>
In 2020, the ESAA curated with The Athletics Museum, which is a joint heritage project managed by the Amateur Athletic Association and England Athletics, a digital exhibition about the history of the ESAA Championships.
<a href="https://theathleticsmuseum.org.uk/esaa-champs-site/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enter the exhibition</a>
The English Schools&rsquo; Athletic Association Walk of Fame celebrates athletes and officials whose journey through the English Schools has led them to great things. The ESAA Walk of Fame was instigated in 2023, with a pop-up exhibition at the ESAA Championships. Each year new names are added.
<a href="https://theathleticsmuseum.org.uk/welcome-to-the-athletics-museum/overallhome/welcome-to-the-english-schools-athletic-association-walk-of-fame/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enter the ESAA Walk of Fame</a>
The history of the association documented by John Mackie &lsquo;ESAA History &ndash; The First 100 Years&rsquo; will be published in 2025 to mark the centenary. Please <a href="https://esaa.org.uk/contact-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contact the ESAA</a> for more information.
World Athletics Heritage

The English Schools’ Athletic Association (1925) has been recognised with the award of the World Athletics Heritage Plaque

Heritage Plaque honours a century of the ESAA ‘discovering, nurturing and developing athletics talent’

Four months ahead of the biggest athletics event of the year, there is no better dress rehearsal than to compete in the stadium that will host the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
The Seiko Golden Grand Prix &ndash; a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting held in Tokyo on Sunday (18) &ndash; will provide the world&rsquo;s best athletes that exact opportunity.
<div><a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-continental-tour/where-to-watch" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68286493ac6a875d5081e209.jpg" alt="Where to watch Tokyo CTG 2025" /></a></div>
And for the host nation&rsquo;s leading performer in the sport, Japanese javelin thrower Haruka Kitaguchi, there&rsquo;s no better pre-World Championships test than to line her up alongside the two women who joined her on the podium at the last World Championships in Budapest.
Since earning the world title two years ago, Kitaguchi&rsquo;s profile has continued to rise, due in no small part to her winning the Olympic title in Paris last year. She opened her 2025 campaign earlier this month at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Keqiao, where she placed fourth with 60.88m. The athlete who finished just ahead of her on that occasion, Olympic silver medallist Jo-Ane van Dyk of South Africa, will also be competing in Tokyo this weekend, as will Colombia&rsquo;s Flor Ruiz Hurtado and Australia&rsquo;s Mackenzie Little, the world silver and bronze medallists.
Another world and Olympic champion, Ukraine&rsquo;s Yaroslava Mahuchikh, will be in action on the infield. The world record-holder is fresh from jumping a world-leading 2.02m in Doha last week, and will line up against Japanese indoor record-holder Nagisa Takahashi.
Elsewhere in the field events, USA&rsquo;s JuVaughn Harrison turns his attention to the long jump, where he&rsquo;ll take on in-form Australian Liam Adcock as well as leading Japanese duo Shunsuke Izumiya and Yuki Hashioka.
<h2>Richardson and De Grasse headline sprints</h2>
Like Kitaguchi and Mahuchikh, Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson&rsquo;s place at this year&rsquo;s World Championships is already guaranteed thanks to her wild card entry as a defending world champion. The US sprinter will already have one eye on returning to Tokyo later this year, but for now her immediate focus will be on winning the 100m on Sunday.
She&rsquo;ll take on fellow US sprinter Twanisha Terry, who finished just 0.1 behind Richardson in the Olympic final last year.
Canada&rsquo;s 2021 Olympic champion Andre de Grasse, fresh from a third-place finish in the 4x100m at last week&rsquo;s World Relays, will contest his specialist discipline on Sunday, the 200m. His toughest opposition could be 19.89 performer Robert Gregory.
In the men&rsquo;s 100m, 2017 world champion Christian Coleman lines up against teenage talent Christian Miller, who&rsquo;ll be competing outside of the US for the first time. Pjai Austin, Jerome Blake and Hakim Sani Brown are also in the line-up.
After runner-up finishes in both Xiamen and Keqiao on the Diamond League circuit in recent weeks, Japan&rsquo;s Rachid Muratake is hoping the home crowd can cheer him on to victory in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles. Domestic rival Shunya Takayama and USA&rsquo;s Dylan Beard will provide stiff competition, though.
In the women&rsquo;s sprint hurdles, US duo Tonea Marshall and Alia Armstrong take on Japanese record-holder Mako Fukube, while 2022 world bronze medallist Trevor Bassitt faces Costa Rica&rsquo;s Gerald Drummond and Japan&rsquo;s Ken Toyoda in the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles. The men&rsquo;s 400m, meanwhile, features Australia&rsquo;s Reece Holder, Nigeria&rsquo;s Emmanuel Bamidele and Japan&rsquo;s Kentaro Sato, winner at this meeting last year.
<h2>Davies and Billings out to repeat</h2>
One year one from securing an Australian double in the women&rsquo;s distance events at this meeting, Rose Davies and Sarah Billings are back in Tokyo looking for a repeat performance.
Davies was a clear winner of the 5000m last year, clocking a national record of 14:41.65, which she recently reduced to 14:40.83 in Xiamen. This weekend she&rsquo;ll line up for the 3000m where she&rsquo;ll take on Kenya&rsquo;s Hellen Lobun, who started her 2025 campaign with a 29:30 run over 10km in Valencia.
Billings, meanwhile, will be looking to win again over 1500m, but she&rsquo;ll be up against fellow Australian Georgia Griffith. Multiple Japanese record-holder Nozomi Tanaka is entered for both the 1500m and 3000m, but will most likely decide nearer the time which distance to contest.
Elsewhere in the distance events, Japan&rsquo;s Ryuji Miura leads the men&rsquo;s steeplechase field, while the men&rsquo;s 3000m line-up includes Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ermias Girma, Ireland&rsquo;s Brian Fay and Kenya&rsquo;s Emmanuel Korir Kiplagat.

Four months ahead of the biggest athletics event of the year, there is no better dress rehearsal than to compete in the stadium that will host the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.

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