• Women’s 1500 Meter Final
  
  

Dylan Mc Elhinney (Hunter College, New York, NY), the 2024 Nike Outdoor Nationals 800 meter champion led for two laps, but could not sustain the pace of most of the others in the race.

Saran Behre, Ethiopia and with a best of 3:59.21, had no problem with the field and the slow pace, winning in a relatively slow 4:16.64.  U.S. High schooler Rachel Forsyth of Canada (Pioneer, Ann Arbor, MI) was a surprise in second, running 4:17.94.  Jolanda Kallabis (Germany), coming in with a best of 4:07.44, was third in 4:19.34.  McElhinney faded to 13th, running 4:24.22.

It was the slowest ever winning time in this event.  Ethiopians have won six of the last eight titles.  It was Canada’s and Germany’s first ever medal in this event.

• Women’s 400 Meter Hurdles Final
  
  

Two big surprises here (actually more).  US High School leader, Michelle Smith (US Virgin Islands; Monterde Academy, Montverde, FL), the big favorite, never led.  In fact she faded after the sixth hurdle.

The surprise winner was France’s Meta Tumba, who bettered her national record from 56.79 to 55.59.  We thought 2024 Nike Outdoor National bronze medalist Jasmine Robinson (North Cobb, Kennesaw, GA) was second.  In fact she was, in 56.04.  But was later disqualified for “hooking a hurdle”.  The rule is as follows:

An athlete shall be disqualified if, TR22.6.1 (168.6(a)) – leg at hurdle clearance below the horizontal plane of the top of the hurdle “their foot or leg is, at the instance of clearance, beside the hurdle (on either side), below the horizontal plane of the top of the hurdle.

As a result, Wiktoria Gadajska (Poland) was moved to second with her country’s national record of 56.87.  Hannah Van Niekerk (South Africa) got bronze with a PB 56.98.  Michelle Smith was fourth in 57.21.

It was France’s first gold in this event, and Poland’s first of any color.

• Women’s 4x100 Meter Final
  
  

The U.S. was the second fastest qualifier behind Jamaica in the trials.  Jamaica was the leader at 43.81 with Alana Reid anchoring. 

The U.S. ran with the team of Jade Brown (Arizona; Taravella, Coral Springs, FL), World U20 100 meter leader Cynteria James (South Carolina; Southridge, Miami, FL), Southern Cal signee and US U20 100 meter champ Avery Lewis (Friends Central, Wynnewood, PA) and Taylor Snaere (Modesto JC; East Union, Manteca, CA).  Taylor had replaced Davenae Fagan (Cincinnati; Arabia Mountain, Decatur, GA) from the trials.  But, in the finals, the Lewis-Snaere handoff didn’t happen, and the team ran out of the zone and was disqualified.  Original second placer Australia was disqualified as well.

So it was Jamaica at 43.39, Switzerland with a national record 44.06 in second, and Canada in third at 44.60.  Jamaica now has won three in a row.  It was the first ever medal for Switzerland and Canada.

• Women’s 4x400 Meter Final
  
  

The U.S. initially did not qualify.  They were 9th overall qualifier at 3:36.71.  However, three teams (Germany, Peru and South Africa), were disqualified moving the U.S. in the second time qualifier.  The leading qualifier was Australia at 3:33.55.

In the trials, The U.S. ran Lakely Doht-Barron (Oregon; Central Catholic, Portland, OR; 55.83 split), Olivia Harris (Buford, GA; 52.05), Isabella Kneeshaw (Hawaii; Tualatin, OR; 55.44)  and Josie Donelson (Lake Oswego, OR; 53.39).

We knew they would probably win, given that Zaya Akins and Michaela Mouton would be in the finals.

The team was Michaela Mouton (Houston; Killeen, TX, 53.64),  Olivia Harris (Buford, GA; 52.53), Josie Donelson (Lake Oswego, OR; 53.13), Zaya Akins (South Carolina; Raytown South, Raytown, MO, 51.44).  The US was actually trailing after 3 legs.  Zaya Akins brought the team from second to first running 3:30.74.  Australia was second in 3:31.47 and Great Britain third in 3:32.80. 

The U.S. has won 13 of the 20 world championships, and the last two.

• Women’s High Jump Final
  
  

Angelia Topic (Serbia), the 2022 U20 bronze medalist and Paris Olympian, coming in with a best of 6-06, won relatively easily at 6-03.25.  A personal best of 6-02.25 got Australia’s Izobelle Louison-Roe the silver.

Defending champion Karmen Bruus (Estonia), with a lifetime best of 6-05 but only with a season best of 5-11.5, finished third with the same height of Louison-Roe, a seasonal best.  She will be attending college in the U.S.

The US U20 runner up and 2021 and 2022 Nike Outdoor Nationals champion Cheyla Scott (Oregon; Butler, Matthews, NC) finished 10th at 5-10.75.

It was Serbia’s first ever medal in the high jump. 

• Women’s Triple Jump Final
  
  

Li Yi (China) was the leading qualifier from qualifying at 43-10.75.  17 year old Paris Olympian and defending champion Sharifa Davronova (Uzbekistan) qualified third here with 43-05.25.  Erika Saraceni was the second best qualifier with a 43-07.5 mark.

Those were the medalists, but not in that order.  Davronova was the champion, jumping 45-01.5. Li was second 44-05.5 and Saraceni, with whom we had the pleasure of speaking since Italy is staying at our hotel, was third with a PB 44-00.  It was Italy’s first ever medal in this event.

Asia Phillips of Canada was fourth, jumping 43-08.  We remember from an epic battle at the 2023 Nike Indoor Nationals, when she lost to current U20 champion Skylynn Townsend, 43-06.5 to 43-06.

• Women’s Hammer Throw Final
  
  

Ziang Jiale (China, 237-0) was almost 15 feet ahead of the next best competitor coming into the competition.  Though only 17 years old, she was the leading qualifier at 215-07

She was the winner at 226-02, followed by Valentina Savva (Cyprus) at 220-06 and Villo Viszkeleti (Hungary) at 213-01.  No Americans made the final.

This was China’s first ever gold in this event and Cyrpus’ first ever medal.

• Men’s 1500 Meter Final
  
  

Abdisa Fayisa (Ethiopia), a Paris Olympian, had a 3:32.37 to his credit and Cameron Myers (Australia) had run 3:33.30. 

Though he seemed to be the favorite, Myers was run down by Fayisa, with Fayisa running 3:40.51 and Myers 3:40.60.  Third was Alex Pintado of Spain was third in 3:41.03.

2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals mile six place finisher Carter Cutting (BYU; Wilsonville, OR) was 5th in 3:43.36 and Trent Mc Farland (Michigan; Utica, MI) was 7th. 

• Men’s 400 Meter Hurdles Final
  
  

Antti Sainio (Finland) and European U18 champion Michal Rada (Czechia) who ran identical times and the world lead in the semis at 49.36, were worried about each other and forgot about the guy in lane 2.  2024 Nike Outdoor Nationals champion and U. of Florida signee Vance Nilsson (Gilbert. AZ) advanced on time based his third place finish in that very race yesterday.

Vance Nilsson, in lane 2, was with the leaders the entire race.  He leaned at the finish and Mical Rada, not seeing Nilsson in lane 2, did not.  Nilsson was the winner with a world leading 49.26.   That also broke the high school record held by Kenneth Ferguson (Mumford, Detroit, MI) in 2002.

All was not lost for Rada, as he bettered his national record in second with 49.30.  Antti Sainio (Finland) the co-world leader until today, was third in 49.61.

That’s the sixth gold ever for the U.S. in this event and the first ever for Czechia and Finland.

• Men’s 3000 Meter Steeplechase Final
  
  

This was a very fast race, with the first eight runners getting personal bests.  In fact 12 of the 16 runners had  never run faster. 

Kenyans took 1-2 (as predicted), with Edmund Serem getting the world lead at 8:15.28, with teammate Mathew Kosgei second with a PB 8:17.46.  Ethiopians were 3-4, with third place going to Hailu Ayalew in 8:24.08.

Wyatt Haughton (BYU; Shawnee Mission East, Overland Park, KS), the U20 champ, was 8:38.34 in 6th, one of the  personal bests.  Not only that, but it is the second fastest time ever in U.S. history for a U20 athlete.  Only national record holder John Gregorek has run faster.  That was in 1979 when he ran 8:33.8.

Of the 20 World Athletics championships, Kenyans have won 17 of these.  And they’ve received 13 silver medals.

• Men’s 4x100 Meter Final
  
  

The winner was Jamaica at 39.18.  Great Britain had a significant lead after the final handoff, but Deandre Dailey ran down Teddy Wilson to get the win.  Great Britain’s time was 39.20.  Thailand, anchored by 100 meter medalist Puripol Boonson brought his time to third with a national record 39.39.

Both the U.S. and South Africa had been disqualified in the trials.  South Africa had two of the four runners of silver medal Olympic 4x100 meter team.

This was only the third time Jamaica has ever won this event, the first since 2006.  And, of course, the first ever medal for Thailand.

• Men’s 4x400 Meter Final
  
  

The U.S. had won 15 of the last 19 World U20 Championships and this win was never in doubt.  It’s now 16 of the last 20.

The U.S. had no issues in this event, leading all qualifiers yesterday in 3:05.16.  The team was Grant Buckmiller (Washington State; Lake Stevens, WA; 46.69), Xavier Donaldson (Princeton; Seton Hall Prep, West Orange, NJ; 46.11), Gabriel Clement (UCLA; Kaplan, LA; 46.47) and Alexander Rhodes (Puget Sound; Lincoln, Portland, OR; 45.89).

They made two replacements, and the line up was as follows:  400m silver medalist Jayden Davis (Arizona State; Mountain Pointe, Phoenix, AZ, 45.92), Xavier Donaldson (Princeton; Seton Hall Prep, West Orange, NJ; 45.92 again!), Alexander Rhodes (Puget Sound; Lincoln, Portland, OR; 46.00) and 400m bronze medalist Sidi Njie (Westlake, Atlanta, GA, 45.72).

Udeme Okon, the 400 meter champion tried to run down Sidi Njie, to no avail, clocking 45.75 and leading his team to second (3:05.22).  Australia was third in 3:05.53. The U.S. team won with a 3:03.56.

That was South Africa’s second ever medal in this event.

• Men’s Discus Final
  
  

Three personal bests in a row over two days and a world championship.  That is a very efficient way of doing things.

Bryce Ruland (Waterford Union, Waterford, WI) had gotten a personal best on his first throw (194-01) in the trials yesterday and then another one (and an automatic qualifier) in the second round (200-06). 

Then, in the finals today, as the last thrower of 12 in round 1, he again upped his personal best to 205-04.  That was enough to win, making virtually everyone else in the field trying to match it for the next five rounds.

The shot put champion, Jarno Van Daalen (Netherlands), came close, getting a personal best and the silver (204-01/64.22).  And Mico Lampinen (Finland) also got a PB finishing third with 204-01 (64.20)

The world U20 leader, Shaiquan Dunn (Jamaica), with a best of 214-10, who had barely qualified for the final yesterday, could manage only 7th (196-02).  It has been a very long season for the Jamaicans.

The other American NCAA 11th place finisher Roury Mc Cloyan (Mississippi State; St. Joseph Catholic, Greenville, MS) finished 9th in 193-09.  He had qualified 9th overall yesterday in the trials at 190-08.