2025 World Championships – Day 2

Morning Session

The day began at Tully’s Coffee, a Tokyo chain similar to Starbucks. Free Wi-Fi was available, but only after entering a birth year and gender — with options only back to 1945.

The plan was to catch the Men’s 1500m Round 1 at 9:35 a.m., but the race had been moved up to 9:00, and was already over upon arrival. All three Americans advanced: Ethan Strand, Jonah Koech, and Cole Hocker. Surprisingly, Jakob Ingebrigtsen did not.

In the Women’s Marathon, Susanna Sullivan finished just off the podium in 4th. She previously placed 18th in the 2007 Nike Outdoor Nationals 5000m while at George Mason HS (now Meridian HS, Falls Church, VA).

In the Women’s Hammer, both DeAnna Price (2019 World Champion, 2023 bronze medalist) and Janee Kassanavoid advanced, while Rachel (Tanczos) Richeson did not.

In the Women’s 100m Hurdles Round 1, Grace Stark, Masai Russell, and Alaysha Johnson all advanced. Defending champion Danielle Williams (Jamaica) led qualifiers in 12.40. Stark is the 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion, Russell the 2024 Olympic champion, and Johnson finished 7th at the Paris Olympics.

During the break, a stop at a Tokyo Farmers’ Market featured standout grapes and unique local products. Later, at the Nike hospitality suite, the U.S. contingent connected with Anna Cockrell, who was preparing for the 400m hurdles. Cockrell, a 2015 NSAF Caribbean Scholastic Invitational (CSI) team alum, shared photos from her time on that squad, which also included Grant Holloway and Noah Lyles.

Evening Session

Men’s 400m Qualifying

Jacory Patterson (43.90) and Kaleb McRae (44.25) were the fastest qualifiers. Americans Christopher Bailey and Vernon Norwood also advanced. Patterson was part of the 2017 NSAF CSI team that included Anna Hall, Jasmine Moore, Kristlin Gear, Veronica Fraley, Anthony Schwartz, Kyle Garland, and Thomas Burns.

Women’s 400m Qualifying

Seven women broke 50 seconds. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone led the Americans with 49.41, followed by Aliyah Butler (50.44) and Isabella Whittaker (50.82). Wadaline (Jonathas) Venlogh, competing for Haiti after past relay golds with Team USA, ran 49.91.

Women’s 1500m Semifinals

Sinclaire Johnson and Nikki Hiltz advanced to the final. Johnson aims to improve on her 6th place at the 2022 Worlds, while Hiltz was 7th in the 2024 Olympics. Emily Mackay did not advance.

Men’s High Jump Qualifying

Thirteen athletes cleared 2.25m, including Americans JuVaughn Harrison (2023 silver medalist) and Tyus Wilson (2025 NCAA Indoor champ, U.S. Champion). Shelby McEwen went out at 2.21m.

Finals

Women’s 100m

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (Carvers Bay, SC/Coastal Carolina) stormed to gold in a meet record 10.61. Jamaica’s Tina Clayton was second, while Sha’Carri Richardson, who advanced on time, placed 4th. Jefferson-Wooden’s rise is remarkable — back in 2016, she was only 28th in the NSAF NBNO freshman 100m.

Men’s 100m

With 60 Jamaican fans packed at the finish, Oblique Seville won his first global gold in a personal best 9.77, edging countryman Keshane Thompson. Defending champion Noah Lyles settled for bronze.

Men’s 10,000m

The race ignited with 600m to go. Americans Nico Young (5th, <1 second from gold) and Grant Fisher (8th, ~2 seconds back) were competitive, while Graham Blanks placed 11th. In a rare non-African victory, Jimmy Gressier (France) took gold over Yomif Kejelcha (Ethiopia) and Andreas Almgren (Sweden). Only twice before (1983, 1985) have multiple medals gone to non-Africans in this event.

Women’s Long Jump

Tara Davis-Woodhall clinched gold on her first jump with 7.08m, later improving to 7.13m. Claire Bryant (5th, 6.68m) and Quanesha Burks (8th, 6.60m) also made the final. Bryant was a member of the 2019 NSAF CSI team.

Women’s Discus

Two-time Olympic champion Valarie Allman finally claimed her first world title, throwing 69.48m in round five after leading all competition. Jorinde van Klinken (Netherlands) kept it close early (67.50m), while Laulauga Tausaga (2023 World Champion) finished 6th.

Tokyo Notes

• Cultural quirks: Spectators often don’t move to let others pass in crowded seating — a fact that required some “education” from the American visitors.

• Trash can scarcity: Public bins are rare due to security concerns after the 1995 Tokyo sarin gas attack. Japanese cultural norms also emphasize carrying one’s own waste home. Specialized bins exist at convenience stores, vending machines, parks, and some train stations.