Latest news with #WorldIndoorChamps
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Athletics world blown away by 26-year Aussie first not seen since Cathy Freeman
Fans have taken to social media in droves to congratulate Australia's athletes on a record medal haul at the world athletics indoor championships in China. The women's 4x400m relay team emulated a feat not seen since Cathy Freeman's glory days after claiming the nation's first medal in the event for 26 years, to cap off a record haul of seven medals for Australia at the athletics meet in Nanjing. Sprinter Lachlan Kennedy, distance runners Jessica Hull and Ky Robinson, high jumpers Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson and longjumper Liam Adcock had already combined to make it Australia's most successful indoor championships of all time, with medals in their respective events. But the 4x400m relay team of Ellie Beer, Ella Connolly, Bella Pasquali and Jemma Pollard claimed bronze to wrap up the nation's seventh medal and smash the previous record in style. The relay result was the first time an Australian team has scored a medal in the event since Olympic legend Cathy Freeman anchored the green and gold to silver at the 1999 world indoor championships in Japan. In an incredible final session on Sunday night in Nanjing, Georgia Griffith also set a new Australian indoor record for the 1500m after finishing fourth in a time of 4:00.80. 🚨 MEDAL ALERT! 🚨For the first time in 26 YEARS, 🇦🇺 Australia have won a medal in the women's indoor 4x400m relay! 🥉🙌2025 #WorldIndoorChamps | March 21-23 | SBS On Demand 📺 — SBS Sport (@SBSSportau) March 23, 2025 High jump queen Olyslagers grabbed the headlines after becoming the nation's first multiple world indoor gold medallist after downing countrywoman Eleanor Patterson in a gripping one-two finish for Australia. Both Aussie women recorded a best clearance of 1.97m, with Olyslagers taking out the gold on count-back, as Patterson had missed one attempt at 1.92m. Ukraine's world record holder and reigning Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh (1.95m) claimed the bronze, also on count-back. Olyslagers is also a two-time Olympic silver medallist from the Tokyo and Paris Games, and her latest triumph follows two world indoor crowns in Glasgow last year. "This is the first time I've come from a gold-medal position to try and defend something outside of Australia," a beaming Olyslagers said after her victory. "I knew that if I wanted to jump as high as I wanted, to be as competitive as I wanted, I needed to do things outside of my normal comfort zone. I needed to do something new, like start a world championships as my first competition of the season - to do something crazy. Going into it, I was really inspired by Yaroslava's world record attempts last year, and how she changed her new run-up, so I was jumping with a new run-up today. I want to jump as high as Yaroslava. If I want to be competitive, I needed to be trying and changing things up." In the evening session, Aussie longjumper Adcock earned a first major medal in his maiden appearance at a world indoor competition, courtesy of whopping 8.28m leap. It could have been even better as his opening-round leap ended up being just one centimetre behind Jamaican silver medalist Wayne Pinnock's 8.29 and two adrift of Italian winner Mattia Furlani's 8.30. With Kennedy finishing second in the men's 60m on Friday and Jess Hull and Ky Robinson grabbing bronze in the two 3000m races on Saturday, it set the stage for Australia's 4x400m women's relay team to cement Australia's record seven-medal haul. And the young Aussie team wrapped up the historic event for the country by finishing third out of the five entrants in a time of 3min 32.65. The USA were well out in front to claim gold in 3:27.45, with Poland taking the silver medal. Track, field, relays ✅✅✅A record medal haul of seven for Australia at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China 🇨🇳 #AthleticsNation — Australian Athletics (@AustralianAths) March 23, 2025 Australia truly shone at the #IndoorWorldChamps! 🌟The team clinched an impressive seven medals - 🥇🥈🥈🥉🥉🥉🥉 - a new record and surpasses their previous best of four medals from Toronto 1993. What an incredible achievement! 🎉@AustralianAths — Brisbane 2032 (@Brisbane_2032) March 23, 2025 The seven-medal total saw the Australian athletics team smash the nation's previous best haul of four set in Toronto way back in 1993, sparking an outpouring of messages from proud Aussie fans across social media. "Congratulations to all our wonderful athletes," one fan wrote. "You have really done yourselves proud and given our country something to really get excited about. To all your families and coaches, thank you for all your support. Success really takes a team." Another supporter wrote: "How I love seeing you Aussies 1 and 2. Congratulations," in response to the gold and silver medals for Olyslagers and Patterson in the women's high jump. "All Aussie medal winners were fabulous," said another proud fan. Another added: "Fantastic representation for Australia." with AAP
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Great Britain's Neil Gourley wins world indoor 1500m silver
Britain's Neil Gourley was thrilled after winning a silver medal in the men's 1500 metres at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. The 30-year-old from Glasgow came in behind Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win Britain's first indoor medal at the distance in 32 years. 'It feels really good,' he told BBC Sport. 'A couple of weeks ago I came away really disappointed with the European indoors race and I came here with a point to prove, just to myself. Our captain delivers 🔥@Neil_Gourley runs a brilliant race to take 1500m silver 🥈#WorldIndoorChamps — British Athletics (@BritAthletics) March 23, 2025 'It was a change in tactics today. It was a case of if you can't beat him (Ingebrigtsen), join him. 'It worked out better today because it meant I fed off his momentum and I felt much better doing it that way. I just left a little too much to do in the home straight to catch him.' Ingebrigtsen's victory saw him complete the indoor double of 1500m and 3,000m in Nanjing. There was also a bronze medal for Britain with Georgia Hunter Bell third in the women's 1500m behind Ethiopians Gudaf Tsegay and Diribe Welteji.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Speedster Kennedy: 'World medal just the start for me'
Even just "a bit upset" about the colour of his medal, Lachlan Kennedy is adamant that his landmark world indoor championships silver will be just the launchpad for his rocket sprint rise in 2025. Kennedy was pipped by an agonising one-hundredth of a second in the 60 metres final in Nanjing on Friday, but after winning the first ever medal by an Australian in the blue riband event of the short-track championships, the 21-year-old declared it was just the start for him and the country's new legion of speedsters. Even if he's been eclipsed by some of the feats of the phenomenal 17-year-old Gout Gout, then Kennedy's breakthrough, along with Torrie Lewis's lightning progress in women's track, has only shown that Australia could soon offer a triple threat in global sprinting. Or the way Kennedy put it at the Chinese venue: "I will keep showing them that (Australian) athletics is no joke. "Just because we're so far away from everyone doesn't mean we ain't got what it takes to compete with the world's best!" The quicksilver Queenslander had already shown in Canberra in January that he's a serious talent, clocking 6.43sec in an outdoor meet - even if helped by a 1.6m following wind - to become the 10th fastest man in history over 60m. But this Nanjing performance was another step up on his indoor debut, with the unfamiliarity of his surrounds not fazing him as he clocked 6.50sec in the final, the quickest ever by an Australian indoors, only to be edged out by Briton Jeremiah Azu. Look at that roar 🦁Jeremiah Azu storms to 6.49 to claim the world indoor title in the men's 60m at the #WorldIndoorChamps💨 — World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) March 21, 2025 "I know I can do so much more, this is only the beginning. I'm a bit upset I didn't win, but I definitely got the next best thing," Kennedy said. "Racing three events, with eight hours in between them was weird for me, but in the heat I stumbled and almost fell over after crossing the finish line. "When I got to the semis, I was hesitant and tensed up a bit and then I thought, if I fall over in the final, I fall over - and I just went for it." Kennedy's time eclipsed Matt Shirvington's national indoor best of 6.52 at the same event in Maebashi, Japan, in 1999, and could be the springboard for a special campaign in which he has Patrick Johnson's national 100m record of 9.93sec in his sights. "It's already been really a good season, so I hope I can carry this momentum towards Japan for the World Championships, but before that, I'm gonna do nationals back in Australia and completely focus on the 100m now," he explained. "Hopefully I can go sub-10 seconds soon. I definitely want to keep doing this for as long as I can, and be a role model for younger athletes coming through. "Heck, yeah, this season has been my favourite so far. There's so much more to do and more to come. "I definitely want to go sub-10 in the 100m, that's my goal for this season, and then I want to break the Australian record. It's well within reach for me to do at the Maurie Plant Meet (on March 29 in Melbourne) or Nationals (on April 10-13 in Perth).
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jeremiah Azu wins first global title after photo finish in men's 60m final at World Indoor Championships
British sprinter Jeremiah Azu claimed his first global title as his stunning season continued with gold in the men's 60m final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in China. Azu edged out Australia's Lachlan Kennedy in a photo finish to clinch victory, just a month after becoming European champion in the same event. A personal best of 6.49sec by the 23-year-old meant he remained unbeaten so far this year, as he beat Kennedy by a hundredth of a second after an electric final in which American Ronnie Baker sustained a hamstring injury shortly before the finish. South Africa's Akani Simbine settled for bronze with a time of 6.54 seconds after another leading contender Eloy Benitez of Puerto Rico took an early tumble and did not continue. Look at that roar 🦁Jeremiah Azu storms to 6.49 to claim the world indoor title in the men's 60m at the #WorldIndoorChamps💨 — World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) March 21, 2025 'I knew I could win it. I said at the Europeans that I want to take over the world. This is just the start of our journey,' an elated Azu told the BBC after he was confirmed as the winner. 'The plan is to keep on winning. The sky isn't the limit, there's way, way more than that. Let's see what the summer brings – I'm excited for it.' Kennedy, who was initially shown as the champion, said he hoped to build on the strong performance at the outdoor world championships in Tokyo this September. 'It's really a good season, so I hope I can carry this momentum towards Japan,' he added. 'Before that, I'm going to do nationals back in Australia and completely focus on the 100m now.'
