On March 23, the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25 concluded with an exciting final day of competitions. A total of 12 gold medals were awarded across various events, including women’s long jump, women’s high jump, men’s long jump, men’s shot put, men’s 1500m, women’s 1500m, and women’s 60m hurdles.
In the morning session, the women’s high jump final saw top athletes, including the world’s top three-ranked high jumpers—Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Nicola Olyslagers, and Angelina Topić—competing. Nicola Olyslagers of Australia claimed the gold with an impressive jump of 1.97m. In the women’s long jump, Claire Bryant of the United States won gold with a jump of 6.96m.
The afternoon session was particularly thrilling, with 10 gold medals up for grabs. In the women’s 800m final, Caster Semenya of South Africa set a new seasonal world record, winning with a time of 1:58.40. Nigist Getachew from Ethiopia finished second with 1:59.63, breaking her personal best. Bronze medalist Patricia Silva from Portugal and fourth-place finisher Audrey Werro from Switzerland set new national records for their respective countries, clocking 1:59.80 and 1:59.81, respectively.
In the men’s 1500m final, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the men’s 3000m champion and multiple world record holder, secured his second gold medal of the championships with a winning time of 3:38.79.
The women’s 60m hurdles final was an intense battle. Devynne Charlton from the Bahamas claimed the gold medal by a 0.01-second margin. Ditaji Kambundji, who took silver, finished just 0.01 seconds ahead of bronze medalist Ackera Nugent, making it a razor-thin contest.
In the women’s 1500m, Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia dominated the race, finishing with 3:54.86 and breaking the championship record. Her compatriot Diribe Welteji claimed the silver with 3:59.30, while Georgia Hunter Bell from the UK finished in third, setting a personal best time of 3:59.84.
The final showdown was full of excitement. As the closing events of the championships, the men’s and women’s 4×400m relays were undoubtedly the highlights of the night. The crowd roared with cheers, their voices echoing through the arena. In both relay events, Team USA claimed the gold medals.In the men’s 4×400m relay, Team China set a new national record with a time of 3:06.90. After the race, ZHENG Chiyu commented in an interview, “Before the race, we were aiming for third place, but my first leg wasn’t ideal. Still, breaking the national record is already an incredible achievement.” In the women’s 4×400m relay, Team China clocked 3:38.67, setting a new season-best time.
On the same day, Chinese athlete WU Yanni delivered a standout performance. In the first round of the women’s 60m hurdles, she set a personal best of 8.05 seconds, advancing to the semifinals. That evening, she pushed even further, breaking an 11-year-old national record with a time of 8.01 seconds, but unfortunately, she did not advance to the final. Overcome with emotion, WU Yanni broke down in tears after the race. “At that moment, I was extremely emotional, but now I’m gradually calming down. Moving forward, I will start from zero again and strive for even better results,” she said in an interview. She also emphasized that this achievement was not only a recognition of her coach’s efforts but also an affirmation of her own strength.
Additionally, Norwegian athlete Sander Skotheim delivered an outstanding performance in the long jump, high jump, and 1000m, securing the men’s heptathlon gold medal with a total of 6475 points.In the men’s 800m final, Josh Hoey of the United States successfully defended his title with a time of 1:44.77.New Zealand’s Tom Walsh claimed victory in the men’s shot put, setting a season-best mark of 21.65 meters.In the men’s long jump final, Italy’s Mattia Furlani took the gold medal with a leap of 8.30 meters.
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