Defending champion Jeremiah Azu narrowly missed out on a medal in “one of the best 60m races of all time” on the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland.
Twelve months after claiming the primary international title of his profession with world indoor gold in China, Azu missed out on a return to the rostrum by simply 0.01 seconds as he clocked 6.46 seconds in Torun.
The 24-year-old all the time confronted fierce competitors as he sought to defend his title however displayed his medal credentials by enhancing his private greatest to six.45 within the semi-finals – a time which moved him to second on the British all-time checklist behind Dwain Chambers.
But American Jordan Anthony, who arrived on the championships because the quickest man this yr, ran the joint-fourth quickest time in historical past as he improved to six.41 to take gold forward of Jamaica’s Olympic and world 100m medallist Kishane Thompson.
Thompson and American Trayvon Bromell each completed in 6.45 to finish the rostrum and deny Azu in an exciting conclusion to the opening day of motion.
“They didn’t let us down. These guys did what we expected them to do,” two-time world 110m hurdles champion Colin Jackson stated on BBC TV.
“An electric performance – we’ve witnessed one of the best 60m races of all time so that’s a very special thing in itself, and Jeremiah Azu was in the mix.
“Azu obtained out very sharp – he is one of many quickest starters on the earth – however Anthony was out just a little bit forward and did what was vital.”
Azu informed BBC Sport: “It’s powerful. I used to be very vocal about defending that World Athletics Indoor Championships 2026: Jeremiah Azu narrowly misses out on 60m medal and I fell quick.
“It’s track and field – you win some you lose some. I’m still able to use this gift to try and inspire people. But it’s tough to take right now.”
Earlier on Friday, Olympic champion and indoor world document holder Keely Hodgkinson managed her girls’s 800m warmth from begin to end to win in two minutes 00.32 seconds and attain the semi-finals, the place she will likely be joined by team-mate Isabelle Boffey.
Ben Pattison, winner of world 800m bronze in 2023, gained his warmth in 1:47.48 to advance to the semi-finals of the lads’s occasion, which additionally happen on Saturday morning.
Olympic and world medallist Georgia Hunter Bell secured her place within the girls’s 1500m closing by inserting first in 4:12.09, however Jemma Reekie missed out after ending fourth in her race.
