A column by Len Johnson
Mackenzie Little took Australia’s third bronze medal of the championships in the women’s javelin, Beatrice Chebet out-ran Faith Kipyegon, Gudaf Tsegay and others in a 5000 metres that Sebastian Coe would hope will become a template for the Ultimate Championships but it was Emmanuel Wanyonyi who topped the bill on this second last day of the world championships.
Wanyonyi added a world championships gold medal in the 800 to the Olympic gold he took in Paris last year. But as always with the dynamic Kenyan, the manner in which he achieved victory was as memorable as the fact that he won. Behind his championship record 1:41.86 the remaining seven finalists fitted into a gap of 0.91 seconds.
It is well known Wanyonyi prefers to run from the front. Bronze medallist Marco Arop – another who likes clear air in front of him – joined him as they flashed through the first 200 in 23.7 or such.
Wanyonyi then went through the bell in 49.27. “Catch me if you can” would have been his cry had he the breath to spare to speak. Arop continued to push all along the back-straight and into the final straight. He is a big man, the Canadian, and may have thrust some part of his torso into the lead up the final straight, but Wanyonyi would not yield.
In fact, at the finish, it was Arop who was pipped by the fast-finishing Djamel Sedjati, 1:41.90 to 1:41.95. It is worth listing the full finishing order. Cian McPhillips was fourth in an Irish record 1:42.15. Then came Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui, 1:42.21, and Max Burgin 1:42.29, Navasky Anderson in 1:42.76 for his second Jamaican record in three days, and Tshepiso Masalela, 1:42.77.
Sitting up in the stands watching was David Rudisha, whose 1:40.91 to win the London Olympic race remains the men’s world record. Wanyonyi’s performance, and the race he set up behind him, evoked memories of Rudisha’s run. Alright, it was almost a full second slower, but Rudisha had almost a full second to spare over silver medallist Nijel Amos, 1:41.73, while almost two seconds covered the rest of the field.
Given the extra stress of championship races, Sebastian Coe argued at the time that Rudisha’s was the greatest 800 performance in history and the race of similar status. If that is the case, it is arguable that the Tokyo 2025 men’s 800 is the second best.
And the gap between them is not much more than the one separating the three medallists.
The Australian highlight of the night was the men’s 4×400 relay apparently breaking the long-standing national record in reaching the final. Zenith turned to nadir in a flash when the team was disqualified for a changeover infringement. Chocolates to boiled lollies.
As ever, a performance by an Australian woman turned things around. In normal circumstances, a bronze medal to Mackenzie Little would not have caused such a stir. After all, she has been there or thereabouts since making the Olympic final in Tokyo four years ago. She took a bronze medal in Budapest two years ago.
But this has been no ordinary year for Dr Mackenzie Little. Weighed down by her duties as registrar at a major Sydney hospital, she has competed only sparingly and did not throw 60 metres for the year until a few weeks ago.
Yet here in Tokyo, Little has made a lot out of a little. She threw 65.54 to get through qualifying with just one throw. In the final, her first round 63.58 put her into an early lead until Ecuador’s Juleisy Angulo took over with a 65.12 in the second round.
Little had her hand on the silver medal until Latvia’s Anita Sietina produced a final round 64.64 which pushed the Australian into third and gave the leader a heck of a fright.
Chebet completed a distance double in wining the 5000, outsprinting Kipyegon up the straight to win 14:54.36 to 14:55.07. Rose Davies and Linden Hall ran solid races in finishing tenth and eleventh, respectively.
Just one more night to come.