Moon, Kennedy share emotional pole vault gold

American Katie Moon and Australia’s Nina Kennedy decided to share the gold medal in a dramatic women’s pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday. The two women cleared 4.90 metres in an event that stretched two hours and 10 minutes, but both missed on all three attempts at 4.95 and decided to share the victory rather than go to a jump-off.
It was the second consecutive world title for Moon, who also won Olympic gold in Tokyo. Armed with a personal best of 4.95 and a season’s best of 4.90, the 32-year-old Moon appeared to be the favourite. But Kennedy had other ideas. She surpassed the Australian record and her own personal best by eight centimetres when she sailed over 4.90, and then held back tears as she looked up at the steady bar in joyful disbelief.
The two chatted briefly to decide the outcome, then embraced, conjuring memories of the Tokyo Olympics where good friends and rivals Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy opted to share men’s high jump gold. Wilma Murto of Finland tied her season’s best of 4.80 for bronze, missing all three of her attempts at 4.85. The 25-year-old became the first Finnish woman to win a Diamond League title when she beat Moon at the London event on July 23. The event captivated the National Athletics Centre crowd who - prompted by an ominous rhythmic thumping over the sound system when each jumper stepped up to the runway - clapped in time.

Briton Kerr stuns Ingebrigtsen to win 1,500m gold
Briton Josh Kerr pulled off one of the shocks of the World Championships when he beat Olympic champion and hot favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen in an absolute carbon copy of last year’s final to take 1,500m gold on Wednesday.
Favourite in 2022, Norway’s Ingebrigtsen was outkicked by Britain’s Jake Wightman to miss out on gold and Kerr, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist behind Ingebrigtsen, made his move at about the same spot with 200 metres to go. Kerr dug deep to stay in front and won in 3:29.38 with Ingebrigtsen, whose 3:27.14 run in Poland five weeks ago made him the fourth-fastest man in history, taking silver in 3:29.65. Fast-finishing Norwegian Narve Gilje Nordas secured the bronze in 3:29.68.
“It’s been a long time coming. It’s quite an overwhelming experience. I’m so proud of myself,” said Kerr, who ran the race in sunglasses. “I didn’t feel like I ran the best race either. I just threw my whole 16 years of this sport in that last 200m and didn’t give up until the end.”
Kerr said he had planned meticulously for this race. Kerr had a good view of Wightman’s tactics in Eugene as he chased him home to finish fifth and he produced an almost uncanny replica of his Edinburgh club mate on Wednesday.
Ingebrigtsen said he was not physically in great shape as he was unable to respond to Kerr moving onto his shoulder. Last year Ingebrigtsen recovered from the setback in his favourite event to win the 5,000m gold and he confirmed that he will defend his title on Sunday, the last night of the championships.

Warholm back on top of world 400-hurdles podium
Karsten Warholm of Norway returned to the top of the global medal podium, racing to gold in the 400-metres hurdles. The world record holder and Olympic champion ran 46.89, pulling away from American Rai Benjamin heading into the home straight.
The 27-year-old won the 2017 and 2019 world championships, but struggled to seventh at the worlds last season in Eugene when he was hampered by an injury. Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands crossed in 47.34 for silver, while Benjamin, silver medallist last year in Eugene, faded to take bronze in 47.56.

Paulino becomes first Dominican woman to win a world title
Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic won gold in the women’s 400m, finally claiming top spot on the podium after silvers at last year’s worlds and Tokyo Olympics and doing it in record style. The race was wide open in the absence of injured American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the 400m hurdles world record holder and fastest in the world this year over the flat, and with Olympic and defending world champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo going out in the heats four months after having a baby.
Paulino, second-fastest in the world this year, knew she would never get a better chance to become the first Dominican female world champion and did not waste it.
Dutchwoman Lieke Klaver set the early pace but faded on the final bend and was swallowed up. Paulino was out in lane seven and ran a controlled race to surge ahead at the top of the home straight and drive home for an emphatic victory in a national record 48.76 seconds. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek finished strongly to take silver in 49.57 followed by Sada Williams of Barbados, who matched her bronze from last year, with 49.60.
“A lot of emotions are rushing through me,” Paulino, 26, said. “This national record means a lot to me. It is really incredible, but I have been preparing for this for a long time, working hard to achieve a goal like this. The gold medal was my dream, and I had the talent to turn this dream into reality.”