The women’s pole vault final at the World Championships in Tokyo delivered everything fans could hope for – flawless early clearances, nerve-wracking third attempts, and medals decided at the very edge of personal limits.
Slovenia’s Tina Šutej finally celebrated her first ever outdoor world medal, soaring over 4.80m to secure the bronze. For the 36-year-old, it was the long-awaited reward after years of consistency and near misses on the biggest stage.
Right alongside her in the fight for the podium was Czech star Amálie Švábíková, competing in her eighth straight championship final. She opened brilliantly, clearing 4.45m and 4.65m on first attempts, and then showed her fighting spirit by nailing 4.75m on her last try. At that moment, she stood tied with Šutej for third place.
The decisive battle came at 4.80m. Šutej succeeded on her second attempt, while Švábíková recorded two failures and then bravely gambled her final jump at 4.85m. The bar stayed up for Šutej, not for Švábíková — leaving the Slovenian with bronze and the Czech with a tied career-best fourth place finish at the global stage.
In the women’s triple jump, Neja Filipič earned a spot in the final and delivered a strong series, finishing ninth overall with 14.03m. Competing against the world’s very best, Filipič confirmed her place among the top jumpers globally, closing her championship inside the top ten.
In the 400m hurdles, fellow Slovenian Matic Ian Guček clocked 48.51 seconds in the semifinal, continuing his development after a demanding season. His 14th place underlines his rising profile in European athletics.
Great Britain’s Tyri Donovan impressed in his championship debut, running a new personal best of 48.21 seconds in the semifinal. The time also ranks him fifth in the European toplists. Definitely a a great position prior to the continental championships in the home soil next year.
Meanwhile, Greek long jump superstar, defending champion, Miltiadis Tentoglou faced an unpleasant setback. The Olympic and world champion managed 7.83m in the final, finishing 11th overall struggling with cramps. Tentoglou himself called it one of the toughest competitions of his career, but his consistency and past dominance ensure he remains a central figure in the discipline.
In the men’s javelin final, we wtinessed two contrasting stories for our athletes.
Jakub Vadlejch arrived to Tokyo as the defending bronze medallist from Budapest and extended his incredible streak of advancing to the final for the fifth time in a row. He advanced smoothly from qualification with a season’s best of 84.11m, underlining his ability to deliver when it counts. In the final, however, things did not go his way. His best mark of 78.71m left him 11th overall. While this was not the outcome he had hoped for, reaching another global final confirms his remarkable consistency and longevity at the very top of javelin throwing.
Anderson Peters, meanwhile, added yet another chapter to his championship legacy. After leading qualification with a massive 89.53m, he went on to secure silver in the final with 87.38m. Already a two-time world champion, Peters once again proved he is one of the sport’s most reliable big-stage performers, stepping onto the World Championships podium for the third time in his career.
