US national champion Jordan Anthony ran a world-leading 6.41s to claim a first world indoor title in the men’s 60m, announcing the arrival of a new sprinting star on the global scene.
Britain’s Jeremiah Azu made a brilliant start but faded in the closing few metres to miss out on the chance to defend his title from Nanjing, China.
There was a lengthy wait for the result to be confirmed as there were several athletes within fractions of a second each other behind the American star, who was well clear at the front.
Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, the Olympic and world 100m silver medallist, took silver with a personal best of 6.45s, with American Trayvon Bromell taking bronze on the same time.
A close final was guaranteed as all the big names qualified within 0.05s of each other: Bromell set a then-world-leading time of 6.42s as he won the second semi-final, with Anthony equalling his personal best of 6.43s and Azu setting a new PB as they finished first and second respectively in the last semi.
Azu’s 6.45s brought him within 0.03 seconds of Dwain Chambers’ British record and he was again not far off with a time of 6.46s in the final.
He told BBC Sport: “It’s tough. I was very vocal about defending that US national champion Jordan Anthony wins world indoor 60m crown as GB’s Jeremiah Azu misses out on medal and I fell short.
“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.”
Anthony was the favourite going into the event having run the fastest time in the world this year, 6.43s – three-hundredths quicker than Thompson and another hundredth quicker than Bromell, Azu and Levell.
The 21-year-old, a two-time former NCAA champion, won the US title in 6.45s earlier this month, beating Olympic 100m champion and training partner Noah Lyles.
He competed in Poland with his arm heavily taped up after suffering a blood clot in a bungled drug test, telling media in Torun: “Yesterday I had drug testing, they took blood, but he didn’t stick my vein, he stuck outside. I got a clot the size of a football. Luckily, I’m still running.
“That’s why my arm is taped up. I can’t really do this with it. It is what it is, that’s not going to stop me.”
Earlier on Friday Yaroslava Mahuchikh claimed the first gold medal of the championships, winning the women’s high jump final for the first time since 2022.
The Ukrainian, the world record holder and reigning Olympic champion, took gold with a jump of 2.01m, while in an unusual sight three women took joint silver.
All three of Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers, Serbia’s Angelina Topic and Ukrainian Yuliia Levchenko all jumped 1.99m with no previous failures and shared second spot on the podium.
In the women’s 800m Keely Hodgkinson cruised to victory in her heat with a time of 2:00.32, having successfully retrieved her kit and spikes after they were initially misplaced by the airline on her way to Torun.
“It came last night, thank God,” said Hodgkinson. “I was starting to get annoyed. A very nice Polish girl let me borrow her spikes, and they gave me a blister. I just didn’t have any kit or my supplements. But it’s all good now.”
The 24-year-old has won a medal at every major championships bar these, having missed out multiple times with injury, and looks in world-beating shape having broken the world indoor record last month.
Her major rival, Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, ran slightly quicker to win her heat in 1:59.91, while Hodgkinson’s compatriot and new British indoor champion Isabelle Boffey qualified as a fastest loser.
Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell won her 1500m heat to qualify for the final and remains the favourite for the title, but compatriot Jemma Reekie narrowly missed out after finishing fourth in her her heat.
