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Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu sprinted to 60m gold in a dramatic photo finish at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, securing the first global title of his career. Just two weeks after his European indoor triumph, the 23-year-old equaled his personal best of 6.49 seconds to become a world champion. His victory was confirmed by the narrowest of margins, crossing the line one hundredth of a second ahead of Australian Lachlan Kennedy, who was initially displayed as the winner on the big screen in Nanjing, China. The gold medal marked the perfect conclusion to a whirlwind month for Azu, who celebrated the birth of his son just a week before winning his first individual international title.
Initially believing he had finished second, Azu held his hands to his head in disappointment before erupting in celebration when the corrected results showed him as the winner. Overjoyed, he expressed confidence in his abilities, stating that his ambition goes beyond this victory and that he is excited for what the summer season holds. His return to Wales after a challenging Olympic experience has clearly played a role in his success. After the disappointment of being disqualified in the individual event in Tokyo, despite winning 4x100m relay bronze, Azu decided to leave his training group in Italy and reunite with coach Helen James, who first encouraged him to take up athletics. The move has provided him with renewed belief and a strong support system, which he credits for helping him reach this milestone.
Building on his recent success, Azu had already demonstrated his form by running a personal best of 6.49 seconds in Apeldoorn less than two weeks earlier. His journey to gold in Nanjing saw him clock 6.53 seconds in the heats and improve to 6.52 in the semi-finals before matching his lifetime best in the final. Emotional before the race, he reflected on the difficult years leading up to this moment and the importance of surrounding himself with people who believe in him, regardless of his results. He emphasized that his decision to prioritize family had been a crucial factor in his resurgence.
Elsewhere in the championships, British athletes continued to perform strongly. Georgia Hunter Bell and Neil Gourley advanced to the 1500m finals, while Amber Anning recorded the fastest time in the women's 400m heats. Ireland's Kate O'Connor secured pentathlon silver, while Italy's Andy Diaz Hernandez, South Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok, and Canada's Sarah Mitton claimed gold in their respective events. The three-day championships continue, with Britain's Molly Caudery aiming to defend her women's pole vault title before Anning competes for gold.
