Charlton lowers world record, Duplantis wins another global title

GLASGOW (Agencies): Devynne Charlton blazed to a world record in the women’s 60-metres hurdles while pole vaulter Armand Duplantis pulled a remarkable performance out of what had been an off-night to win gold at the world indoor athletics championships on Sunday. Charlton, a 28-year-old from the Bahamas, clocked 7.65 seconds to shave two-hundredths of a second off the previous record she had shared with American Tia Jones. The 24-year-old Duplantis, an Olympic and two-time world outdoor champion, cleared 6.05 metres to add a second world indoor title to his bulging resume. Some uncharacteristic misses at lower heights had the world-record holder puffing his cheeks in frustration. He finally cleared 6.05 on his third vault, then missed at three world-record attempts of 6.24. American Sam Kendricks took silver with a height of 5.90, while Emmanouil Karalis of Greece won bronze with 5.85. Femke Bol captured her second title of the meet in anchoring the Dutch women to victory in the 4x400m relay. The 24-year-old had crushed her own world indoor 400m record en route to gold the previous evening. Simon Ehammer of Switzerland won the men’s heptathlon to improve on his silver in 2022, doing just enough in the 1,000 metres ––– the heptathlon’s last event ––– to hold off Norway’s Sander Skotheim by 11 points.

Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia pulled away from home favourite Jemma Reekie over the final 50 metres to win the women’s 800 in 2:01.90. Reekie, from Scotland, crossed in 2:02.72 for silver. American Bryce Hoppel held off Sweden’s Andreas Kramer to win the men’s 800 in 1:44.92, the quickest time in the world this season. Geordie Beamish of New Zealand produced a brilliant kick to win the men’s 1,500 metres. Beamish, whose best event is the steeplechase, was in fifth place with 50 metres to go, swinging wide en route to a time of 3:36.54. Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu won the women’s 1,500m, the event’s final race, in 4:01.46, with Americans Nikki Hiltz and Emily Mackay rounding out the podium. Thea LaFond needed just two attempts to win triple jump gold and become Dominica’s first global champion in athletics. The 29-year-old soared 15.01 metres on her second attempt in Sunday’s morning session, the best jump in the world this year, and with victory all but locked up was able to pass on her remaining four jumps. LaFond’s previous best results were a Diamond League win in 2022 in Paris and Commonwealth Games silver and bronze medals.