Unexpected victory in the men's 1,500 meters at the world championships goes to Portugal's Isaac Nader
In a surprising turn of events at the World Athletics Championships, Portugal's Isaac Nader claimed an unexpected victory in the men's 1500m race. Nader, who entered the competition ranked eighth in the world and had never placed in a major championship, rallied from fifth place to first over the last 100 meters, edging Jake Wightman of Britain by a margin of just 0.02 seconds.
Nader's biggest win prior to this race was in the Dream Mile in Oslo in June. His triumph at the world championships has drawn comparisons to the legendary Usain Bolt, with many hailing his performance as a Cinderella story.
Meanwhile, in the women's pole vault, Katie Moon defended her title, winning her third straight world title with a clearance of 4.90 meters (16 feet-3/4 inch). Sandi Morris, who has won five major silver medals, including four at the world championships and one at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finished second, losing to Moon on her final attempt.
The men's 1500m race was the first time since 2021 that the event has gone to 'form' on the sport's biggest stage. Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot and Niels Laros of The Netherlands were considered top contenders for the race but finished third and fifth, respectively. Another top contender, Josh Kerr, pulled up lame during the race and finished nearly 30 seconds off the pace.
In the 200-meter races, Gout Gout, a 17-year-old Australian sprinter, advanced to the semifinals. His run of 20.23 seconds in the 200-meter heats was good enough to advance, although he will likely need to break 20 seconds to run in the final, as his two career sub-20 runs have been wind-aided.
The winning time for the men's 1500m race was 3 minutes, 34.10 seconds, with Reynold Cheruiyot of Kenya finishing third. The countries that have historically won the women's pole vault world championships include the United States, Russia, and Germany. Prominent athletes from these and other countries have secured titles over the years.
