Keely Hodgkinson, Yaroslava Mahuchikh headline final day of World Athletics Championships in Tokyo

TOKYO – Olympic champions Keely Hodgkinson and Yaroslava Mahuchikh headline the ninth and final day of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sept 21.

Here is a closer look at their two events.

Women’s 800m final

Hodgkinson has admitted she was sweating on her place at the world meet until the last minute.

The 23-year-old Briton was sidelined for months by lingering hamstring problems after winning the Olympic gold in 2024 and returned to the track only in August.

“It was a matter of literally day by day, week by week on what the plan was for a period of time – there was no plan,” said Hodgkinson, who won world silvers in both 2022 and 2023.

“We were just going with what my body was reacting to. Luckily, we made it here, and we did enough, and I’m in this great place.”

Hodgkinson made a triumphant return to action in August, running a world-leading time of 1min 54.74sec at the Silesia Diamond League meet in Poland.

She followed that up with another meet record a week later in Lausanne, beating Switzerland’s in-form Audrey Werro to put herself firmly among the favourites for the world title.

Hodgkinson, who could well be Britain’s best remaining hope of winning a gold in Japan, will be up against not only Werro.

Kenya’s defending world champion Mary Moraa, Olympic silver medallist Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia and Australia’s Jessica Hull will also be among the contenders.

She said she was “not really an athlete that needs loads of races” to be ready to compete.

“I’ve been losing my mind. I’ve been so bored just waiting for it to come around,” she added.

“So I was really excited to get out there, and it’s our turn to have some fun and get on the stage.”

Women’s high jump final

World record holder and Olympic gold medallist Mahuchikh defends the title she won on a tear-filled night in Budapest in 2023.

The Ukrainian sailed through qualification, but there will be stiff competition in the final, notably from the Australian duo of Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson.

“To make the final with only one attempt over 1.92m is confirmation of my shape and confidence,” said Mahuchikh, who won Olympic gold in Paris after taking bronze at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.

“I felt incredible. I have been flying. The field in the final will be strong. I’m so glad we have more and more female high jumpers over 2.00m. It gives extra motivation to me.”

After Olyslagers pipped her in the Diamond League final in Zurich, Mahuchikh had a training camp in Japan before relocating to Tokyo.

“We managed to improve a couple of technical things. Now I’m ready to defend my title,” she said.

Olyslagers, who has won silver at the last two Olympics, said she was trying to enjoy the moment “because I know being in a good shape for a World Championships is very rare”.

“At times I pushed too hard and something broke, so I hope my body and mind are great for the final.”

Other events

The other finals on the last day of action are the men’s 5,000m, discus, 4x400m and 4x100m, while in the women’s competition there are also the 4x400m and 4x100m races.

World and Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen rebounded from failing to make the 1,500m final by safely advancing to the final of the 5,000m on Sept 19.

The Norwegian was left punching the air as he crossed the line in eighth place in the second of two heats, with the top eight qualifying for the final.

“I gave my all,” said the 25-year-old. “I am not myself. I had to do what I could today. I was not sure I would make the final but here I am. I don’t have any idea what I am going to do in the final. I will try my best. Can it be a medal for Norway? We will see.”

Coming into the championships, Ingebrigtsen had been laid low with an Achilles injury that saw him miss all of the outdoor season. AFP