Mondo Duplantis, Christopher Morales Williams Break Meet Records On Day 2 In Poland

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Chiara Montesano

INTERVIEWS

Simon Ehammer of Switzerland broke Ashton Eaton's 12-year-old world record in the men's heptathlon on Saturday at the World Indoor Championships at Kujawy Pomorze, Poland. 

Ehammer scored 6,670 points, which included a world heptathlon best in the 60-meter hurdles (7.52 seconds), and tacked 25 points onto Eaton's record. 

The 2024 champion and 2025 silver medalist put himself into world-record range when he followed the hurdles with a 5.30m clearance (17-4.50) in the pole vault.

Ehammer, also one of the world's best long jumpers, closed out his heptathlon victory with a personal best time of 2:41.04 in the 1,000 meters to break the overall points record.

"For the moment, I am speechless because my dream came true," Ehammer said. "I badly wanted to improve my European record here but it was difficult to imagine that the world record would be possible as well. It was not easy to clear 5.10m, 5.20m and 5.30m at my third attempts. But after the pole vault I realised that the 2:43 I needed to break the world record was in my capacity."

Heath Baldwin of the U.S. finished with 6,337 points for the silver medal and teammate Kyle Garland scored 6,245 for bronze.

The United States did not have a gold medal winner on Saturday and perhaps the best chances on Sunday rest with 17-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus in the 800 meters and Anna Hall in the pentathlon.

The high schooler ran a time of 1:44.29 to win his semfinal heat, fastest of anyone in the field. 

Cole Hocker's bid to win the 3,000 meters came up a bit short against 2024 Glasgow champion Josh Kerr of Great Britain. 

Kerr lagged behind a bit early in the race but made a decisive move over the final 200 meters and held off Hocker and Yann Schrub of France to win in 7:35.56. Hocker barely beat Scrub by .01 for silver with 7:35.70, his fourth global medal.

"It's a game of chess," Kerr said. "Cole is so good and Yared (Nuguse) is so good that over the last (kilometer) you have to play your hand as confidently as you can and not give an inch."

Kerr suffered a torn calf muscle in the 1,500 meters final in Tokyo last September. 

Nuguse finished fifth for the U.S. 

In the women's 3,000 meters, Italy's Nadia Battocletti won gold with 8:57.674. The Olympic and world silver medalist in the 10,000 meters passed Jessica Hull of Australia on the final lap and closed her final 100 meters in 14.51 seconds. 

Emily Mackay of the U.S. also got by Hull in the strides to take the silver medal in 8:58.12. Hull was third in 8:58.18.

Mondo Duplantis withstood a challenge from Greece's Emmanouil Karalis before winning his ninth consecutive global championship with a championship meet record 6.25m (20-6). 

Duplantis took six jumps in the competition without a miss and did not continue after Karalis failed two attempts at 6.25m. 

For the first time, three men toppd six meters at the World Indoor Championships. Kurtis Marschall of Australia matched his personal best with 6.00m for bronze. 

Zach Bradford of the U.S. finished fifth and Chris Nilsen tied for ninth. 

Canada's Christopher Morales Williams ran a championship record time of 44.76 seconds to defeat U.S. champion Khaleb McRae in the 400 meters final. 

Williams ran the all-time best 44.49 while in college at Georgia but never got credit for the world record due to the blocks he used. 

McRae ran 44.52 earlier this year and his mark was ratified as the world indoor record. 

McRae finished in 45.03 for the silver medal. Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago ran 45.39 for bronze. 

Italy's Zaynab Dosso saved her best race for last in the women's 60 meters, which she won in 7.00 seconds. 

Jacious Sears of the U.S. took silver in 7.03 seconds and Olympic 100 meters champion Julien Alfred of St. Lucia got bronze, also in 7.03. 

After running a personal best time of 7.35 seconds in the semifinal round of the men's 60-meter hurdles, U.S. champion Trey Cunningham finished third in a blanket finish in the final. 

The top five hit the final tape within .05 seconds. 

The Polish crowd celebrated the victory of Jakub Szymanski, who won it in 7.40 seconds. 

Spain's Enrique Llopis ran a national record 7.42 seconds for silver.

Cunningham clocked 7.43 for bronze, his second global medal and first since silver in 2022 outdoors in Eugene.

In another all-European podium finish, this time in the women's 400 meters, Lurdes Gloria Manuel of the Czech Republich won the gold with a personal best 50.76 seconds. Poland's Natalia Bukowiecka ran 50.83 for a national record and silver. Lieke Klaver of The Netherlands was third in 51.02.  

Cuba's Leyanis Perez Hernandez equaled the world lead in the triple jump with 14.95m (49-0.75) and defended her world indoor title. Three-time winner Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela was second with 14.86m (48-9) and Saly Sarr of Senegal earned bronze with a personal best 14.70m (48-2.75). 

Belgium won the mixed 4x400 relay in 3:15.60 and Spain and Poland made it an all-European podium in the event. 

The U.S., with a lineup of Jevon O'Bryant, Sara Reifenrath, Steven McElroy and Taiya Shelby finished fifth. 

Ukraine made it a sweep of the high jump gold medals as Oleh Doroshchuk was clean through 2.30m (7-6.50) to take the victory in the men's event one day after Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the women's. 

Erick Portillo also cleared 2.30m and took silver for Mexico's first high jump medal at the world indoor championships. 

Raymond Richards of Jamaica and Sanghyeok Woo from South Korea tied for bronze.