2025 world athletics championships, Tokyo
Top 8 Australian performances
Jess Hull
Kurtis Marschall
Gout Gout
Torrie Lewis
Mackenzie Little
Ky Robinson
Matt Denny
Nicola Olyslagers
In no particular order:
Jess Hull (800m & 1500m):
This superstar ran a gutsy race in the 1500m final, taking it up to the two Kenyans, Faith Kipyegon and Dorcus Ewio, and hung on bravely for the bronze medal.
The Africans have long been famous for ‘team’ tactics in big races. Jess left nothing on the track in what the experts described as bold, tough running as she took on the Kenyan big guns.
She then backed up in the 800m, and after being tripped up in her heat and reinstated, broke the Australian record in the semi-final.
Jess finished a gallant eighth in the 800m final.
Class with a capital ‘C’.
Kurtis Marschall (pole vault):
In an incredible competition where the world record was broken yet again by the man of the moment, Mondo Duplantis, with a performance of 6.30m, thank you very much, Australian Kurtis vaulted a personal best of 5.95m for bronze, narrowly missing the significant 6.00m height.
Kurtis gave a very entertaining interview to Patrick Stack on the ABC Sport Daily podcast, describing the camaraderie of the pole vaulters, to the point of summarising the karaoke after party, where ABBA was the most played, Kurtis’ go to tune ‘Iris’ by the Goo Goo Dolls, and the 14-time world record breaker Mondo Duplantis’ song choice: ‘Sweet Caroline’!
Gout Gout (200m):
The 17-year-old qualified for the semi-final of the 200m before flying home to compete his Year 12 commitments at Ipswich Grammar School.
To say there is much hype around the young man is the understatement of 2025, however, to date, the Australian 200m record holder is living up to expectations.
To give some perspective, in the 200m semi, Gout was the youngest in the field by some four years!
Torrie Lewis (100m & 200m, 4x100m):
The 20-year-old, now based in the Netherlands, broke her own national 100m record in the 100m heats in Tokyo, despite running into a slight headwind.
Backing up in the 200m, Torrie also qualified for the semi-final.
The less said about the 4x100m, the better, however the Australian relay program is doing good things – better results ahead!
Torrie Lewis, St Peters Lutheran College, Indooroopilly old scholar (2022), take a bow!
Two semi-finals at a world championship as a 20-year-old, brilliant work!
Mackenzie Little (javelin):
In her day job, Dr Little is a surgical resident at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney. She trains at night, or around shifts … quite an impressive routine.
After finishing 12th at the Paris Olympics, Mackenzie only competed five times in 2025, including diamond league meets in Oslo and Morocco.
After winning the bronze medal, Mackenzie told the media that she will continue to juggle medicine and elite athletics for ‘as long as she can.’
What an amazing story of high achievement.
Ky Robinson (5000m):
As Ky crossed the finish line of the 5000m final after a huge finishing kick, the voice of Australian athletics, Bruce McAvaney, excitedly stated: “I cannot believe I am saying this: Ky Robinson has stormed home in fourth place, what a run!”
Ky Robinson, the old scholar of Anglican Church Grammar School (‘Churchie’) in Brisbane, the ‘King of Limestone Park’ (Ipswich) due to his GPS schoolboy cross country dominance, underlined the talent in Australian middle distance running at present. Alongside the likes of Claudia Hollingsworth, Abbie Caldwell, Linden Hall, Peyton Craig, Peter Bol and Cam Myers, the future is very bright.
Matt Denny (discus):
Torrential rain marred the final session of the world championships, with a drenched throwing circle wreaking havoc, making conditions extremely dangerous for the athletes.
In possibly a first for a world championship final, the German athlete threw in his rain-soaked socks, hoping for better grip across the circle.
Olympic bronze medalist Matt Denny, Allora’s finest, finished a gallant fourth place in the atrocious conditions, again, doing his country proud.
Nicola Olyslagers (high jump):
During the last session of the competition, Australia claimed its first and only gold medal of the championships. Nicola Olyslagers, the Olympic silver medal winner from Paris, and world indoor champion from earlier this year, won the event.
Nicola is well known for several reasons, including: an 18-year athlete-coach partnership with Matt Horsnell (an absolute rarity), her journalling throughout competition, as well as being a proactive Christian athlete.
After the win, Nicola described the competition as being ‘worship’.
Next week:
The top 8, world wide.
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About Russel Hansen
Russel Hansen Has worked in schools for over thirty years – as a teacher, coach, coach educator, sports coordinator and in pastoral care roles. Whilst at Brisbane Boys’ College as Director of Athletics, he led teams to six GPS premierships in track and field, and cross country. He has coached (athletics) at all levels from school to international. His squad at the University of Queensland (to January 2023) included Lachlan Kennedy OLY, Paris 4x100m relay runner, Australian record holder. He is married to Heidi, a Primary school principal, and is father to two adult daughters. Twitter: @Russel_Hansen
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Thank you Russel for your interesting article highlighting those brilliant, talented characters and
performances. We have much to look forward to in Athletics.
Equally, Bruce McAveney, Dave Culbert and Matt Hill provided expert, vivid and versatile commentary.
Thank you for taking the time to comment, John.
Australia does have much to look forward to in athletics, Gout Gout is one of many!
Agree: with these championships televised on both SBS and channel 9, great commentary was part of both networks’ coverage.
The European commentators do a great job covering the diamond league meets.
Take care
RITV
Russell great to see the Aussies in general coming along nicely in athletics it seems like we’ve hit a window where there could be some medals in week two of a Olympics games ( just generalizing re swimming ) thank you
Thanks, Rulebook
interestingly – for the LA Olympics – swimming is after athletics – to do with venues – for the ceremonies and the swimming
https://www.espn.com.au/olympics/story/_/id/45052783/la-coliseum-sofi-set-olympic-opening-closing-venues-2028
https://la28.org/content/dam/latwentyeight/competition-schedule-imagery/LA28OlympicGamesCompetitionByDaySchedule.pdf
Thanks for the athlete wrap and summaries. I like the personal dimensions you add too. I caught snippets here and there as I was away, but i did catch the Aussie discus thrower almost spiral off the track in what looked like an epic downpour. I’m not sure if events were, or were not delayed because of it, but surely must have been a challenge for all.
Thank you for your comments, Kate, much appreciated …
You are exactly right – the men’s discus final was held in awful conditions (as for the women’s high jump)
Thanks again