World Track and Field Championships

THIRTEEN NYAC ATHLETES IN TOKYO
from James O'Brien in Tokyo



The World Track and Field Championships begin in Tokyo on Saturday, September 13th, with 13 NYAC athletes among those contesting for medals. The last time that a major track and field championship was held in Tokyo was at the Olympic Games of 2021, as the world emerged from the enforced hibernation of a global lockdown. On that occasion, athletes fought like Olympians for coveted medals in arenas devoid of spectators. This time around, things will be markedly different.

Already, the efficiency for which Japan is renowned is in evidence, with the Olympic Stadium, the venue for these championships, functioning with the smooth efficiency of a Swiss - actually, a Japanese - watch. The first of the NYAC's athletes to enter the competitive arena will be Miranda Melville, who toes the line in the women's 35K race walk at 7:30am local time on Saturday (6:30pm, Friday EST). A distant relative of author Herman Melville, Miranda will have her work cut to handle the likes of Australia's Olivia Sandery and Italy's Nicole Colombi, the world's #1 and #2. As a 2016 Olympian and multi-US champion, though, Melville knows there are white whales out there to be captured.

On Saturday evening, Valarie Allman will take to the circle for the first rounds of the women's discus. Allman is a two-time Olympic champion and the world's dominant thrower at the present time, with an unbeaten streak going back to 2023. Also a five-time Diamond League winner, the sole accolade missing from Allman's war chest is a world championships gold. She has got bronze and silver from 2022 and 2023, respectively; but, so far, no gold. Nobody in this field is about to hand Allman the victory just because she is on fire right now; but were she not to prevail, it would be a considerable upset. The first rounds will set the tone; after that it is all to play for.

The 2021 Olympic Games in this stadium were magnificent; this time around, with a packed and enthusiastic arena, it is certain to be of a stratospheric level. Check back regularly for all of the NYAC news, plus other miscellaneous musings.

MELVILLE ON THE ROAD - ALLMAN IN THE ARENA
from James O'Brien in Tokyo
Day 1 - Saturday, September 13th



Sometimes, it feels as though the World Track and Field Championships have been around as long at the Olympic Games. In reality, this meet only came into being in 1983 when it was staged in Helsinki. The second version, in Rome, was held in 1987, with the third edition being held here, in the Japanese capital, in 1991, and following which the meet went to a two year rotation. Although the championships were held in Osaka in 2007, this year is the first time since that 1991 edition that Tokyo has been host to what is unquestionably the greatest track and field spectacular on the planet.

Of course, this magnificent stadium will be familiar to many of the world class athletes who are competing here this week, including the NYAC’s Valarie Allman, Will Claye, Daniel Haugh and others, they having contested the Olympic Games here in 2021. For almost all spectators, though, this will be new terrain; as we all know, the Tokyo Olympics were decimated by a global lockdown that required the Games to be held with only officials, staff and a few beaten down journos in attendance. So, in no uncertain terms, this will be a recalibration, almost a redemption, for what should have happened four years ago. The Olympics were a magnificent occasion, as they always are; but, Tokyo 2021 was like having a birthday party to which nobody came. This time around, the guests of honor are all here with literally tens of thousands of fans enthused to cheer them home.

That was evident this morning, as the first events on the program took place, the men’s and women’s 35K race walks, both races having being re-scheduled to 7:30am from their original 8am start times in a (vain) attempt to avoid the worst of the humidity that is hanging over Tokyo like one of those lead blankets that the dentist puts on you when they X-ray your teeth. It’s oppressive. But these are the finest athletes in the world and adversity is what they train for. It may not be easy, but that’s the point.

Miranda Melville was the NYAC athlete in the midst of the fray this morning. It was always going to be tough, the conditions notwithstanding. Although a 2016 Olympian and 10-time US champion (six outdoors, four indoors), Melville’s best time at this distance (21.75 miles for the imperially oriented) is 2:57:22 as compared with the world record of 2:37:15, set by Spain’s Maria Perez in 2023. Going into this race, Perez also held the fastest time in the world this year, a 2:38:59 clocking, as compared with Melville’s yearly best of 3:02:46. So, as powerful a competitor as the NYAC woman may be, Perez is of an entirely different order.

So it proved once the gun sounded, with the Spanish woman storming to the front of the field and racing to a dominating 2:39:01 victory, a remarkable time in these conditions and well over three minutes up on the silver medal placing of Italy’s Antonella Palmisano (2:42:24). Melville worked hard, starting cautiously and incrementally picking off the impetuous fast starters. At the finish line, her time of 3:12:07 installed her in 30th position, a commendable performance in her seventh world championship outing.

Also making an appearance this morning was Valarie Allman, in the qualifying rounds of the women’s discus. If there is one powerful favorite in these championships, it is Allman, the two-time Olympic champion and five-time Diamond League victor who has a winning streak going back to 2023. Allman's best throw thus far this season reached 73.52m/241-2, almost three meters ahead of the 70.72m/232-0 yearly best of compatriot Laulauga Tausaga. (Interestingly, as of today, the top five throws in the world this year have been posted by Americans).

The idea this morning, of course, was simply to advance to tomorrow’s final. Twelve women would earn that privilege in one of two ways: i) place among the 12 farthest throwers from the two groups of contestants; ii) throw 64.00m/210-0 and automatically advance. It was no surprise that Allman elected option two. Throwing third in Group B, she stepped into the circle, unleashed a 66.07m/216-9 statement of intent and went home. That was all it took.

“To qualify on the first throw gives me a lot of confidence for tomorrow,” she commented. “This is one of my favorite stadiums in the whole world and now to be back with people who have such great energy, it's amazing. I am excited to fight, I'm really proud of the work I have done this season and excited to end it here in Tokyo. It (winning a gold medal) would be a huge thing for me. As an athlete you remember more the times you were not on the podium. It has been a two-year journey to get back here and have a shot for gold, so I am excited for it.” 

Allman was not the farthest thrower of the morning, however; that distinction went to Croatia’s Sandra Elkasevic, the bronze medalist from the Paris Olympic Games, who reached 66.72m/218-11, while Holland’s Jorinde Van Klinken, the seventh placed finisher at the Paris Games, reached 66.39m/217-9. As mentioned yesterday, the sole accolade missing from Allman’s trophy case is a world championships gold medal. She has got a bronze and a silver from 2022 and 2023, respectively. All of which means that tomorrow - Sunday - evening’s clash of titans is certain to be unforgettable. The action kicks off at 7:12pm Tokyo time, 6:12am EST. Take my word for it, it will be worth getting out of bed to watch.

Happening tomorrow morning Tokyo time - Saturday evening in NYC - are the qualifying rounds of the women’s hammer throw, with the NYAC’s Deanna Price and Brooke Andersen in the fray, both being medal contenders, as you can see if you check out their bios below. That competition begins at 9am Tokyo time, 8pm Saturday in New York. You will certainly want to watch it; but don’t stay up too late; you’ve got to be up early on Sunday.

---

IT'S ALL ABOUT ALLMAN
from James O'Brien in Tokyo
Day 2 - Sunday, September 14th



With the greatest of respect to our elite female hammer throwers who competed in their qualifying rounds this morning, today was all about Valarie Allman, the two-time Olympic discus champion and world #1, who, this evening, was going in search of the world championships gold medal that has eluded her, thus far, in her celebrated career.

Allman has been the world’s preeminent discus thrower for the last handful of years, going unbeaten since 2023 and placing a mark on her event that puts one in mind of another NYAC discus icon, the late great Al Oerter. In yesterday morning’s qualifying rounds, Allman gave every indication that this victory was hers for the taking, with a one and done throw that gave her an immediate advancement to the final; but, tonight’s competition for all the marbles would be an entirely different kettle of fish, irrespective of excessive metaphors and no idea of what a kettle of fish may be.

That said, this morning’s women's hammer qualifying rounds were not devoid of their own drama. Deanna Price, the 2019 world champion, now back on top after a few years of career-threatening injury, and 2022 world champion and 2025 world leader, Brooke Andersen, were both throwing in Group A, seeking to get through to tomorrow evening’s final and, thereafter, chase medals. Price advanced perfunctorily with a 74.99m/246-0 throw on her second attempt that saw her move through automatically.

“I got injured in 2021,” she proffered. “That’s when things started to go sideways. I broke my ankle, tore my hip. I had a lot going on. It’s nice to come back. That’s how it was meant to be. It is full circle. I am taking it year by year and enjoying the process again, enjoying little moments like this one.”

Andersen, however, inexplicably fouled all three of her attempts and exited the competition, a stunning blow for her, having been a legitimate medal contender.

Price is certainly among the most powerful contenders to make the podium, having the fourth best throw in the world this year coming into this competition (78.53m/257-7) and boasting an all-time best of 80.31m/263-6, the US record. Inevitably, she will not have it all her own way in the final, with Canada’s Camryn Rogers (reigning Olympic champion) and China’s Jie Zhao (Paris Olympics bronze medalist) being just two of the powerhouse competitors also vying for the front of the field. It will be a war.

As it was this evening in the battle for hardware in the women’s discus final. As oft stated, Allman was the favorite; but, if medals were distributed based solely on reputation....well, we wouldn’t have been sitting here watching this enthralling competition. Which it was. Even with plentiful drama underway on the track, spectators were enraptured by the exploits of Allman and her peers. From the opening throw, the intensity of this competition was evident.

Allman threw first, launching a superb 67.63m/221-10 that immediately drew a line in the sand for the other 11 competitors in this final, among them the defending champ, Allman’s US teammate, Laulauga Tausaga (who reached a tepid 57.64m/189-01 on her first attempt). So, at the end of round one, Allman held the lead, though by a dangerously close 13cms from the always intimidating Jorinde Van Klinken from the Netherlands. The order remained unchanged through the second and third rounds, with Allman at the head of the field (67.63m/221-10), Van Klinken in second (67.50m/221-5) and Cuba’s Silinda Morales third (67.25m/220-7). Tausaga held fourth with a distant 65.49m/214-10 as the second half of the competition began. At this stage, only the leading 10 receive three additional throws; as the leader, Allman would throw last.

The sole change in round four was that Tausaga slipped back to fifth, displaced by the 65.82m/215-11 of Croatia’s two-time Olympic champion, Sandra Elkasevic. But, if it hadn't been already, now it was getting tense, most particularly for the women up front. All of the throwers in the medal positions were keenly aware that it is the last two rounds that are the most dangerous. That is when last effort heaves can oftentimes set the cat among the pigeons. (Just ask shot put legend, Joe Kovacs; it was in round six of the US championships this year that he went from being a world championships medal contender to being bounced into fourth place and off the US team). Allman, clearly, had no intention of opening that kind of window. Her fifth throw, the last of that round, sailed out to 69.48m/227-11, morphing a slim advantage to one that was demonstrative, commanding - dare it be said, unapproachable?

Which is not to say that Van Klinken, Morales and the other contenders did not give it their best in the sixth and final round. They certainly did. It’s just that their best was not THE best. That distinction belonged to the NYAC woman. She fouled her last; but, it made no difference. On this day, Allman was the unquestioned standard bearer, the best in the world. Three of her four legal throws would have won the gold medal, a medal that now completes her collection: gold, silver and bronze from world championships competition, not forgetting the two Olympic golds.

The new champ was ecstatic. "To become Olympic champion here in 2021 and now to become world champion! Tokyo is my favorite city in the whole world!"

With all of that nail-biting throwing action behind us, what could be better than more? Rudy Winkler and Daniel Haugh will be in action tomorrow morning in the qualifying rounds of the men’s hammer throw. Both are in Group B, which kicks off at 10:45am Tokyo time/9:45pm Sunday in New York. Both men, subject to advancing, are medal contenders.

Speaking of which, at 9pmTT/8amNY tomorrow, 2019 world hammer champion, Deanna Price, will be trying to regain that title. It will be tense, it will be fraught, it will be unmissable. Don't.

HAMMER TIME
from James O'Brien in Tokyo
Day 3 - Monday, September 15th



Sometimes, history can repeat itself. For whatever reason, usually when that happens, you don’t want it to. So it was this morning in Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium, site of these 20th World Athletics Championships (“Athletics” in the everywhere else sense of the word, meaning track and field, as distinct from its meaning in the US). To review, in yesterday morning’s qualifying rounds of the women’s hammer throw competition, two NYAC women took part, both being past world champions and both having shown, this season, that they could contend for medals this time around. Only one of them advanced, however - Deanna Price - while the other, Brooke Andersen, was left with disappointment and frustration.

This morning’s schedule included the qualifying rounds of the men’s hammer throw, featuring two NYAC competitors, Rudy Winkler and Daniel Haugh, both of whom had shown fine form and both of whom could rightly have hoped to contend for the hardware. Only - guess what? - one them, Winkler, advanced, while the other, Haugh, was left with - guess what? - disappointment and frustration.

Winkler, indeed, made certain from the outset that there would be no question about where he will be at 9:01pm Tokyo time (8:01am in NY) tomorrow evening, meaning in the thick of the final’s action in this here stifling stadium. (The humidity, for the record, is unreal). Throwing second, he watched as the implement sailed out to an automatic qualifier of 77.46m/254-1, then put on his warm up gear and sat the rest of it out. Of course, he also had to watch as reigning Olympic and world champion, Ethan Katzberg from Canada, lofted the hammer out to a monstrous 81.85m/268-6 as casually as he might toss a frisbee. He is clearly the man to beat; but, that’s a story for tomorrow.

Haugh, sadly, will be watching his NYAC teammate compete from the stands. His best of 74.87m/245-7 - well below his seasonal best of 78.55m/257-8 - left him in 10th place in the group, 17th overall. Only the top 12 advance. It was a sad departure for Haugh, and difficult to know what to say more than that. Success and elation, disappointment and frustration are the currencies in which world class athletes trade.

Just as Valarie Allman was the focus of yesterday’s NYAC attention, this evening that focus shifted to the aforementioned Deanna Price, who contested the women’s hammer throw final, facing such titans as Canada’s Camryn Rogers (the Olympic and defending world champion, paralleling Katzberg among the men), Poland’s 40 year old legend, Anita Wlodarczyk (three Olympic golds, four world titles), the USA’s Janée Kassanavoid (silver medalist in this meet in 2023), plus a clutch of emerging talents, all ready to vie for the top slot. But, Price, the 2019 world champion and bronze medalist two years ago, has seen both sides of athletic success and disappointment; reference, the aforementioned currency in which elite athletes deal. It is experience she hoped would serve her well once the competition got underway.

Rogers was first into the circle, unquestionably intent on setting a high bar and sending a message of intent. That was perfectly clear once the hammer came to land at an intimidating 78.09m/256-2. Price was fourth in the roster, her mark reaching 74.45m/244-3; in the mix, but well shy of the top tier. As the round ticked by, China’s Jie Zhao (76.54m/251-1) and Jiale Zhang (76.22m/250-1) both edged in front of Price, as did Finland’s Silja Kosonen (74.66m/244-11), leaving the NYAC woman in fifth, with the first rotation completed.

Rogers held the lead and was intent on ensuring that things stayed that way. Her second throw reached a monster 80.51m/264-1, a new Canadian record and the farthest throw in the world this year by well over one meter. So, at the end of round two, the only thing that had changed was that Rogers, the defending champion, looked stronger than ever. Nobody improved in round three, meaning that half way through the competition the order was Rogers, Zhou, Zhang, Kosonen and Price, who had fouled her third.

With the field pruned to the leading 10 for the final three throws, the throwing order also changed, Rogers, as the leader, throwing last. Truth be told, these final three rounds offered no revelations, no upsets, in fact no changes. Rogers’ best remained her second round 80.51m/264-1. Zhao and Zhang both improved their marks in the sixth round, to 77.60m/254-7 and 77.10m/252-11 respectively; but their order remained as it was. Price also improved - to 75.10m/246-5 in round five - but, still, she remained in fifth, her ultimate placing. It wasn’t the result she wanted; but, she competed powerfully and well; and all in that field had to concede that, on this day, nobody was going to deny Camryn Rogers. When you’re on, you’re on.

On a non-NYAC note, the same would have to be said of Armand Duplantis, the pole vaulting phenomenon who, in taking the world title this evening, broke the world record for the 14th time. The reception he received from the entranced crowd was ear-splitting, roof-raising, spine-chilling, nerve-tingling. I’m biased; but sometimes track and field is just the most awesome sport.

WE ARE ONLY WHO WE ARE BECAUSE OF WHAT WE WERE
from James O'Brien in Tokyo
Day 4 - Tuesday, September 16th



There was no morning session at the World Track and Field Championships today, and Rudy Winkler is the sole NYAC athlete in action, he contesting the men’s hammer final at 9pmTT/8amNY. That meant that there was a window of opportunity to visit a special exhibit being held in conjunction with this meet.

The Museum of World Athletics, overseen by the international governing body’s Chris Turner, is a repository of artifacts that document the lengthy and storied history of the sport of track and field. In both its virtual and tangible incarnations, MOWA opens a window into a sport that is by turns enthralling, dramatic, voluminous, inspiring and, sometimes, even bewildering. In one package, MOWA is a rabbit hole into which a track and field fan - or even the mildly curious - can disappear and possibly never come back.

With World Athletics’ chief, Lord Sebastian Coe, a fervent advocate, MOWA was created with a view to salvaging, curating and conserving a history that was in danger of being lost. At today’s Donation Ceremony - attended by a host of T&F glitterati who were donating commemorative items - Lord Coe explained that when he and Turner first visited the Monaco storage facility housing such ephemera as they possessed, “some of it was literally swimming in two inches of water.” Coe quickly realized the urgency of the situation. “If you cannot conserve the history on which you were built, you will not be able to navigate the future,” he stated with a perspicacity that resonates powerfully at the New York Athletic Club, an organization similarly adhered to the precepts on which it was founded.

In the days since the MOWA initiative began at World Athletics, Turner has built it into a fascinating exhibit that is transported to major track and field events around the world, enabling residents of and visitors to the various host cities to enjoy a uniquely immersive experience. The “brick and mortar” version is complemented by an on-line version that is impactful, informative and irresistibly entertaining. The MOWA exhibit in Tokyo opened in July and, thus far, has been visited by close to 250,000 people.

Among attendees at today’s event were track and field legends such as Don Quarrie, Ellen Van Langan, Constantina Dita, Daley Thompson and Billy Mills, not to mention the NYAC’s Eamonn Coghlan, Curt Clausen and Gary Morgan, Club members with seven Olympic appearances, two world championships medals and four world records (all Coghlan) among them.

There can be no questioning that track and field is at the core of both the Olympic Games and the New York Athletic Club. Similarly, there can be no questioning the importance of nurturing and cataloging the history on which both World Athletics and the NYAC have built their present day successes. We are only what we are because of who we were. It is all the more gratifying, therefore, that, like World Athletics, the NYAC is in the throes of developing some exciting initiatives that will protect and preserve the Club’s history while presenting it to existing members and those of generations to come. Those details will unfold in the coming months.

Rudy Winkler’s battle this evening to capture his first major championship medal is part of that NYAC history, a chapter being written in real time. Everybody in the field knew that the man they would have to face down was Canada’s Ethan Katzberg, the reigning world and Olympic champion, who looked superb in yesterday’s qualifying round. He threw third this evening, sending the implement out to a sterling 82.66m/271-2 that placed him immediately at the top of the pile and that was just 7cms shy of his best this year. Winkler threw next, a foul. Uh-oh. For the record, the NYAC man has reached 83.16m/272-10 this year, second best in the world.

With one thrower left in round one. Katzberg looked secure at the head of the field, which he was until that last thrower, Merlin Hummel from Germany, produced a mark of 82.77m/271-6 that shunted the Canadian back to second. How did the defending champ respond? By opening round two with a championship record 84.70m/277-11, by far the longest throw in the world this year. Winkler fouled for a second time. Uh-oh. So, for the NYAC man, it was all on his third attempt. Not only did he have to not foul, he had to produce a mark that would place him among the top 10, those being the ones afforded three more attempts; the two at the bottom of the table would have to head for the showers.

So, at the end of round three, Katzberg retained his place at the forefront, looking every inch a successful defender; the larger question was, “How would Winkler respond to the pressure?” The answer was, not only did he ensure his place among those getting an additional three throws, he did so courtesy of a 78.52m/257-7 heave that put him into fourth position, and with half the competition still to go.

In the fourth, Winkler fouled again - uh oh - and Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kokhan reached 79.51m/260-10, pushing our man back to fifth. The auguries were less than auspicious, if that is not an abundance of alliteration. Another foul in the fifth was illustrative of a problematic day, and a final round mark of 77.44m/254-1 was solid, but insufficient to move the dial; meaning that Winkler ended the competition fifth. As expected, Katzberg was the unstoppable force, his second round 84.70/277-11 being the distance that did the job, giving him the best part of a two meter advantage over the aforementioned Hummel (82.77m/271-6) and the not yet mentioned Bence Halasz from Hungary in third (82.69m/271-3).

Winkler was certainly a medal contender on paper and he may be disappointed with his placing here, even though it is his best ever in a major championship. (His previous best was sixth in both the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 and the World Championships in Eugene, OR in 2022). Maybe there is some consolation in that. More should come from the realization that the competition that unfolded here this evening is now one more page in the previously referenced illustrious history of the NYAC. It may not be the page that Winkler wanted to write, but he is, and always will be, a part of the history of this most historic organization. Thinking about it, that should be more than consolation; that should be a source of pride. 

JUMPING AND THROWING, HOPEFULLY FAR
from James O'Brien in Tokyo
Day 5 - Wednesday, September 17th



From an NYAC perspective, today was a quieter day at the World Track and Field Championships. Three Club athletes were competing, but all in qualifying rounds: Curtis Thompson in the men’s javelin and Will Claye and Salif Mane in the men’s triple jump.

For Thompson, the objective was to place among the top 12 from both groups combined, or else hit an automatic qualifying standard of 84.50m/277-3. Both avenues of advancement were within his capability; his personal best of 87.76m/287-11 came in March of this year. But, although Thompson is a two-time Olympian and two-time world championships participant, he has reached a final just once, that being at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, OR, where he placed 11th. So, in Tokyo, it was a hill to be climbed and not easily.

Claye’s résumé is remarkable, being replete with major championship successes: two Olympic silvers, two world championships silvers, one Olympic bronze and two world indoor golds. Sometimes those medals were for the long jump, sometimes for the triple jump. It almost made no difference; if the object was to jump long, Claye could do it, by whatever means. In recent years, the triple has been his primary focus, his best this year being the 17.09m/56-1 that he jumped at the US nationals in August to place third and make this team.

Second place at the nationals was claimed by Mane, who leaped 17.15m/56-3¼ to secure his ticket to Tokyo. If Claye is the seasoned horizontal jumping veteran, Mane is the emerging force, with one Olympic appearance to his credit (sixth in Paris last year) and this being his first world championships. To make it to the next round, the NYAC jumpers had to place among the top 12 or clear 17.10m/56-1¼, neither route being a jump in the park.

As an aside and by way of perspective, the world record for the triple jump is 18.29m/60-0¼, set by Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain in 1995. Try measuring that out in your living room. You’ll probably have to open the front door and go out into the street.

As things transpired, Mane advanced with little trouble, placing sixth in Group B, 10th overall, with a leap of 16.86m/55-3¾ in the first round. For Claye, things did not go as smoothly. Though he was aggressive on the runway, his 16.52m/54-2½ last round effort left him ninth in Group A, 19th overall, and out of the competition. Mane will appear in the triple jump final on Friday at 8:50pmTT/7:50amNY. The lead qualifier from this evening’s rounds was Yasser Mohammed Triki from Algeria, who flew out to 17.26m/56-7½.

NYAC attention then shifted to Thompson, who was appearing in Group B of the javelin qualifying, facing intimidating characters such as Kenya’s former world champion, Julius Yugo, and Grenada’s former champ and Paris Olympic bronze medalist, Anderson Peters. A shakey opener of 77.97m/255-9 gave few clues as to Thompson’s form; however, a second round 84.72m/277-11 certainly did, that being an automatic qualifier by 22cms. Notably, Peters had previously launched a massive 89.53m/293-8 that almost flew out of the stadium. I mention that merely as an aside and for reference; when the final begins tomorrow evening at 7:23pmTT/6:23amNY, everybody will start at zero. 

JAVELIN BRONZE FOR CURTIS THOMPSON
from James O'Brien in Tokyo
Day 6 - Thursday, September 18th



When Curtis Thompson contested this evening’s final of the men’s javelin at the World Track and Field Championships, he was perpetuating a tradition of top class NYAC throwing that dates back 125 years, in fact to John Flanagan and Richard Sheldon who won the hammer throw and shot put at the Olympic Games of 1900 in London. In the years since, the athletic history of the New York Athletic Club has been punctuated by the stellar feats of throwers such as Pat McDonald (56lb weight throw gold at the 1920 Games), Lance Deal (hammer silver in 1996), Reese Hoffa (shot put bronze in 2012) and Valarie Allman (discus gold in 2020 and 2024).

But no thrower, in fact few athletes, can compare with Al Oerter in the contest to claim legendary status. (Not that Oerter would have deemed himself a legend, stating on one occasion that, as he looked back on his career, he realized that, “The older I get, the better I was.”) In 1968, in Mexico City, Oerter stunned the world by becoming the first track and field athlete ever to win an Olympic gold medal in the same event in four consecutive Games. In the years since, only Carl Lewis among track and field athletes has been able to replicate that feat, which he did in the long jump.

The third of Oerter’s quartet of golds came in this city, at the Tokyo Olympic Games of 1964. By his own account, at each of his four Olympics Oerter should not have won; he claimed he was either “too young, too inexperienced, too injured or too old.” The third option - too injured - was the case when the NYAC man competed in Tokyo; by many accounts, that was his greatest victory.

Coming into those Games, Oerter would have been a favorite except for the fact that he had injured his neck, requiring him to wear a brace. Then he tore cartilage in his ribs, an injury so painful that he required cortisone shots in hopes of gaining some relief. It didn’t help. After four rounds in the final, he was out of contention and knew that he would not be able to take both of his last two throws. He opted for one final effort, do or die. As Oerter let fly with the discus for his fifth and final attempt, the tearing sensation in his rib cage caused him to slump over and almost fall out of the circle, which would have negated the throw. He held his balance, but never saw the discus land. It was only by the roar of the crowd that he perceived what had happened: gold medal number three, plus an Olympic record. Asked how he accomplished the impossible, Oerter famously replied, “These are the Olympic Games and you die for them.” He also proudly stated of his club affiliation, “Great things are expected of you when you wear the winged foot.”

Which brings us to Curtis Thompson, who we hoped this evening would channel the spirit of Oerter’s 1964 performance and produce great things in this, only his second, major championships final. Valarie Allman already walked that path here earlier this week when she claimed the gold medal in the women’s discus. Allman came into the competition as the favorite; Thompson came in as an outlier, just the way Al would have liked it.

Thompson, evidently, liked it, too, blasting an 86.67m/284-4 opener that saw him lead the first round, ahead of the heavily fancied Anderson Peters (84.59m/277-6), the Olympic bronze medalist and two-time world champion. The Grenadian titan wasn’t about to let that circumstance endure, however, responding in round two with an 87.38m/286-8 rocket that moved Thompson down to the silver medal position. But the round wasn’t over. Throwing last was Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, the Olympic champion from 2012 and bronze medalist from 2016. Giving demonstrative evidence that his best days are not gone, Walcott lashed the javelin out to a massive 87.83m/288-2, his best throw this year, shunting Peters into second and Thompson down to third.

At the half way point, with three rounds gone, things were unchanged. Walcott held the lead with Peters in second and Thompson third. The only nuggets of news were that the 11th and 12th placers - Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic and Cameron McEntyre from Australia - were jettisoned, and Kenya’s Julius Yugo, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist and 2015 world champion, was clearly competing in pain and struggling in mid-field. He subsequently withdrew. Also struggling was defending champion Neeraj Chopra from India, and Germany’s Julian Weber, the latter having come into the competition with the longest throw in the world this year, a stunning 91.51m/300-2.

For the last three rounds, the throwing order changed, with the 10th placer going first and the first placer last. Thompson fouled his fourth, Peters could not improve on his earlier marks, and Walcott stretched his lead out to 78cms courtesy of a powerful 88.16m/289-3. So, while there was no change in the order up front, Walcott was looking increasingly dominant. Two rounds left.

Round five was uneventful, status quo, with Thompson fouling again. So, with one round remaining, the top six had one final attempt to set the cat among the pigeons, upset the apple cart or turn the tables. Pigeons, apples, carts and tables notwithstanding, the pressure was almost tangible. This was where all things could change, with, in that eventuality, no recourse.

As it transpired, all stayed as it was. There were no improvements - Thompson fouled again - so the order was unchanged: Walcott gold, Peters silver, and a magnificent bronze for Curtis Thompson. As a two-time Olympian and, including Tokyo, three-time world championships competitor, Thompson has always given indication that the potential was there for great things. Having come to fruition this evening, the sense of validation and vindication is enormous, all the more so since it continues, indeed bolsters, an NYAC tradition that is without equal. 

THE CHALLENGE OF THE TRIPLE
from James O'Brien in Tokyo
Day 7 - Friday, September 19th



The decathlon and heptathlon are the acknowledged multi-events of the track and field championship program. Men compete in the 10 event decathlon; for women, it is the seven event heptathlon, both events contested over two days. In Tokyo, the heptathlon started today and concludes tomorrow. The decathlon begins tomorrow and concludes on Sunday. (The NYAC’s Harrison Williams and Kyle Garland will appear in the latter).

Those two events notwithstanding, a case could also be made for the triple jump to be counted among the T&F multis. The event, after all, comprises three phases, in each of which a world class athlete must stretch out to phenomenal lengths. As mentioned in an earlier blog, the triple jump world record has stood to Great Britain’s Jonathan Edwards since 1995, a mark of 18.29m which, for the imperial-minded, translates to 60 feet and three-quarters of an inch. Get a tape measure and mark that out, just for the heck of it. It is a staggering distance. The three phases of Edwards' record breaking jump were: hop - 19 feet 10 and a quarter inches; step - 17 feet one and a half inches; jump - 23 feet and half an inch. For perspective, when Jesse Owens set the world long jump record - granted, 90 years ago - he jumped only three-plus feet farther than Edwards’ final phase. The point being that, in order to be a world class triple jumper in this era, you need to be the master of three distinct biomechanical elements. It’s not about jumping far; it’s about jumping far by employing three distinct techniques. In that, it’s a multi-event.

This is the world into which the NYAC’s Salif Mane stepped (and hopped and jumped) this evening, a world in which everyone in the field could stretch out to lengths that very good athletes cannot match for a single phase. Among those vying for the podium were defending champion and Paris Olympics bronze medalist, Hugues Fabrice Zango from Burkina Faso; Paris Olympic silver medalist and 2022 world champion, Pedro Pichardo from Portugal; and Paris Olympic bronze medalist and world indoor champion, Andy Diaz Hernandez from Italy. That is to name just three of the powerhouse jumpers that Mane had to confront. By every measure, it was not going to be easy.

Which is not to say that Mane does not have some impressive credentials of his own, notably a sixth place finish at last year’s Olympic Games, and a personal best of 17.52m/57-5¾. Still, in this company, he would have to have the series of his life in order to reach the podium. That, of course, is what young, emerging athletes of talent do; Mane is 23. They regard their more seasoned opposition, decide that now is the season of change, and set about effecting it. In Tokyo, though, the time for change was not yet here.

Jumping 12th, Mane’s first leap brought him to 16.29m/53-5½, a mark that left him in 10th position, the lead being held by Algeria’s Yasser Mohammed Triki (ninth at last year’s Olympic Games), with a jump of 17.25m/56-7¼. Mane’s second leap was a lackluster 15.93m/52-3¼, a distance that dropped him back to 11th. If he could not move up by at least one position on his third attempt, he would be one of two being denied three more jumps, bringing his Tokyo World Championships to an end.

And, so, the curtain came down. While Pichardo and Italy’s Andres Dallavalle decided the outcome in the very last round - with Dallavalle jumping to a seemingly decisive 17.64m/57-10½, only for Pichardo to respond with a monstrous 17.91m/58-9¼ - Mane could not improve on his first round effort, producing a 15.86m/52-0½ on his third attempt, leaving him 12th and done.

It wasn’t the outcome that Mane wanted; but, sometimes the seasons don’t change to a schedule. However, they do always change. 

GARLAND GOING FOR GOLD
from James O'Brien in Tokyo
Day 8 - Saturday, September 20th



The NYAC’s Kyle Garland came into the World Championships decathlon competition ranked #7 in the world. His seasonal best of 8869 points, tallied at the US championships in August, placed him second on the yearly list. However, the manner in which he attacked day one of the 10 eventer in the Tokyo stadium today indicated that he has every intention of topping both of those lists once these two days of competition are concluded.

Before we get to Garland’s exploits, however, we must make mention of Lauren Harris, the US champion and two-time US record setter at 20,000m this year, who contested the women’s 20K race walk this morning. Although Harris could point to a best time of 1:31:23.7 for 20,000m on the track, even with that she would have her hands full with the likes of 35K winner and defending 20K champion, Maria Perez from Spain, in the field (PB of 1:25:30).

So it proved, as Perez strode to a 12 second victory over Mexico’s Alegna Gonzalez (1:25:54 to 1:26:06), leaving Harris to finishing 27th (1:32:50), following incremental splits of 22:43 (5K, 32nd), 45:27 (10K, 25th) and 68:30 (15K, 22nd). Objectively, it was a solid performance in her first major championship, one indicating that there is more to come.

While Harris was working hard out on the roads of Tokyo, Garland was making the decathlon field work hard inside the stadium. For those who have not got it memorized, day one of the decathlon goes like this: 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m. Day two is made up of the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500m. (World 1500m record holder, Steve Ovett, once famously remarked that the decathlon is nine Mickey Mouse events and a 1500m. Ovett, of course was joking. That he said it to an outraged Olympic decathlon champion, Daley Thompson, made it all the more funny). In any event, even Ovett would have had to have been impressed with the manner in which Kyle Garland came out of the blocks this morning, literally and figuratively.

In the decathlon, it is all about accumulating points. Clock X time, or reach X height or distance, and you receive X points. So, as much as you are competing against your opponents, you are also competing against whatever measuring device is in effect. It may be all well and good to win your race or head your group; but, if the result is slow or low, so will be your points. Thus, it’s all about start hard, go hard, finish hard. In the decathlon, it’s the only way.

That’s what Garland did from the outset. In the 100m, he clocked a smoking 10.51 seconds, good for 973 points and second only to the 10.31/1020 of Puerto Rico’s Ayden Owens-Delerme. (Notably, Canada’s Damian Warner, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion and a contender here, was a late scratch due to an achilles tendon injury).

In the long jump, Garland kept the pressure on with a 7.92m/26-0 best effort, third farthest of the competition, that earned him 1040 points, bringing his tally to a leading 2013. Next up was the shot put. The NYAC man was dominant, reaching 17.02m/55-10¼, a full 32cms ahead of the second ranked Leo Neugebauer from Germany. Thus, with three events completed, Garland held the lead with 2927 points, Neugebauer was in second, 202 points down at 2765, and Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer was third on 2736. Owens-Delerme was installed in fourth at 2735. Which was how it stood as the evening’s competition got underway.

In the decathlon, 200 points can be a hair’s breadth and, with so many technical events, a single mishap can prove disastrous. So, while the portents were encouraging for Garland, and for the NYAC, there was zero room for complacency.

In the high jump, Garland continued his intimidating display. He entered the competition at 1.93m/6-4 and went all the way up to 2.14m/7-0¼, eight jumps, before he failed to clear. At that stage, only he and Norway’s Sander Skotheim, the world indoor champion (at the seven event heptathlon) were left in the competition. Garland missed all three, his previous height of 2.11m/6-11 giving him 906 points, while Skotheim cleared the 2.14m and claimed 934. So, with four events gone, Garland still held the lead, with 3833 points; Skotheim had surged into second on 3627, and Neugebauer had been shunted back to third with 3559. Ehammer, previously third, failed to clear a height in the high jump, essentially eliminating him from the competition. See? In the decathlon, it can all change in a heartbeat.

With one event, the 400m, remaining, this is an appropriate time to mention the second NYAC man who is contesting the decathlon at these championships. Harrison Williams is also a member of Team USA in Tokyo, competing alongside his Club mate and, after four events, lying in 16th place, courtesy of a 10.79 100m (908), a 6.88m/22-7 long jump (785), a 14.87m/48-9½ shot put (782) and a 1.90m/6-2¾ high jump (714). But the 400m is where Williams shines. In this event, he blasted an exceptional 46.88 seconds, a time bettered only by Owens-Delerme, bringing the NYAC man 964 points and hauling him up to ninth overall.

Garland, in contrast, clocked a still fine 48.73, a season’s best, earning him 874 points - his first time under 900 all day - to bring his total to 4707 and ensure that, as the first day’s competition ended, he remained atop the table. Skotheim held his position in second on 4543, while Owens-Delerme’s stellar 400m enabled him to nudge Neugebauer down one further slot and slide into third.

It is significant that Garland was never anywhere other than at the head of this field all day long, a remarkable accomplishment. But another long day lies ahead and, to belabor an old but nonetheless true expression, the only thing we can be sure of is that there is no such thing as a sure thing. Still, we can hope. 

Sam Mattis’ early season personal best of 71.27m/233-10 in the discus gave hope that he could produce some fireworks in Tokyo. That mark was fifth in the world coming into this meet, and while Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna was a prohibitive favorite, Mattis could rightly have expected to see himself in the top half of the field.

As in the decathlon, so too in the discus. You just never know. In this morning’s qualifying rounds, Mattis could manage nothing further than 62.86m/206-3, leaving him a non-advancing 11th in his group, 20th overall. Every competitive athlete has been there, that day when you just don’t/can’t live up to expectation. But Mattis is no stranger to tough days; after all, he beat cancer. Which makes him the personification of a world class athlete: somebody who can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same. (I stole that from Rudyard Kipling's “If.” Every athlete should read it. Actually, everybody).

BRILLIANT BRONZE FOR GARLAND
from James O'Brien in Tokyo
Day 9 - Sunday, September 21st



Today is the ninth and final day of the 20th World Track and Field Championships, a meet that has, by every measure, been a wonderful success. Superb organization, fantastic competition, made all the better by the return to the city that did such a wonderful job of hosting the Olympic Games four years ago in the face of almost insurmountable odds. Addressing the crowd one evening at this meet, Lord Sebastian Coe, head of World Athletics, expressed his sense of gratification that this major competition was able to return to Tokyo so soon after the Games, while also offering his gratitude to these impeccable hosts. A major championship such as this is always a special and memorable experience; this one was made all the more so by the obstacles that had to be endured in order to get here.

Which is an appropriate segue into day two of the decathlon competition. When last we saw our 10-eventing heroes, the field was snapping at the heels of the man who had led from the very start of the competition, the NYAC’s Kyle Garland. At the conclusion of yesterday’s events, he held a 164 point lead over Norway’s Sander Skotheim (4707 to 4543), with Puerto Rico’s Ayden Owens-Delerme a further 56 points down at 4487. But none of this was decisive. With 220 points covering the first three, and a handful more working hard to close the gap, day two could almost have been starting from scratch. Notably, Harrison Williams, the second NYAC man in this field, ended day one in ninth, a resolute move in the right direction after a troublesome start.

With 10 events, many of them highly technical, “troublesome” can be an adjective liberally employed in describing the ebb and flow of the decathlon. Skotheim may have used other adjectives in describing his outing in the first event of day two, the 110m hurdles, incurring a DQ and going from a medal position to the sidelines. Garland, too, did not have a smooth ride, hitting hurdles and losing balance, though he still managed to claim 936 points courtesy of his 14.30 clocking and stay at the head of the table. Williams ran a smooth 14.56 (903 points) allowing him to continue his inexorable rise and slot into eighth overall. For much of day one, Williams had toiled in 16th.

Through the next two events, the discus and the pole vault, Garland held his position at the forefront, but the eagles were gathering. Germany’s Leo Neugebauer was almost four meters better than anybody else in the discus, and more than eight meters better than Garland, allowing him to claw back precious points. In the pole vault, Williams was the standard bearer, heading the field at 5.20m/17-0¾ (972 points), while both Owens-Delerme and Neugebauer were comfortably ahead of Garland, their respective heights being 5.10m/16-8¾ (941), 5.10/16-8¾ (941) and 4.80m/15-9 (849).

If there was a turning point in the competition, this was it. Garland still held the lead, but the pack was closing. With eight events gone, the scores were: Garland, 7322; Neugebauer, 7269; Owens-Delerme, 7238. With 84 points covering the top three places, it was as if they were neck and neck approaching the home straight.

The penultimate event was the javelin, in which Neugebauer showed both his strength and technique. His mark of 64.34m/211-1 (803 points) was just fifth best of the round, but it was significantly up on Garland’s 59.78m/196-1 (735) and Owens-Delerme’s 58.79m/192-10 (720), to a degree that allowed the German to topple the NYAC man from the pole position for the first time in this competition. Then came the universally dreaded 1500m.

These athletes can certainly handle the aerobic challenges of the metric mile; witness the winning 4:13.52 of France’s Antoine Ferranti - you’ve got to run to record that time - but it’s not their sweet spot. Decathletes are drawn to raw speed, power and technique. That’s why they hope that all has been decided before the second day’s final event. They hope, but often it’s not.

At this stage, a mere 114 points covered Neugebauer, Garland and Owens-Delerme at the head of the field. Neugebauer had just 15 points in hand over Garland. Nothing. Of the three, Owens-Delerme disliked this event the least. Indeed, his 4:17.91 clocking was second only to Ferranti and earned him 826 points. With 4:31.89, Neugebauer earned 732, while Garland received 646 for his 4:45.45. Remarkably, after two intense days and exhausting events, the medal order had come down to the very last race. Neugebauer had the gold medal at 8804; Owens-Delerme had the silver on 8784, with Garland taking a magnificent bronze with 8703. Just 101 points covered the three medalists. Williams should not be overlooked, enjoying a superb second day which saw him take seventh overall with a score of 8269.

“I had amazing energy over these 48 hours,” commented a rightfully delighted Garland. “Just to be able to come out of these days, after all the adversity I have faced, to be able to wear this bronze medal around my neck, is fulfilling. I’m satisfied with almost all my events; but, definitely the shot put was a big one for me. I had thrown 16 meters earlier this year at the US championships; but, to come out at my first world championships with 17 meters is something like a miracle. Going into day two, I had a lot of ups. In the hurdles I knew I could run significantly under 14 seconds, but I hit a few hurdles and stumbled to about 14.3, which was underwhelming. Mentally I knew I had to bounce back and go out and fight for a medal. To be on the podium for the USA for the first time since Ashton Eaton back in 2016 [Eaton won the gold medal at the Rio Olympic Games]...that feels fantastic, to put USA back on the map and on the world stage.”

Garland is justified in such gratification. To perform so well in such a competitive cauldron takes a rare kind of athlete. The same may be said of Valarie Allman, gold medalist in the women’s discus, and of Curtis Thompson, who claimed a bronze in the men’s javelin. Indeed, all 13 of the NYAC’s athletes, who fought hard and competed so well throughout these championships, are deserving of the highest praise and gratification. Some may have wished for a different, better outcome; that is both the nature and the terrible beauty of competitive sport. To them all, though, without exception, must be offered the most sincere congratulations and thanks for representing their club and their country in the exemplary manner that they did. Some of them may have hoped for more; we most certainly could not.

Valarie Allman

Event: Discus
Birthday: February 23rd, 1995
Hometown: Hershey, PA
College: Stanford University

 

 

Brooke Andersen

Event: Hammer
Birthday: August 23rd, 1995
Hometown: Vista, CA
College: Northern Arizona University
 

Career Highlights
Tokyo 2020 Olympian; 2022 World Championships hammer champion; 2023 US champion; 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist
 
Coming into the Tokyo World Championships, Andersen was ranked fourth in the world for women’s hammer. Her personal best of 80.17m/263-0, set in May 2023, places her third on the world all-time list, behind only Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland (82.98m/272-3; 2016) and NYAC teammate Deanna Price (80.31m/263-6; 2021).

Tokyo World Championships Result
Women's Hammer Throw
Qualifying Round - No legal mark in Group A; did not advance
 

Lauren Harris

Event: 20K Race Walk
Birthday: July 23rd, 1999
Hometown: Holtsville, NY
College: Marist College

Miranda Melville

Event: 35K Race Walk
Birthday: March 20th, 1989
Hometown: Rush, NY
College: University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Deanna Price

Event: Hammer
Birthday: June 8th, 1993
Hometown: Moscow Mills, MO
College: Southern Illinois University

Will Claye

Event: Triple Jump
Birthday: June 13th, 1991
Hometown: Tucson, AZ
College: University of Florida

Kyle Garland

Event: Decathlon
Birthday: May 28th, 2000
Hometown: Philadephia, PA
College: University of Georgia

Career Highlights
Two-time US Championships medalist (gold in 2025, silver in 2022)

Plagued by injury in 2024, Garland exploded at the 2025 US Championships, scoring a personal best of 8869 to position himself as the #2 performer in the world this year coming in to these world championships.

Tokyo World Championships Results
Decathlon
Overall - 8703 points, 3rd place
100m - 10.51, 2nd place (973 points)
Long Jump - 7.92m/26-0, 3rd place (1040)
Shot Put - 17.02m/55-10¼, 1st place (914)
High Jump - 2.11m/6-11, 2nd place (906)
400m - 48.73, 11th place (874)
110m Hurdles - 14.30, 6th place (936)
Discus - 48.06m/157-8, 5th place (830)
Pole Vault - 4.80m/15-9, 9th place (849)
Javelin - 59.78m/196-1, 8th place (735)
1500m - 4:45.45, 13th place (646)

Daniel Haugh

Event: Hammer
Birthday: May 3rd, 1995
Hometown: Marietta, GA
College: University of Alabama

Career Highlights
Two-time Olympian (2020, 2024); Six-time US Championships medalist (gold in 2022, 2024; silver in 2021, 2023; bronze in 2019, 2025)
 
Since claiming his first US title in 2019, Haugh has established himself as one of the two best hammer throwers in the US, the other being his NYAC teammate, Rudy Winkler. He has made two Olympic teams and added US titles in 2022 and 2024. In 2024, he set a world record in the indoor weight throw.

Tokyo World Championships Result
Men's Hammer
Qualifying Round - 74.87m/245-7; 10th place in Group B (17th overall); did not advance

Salif Mane

Event: Triple Jump
Birthday: December 12th, 2001
Hometown: Bronx, NY
College: Fairleigh Dickinson University

Sam Mattis

Event: Discus
Birthday: March 19th, 1994
Hometown: East Brunswick, NJ
College: University of Pennsylvania 

Curtis Thompson

Event: Javelin
Birthday: February 8th, 1996
Hometown: Trenton, NJ
College: Mississippi State University

 

Harrison Williams

Event: Decathlon
Birthday: March 7th, 1996
Hometown: Memphis, TN
College: Stanford University

Rudy Winkler

Event: Hammer
Birthday: December 6th, 1994
Hometown: Sand Lake, NY
College: Cornell University