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World Athletics Championships: Andrew Coscoran through to 1500m final, Sarah Lavin misses out on 100 metres hurdles medal race

Updated / Tuesday, 16 Sep 2025 10:11
Andrew Coscoran reacts to reaching the final
Andrew Coscoran reacts to reaching the final

Andrew Coscoran is through to the men's 1500m final after finishing fifth in his semi-final at the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo, in a time of 3:35.65.

With the top six in each of the two semis making the medal race, Coscoran was well placed to do that after the field exited the final bend.

The Balbriggan native finished strongly in what was a somewhat bunched conclusion to reach a global final for the first time, also qualifying fifth fastest overall

His semi-final was won by 20-year-old Dutchman Niels Laros in 3:35.50, three hundredths of a second ahead of reigning champion Josh Kerr. Kerr's fellow Scot, and 2022 champion Wightman, was third in 3:35.56 and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot fourth.

Olympic champion Cole Hocker, who beat runner-up Kerr to Olympic gold last summer, initially looked to have booked his place from heat two - won by Kenya's Reynold Cheruiyot - in 3:36.64, but was later listed as disqualified under rule TR17.1.2 for "jostling". The American's appeal was denied.

"That's unbelievable, that's class, that's so good," was how Coscoran summed up making Wednesday's medal race.

The Star of the Sea clubman also reflected on a somewhat "cagey" race and, in particular the final 200m, where he was boxed in.

"I was seventh for a lot of race so I wanted that top six. There was nowhere I could go so I wanted to be on the inside as much as possible.

"In the last 100 I felt I had a lot to give but there was nowhere to go. I was just trying to dip for the line between Jake (Wightman) on one side and I'm not sure who on the other side. I ended up clipping one of them so that's how I ended up tumbling. I got my shoulders across the line.

"I'm buzzing, absolutely buzzing."

Coscoran will run in the final on Wednesday at 2.20pm Irish time (Live on RTÉ2/Player).

Sarah Lavin has missed out on a place in the final of the 100 metres hurdles.

Lavin came home in fourth place in the first of three semi-finals in 12.86 seconds.

The top two from each race qualified, with the next fastest two times also progressing.

Lavin was eliminated following the second semi.

The 31-year-old from Limerick told RTÉ Sport's David Gillick afterwards that "I gave it as good a go as I could" but there was nevertheless a sense of frustration.

"I've let myself down with that first hurdle," she remarked.

"I've definitely improved my flight time over the hurdles but I'm not utilising my speed in between. I think when you're learning something new you're thinking all the time. I find it so frustrating because I'm not bad at this

"I know that if I'm at my best I'm a 12.60 runner.

"What's frustrating is that I'm normally so consistent but this season has been anything but. I just have to go back and work harder and I feel like I'm saying that over and over again."

However, Lavin did add: "I should focus on being 13th in the world and the world is a pretty big place."

Switzerland's Ditaji Kambundji, who finished second in Lavin's semi-final, stunned a stellar field to win the subsequent final, in a national record time of 12.24 seconds.

The 23-year-old, whose previous personal best was 12.40, clasped her face in disbelief after flashing over the 10 hurdles and crossing the line to become the joint-seventh fastest woman of all time in the event.

World record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria, the world champion in 2022, took silver in 12.29 and American Grace Stark, who outran Kambundji in the semi-final, took bronze in 12.34.

Olympic champion Masai Russell, the former hurdler of the year, was fourth in 12.44, while twice world champion Danielle Williams finished seventh in 12.53.

Nicola Tuthill finished 11th overall in the women's hammer. The Cork competitor threw a best 69.49m in what was a creditable result in her first world final.

"11th in the world is crazy, but to not be over 70 metres is a little bit upsetting," she told RTÉ Sport.

"I've done it maybe seven times this year but it just wasn't there on the day. I don't really have any reason. My warm-up felt good, my drills between throws felt good, it just didn't seem to go.

"But I can't complain at all with that [11th]. I made a world final at 21, which is pretty cool."

Olympic champion Camryn Rogers became a double world champion as she became the second-longest thrower in history with a second-round effort of 80.51 metres.

The men's marathon was won by Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania in a photo finish, with Ireland's Peter Lynch coming home in 24th spot.

Lynch, from the Kilkenny City Harriers club, clocked two hours, 14 minutes and 12 seconds in what was his first appearance at the Worlds.

The 27-year-old was 55th at the halfway stage but moved through the field, occupying 40th position at the 30km mark.

Entering the Japan National Stadium, Lynch had picked off other rivals, and he was able to enjoy the final 300m, despite suffering tightness in his hamstring.

The other Irish competitor in the field, Hiko Tonosa, withdrew after the 35km mark.

The Dundrum South Dublin AC athlete passed through halfway in 62nd.

The photo finish showed the 42.195km race was decided by three hundredths of a second as Simbu, winning Tanzania's first gold medal at the World Championships, surged past the diving German Amanal Petros Petros at the line, closer than the 0.05-second gap between the gold and silver medallists in the men's 100m final on Sunday.

Simbu and Petros were given the same time of 2:09.48, the latter taking the silver despite heading the field as the leaders entered the National Stadium. Italian Iliass Aouani took the bronze in 2:09.53.

Mondo Duplantis lit up the third night of the championships when he broke the pole vault world record for the 14th time with a jump of 6.30 metres, after securing a third straight world title.

The gold medal was already in the bag for the American-born Swede and all the other events had finished - World Athletics apologised for a delay - when he had the bar raised a centimetre higher than the record height of 6.29m he managed in Budapest last month.

He failed by the narrowest of margins at his first two attempts but, roared on by a packed house at the National Stadium, slid over on the third with the bar giving a slight wobble before settling.

The stadium exploded as the 25-year-old raced over to celebrate with his family in the crowd before being mobbed by his delighted rivals.

Greece's Emmanouil Karalis claimed silver with a six-metre vault but every one of the enraptured 53,124 spectators inside the Japan National Stadium knew the real battle would be between Duplantis and himself.

"For sure, it’s way more special," said Duplantis, when asked to compare the feeling of breaking records at world championships and Olympics to other events. "It’s night and day. I don’t think it’s really even comparable.

"Of course it’s going to make the biggest splash, because this is our most important competition of the year, and that’s where the most eyeballs are going to be watching me too.

"A lot of people probably saw it on Instagram or whatever when I broke other world records, but there’s a lot more people watching this one live, and in that way it’s a lot more impressive.

"But the 6.30, it sounds really nice. It just sounds super clean, and a new barrier for our sport."

The 25-year-old’s latest feat also comes with a $100,000 (€85,000) world record bonus.

The final, despite leading to what felt like a foregone conclusion, was one of record depth, the first time seven men have cleared 5.90m or higher in a single competition.

Australian Kurtis Marschall claimed bronze with a best effort of 5.95m.

TOKYO, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 15: Gold medalist, Geordie Beamish of Team New Zealand, and silver medalist, Soufiane El Bakkali of Team Morocco, celebrate with their medals following the Men's 3000 Metres Steeplechase Final on day three of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 at National Stadium o
Geordie Beamish (L) and Soufiane El Bakkali celebrate with their medals

New Zealand's Geordie Beamish claimed a stunning world gold in the 3,000 metres steeplechase when he dipped to defeat a shocked Soufiane El Bakkali on the line and denied the Moroccan a fifth successive global title.

El Bakkali, twice Olympic and world champion, seemed on course for the hat-trick when he hit the front at the bell and, after surging clear, seemed to think he had it in the bag.

Beamish, however, famed for his late kick, had other ideas and pushed on to snatch it on the line in 8:33.88 seconds, beating the champion by seven hundredths of a second.

It completed a remarkable week for the Kiwi after he fell with only a lap to go in his heat, getting stamped on the head in the process, but recovered to qualify.

Seventeen-year-old Kenyan Edmund Serum, who has been working with marathon superstar Eliud Kipchoge, took a brilliant bronze in 8:34.56.

Additional reporting: Reuters

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